Caveman Diets – Paleo Recipes

Below is the Paleo food list. Refer to this list to get new ideas and to diversify your diet. This list is found in Sebastien Noel’s Paleo Recipe Book which can be obtained by clicking here.

Sebastien Noel

You can click here to learn what the Paleo (Caveman) diet is all about.

In addition to the Paleo Recipe Book you will also get (free) the Paleo Meal Plan, an 8 week meal plan which covers breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks to help you get started.

Also included is a full-photo 29 page Herbs and Spices guide on using herbs and spices in your Paleo kitchen.

Sebastien claims, and I concur, that he has created the only cook book you will ever need for a healthy life. What I particularly like about his approach is that it is not pedantic and acknowledges that it is not practical to strictly follow a food consumption regime based on foods from the paleolithic area.  As mentioned in a previous post the paleolithic diet is a dietary approach based around what was the most likely dietary habits of humans prior to widespread grain agriculture and increasing biochemical evidence of how modern humans react to food.

Get your copy of The Paleo Recipe Book by clicking here

Sebastien Noel has not just produced a cook book. He has produced a true guide to the Paleo lifestyle. As well as coming up with the Paleo Diet Food List (shown below) he has organised the book into 18 catogories which include snacks, salads, soups and smoothies.

His Paleo Recipe Book includes a guide to good fats, easy cooking time charts with temperature conversions, where to find food online and even a guide to cooking the perfect steak.

Sebastien says that the Paleo (Caveman) diet is ‘simply the healthiest diet on earth’. He is a nutritionist and a fitness and healthy lifestyle enthusiast. He believes that it is only by eating the natural food that your body was designed to eat that you can experience true optimal and vibrant health. Only the Paleo diet satisfies that requirement.

Click here to grab your copy of the Paleo Recipe Book now!

The Paleo Diet Food List
Meat
Beef, pork, lamb, veal, rabbit, goat, sheep, horse,
bison, wild boar.
Game meat
Deer, pheasant, bear, moose, woodcock, elk, duck,
rabbit, reindeer, wild turkey.
Poultry
Chicken, turkey, duck, quail, goose.
Fish
Salmon, tuna, trout, bass, halibut, sole, haddock,
turbot, walleye, tilapia, cod, flatfish, grouper, mackerel,
anchovy, herring.
Shellfish
Crab, lobster, shrimps, scallops, clams, oysters, mussels.
Fats
Avocados, avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, butter,
clarified butter (ghee), lard, tallow, duck fat, veal fat,
lamb fat, fatty fishes (sardines, mackerel, salmon),
nut butters, nut oils (walnut, macadamia), coconut
flesh, coconut milk.
Eggs
Chicken eggs, duck eggs, goose eggs, quail eggs.
Vegetables
Celery, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, leeks, kohlrabi,
green onions, eggplants, cauliflower, broccoli,
asparagus, cucumber, cabbage, Brussels sprouts,
artichokes, okra, avocados.
Green leafy vegetables
Lettuce, spinach, collard greens, kale, beet top,
mustard greens, dandelion, swiss chard, watercress,
turnip greens, seaweeds, endive, arugula (rocket),
bok choy, rapini, chicory, radicchio.
Root vegetables
Carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips, rutabaga, sweet
potatoes, radish, Jerusalem artichokes, yams, cassava.
Winter squash
Butternut squash, spaghetti squash, acorn squash,
pumpkin, buttercup squash.
Summer squash
Zucchini, yellow summer squash, yellow crookneck
squash.
Fruits
Bananas, apples, oranges, berries (strawberry,
cranberry, blueberry, blackberry), grapefruit, pears,
peaches, nectarines, plums, pomegranates, pineapple,
papaya, grapes, cantaloupe, cherries, apricot,
watermelon, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemon, lime,
lychee, mango, tangerine, coconut, figs, dates, passion
fruit, persimmon.
Nuts and seeds
Pistachios, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame
seeds, pumpkin seeds (pepitas), pecans, walnuts,
pine nuts, macadamia nuts, chestnuts, cashews,
almonds, hazelnuts.
Mushrooms
Button mushroom, portabello, oyster mushroom,
shiitake, chanterelle, crimini, porcini, morel.
Fresh and dried herbs
Parsley, thyme, lavender, mint, basil, rosemary,
chives, tarragon, oregano, sage, dill, bay leaves,
coriander.
Spices
Ginger, garlic, black pepper, hot peppers, star
anise, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, cayenne pepper,
cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, paprika,
vanilla, cloves, chilies.

Grab your copy of The Paleo Recipe Book by clicking here

You will notice that there is a section above on nuts and seeds. You will also notice that it does not include peanuts. Reasons for this and a caution on the consumption of nuts and seeds is included in a previous post.

Here is what Sebastien means by optimal and vibrant health:

• Effortless weight-loss
• Mental clarity and natural positive attitude
• Constant and radiant energy
• Sex drive on overdrive
• Deep and restful sleep
• Clear and smooth skin
• Increase in strength, endurance and performance

Click here to grab your copy of the Paleo Recipe Book now!

