1. What is the low-carb modern paleo diet?
  2. The primary difference between the paleo diet and other healthy diets. Pros and cons
  3. An example of a typical paleo meal plan
  4. Recipe of Poached eggs with greens for the ideal paleo breakfast
  5. Cauliflower sushi for paleo lunch
  6. What’s for dinner? Healthy and nutrient recipes a two courses menu

WHAT IS THE LOW-CARB MODERN PALEO DIET?

As you know, I personally through the Lilka Sky lifestyle project and my food blog Etnocook always consider healthy balanced nutrition to be the best. Nowadays, there is a great variety of different diets. Most of them are very modern and consist of foods and recipes popular in the last century, however, sometimes there are exceptions. One of such interesting dietary choices is a paleo diet.

“The best foods for Paleo diet are not packed, weren’t manufactured, don’t have a shelf life, and have been alive just some time ago. And they’d better be local and season.” – Lilia Tiazhka

As Etnocook researches and reconstructs the ethnical dishes cooked by Ukrainian ancestors,  the Paleolithic diet went even further and proclaims to be directly from the stone-age (2.5 million to 10,000 years ago). Founded at the end of the XIX century, today this diet is one of the most widespread ways of nutrition and connected with it lifestyle.

So, if you are a healthy adult, and want to try something new, you can pay attention to this popular fad diet (one of the trend ways of nutrition, not a standard dietary recommendation), and receive benefits from the new experience.

Keep in mind that this is an informational article. Make sure to consult with your doctor if you have any health issues or concerns. 

Actually, as it is well known, in the Paleolithic period there were only hunters and gatherers, no agriculture. And that is the base paleo diet. To follow this style of nutrition, you need to avoid grains, dairy products, legumes, and that’s why it’s called low carbohydrate. Additionally, no salt and sugar, no processed oils.  Paleo diet excludes any type of alcohol.

And that’s not the end. You have to give up drinking coffee. Yep. On the other side, can you imagine a cave habitant drinking a cup of coffee the first thing in the morning?

Paleo diet offers to eat meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, better organic. Also some types of extra-virgin oils, seeds and nuts, raw honey, stevia.

Paleo diet food pyramid. Source: https://pixy.org/748594/

THE PRIMARY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PALEO DIET AND OTHER HEALTHY DIETS. PROS AND CONS

To be honest, Paleo diet differs from the others totally, because it doesn’t include grains. And no corn, as it is a grain (yes, I know, unexpectedly. No corn starch too). Additionally, it usually excludes potatoes, because ancient people didn’t eat them, and later they were spread only in the North America continent. Potato got to Europe only after Columbus and began to be cultivated in the XVIII century. That’s why there weren’t Ukrainian dumplings with the potato fillings.

“As Etnocook researches and reconstructs the ethnical dishes cooked by Ukrainian ancestors,  the Paleolithic diet went even further and proclaims to be directly from the stone-age (2.5 million to 10,000 years ago). Founded at the end of the XIX century, today this diet is one of the most widespread ways of nutrition and connected with it lifestyle.” – Lilia Tiazhka

Is this diet possible to follow? In fact, this is a whole new world from the point of view of nutrition. But the history of the modern Paleo diet is not so fresh. Actually, ideas to use primitive food choices and ways of cooking have been practised, at least, a century.

There are a lot of discussions about the pros and cons of this caveman diet. However, it offers high-protein and low-carb meal plans that usually lead to weight loss and higher energy level. On the other side, everything must be very carefully balanced to avoid inadequate nutrient intake, especially calcium.

How To Determine If A Food Is Paleo or Not

AN EXAMPLE OF A TYPICAL PALEO MEAL PLAN

To tell you the truth, there is no one vision of what the Paleolithic humans ate and how to do it right in our time. There are some rules, like, no grains, sweeteners, trans fats, margarine, added sugars, and most vegetable oils, like soybean, sunflower oil, grapeseed, cottonseed, corn oil, etc.

In short, the best way to eat only organic, fresh or home-cooked meat, fish, fruits, berries, vegetables, greens. The best foods for Paleo diet are not packed, weren’t manufactured, don’t have a shelf life, and have been alive just some time ago. And they’d better be local and season.

