Starting paleo? Cleaning up your diet? Want to start cooking from home more often?
I have narrowed down a list of all the goodies, gadgets and guiding logical thoughts you should keep within hand and mental reach.
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FOOD
{Most of these foods you can keep in the freezer. I have a tendency to over-stock and freeze; that way, I’m only a thaw-away instead of a drive-away from a healthy home-cooked meal.}
Vegetables:
- Kale (baby kale, dino kale, curly kale … whatever strikes your fancy)
- Collard Greens (great for lunch wraps)
- Zucchini
- Spinach
- Mixed Greens
- Tomatoes (okay you’re right … they’re actually a fruit)
- Yellow Onions
- Fresh Garlic (I occasionally cheat with the pre-minced in a jar)
- Fresh Cilantro/Parsley
- Bell Peppers
- Snack Veggies (like cucumbers, carrots, and celery)
- Sweet Potatoes
- Squash
- Beets
Meats:
- Chicken Breasts (or tenders)
- Whole Chickens/Turkeys (great for roasting and eating off all week)
- Fresh Eggs
- Egg Whites
- Fresh Turkey from Deli
- Ground Beef or Turkey
- BACON (read the label and avoid those sweetened with HFCS)
- Gluten-Free Sausage
- Beef or Pork Steaks
Nuts & Seeds:
- Almonds
- Almond Butter
- Cashews
- Walnuts
- Pecans
- Flax Seeds
- Chia Seeds
- Sesame Seeds (buy in bulk, NOT in a jar by the seasonings)
- Pumpkin Seeds
- {any other seed or nut imaginable EXCEPT peanuts}
Fruits:
{Use berries as your default fruit and all others as a treat.}
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Bananas
- Pears
- Apples
- {any other fruit imaginable}
- Lemons (you will use fresh lemon juice for SO much)
Other:
- Almond Meal
- Coconut Flour
- Almond Milk (unsweetened)
- Arrowroot Starch (paleo-friendly thickener)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Virgin Coconut Oil
- Ghee (clarified butter)
- Full-Fat Coconut Milk (found in a can on the Asian isle)
- Grass-Fed, Non-Homogenized Yogurt
- Mustard (I like spicy horseradish mustard)
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Kosher Salt
- Pepper (in a pepper grinder)
- Spices (chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, steak seasoning, etc.)
- Sriracha (not paleo but totally acceptable in my book)
- Wine! (why not? keep a few bottles of your favorite red and white on hand for a treat when you need it)
- Dark Chocolate (preferably 70% or higher – for an occasional treat)
- Honey (borderline paleo but acceptable in moderation)
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GADGETS
- Blender (or Bullet)
- Sauce Pan
- Frying Pan
- Horizontal Peeler
- Lemon Squeezer
- Baking Sheets
- Parchment Paper
- Aluminum Foil
- Dehydrator (this is the one I have)
- Large Knife (for all the chopping you’re gonna do)
- Cutting Board
- Crockpot
- Cast-Iron Pot
- Food Processor (I use mine almost every day)
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LOGIC
Thinking logically and critically about your food is important. If I could draw you a logical food pyramid (don’t get me started), it would have vegetables on the bottom as your #1 food source, protein/fruit next at #2/3, fats just above at #4, and the top and tiniest part of the pyramid, at #5, would include grains, dairy, sugar, and processed foods.
Simple, easy to remember, food logic:
- Over half of your meal should consist of vegetables.
- A serving of meat should not be larger than your fist.
- Carbs aren’t evil.
- Healthy fats (found in nuts, seeds, meats) are necessary for life.
- Calorie counting can mislead you.
- Even though considered “paleo/clean,” eat fruits and nuts in moderation.
- Drink water.
- Your daily water intake (in ounces) should = your weight {divided by} 2
- There’s no such thing as diet that works for everyone.
- Don’t jump off the healthy lifestyle bandwagon just because you ate a frozen snickers bar (and washed it down with a frosty beer) at the golf course.
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A POSITIVE ATTITUDE
Staying positive is KEY to a clean/paleo/healthy lifestyle kitchen.
- If an experimental dish bombs, laugh it off.
- If you’re out of basic ingredients, stay positive and put on your creative hat.
- If your family is reluctant to give up their old way of eating, “oohh” and “ahh” over your new tastier version. Like babies, they’ll soon beg for a bite.
Remember to have fun and love the journey. You’ll find your own groove in no time.