Surprisingly, the message about the paleo diet and butter is to go ahead and indulge in healthy doses of butter as long as it is produced by grass fed cows. If you still worry about dairy foods or are healing from gut problems or autoimmune disease, go a step further and clarify your butter to make ghee. Here’s the thing – we are looking to reproduce the metabolic environment of the caveman diet rather than eating the exact same food.

Grab the Paleo Recipe Book with 370 recipes

Butter can be included in diet recipes. It is not only an excellent source of energy, but also a source of some very important vitamins and compounds. Grass fed cows produce butter that is rich in vitamin A, vitamin E, iodine, selenium and beta-carotenes that are lacking in today’s western diet and have the potential to cure a lot of nutritional deficiencies. And then there is CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) which is a healthy trans fat. It is found in the fat and butter of grass fed ruminants. The meat and fat of grass fed ruminants was the main source of food for our ancestors so fits in with the paleo diet perfectly.

When considering including butter in our paleolithic diets we need to be aware that most sources of energy in a standard western diet are carbohydrates. These are not only empty nutritionally, but damaging to our gut and cause nutrient deficiencies because of the anti-nutrients.

If we hadn’t been taught to be scared of fat as a society we could study a food for its real properties. We would then see the importance butter has for the development of children so they can become strong and bright adults. So include grass fed butter in your paleo recipes.

Grab the Paleo Recipe Book with 370 recipes

Worried about cholestrol? Then take heart. Most of us know that there is good and bad cholestrol. Therefore you need to know that the cholesterol present in butter is protective against heart disease and promotes healthy levels of sex hormones, which are so important for developing children and for menopausal women. In this instance you can include butter (or ghee) in your paleo diet food list.

A total ban of all dairy products from paleo diet recipes is not justified, especially with a product like butter which can be extracted from its dairy components (ghee} and eaten pure. Remember that important maxim – we are looking to reproduce the metabolic environment of our ancestors rather than eating the exact same food. Some of the most healthy and thriving traditional cultures have relied on butter for thousands of years for good health and with good reason.

And don’t forget the taste of butter. We have yet to find a food whose taste isn’t greatly enhanced by the addition of a generous portion of butter.

Be sure to check out the Paleo Recipe Book. It’s a cookbook that has been designed to help you cook the best food for your health. It contains over 370 recipes and covers absolutely everything you need.

RECIPE

Almond Butter Satay Sauce
• Yields 2 ¼ cups
Satay sauce is used as a sauce for skewed and often marinated meat like beef, lamb or chicken cooked on the grill.
INGREDIENTS
• 3 tbsp almond butter;
• 1 tsp red curry paste, optional;
• 1 tsp paprika;
• 1 tsp garlic powder;
• 2 cups coconut milk;
PREPARATION
1 Combine all the ingredients together in a small
saucepan, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer
and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally

Grab the Paleo Recipe Book with 370 recipes

Most nuts and seeds were available to our ancestors and we might assume that they can be included in the Paleo diet but we need to delve deeper into their composition, toxin levels and nutritional value.

First, people with digestive or auto immune problems and people with gut flora imbalances, should not have them at all. Our ancestors on their caveman diet probably didn’t have these problems.

Grab your copy of The Paleo  Recipe Book with 370 recipes

Second, not all nuts or seeds are the same. It is recommend that everyone should keep consumption to a minimum. Keep in mind that the nutritional value is often offset by undesired properties. For those who want to include them in their diet recipes there is a simple solution which is given below.

The big problem is phytic acid. Phytic acid is a strategy employed by the nut or seed from sprouting before the ideal conditions are present. Phytic acid in human digestive systems binds minerals like calcium, iron and magnesium and prevents them from being absorbed. So you won’t even get those minerals. Most paleo recipes are not big on nuts and seeds.

Here is the amount of phytic acid found in some popular nuts: data from phyticacid.org:

Cashews: 1,866 mg/100 grams;       
Hazelnuts: 1,620 mg/100 grams;
Almonds: 1,280 mg/100 grams;
Walnuts: 760 mg/100 grams;
Chestnuts: 47 mg/100 grams;

Soaking your nuts and seeds overnight in salty water is an easy way to get rid of most of the phytic acid and other antinutrients. Then rinse them well and dry them under the sun, a dehydrator or in an oven on the lowest temperature possible. Include them in your paleolithic diet but consume as soon as possible.

The third main problem with most nuts and seeds is the high amount of polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) they contain, especially the omega-6 polyunsaturated fat .

Paleo diet recipes focus on balancing the intake of omega-6 and omega-3 to obtain a ratio as close to 1:1 as possible. But keeping the total intake of PUFA low is just as important. Omega-3s can become highly reactive and toxic.

