Shopping Paleo - My Tips On How Best to Shop Effectively and Efficiently

One area people struggle with when they decide to become Paleo is learning how best to shop. It may seem like an easy task for many of you, but it is surprising how many people never cook and therefore never need to shop properly!  I therefore decided to put together a few tips on how best to fill your shopping basket and also how to keep your budget in check! Careful planning and discipline will mean you have everything you need to feed you and your family effectively and efficiently.

1. Plan Your Weekly Menus 

For many, planning and consideration of what they plan to eat for the week ahead is unheard of. They prefer to decide on a day to day basis what to eat. This is a big no no. Not only do you inevitably spend more money, you are also likely to pick up bad foods you fancy because a) You are already hungry and b) You "deserve" a treat.

The best way to avoid slip ups and picking up less than desirable food stuffs is to PLAN. If you have a rough idea of what you plan to cook for each meal for the week, as well as plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts, seeds and other snack foods, you are far more likely to just eat good food. I tend to buy the same foods every week and then come up with variations on what to cook with them. For example I will buy a nice rib eye steak for Friday and pair it up with whatever veggies I feel like on the day. I will always have grass fed minced (ground) beef in the freezer (organic if it is pay week!) as well as fresh salmon and free range chicken fillets. By always picking up the staples I know my family enjoy, I can come up with meal ideas day by day. Over time you too will realise you are just buying the same types of meats, paired up with whatever fruits/veg are in season. All you then have to do is make sure you take your protein out of the freezer the night before if necessary and voila, food source sorted! Don't leave your shopping to chance - plan your meals and stick to it.

2. Shop The Outside Aisles Of The Shop! 

Think about it; your local supermarket is always laid out with the fresh produce in the outside aisles. Apart from the baked foods (which is always strategically placed near the door to entice you to smell and buy), all the delicious, fresh fruit and vegetables is always on the outside aisles. In my local supermarket, one of the first things I meet is the fruit, followed by the vegetables and fresh meat and fish. This means that the bulk of my weekly shop is done before I even get half way around the shop! Once a month or so I stock up on store cupboard essentials like tinned tomatoes, coconut milk, nut flour etc. It is therefore entirely possible to avoid the centre aisles altogether and along with them the processed "food", cereals and grains that you no longer  require! Apart from making your shopping trip shorter, it also means you are less likely to be swayed and tempted by all the marketing strategies undertaken by the processed food industry.
Pick up as much different varieties of the fresh produce as you think your family can consume, while keeping roughly within the meal plans you have already set.

3. Buy In Bulk Where Possible

I usually find that I buy the same items every week, however I pick up extra meats or fish that are on offer to freeze as a cost cutting strategy.
Sometimes we buy a lamb or pig from a local farmer and have it butchered for freezing. This saves loads of money in the long run as well as allowing you to know exactly where your meat came from. If you ask around, you might even find someone willing to split the costs.

4. Read Labels

This is possibly the single most important tip to consider when keeping your diet Paleo. Most of your food should not come in boxes, we all know this. However we sometimes include some tinned or boxed products in our baskets which can be considered Paleo (coconut milk, tinned tomatoes etc). It is very important that we take responsibility for what we are putting into our bodies, and make sure we read the effing labels. Something may look healthy as sin, but read the label and it is full of cheap vegetable oils, gluten or some artificial sweetener like aspartame. The truth is these processed food industries want to make as much profit as possible and using high quality ingredients wont help them achieve this. It is therefore so important to make sure the product you are buying is not bad quality. If possible also choose organic.

