We're a little over a week away from the start of the 30 day challenge, so I thought I'd put together a few tips to get ready for the first week. It will be a lot easier if you take a little time to prepare - especially if this is your first dip in the paleo pool.
Tip #1: start clearing out any junk food or snacks lurking in your fridge and pantry. If there are any grain or dairy based foods in the house, get rid of them now. Use them up, give them away, whatever. This goes double for cookies, chips and other convenience foods. After a day or two on the paleo plan you may get some cravings, and if those snacks are readily available it's all too easy to slip up. One way to get them out of the house is to take them to work and leave them in the lunch room. If your workplace is anything like mine, they'll vanish quickly.
Tip #2: Plan the first week of meals ahead of time. It's easier to stay on track if you have a plan, and knowing what you're going to eat in advance will eliminate last minute uncertainty. Sit down a few days before Day 1 and jot down 5 breakfasts, 5 lunches, and 5 dinners. You can repeat meals as much as you like - breakfast is especially amenable to redundancy (I eat variations of the same thing almost every morning). Dinner requires the most planning, but if you just remember to have some meat, vegetables and maybe a piece of fruit each night you'll be fine. Make more than you can eat at dinner, and the leftovers can take care of the next day's lunch. This is a very helpful strategy since it's easy to toss a piece of chicken and some veggies in a container, put it in the fridge, and then pack it up for work the next day.
Sample day:
Breakfast: eggs scrambled in a tablespoon or so of olive oil, with any vegetables that sound good tossed in the mix. I like broccoli and spinach, but there's really no limit to what you can use. Sometimes I cut up a piece of leftover meat from the night before and stir fry it before adding in the veggies and eggs. Garnish with salsa.
Lunch: a colossal mixed green salad with tuna or leftover chicken. I like to add celery, spinach, tomatoes or even a cut up apple to the salad, then toss some drained tuna on top. An avocado will add some healthy fat and make you feel more full after eating. I may eat it just like that, or I might drizzle some olive oil and vinegar/lemon on top. Cracked pepper is good too.
Dinner: grilled steak with steamed carrots and a side salad. A sliced apple with almond butter for dessert.
The basic idea is to pick a good protein source (meat or eggs) for each meal, and load up the rest of your plate with vegetables. If you just do that, you'll be on your way to success.
Tip #3: After planning your meals, you'll have a much better idea of what your shopping list should look like -
Meats: buy 4 or 5 different types of meat that you know you like, enough for a couple of meals each. And load up on eggs for breakfast if you like them - they're cheap.
Good meat choices include chicken breast, chicken tenderloin, whole chicken for baking/roasting, pork loin, pork chops, pork steaks, ground beef, steak, roast, fish (salmon, cod, trout) or canned salmon, sardines, anchovies, and tuna. Tuna is especially useful for quick lunches.
Vegetables: buy a variety of vegetables you know you'll eat, both fresh and frozen. Several bags of salad greens, some carrots, tomatoes, onions, peppers, cabbage, squash, broccoli, turnips, asparagus, spinach. Frozen: mixed veggies, broccoli, greens.
Buy some fruit - apples, bananas, oranges, pears, kiwis. Plenty of berries too, such as strawberries, blueberries or raspberries.
Get some almonds and walnuts for snacking. Sunflower seeds are good too.
Stock up on spices if you don't have enough. Curry, garlic, cayenne, basil...whatever you enjoy.
Make sure you have some olive oil on hand. This is great for cooking and will add healthy fats to your meals. One of the biggest issues people have when starting paleo is not eating enough fat, but it helps to keep you feeling full and happy and it provides essential nutrients. Other good sources of fat are coconut oil, avocados, almond butter, nuts and seeds. Avocados are pretty useful, and I've never met anyone who didn't LOVE almond butter once they tried it.
Salad dressing - make your own from olive oil and vinegar (or lemon/lime juice), plus any herbs and spices you like. You can make a cup or so and keep it in the fridge.
Tomato sauce - try to find it in a can or jar, and make sure it's tomatoes, water and salt. No added sugar. This is very useful in ground beef recipes.
Salsa - find one that's made of vegetables without a lot of added nonsense (sugar, salt, things with lots of syllables). If you're like me, salsa is good at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Take some nuts or jerky to work for snacking - make sure to avoid lots of added salt and sugar in these though. Most varieties of store-bought nuts and jerky are chock full of sugar and salt, so shop around. Trader Joe's may be a good source.
Lara Bars are good for a once-in-a-while snack, but you don't want to rely on packaged snacks too often. And avoid the ones with cashews and peanuts, which are technically not paleo foods.
Tip #4: try not to eat out at restaurants too often. It's a lot easier to make sure you're eating good paleo foods if you know exactly what's in your meal and how it was prepared. That being said, you CAN make wise choices when eating out - at least in most restaurants. Order steak, chicken or fish with a side of vegetables. If it comes with a potato or rice, just request extra vegetables instead. Make sure the meat is grilled, baked or broiled and NOT covered in a sugary sauce or breaded. I was able to eat paleo at Pasta House, so I know it can be done. Fast food is a lot harder, so do your best to stay away from it.
Tip #5: limit or avoid beverages containing caffeine or artificial sweeteners. Sugar is definitely not allowed, but caffeinated and artificially sweetened drinks can cause issues for some people. Both can affect insulin levels, and this can lead to cravings, hunger, and even slow down your fat loss. If you can't do without, at least be aware that these beverages can make you more likely to experience cravings. If you can tolerate that, you'll probably be okay with a coffee or diet soda now and then. Just don't overdo it. Water is the best thing you can drink, and green tea is not too bad either. If you do end up drinking coffee or diet soda, try to drink an equal amount of water.
Tip #6: try to do some form of exercise most days. This will help reinforce the eating plan, both mentally and physically. Don't try to do too much though. In the first week you might experience low energy levels as your body learns to burn fat instead of sugar for fuel. Do some walking and other light activity a few times the first week, and save the more intense exercise for later when your energy levels start to take off. Most people feel a big boost in energy after the second week or so, and you may feel like doing something more strenuous then - even if you normally don't work out much.
Following these tips and tricks should get you through the first week with little difficulty. After that, things start to come more naturally and you'll eventually start doing the right things automatically. Remember, if you run into any questions or concerns just leave a comment here and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
Good luck and Happy Foraging!
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