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Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Making Macronutrients Make Sense

A diet like paleo can be overwhelming because it's so different from every other diet. It's not portion control (unless you want that as well - that's where the Zone comes in). It's not low-carb. It's not Atkins, or South Beach, or Weight Watchers... so people are fearful. "What do I do if I don't have time to prepare for my day and have to eat out?" You can make good choices. "What if I don't like red meats." Eat chicken and fish. The thing I love about paleo is that I can eat whatever I want as long as it's clean. There are no points. There is no measuring. I don't have to count calories. It's really a SIMPLE diet that our minds perceive as hard.
Several people in the nutrition class yesterday were asking for examples of meals. Here are some that I came up with that fit the 3 macronutrient format.

Proteins
Carbs
Fats
Eggs
Fruits
Oils
Meats
Vegetables
Butters (almond, peanut, clarified)
Milks (almond, coconut)
Nuts & seeds
Breakfast Combos
Scrambled eggs
Fruit
Oil/butter (eggs)
Protein shake*
Banana
Peanut butter
Protein powder*
Apple
Almond milk
Egg Muffin
--
--
Sausage*
Apple
Almond butter
Snack Combos
Lunch meat*
Celery
Peanut butter
Protein shake*
Banana
Almond butter
Boiled egg
Apple
Almonds
Chicken tenderloin
Applesauce*
Chia seeds
Guacamole Deviled Eggs
Carrots
Avocado (eggs)
Beef jerky
Cucumbers
Vinaigrette*
Lunch Combos
Grilled chicken
Salad
Vinaigrette*
Grilled chicken nuggets
Fruit cup
Honey mustard*
Pulled pork
Vinegar Coleslaw
Oil (slaw)
Hamburger patty
Sweet potato fries
Oil (fries)
Dinner Combos
Pork tenderloin
Roasted veggies
Oil (veggies)
Steak
Sweet potato
Clarified butter (potato)
Fish
Steamed veggies
Clarified butter (veggies)
Hamburger patty
Sweet potato fries
Guacamole
Ground turkey
Tomato sauce/zucchini pasta
Oil (zucchini)
Chicken breasts
Salsa
Clarified butter

Notes & Pointers:
- Anything with a * in the menu above, you need to check the label or make it yourself, it may have added sugars
- Oil/vinegar based dressings and dips are okay as long as they don't have added sugar
- Mustard is okay as long as it's strictly mustard seed and vinegar (French's is good)
- Ketchup has sugar -- NO GO!
- Spices are your friends -- go easy on the salt
- Stevia or agave are natural sweeteners, and some variations of paleo allow for raw honey and pure maple syrup -- however, try to limit your sweeteners!
- Coconut milk or almond milk are great for coffee - make sure they don't have added sugars
- Check your lunch meats -- many are packed with preservatives or sugars
- Sausage often contains added sugars (Bob Evans is sugar-free!)
- Applesauce is an easy snack when you get tired of whole fruits -- get it unsweetened (Publix brand is cheap and yummy!)
- Buy ghee, or make your own clarified butter to remove the milk fats
- Avocados are a great source of fats -- count them as fats instead of vegetables

On The Go Options:
Chik-fil-a: grilled chicken nuggets, fruit cup
Steakhouses (Outback, Longhorn): steak, sweet potato with butter
Cracker Barrel: breakfast and lunch options! tons of veggies, proteins, and fats on their menu!
Mexican: fajitas, no tortillas, sour cream, or chips for you!
Olive Garden: mixed grill... this is literally the ONLY thing I could find on their menu to eat while I was on Cat Food Diet. good luck resisting those breadsticks...
Hamburger Joints (aka, McD's, Hardees, BK): hamburger patty, sans bun... Hardee's even has a turkey burger that's pretty awesome, and BK's sweet potato fries are legit

Recipes I've Made & Love:
Zucchini Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce
Perfectly Boiled Eggs
Cucumber-Avocado Dressing
Egg Muffins
Clarified Butter

Recipes To Try:
Vinegar Coleslaw
Guacamole Deviled Eggs
Honey Mustard

Easy Crockpot Mexican Chicken:
Bag of frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Taco seasoning packet
Half a jar of salsa

Put the chicken (still frozen) in the crockpot. Pour in the half jar of salsa and sprinkle to taco seasoning over the top. Cover and cook on high 4-6 hours. You can shred the chicken with two forks about a half hour before you're ready to eat so it will soak up the flavors. For your non-paleo family members this can be served on tortillas or over nachos. This recipe is TOO easy, and budget friendly!





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