After deciding to adopt the Paleo lifestyle, it became necessary for me to do research and find some Paleo resources for my journey. I have discovered a few books that are making my life much easier! Although I can think of things on my own, when I do that I end up eating the same meals over and over again (boiled eggs for breakfast, anyone?). With these cookbooks I am able to get inspiration and fill my refrigerator with ingredients that make cooking simple!
You can check out this video discussing some of my favorites and I’ll write about each after the video.
My two main resources are Primal Blueprint – Quick and Easy Meals by Mark Sisson and Jennifer Meier
and Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo.
These books are based on blogs Marks Daily Apple and Balanced Bites. I read various reviews of paleo cookbooks online and initially purchased Primal Blueprint. After reading a few posts on Balanced Bites I purchased that book too.
I’ll start with Primal Blueprint. I enjoy the recipes in this book because they are quick and easy. The pictures show all of the ingredients before and after cooking and I really like that. The recipes are not labor intensive although you may have to search for some of the items used, like the arame (a seaweed) that I used to make this dish-
Salmon and arame with lemon tamari dressing
I was able to locate the arame at my local farmers market, it is amazing and carries items from all over the world! I will be making two large grocery trips there monthly and supplementing the fresh produce from a closer supermarket as needed. Overall, I think Mark’s cookbook provides an array of recipes for people following the Paleo diet. Although I am not a meat eater, I am able to either adapt or simply use a good number of the recipes in the book. All of the recipes are not totally Paleo, there are some that utilize diary but usually it is optional. I’d recommend this book and am getting a lot of use from it.
Practical Paleo is also filled with numerous recipes that I can use. In addition to recipes, the book also has 30 day meal plans. The Nori Salmon handroll that I made the other day was from Practical Paleo and if I could always keep smoked salmon in my fridge, I’d eat it daily! For me, the meal plans are the highlight of this book. Diane provides 12 different meal plans varying from paleo for Athletic performance, to autoimmune conditions, thyroid health, digestive health, blood sugar regulation and many others. In addition, tear out cards are provided that can be carried during grocery shopping or utilized in your kitchen.
Both of these books are providing me with a tremendous amount of motivation for cooking and inspiring me to try new things on my own. As I find more resources I will share them with you. I hope this information helps you if you are considering adopting a paleo lifestyle!