There are a lot of easy Paleo recipes, some of which I’ll describe to you below.

For breakfast eat eggs and vegetables, pancakes made of bananas and coconut flour, a loaf of almond and seeds bread with avocado.

“Eggs are especially good with greens, like spinach leaves. They are full of fibre, folate, and some amount of omega-3 fatty acids. This meal will give the power, lower the risk of stroke and prevent heart diseases. Besides, use any other greens you like.” – Lilia Tiazhka

Lunch consists of slightly stewed and boiled vegetable meals. For dinner choose a variety of soups and baked meat and fish with raw vegetables and greens. Choose fruits and seeds as snacks.

RECIPE OF POACHED EGGS WITH GREENS FOR THE IDEAL PALEO BREAKFAST

In fact, this will be an ideal meal for those people who like eggs. Actually, if you don’t have any restrictions or allergies than give it a try. Just in fifteen minutes, there will be a very tasty and nutrient dish. Eggs are especially good with greens, like spinach leaves. They are full of fibre, folate, and some amount of omega-3 fatty acids. This meal will give the power, lower the risk of stroke and prevent heart diseases. Besides, use any other greens you like. In traditional Ukrainian cuisine, nettle leaves are used. They contain a lot of vitamins, can lower blood pressure and aid blood sugar control.

Half-boiled eggs with greens, step-by-step recipe

Ingredients:

  • water………..50 ml
  • coconut oil……….. 15 g (1 tbsp)
  • chopped spinach……. 250 g (3 cups)
  • chicken eggs……………. 60 g (1 large)
  • salt……………………….2 g, to taste
  • ground black pepper…………………..4 g, to taste
  • pumpkin seeds……………10 g (2 tbsp), to taste


Instructions:

  1. Wash leaves properly in cold water. In a large sauté pan warm coconut oil and cook greens until tender. Add seasoning, stir, and cook on low heat with a covered lid for sixty seconds more.
  2. Filter spinach from the moisture.
  3. Pour water into another pan and simmer over medium heat until it boils.
  4. Carefully crack three eggs into boiling water without breaking. Simmer them for 3 minutes with the covered lid. The yolks must be runny and egg whites set.

Serve hot sautéd greens with a poached egg on top. Add additional seasoning and some pumpkin seeds to taste.

CAULIFLOWER SUSHI FOR PALEO LUNCH

This recipe of deconstructed variant of sushi is good. To be honest, it doesn’t have anything in common with traditional Japanese cuisine. However, this dish is easy to cook and digest. So, it’s a win-win, isn’t it?

“There is no one vision of what the Paleolithic humans ate and how to do it right in our time. There are some rules, like, no grains, sweeteners, trans fats, margarine, added sugars, and most vegetable oils, like soybean, sunflower oil, grapeseed, cottonseed, corn oil, etc.” – Lilia Tiazhka

Paleo “Sushi” Rolls step-by-step Recipe

Ingredients:

  • canned salmon, without liquid……………400 g
  • avocado……………………150 g (1)
  • raw cauliflower rice………100 g (1 cup)
  • seasoning sauce coconut aminos……. 12 g (2 tbsp)
  • dried ground ginger……….4 g (2 tsp)
  • cucumber……………….160 g(1)
  • carrot…………………..50 g (1)


Instructions:

  1. Wash the avocado, peel, take out the seed. Mash separately the green part.
  2. Mix salmon, mashed avocado, cauliflower rice, seasoning sauce, ginger
  3. Wash the cucumber, peel. You can cube it and add it to the mix. Or make thin pieces with the help of a vegetable peeler and use them as the sheets for “sushi”.
  4. Form little balls, the size of a chicken egg. Use a spoon or an ice cream scooper for this. Roll into cucumber sheets or put a shredded carrot on top.

WHAT’S FOR DINNER? HEALTHY AND NUTRIENT RECIPES A TWO COURSES MENU

Usually, dinner must be light and nutrient, so here I’ll give you an example of two paleo recipes and detailed instructions on how to cook the first course and bake a delicious fish pie.

