I remember when I first heard the word Paleo. I was intrigued, I wanted to learn so much more! But, when I first started to find out the amount of foods that were restricted on a Paleo diet I began to panic! What in the world will I eat? How can a person survive without grains, or dairy or legumes? It was overwhelming to think of what our menu plan would look like! How would we ever eat tacos again?!
Perhaps you are in the same spot I was, maybe that is why you are reading this. If so, take heart. Tackling Paleo can seem like Everest but with some careful planning and trial and error it will suddenly become routine! Here are a few of my best tips to succeed at Paleo:
1.) Transform:
Make a list of meals your family regularly eats. How can these meals be recreated or transformed into Paleo meals? For example, our family ate tacos on a regular basis. First step, get rid of the tortilla. We had a couple of options. Option A, replace tortilla with butter leaf lettuce. Option B required a little more effort, making cauliflower and egg tortillas I discovered on Pinterest. In the end taco night was always our easiest meal. Now that we are in the swing of Paleo tacos at our house consists of a VERY hearty salad and a side of ground meat. We transformed our food and our minds as to what tacos really are!
2.) Replace:
At first you're going to have that major item you just can't live without! Perhaps it's your Snickers bar that you reach for in the afternoon. While you may be able to find a recipe to make Paleo Snickers bars (I'm sure it's out there), I really don't recommend it. Why not find a healthier option, like Larabars! Or make your own Larabars, or similar snack.
3. ) Find Support:
You're not the only one in the Paleo Newbie boat. There's lots of us out there, and newbies can learn a lot from the veterans too. Find a few Paleo groups on Facebook, follow our page on Facebook, and find a few great boards to follow on Pinterest. Here's a few to get you started:
Paleo Mom
Phoenix Helix
4.) Invest:
You've got a great start, you've made the most of the free online resources and recipes. Now that you're starting to get the hang of it it's time to invest in the future of your Paleo lifestyle. Invest in a few great books. These might be cookbooks, books discussing the science behind Paleo, or something in between. Here are a few of the books I highly recommend:
The Paleo Approach: Reverse Autoimmune Disease, Heal Your Body
It Starts With Food
Practical Paleo: A Customized Approach to Health and a Whole-Foods Lifestyle
Well Fed
These are just the tip of the iceberg. Any tips you'd add to succeeding while Paleo? Add them in the comments below!
