Okay, picture this. Your door bell rings and you open it to find your great grand ancestor from the Paleolithic era standing outside and staring right at your face.
You invite him inside and you can hear his stomach growling with hunger. What would you offer him to eat? You look around and serve him what ever you can find, like say a bowl of pasta, some chicken legs (nicely fried in oil) and maybe a soda to wash it all down.
His first instinct would be to smell your food and within moments he would throw the plate away. Though he cannot speak your language, he has made himself quite clear that he does not approve of your food at all. You need to think of something quick to appease his hunger.
Paleo Diet Menu
Well, I admit that I did take the role-playing part too far, and there is absolutely no chance of you (or anyone of us from this century) ever having such a distinguished guest over to visit. But this exercise definitely must have set your brain cells ticking to know more about the Paleo diet menu.
Brushing Up the Basics of Paleo Diet
Well, before you attempt to set up an edible and good tasting meal for your Caveman ancestor, you need to keep the basics of the diet during that era in mind. The Caveman diet was purely a high protein and low carb diet.
So that means your Paleo diet menu will have absolutely no grains (whole, polished or processed), legumes or dairy products.
So what are you left with? Actually lots of stuff, like for instance meats of all kinds, fish of all kinds and of course delectable fruits and vegetables. Some bonuses can be added like natural oils (either coconut or olive oil), a few nuts etc. No condiments are permitted, so keep your table salt and sugar away from your dining table.
Say good bye to your dairy products and all your carbonated, alcoholic and caffeinated beverages too. The only drink that is permitted is plain water and coconut water.
Before getting to the sample menu, if you are looking for a done for you, comprehensive meal plan that is designed with an athlete in mind, check out Ron Holland’s Paleo Fat Blast meal plan. It’s six weeks worth of recipes and shopping lists that will take the trouble out of finding recipes that are compatible with the paleo diet.
Paleo Diet Sample Menu
Okay now that you know what to buy from the grocery store, you only need to get an idea of a sample menu for the major meals and snacks throughout the day.
Breakfast
Let’s start at the beginning and look at the breakfast menu. So what do you have in your fridge? Hmm, you have eggs, lots of carrots, spinach, lovely tomatoes and a heap of fruits. So how about whipping up a colorful omelet for breakfast and begin the day with a bright start?
Add finely chopped spinach, carrots, beets, and tomatoes to your whipped egg and get your healthy omelet, prepared in a jiffy. You can add a fruit of your choice to your menu and wash down all the food with a glass of coconut water.
Mid-Morning Snack
Your tummy is already protesting and asking for some snacks. This is the time when you do not want to fill yourself up with food, so maybe biting into a fruit would be more convenient for you. Apples, cantaloupes, berries or cherries will work for you.
Lunch
Show your true Caveman colors and eat meats for lunch. Your options are grilled salmon, or any grilled meat, with a generous bowl of mixed vegetable salad to go with it. Remember no dressing up your salad with fancy dressings. Keep it simple and minimalistic, so olive oil would be the best bet.
Afternoon Snack
Raw carrots and celery would be a good option. Or you can go for a mixed vegetable soup or chicken soup instead.
Dinner
Dinner time was the time to feast on the day’s hunt in the Caveman period. So if you have an appetite, you can very well go for steaks, grilled fish or pork chops. Just ensure that you add lots of vegetables as a side dish or salad to keep your intestines moving and to prevent constipation.
Late Night Snack
If you are used to eating late night snacks, then try to eat some fruit that is not so sweet. Grapefruit or tangerines would be a good choice.
