Paleo Cooking Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks and Desserts.

Cooking Paleo can be perplexing. How can you give up foods like wheat and dairy. If you’re not intolerant to wheat, dairy, potatoes and legumes you have eaten these foods all of your life. Cavemen ate all of their foods raw. Grains, wheat, potatoes and legumes contain toxins if eaten raw. The advent of cooking killed most of these toxins but cooking does not kill all of the toxins (anti nutrients). Dairy products have saturated fats and contain traces of anti nutrients. OK if you decide to cook Paleo what foods do you substitute for wheat, dairy and animal fat oil. Mother Nature provided foods to answer all of your Paleo cooking options.

Paleo Wheat Grain Substitutes:

-         Almond Flour: Plant based flour from almond nut.

-         Arrowroot Flour: Arrowroot plant’s root grounded into flour.

-         Coconut Flour: Tropical plant coconut meat dried and grounded into flour.

-         Flax Seed Meal: Seeds grounded into meal. Flax Seed unsaturated fat and rich in Omega-3 fatty acid.

-         Tapioca Flour: Grounded roots of cassava plant.

Note: Amaranth, Buckwheat and Quinoa are not grains and do not come from grasses. Amaranth, Buckwheat and Quinoa are gluten free and are seeds from leafy plants. Because their seeds have more starch than other seeds they are considered pseudo-grains. For the strict Paleo Diet not allowed.

Paleo Dairy Alternative:

-         Coconut Milk: Plant based dairy alternative. Every part of the coconut used in Paleo cooking. Coconut good source for calcium and vitamin B12.

-         Almond Milk: Milk from the almond nut. Creamy and nutty taste. Source of calcium, vitamins A, D and E. Almond butter also available.

-         Hazelnut Milk: Plant based dairy alternative milk from the hazelnut.

-         Hemp Milk: Plant based dairy alternative contains Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.

Unsweetened hemp milk and unsweetened almond milk good dairy alternatives for diabetes diet.

Paleo Sources for Calcium

Cow’s milk is a rich source for calcium but Paleo Diet does not allow dairy products. Foods Rich in Calcium:

-         Vegetables: Green leafy vegetables tend to be sources of calcium: Mustard Green, Collard Green, Kale, Spinach, Chinese cabbage, Rhubarbs, Okra, Artichokes, Chard and Broccoli.

-         Fruits: Oranges, Apricots, Figs, Raisins, Dates and Papaya

-         Nuts: Many nuts are a good source of calcium.

-         Seeds: Many seeds are a good source of calcium.

-         Fish: Canned Sardines and Canned Salmon

No Animal Fat Cooking Oil Paleo Cooking Oil Alternatives:

Saturated fats are in animal produces, meat, dairy and eggs. Saturated fats are also in coconut oil. Lean meat, eggs and coconut are allowed in Paleo diet therefore the Paleo diet is not saturated fat free. Saturated fats are considered bad fats and raise the cholesterol levels in the blood. High cholesterol levels can result in vascular and heart diseases. All Paleo cooking oils are animal free and plant based. The majority of Paleo cooking oils are unsaturated oil (Good Fats)

Paleo Cooking Oils

-         Olive Oil: Virgin olive oil recommended for Paleo cooking. From the olive plant. Taste and nutrition values decreased in high heat. In ancient Greece olive oil was eaten and used as a body skin protectorate.

-         Walnut Oil: Plant based from walnut. Not recommended for high heat.

-         Coconut Oil: From coconut plant. Can be used in high cooking points. Can be used to grease baking and casserole pans, baking, frying and sauté. Coconut meat, milk and oil used in many Paleo recipes.

-         Avocado Oil: Unsaturated plant oil has high cooking point.

-         Grape Seed Oil: Moderate cooking point. Plant based oil from grape seed.

-         Flax Seed Oil: Unsaturated good source of Omega-3 or Omega-6.

-         Macadamia Nut Oil: Plant based oil from macadamia nut.

Paleo diet: lean meats, poultry, fish, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, eggs, herb and natural food spices. Foods not allowed are grains, wheat, soy, dairy, legumes and preservatives. For every food that is disallowed on the Paleo diet there are nutritious natural plant based food alternatives. There is one exception no preservatives. Take Control of Your Health and Eat the Way Mother Nature Intended.