5. Do Not Be Tempted By Processed Foods and Treats - (if necessary leave your kids at home).  

Not everyone has got to the idealistic stage where the whole family is on board with Paleo. I know my own family is not fully on board, they are a work in process. However I keep the overall eating in the house as Paleo as possible (no processed food, good fats for cooking with etc) However we have all experienced it -  the little ones come shopping with us and put their cute little munchkin faces on and say "Mum, please can we have the bagels, I LOVE bagels, we never get bagels anymore" and in a moment of grocery shopping weakness we say "Oh, ok, just one pack". The problem is not just that the little ones will have a freaking bagel.. It is that once the bagels (or whatever processed food your child twisted your arm to buy) has entered the house YOU are also more likely to eat them too. The best way to make sure you don't eat the bad food is to not buy the bad food at all! Simples. If avoiding the processed food aisle is the only way for you to avoid succumbing, then avoid the processed food aisle like the plague. If your children and their damn puppy eyes makes you feel you should buy their love with food (you shouldn't by the way, just say no!) don't bring your children shopping! Even if there is a massive sale on Chicken Pot Noodles and you loved Chicken Pot Noodles BP (Before Paleo) don't buy them! Step away from the pot noodles! As before, the more bad food choices you have in the house, the more likely you are to break your plan and eat them.

Book Review: "A Modern No- Nonsense Approach To Paleo"

When Alison Golden of PaleoNonPaleo gave me the opportunity to be one of the first to read her new book, I jumped at the chance! I had been a long time follower of her blog and she has become an inspiration for me too in many ways.

"A Modern No-Nonsence Approach To Paleo" is a pure gem of a book. Whether you are just considering trying Paleo living, are already started but are in need more information or are a seasoned Paleo follower and on the lookout for new ways to overcome common challenges, this is the ideal book for you!

The important thing to bear in mind about this book is it is neither a cookbook or a scientific run down on the merits of Paleo. Both have been done before. Instead, this is a no nonsense guide to developing your skill set in order to fully take on and overcome many of the challenges faced by us in a Non Paleo world.

Lets face it, even for those of us eating Paleo for quite some time, life throws a lot of challenges our way - parties, birthdays, work lunches, holidays etc, and it is sometimes very difficult to say no and stay strong!

This is where "A Modern No-Nonsense Guide To Paleo" comes in handy!

Alison utilizes her skills in organisational behaviour as well as her own three year personal experience of following Paleo eating tos put together a complete guide for the hows of Paleo rather than the whys.

The book has six sections ranging from sections ones "Understanding Paleo" to Section sixes "Building A Strong Paleo Personal Core" and truely covers everything inbetween. From getting a support group in place early, to getting your kitchen Paleo ready and learning the best ways to do your Paleo shopping, Alison has it covered.

I personally love her section titled "Go Gradually" which basically teaches us that small changes can make a big difference in the long run. She suggests changing one thing at a time like subbing your vegetable oil for coconut oil and taking it from there. This is a great tip - many people take on too much at once and then get bored.

I cannot recommend this book enough. It truely does take a no nonsense approach to a challenging matter and puts in place real, tangible ways to overcome them.

It certainly got me thinking and I will certainly be referring to this book again and again for tips on how to improve my own Paleo living in a Non Paleo world!

Buy it here (US) or here (UK/Ireland)

6 Challenges Of Eating Paleo In A Non Paleo World!

We have all been there. The confused glances of disbelief at our food choices, the sheer inability to comprehend the use of fats as a nutritious aspect of our diet, the shock at our choice of grain free living without a coeliac diagnosis. But we choose to trust in our dietary choices, because we come armed with our own research, MODERN, updated information and not merely the pharmaceutical sponsored nutritional teachings your Doctor probably received.

If you are new to Paleo or are merely considering starting on this interesting and worthwhile dietary adventure here is a list of the 6 of the most challenging arguments faced by us modern cave people on a daily basis and how to deal with them.

Challenge No 1. The Low Fat Mentality
I encounter this argument so often. In fact it is probably the biggest challenge faced when trying to convince others of the merits of Paleo. People have been so brain washed by the low fat industry that it is near on impossible to convince them otherwise. This industry has a lot to answer for. Low in fat but high in refined carbs and quite frankly full of chemical taste replacers, the lower fat era has clearly not worked! How many people do we all know that have done the low fat diet, starving themselves between carb filled meals, all followed up with the obligatory low fat yogurt desserts? Their results were always slow and short lived and always resulted in gain in weight once normal eating resumed.