“Actually, as it is well known, in the Paleolithic period there were only hunters and gatherers, no agriculture. And that is the base paleo diet. To follow this style of nutrition, you need to avoid grains, dairy products, legumes, and that’s why it’s called low carbohydrate. Additionally, no salt and sugar, no processed oils.  Paleo diet excludes any type of alcohol.” – Lilia Tiazhka

It’s not a secret, that soups are very good for our digestive system. And chicken stocks are great for the immune system, as they have essential amino acids arginine and glutamine that are very good immune boosters. Besides, this creamy vegetable soup is excellent comfort food that will cheer you up and improve the mood.

Paleo step-by-step recipe of the chicken soup with tomatoes

Ingredients

  • tomatoes……..1 kg
  • coconut oil……….27 g (2 tbsp)
  • garlic………6 cloves (2 tbsp.)
  • onion………200 g (1 large)
  • chicken stock……..200 ml (1 cup)
  • fresh basil……..10 g (½ cup)
  • coconut milk……114 g (½ cup)
  • cooked chicken……….280 g (2 cups)
  • Salt and pepper…………. to taste
  • parsley, dill, green onions…….to taste


Instructions

  1. Wash, core and half tomatoes. Peel and mince garlic, peel onion and slice thin. Wash and chop basil and other greens. Shred the chicken meat.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F).
  3. Put halved tomatoes on a baking sheet. Add garlic and basil on top, drizzle with coconut oil. Bake for forty-five minutes (thirty if you use the electric oven with convection).
  4. Put the baked vegetables into the pot, add chicken stock. Cover the pot. Cook until the tomatoes become soft, 1-3 hours, on low heat.
  5. Puree the soup, add coconut milk and shredded chicken meat. Bring to boiling and cook on low heat additional 20-30 minutes.
  6. Add seasoning, greens, mix and serve hot.

“Paleo diet offers to eat meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, better organic. Also some types of extra-virgin oils, seeds, raw honey, stevia.” – Lilia Tiazhka

 

Step-by-step Paleo Recipe of a Fish Pie

Ingredients

  • water………….250 ml (1 cup)
  • chicken eggs……….5
  • onion………….100 g (½ of a large)
  • garlic cloves………….25 g (5 little)
  • skinless white fish……..200 g (1 portion)
  • skinless smoked fish (cod or haddock)….100 g (1 portion)
  • skinless salmon fillet……….200 g (1 portion)
  • cooked prawns………200 g (4)
  • sweet potatoes……….1,2 kg (3 large)
  • coconut milk……………… 400ml
  • tapioca or arrowroot starch……….. 1½ tsp
  • bay leaves……. 2-3, to taste
  • dill…….. to taste


Instructions

  1. Hard boil and peel eggs.
  2. Wash, peel, chop, cook and mash potatoes.
  3. In a deep pot put the onion, garlic cloves, coconut milk, bay leaves, water. Bring to boil, turn the heat down, add all the fish, simmer for 8 min.
  4. Take off the fish and put it into a deep pie baking dish  (30cm x 25cm).
  5. Take off from the pot bay leaves, garlic cloves and onion, add seasoning.
  6. Mix starch with half of the cup of cold water and pour into the pot, stir for two-five minutes until the sauce is thickened and starts to bubble. Turn off the heat.
  7. Put prawns and eggs over the fish on a baking dish. Add seasoning and greens.
  8. Pour the sauce over the entire dish.
  9. On the top spread the layer of mashed potatoes.
  10. Bake in the oven to 180 °C (350 °F) for 40 – 45 minutes. Serve hot with salad and raw vegetables.

“So, if you are a healthy adult, and want to try something new, you can pay attention to this popular fad diet (one of the trend ways of nutrition, not a standard dietary recommendation), and receive benefits from the new experience.” – Lilia Tiazhka

In the end, I wish you to stay healthy. Always keep in mind that there is no need to follow one diet very strictly. Pay attention that there are different forms of Paleo diet that have flexible options (they allow dairy, potato and rice if you need them).

Stay safe!

Your Lilia Tiazhka from LilkaSky  @lilka.sky ^.~ ❤️ and traditional Ukrainian cuisine Etnocook

Tradition.Nutrition.Cuisine.

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