Finding Variety within the Paleo Template

In the spirit of overcoming common objections to the Paleo template, today’s blog will be about finding variety.  I know people who are new to Paleo, or who try Paleo and give up, say “but I can’t find anything new to eat” or “it’s just the same thing over and over”.  Now, let me first say that I think this is a completely bogus argument.  I heard on a recent podcast that the average person only eats the 10-12 food regularly, but often we think we eat a lot more than that.  I bet if you write down the number of foods you eat regularly, it probably will add up to a lot less than you think.  Additionally, dietary variety may be an over-rated idea.   In one study (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15919842 ) decreasing variety of high-fat foods while increasing variety of low-fat foods was associated with weight loss and weight loss maintenance.  Multiple studies (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23902783; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22885982 ) with kids, have suggested that if you increase variety you also increase consumption.  Now, I’m certainly not suggesting that variety should be avoided.  This study (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20807832) correlates an increased variety of fruits and veggies with a reduction in cancer rates.  I would suggest that we should strive to get a nice variety of vegetable sources to make sure we get exposure to as many nutrients as possible, but otherwise eating pretty similar foods from week-to-week can allow you to establish new (healthy) habits.

So, what about this objections overcoming after all???  If you are concerned about how to get enough variety to keep you happy while implementing a Paleo template, I submit to you the following…  As a test, I did a Google search for “Ground Beef Paleo Recipe”.  Because grass-fed ground beef is a super-healthy and reasonably priced option, it’s a protein source I recommend everyone fit into their diet regularly.  If we’re on a budget, and can’t afford to have grass-fed rib-eye (at $20/pound), how can you possibly not getting bored eating ground beef multiple times every week?  Well, here’s what I found when I did that Goooooogle search:

 

The first link in the search results has some 40 or so recipe’s from PaleOMG that use ground beef!  Everything from simple, quick, and easy Mexican Rice Bowls (http://paleomg.com/mexican-rice-bowls/), to a delicious looking Beef, Bacon and Plantain Casserole (http://paleomg.com/beef-bacon-and-plantain-casserole/) that I’m making later this week, to a simple lettuce wrap burger (http://paleomg.com/4th-of-july-triple-protein-burgers/).  The next link in the search results has 15 more recipes, and if those 55 recipes aren’t enough for you I’m sure you can find your variety in the “About 369,000 results” in this search.  Hopefully the point I’m trying to make is crystal clear by now, but in case it’s not I’ll summarize…  My point is that even if you limit yourself to one cheap protein source (grass-fed ground beef) multiple times a week, you can still eat variety to your hearts’ content.  In fact, in just the first two search results, there are enough new recipes for you to eat a new beef dish 5 times a week for 11-straight weeks!  I guarantee that you don’t have NEAR that much variety in your current diet!

To take this one step further I’ll give you the list of my top 10 favorite Paleo ground beef dishes.  And here it is…

1. Asian Beef stir-fry: I already outlined this recipe in my previous blog. http://timstrainertalk.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-recipe-of-sorts.html
2. Spaghetti Squash Bolognese: From Practical Paleo, this is a staple in our house year round! http://balancedbites.com/2013/03/easy-recipe-spaghetti-squash-bolognese-practical-paleo-ideas-for-replacing-pasta.html
3. Paleo Shepard’s Pie: A great cold-weather meal! http://www.elanaspantry.com/paleo-shepherds-pie/
4. Paleo Taco Salad: A quick and delicious meal we eat all the time.  We add sautéed squash and onions to a recipe like this: http://www.paleoplan.com/2009/12-04/taco-salad/
5. Lettuce Wrap Bacon Burger:  We often eat burgers without the bun.  I like to fry bacon in my cast iron skillet while I prepare 1/3-1/2 pound patties.  When the bacon is done I throw the patties in the bacon grease such that the get a super nice crust on the outside.  Use butter lettuce or romaine, and garnish as you like.  We often use tomato, fried sweet onion, and avocado.
6. Chili: I have loved chili for all my life and I have found that having it without the beans is just as good!  We will garnish with avocado, or maybe even a little bit of cheese (GASP!).  Plenty of people have their own chili recipe, but here’s a link to the chili that won Robb Wolf’s Paleo Chili Contest last year. http://robbwolf.com/2013/01/06/ultimate-paleo-chili/
7. Mom, Meatloaf!!  I like to put some bacon in my meatloaf, and I like to mix in some veggies.  Just throw some onion, carrot, celery, and whatever else you got lying around in the food processor, and crank it until you have something not too far away from baby food.  Adding this veggie mixture to your meat makes it taste even more awesome and ups the nutrient content.  Here’s a list of 40 Paleo meatloaf’s for you perusal! http://paleogrubs.com/meatloaf-recipes
8. Paleo Cabbage Roles: These can be a little time-intensive, but they are delicious and make excellent left-over’s! http://cavemanstrong.com/2011/02/paleo-cabbage-rolls/
9. Ground Beef and Eggs: The Meat and Nut Breakfast (http://www.poliquingroup.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/270/The_Meat_and_Nut_Breakfast.aspx) is a fantastic way to start your day if you want to be more awesome (IE- normalize insulin levels, improve brain function, be strong and tough!), and this is my favorite version.  Just heat a pan, add some ground beef, season and brown meat.  In another pan cook up 2 eggs, I like mine sunny-side or over-easy for the yummy-runny-yolkie!  Throw the eggs on top of the meat, and grab a handful of nuts to eat on the side.  This breakfast is chalk full of protein, healthy fat, and will have you feeling satisfied for hours!
10. Stuffed Zucchini Boats:  Simple and reasonably quick, this recipe can be tailored to fit your tastes.  Delete or add herbs and spices or mix up the cheese (or leave it off) to make this meal just the way you like it. http://www.cravepaleo.com/recipe/stuffed-zucchini-boats

If your objection to Paleo is that there isn’t enough variety, I hope I’ve done a sufficient job showing you that variety doesn’t have to be a problem.  There can be more than enough variety within this template, even if you’re trying to keep to a tight budget.  You do have to jump into this stuff though, or you will never see the world of variety that’s available to you.  So far we’ve looked at the objections “I don’t have time to cook”, “I don’t have money to eat healthy”, and now “it’s just the same thing over and over”.  What’s holding you back from implementing a Paleo template?