Challenge Solution: Include fat in every meal. Simples. And before you get all outraged and feel the need to tell me "saturated fat equals heart disease". It doesn't. In fact neither does cholesterol! The main causes of heart disease are inflammation and presence of fibrinogen ( a blood clotting agent) as well as arteriosclerosis (plague).
Good fats or essential fatty acids (EFAs) are necessary to replace all those shit grains you are now excluding as part of a Paleo plan. They come in the form of Omega 3 fatty acids and Omega 6 fatty acids, both of which are essential (because they cannot be made by the body) but with Omega 3 being the least inflammatory of the two. On a simple level they are needed to fill you up, provide a mode of energy storage, help you absorb your fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E,K), form a part of cell membranes and play a role in the creation of prostaglandins (hormone like substances involved in inflammation prevention).

Good sources of EFAs - oily fish like salmon, herring, anchovies and mackerel, flaxseed, avocados, nuts, butter, coconut oil and olive oil (but not for cooking over 180C).

Cut Out: Refined Vegetable Oils, hydrogenated fats like spreads.

So don't exclude the good fats. Fats do not make you fat. Promise.

Challenge No 2: Comparisons to Atkins, Low Carb Confusion.

Many people who hear about our way of eating automatically assume it is some sort low carb crash diet. Knowing very little about diet plans outside of the normal low fat approach they liken it to Atkins and write you off as a dieting obsessed nut. (This does happen, I promise this is only slightly dramatised!)

Challenge Solution: Paleo is not based on Low carb and it is NOT the same as Atkins. Paleo gets its carbohydrate sources from fruit and vegetables rather than from the refined carbohydrates favoured by most. Vegetables in particular provide adequate carbohydrates as well as fibre and nutrients not present in refined breads, pastas etc. They are also unprocessed and in their natural form.

Atkins on the otherhand discourages the consumption of any vegetables and encourages large quantities of meat with no emphasis on quality. Paleo encourages the use of good quality, grass fed meats from known sources. There is no comparison between these schools of thought.

Paleo is not Low Carb. It is just real food with nothing refined or processed. It is not excluding a full food group because it is based on the original diet consumed by our ancestors. How can that be wrong?!

Challenge No 3: Eating Out

This one really is a challenge for everyone. New to Paleo or old hands, the issue of eating out and finding something suitable to eat is one faced by us all. Ireland in particular is not as accommodating as those in other countries. The US for example is well known for the ease at which customers demand their dietary requirements be met. And dead right they are too. But we are not quite there in Ireland yet. Things are improving, but most dishes are covered in sauces, and pasta dishes are still a firm favourite. And of course that is all before we even consider the oils that were used to cook our foods in! For those travelling for work it can be difficult, particularly because the food produced at meetings is usually pure shit.

Challenge Solution: It is no wonder that many people on Paleo choose to eat at home. I find I prefer to eat my own food most of the time. I know what is in it and I feel less bad effects from eating my own fresh produce. However eating out is also a social necessity and is something which we all do from time to time, and should enjoy doing. People often write to me and ask what I choose when I eat out. There are a number of ways I try to limit the effects of eating out. Choosing a plain protein like a steak and requesting it be cooked in butter and topped with garlic or herb butter  is one easy way to get around the main course (and who doesn't love a good steak!?) Failing this another protein such as salmon with veggies or a nice meat and salad is another good choice. Most good restaurants will also provide some sort of fruit salad as a dessert option with some fresh cream on the side (f you choose to have dairy). You just have to ask. We Irish may not be used to causing a fuss but consumer demand leads the market and requesting for these things today will lead to more options being available to others in the future.

Challenge No 4: Fail To Prepare, Prepare To Fail. 

