Plant-focused Paleo
When you first think of paleo what comes to mind?
I would not be in the slightest surprise if bacon was your first instinct. Rightly so, you search paleo hashtags for recipe or meal inspiration and you will likely be bombarded with photos of bacon wrapped meals and meat heavy dishes.
However, paleo being a meat heavy diet is not the truth for everyone. The basics of a paleo lifestyle is eating whole natural foods, a theory based on how many of our ancestors ate before modern agriculture. It focuses on vegetables, fruits and animal proteins, cutting out grains, beans, soy, corn and often dairy. It also places an importance on sustainability and ethical food sourcing.
I can often describe my diet as paleo-based, I cut out those same food groups, I focus on whole foods, and I am extremely conscious of where my animal proteins come. However, where I differ, and I believe many other "paleo" followers differ, is that I do not eat large amounts of meat everyday.
I have found that my body does best with animal protein in my diet, this helps keep my hormones balanced, my thyroid and adrenals healthy, and my nutrient levels up. But I'm not downing a quarter-pounder at every meal. In fact, 75% or more of my meals could be considered vegan.
The base of my meals are vegetables and some fruits. I typically start my day with a non-dairy green smoothie, I have nuts for a snack, I eat a large salad with a variety of veggies, avocado, nuts or seeds at lunch, and often roasted veggies or stews dinner.
So where is the bacon?
When I do consume animal protein it is because my body feels it needs it, often times this is in the form of a broth, fish, and when I purchase meats I try to get it directly from farmers and sources that I know feed the animals what they should be eating and raise them in healthy environments. It is a small portion that typically is complimentary to the rest of the meal, not the main focus.
Often, it is only a handful of times throughout the week. When I am not eating meat, I get protein from paleo based mayo (contains eggs), hemp tofu (no soy), avocados, nuts and seeds, and plant based protein powders.
With any eating lifestyle you can fall into a trap of eating what you feel is "allowed" but is not necessarily healthy. Vegans can get caught up eating substantial amounts of soy, vegetarians may fall back on processed grains and cheese, and paleo followers can spend all their time baking grain-free desserts and eating steak.
There are pit-falls to every "diet".
If you follow me regularly, you know that I am a big proponent of finding what fuels your unique body best. Eating this way is what makes my body happy, and through experimentation I have learned that it keeps me balanced. But my diet is also fluid, I adjust when needed and I am not dogmatic with my approach.
Am I suggesting you eat like me?
No, but if you want to try out paleo but are not comfortable eating lots of meat, then know that you can still do both!