One area a lot of Paleo Newbies fall down on is preparation. Failing to prepare for the week ahead sets you up for increased chance of reaching for the first thing you see at lunch time, even if that happens to be pasta carbonara. Your grumbling tummy over- rides your once steely determination and you decide you will order a meat ball sub and start again tomorrow. Your work colleague had a crap morning and has decided she is having the trio of desserts instead of lunch because she wont have time for dinner later and she deserves a treat and her argument sounds good so you join her.


Solution: Preparation is the key to success in many ways but it is even more so in succeeding with Paleo. Many use the weekend as a time to stock up on food for the week, using their free time to make broth, fry up some proteins, chop up some veggies and store them in Tupperware ready to be used for the week ahead. This is a great idea and allows for access to easy meals during the week when time is short. My preparation usually includes making chicken broth and making soup from that for weeks lunches. I prefer to cook my main meals from scratch fresh each day but this is because I have time in the evening and value fresh cooking. Takeaways do not feature in our list of meal options and should not feature in yours either. Your family deserve real food and so do you.

Concentrate on real, unprocessed foods. Do not complicate things at first. Choose easy options of protein = veg + fats and the rest will follow.

Challenge No 5: The Non Compliant Spouse/Family 

Many of you may be lucky enough to have your spouse and/or family on board with the Paleo diet. You all go shopping to the farmers market together on a Saturday afternoon and you and your partner enjoy pillow talk involving WOD and how to make next weeks dinner party paleo friendly. If so I am officially jealous! Others including myself have still to completely convince our other halves of the merits of Paleo and bread is still a part of our shopping list (even if I don't personally eat it!) For many like myself the desire to eat unprocessed and real foods instead of traditional favourites can cause arguments, but these disagreements can be limited.

Solution: You may not convince your other half of the merits of eating a full Paleo diet but you can make small changes over time which can benefit everyone. Convince everyone that processed food is not happening anymore. Everyone can agree that these foods are bad. Increase home cooked meals, cook food from scratch, limit sandwich consumption and include other tasty foods which are still Paleo friendly. Include children in cooking - they are more inclined to eat the food if they help make it. Agree that some baking can happen but they will be Paleo friendly and they can take them or leave them. Do not buy crap food and they can't eat them! (Screw them if they whinge, treats have become too plentiful anyway).

I think the need to cook two separate meals should be limited where ever possible. Sure the Non Paleos (NP) may not want to give up their white potatoes, but you can still insist on cooking them simple homemade meals from scratch with the only difference being the inclusion of white potatoes for the NPs and sweet potatoes for you. Spag Bol a firm favourite? Cook it yourself from scratch - Paleo friendly but still delicious, sub out the pasta for you and include courgette "pasta" instead. Everyone happy. Simples.

It doesn't have to be difficult. I found that when I was looked at funny for mentioning "Paleo" and "Caveman" I looked at it from a different angle and just told my fiance we were eating healthier. (It probably is easier given that I am studying Nutrition and he already thinks I am crazy for healthy eating *shrug). You never know, some day they might surprise you and eventually become the next Robb Wolfe!


Challenge No 6: Becoming Obsessed With The Facts! 
So I realise this may seem like a contradiction to what I have said in the past - to research and then research some more. What I actually saying here is that sometimes we take on so much information that it can all seem pretty overwhelming! I have been guilty of this in the past, obsessing over every detail - should I have had butter on the pan there? Was the heat to hot for olive oil? Should I include some nuts with that snack or have I already had too many today? Is almond milk paleo? It can all seem like a lot of information with a tendency to not eat anything rather than eat something wrong or not Paleo enough.

Solution: STOP! 
Take a breather and think about why you are doing this.You are doing this to be a healthier you. You are trying to change the way you look at food and are attempting to eat a real food diet, ridding yourself of toxic processed foods. Do you need to become a modern day Grok overnight? No. And you wont. The transition to this new lifestyle should be slow and gradual, with small changes happening over time. Everyone can improve but no one will go from eating Pizza one day to out and out Paleo the next.

Don't let all the information overwhelm you. Look at the basics, protein + veggies + fat for each meal, take it one meal at a time and believe that you can do it. Because you can.