The ideal concept is to keep total PUFA intake under 4% of total calories and an omega-6/omega-3 in a ratio very close to 1:1. On an average 2,200 calorie diet, 4% PUFA is only about 5 to 8 grams of omega-6 per day to maintain the proper ratio with omega-3 fats. This is very low and consumption of most nuts and seeds will quickly raise the amount to unhealthy levels. You are best advised to get your omega-3 fats from fatty wild fish, grass-fed ruminants and omega-3 rich eggs.

Grab your copy of The Paleo  Recipe Book with 370 recipes

PUFAs are easily oxidized when exposed to oxygen. Oxidized PUFAs are a very bad for our health and react toxically with sugars and proteins. Nuts and seeds should, therefore, should not be roasted and should be kept refrigerated in an air-tight container and consumed immediately. For these reasons nuts and seeds do not appear on many a paleo diet food list.

Most nuts and seeds should be kept to a minimum for the following reasons:

Nuts can contain lectins that can irritate the gut

- Most nuts contain phytic acid that blocks the absorption of minerals

- Most nuts are very high in polyunsaturated fat and in omega-6 fat. t

Walnuts and pine nuts are the worst in terms of fatty acid. Along with peanuts they should not be consumed at all.

A few nuts deserve a special mention though and can be safely included in your  Caveman (Paleo) Diet:

Macadamia nuts are high in monounsaturated fat and are healthy even in large quantities

Chestnuts are carbohydrate rich and are low in polyunsaturated fat – means healthy

Brazil nuts are high in omega-6 and total PUFA, but also extremely high in selenium and
are useful in moderate quantities.

Be sure to check out the Paleo Recipe Book. It contains over 370 paleo recipes and covers absolutely everything you need.

Accurately imitating our ancestors is impossible and unnecessary. The use of the terms Paleo diet and caveman diet has caused some people to believe that we should try to accurately mimic our ancestor’s diet. This can lead to mistakes and also to dogmatic and patronizing attitudes.

Here are some of the errors we can make with Paleo diet recipes from trying to imitate our past:

Avoidance of all dairy products
Avoiding starchy vegetables like potatoes
Avoiding fatty meats
Eating huge amounts of nuts

Some foods that are healthy for some might cause problems for others. We shouldn’t avoid foods because our ancestors didn’t have access to them. For example, potatoes can be a problem for some people with autoimmune or digestive issues, but are perfectly nutritious for others.

Those who really understand the concept know that the paleolithic diet is a dietary approach based around what was the most likely dietary habit of humans prior to widespread grain agriculture and increasing biochemical evidence of how modern humans react to food.

Modern foods are not automatically excluded fro the paleo diet food list as long as they are structurally and chemically similar to the foods of our ancestors. Olive oil and butter fat are two examples of ‘modern’ foods that are similar to the foods that our bodies are used to deal with. For example butter fat is much healthier than poultry fat or fat from nuts and seeds.

We will never know for sure what the caveman ate. Things are really hard to figure out when the only remaining evidence is bone from a few select areas of the world. We also have variations in time and geography.

Some regions were a great for fish and shellfish, others were more abundant in tropical plants and starchy carbohydrate sources, yet others were scarce in nutrient-dense plant foods, but rich in game meat. Also the exact food isn’t available anymore.

It makes makes more sense to treat the Paleo diet more like a general idea of the dietary mix available to humans before grain agriculture and chronic disease epidemics.

It would be wrong to say that everything our ancestors did was the right thing for their health. The reason why their diet was healthy in most cases is that grains, legumes, seed oils and high amounts of fructose weren’t available.

Healthy food is not toxic and the main toxins today are from seed oils, fructose, grains and legumes.

Click here to get acess to 370 Paleo Diet Recipes.

RECIPE

Beef rouladen (beef rolls)
Serves 8
This is a dish consisting of thin slices of beef topside or round stuffed with onions, sour pickles, mustard and bacon. They are quite unusual and absolutely delicious.
INGREDIENTS
• 12 slices Rouladen meat (ask your butcher
for thin slices of topside or round roast);
• 1 onion, thinly sliced;
• 8 sour pickles (homemade or the naturally
lacto-fermented kind), sliced thinly
lengthwise;
• ¼ cup homemade or Dijon mustard;
• 12 slices bacon;
• Cooking fat;
• 1/3 cup chicken or beef stock;

PREPARATION

1 Preheat your oven to 300 F.
2 Spread the rouladen meat open and place a slice
of bacon in the middle of each of them, lengthwise.
3 Divide the onion and sour pickle slices over the
bacon slices and spread some mustard on top.
4 Fold the ends of each rouladen, roll them up and
hold them together with the help of toothpicks
or butcher’s twine.
5 Operating in batches, brown the rouladens on
each side in a large pan with some cooking fat.
6 Place the browned rouladens in a roasting pan,
pour in the chicken stock, cover and place in the
preheated oven for about 60 minutes.
7 Remove from the oven, remove the twine or
toothpicks and serve with the liquid poured on
top.

Click here to get acess to 370 Paleo Diet Recipes.

A Caveman Diet, also known as Paleo diet or paleolithic diet, is all about eating natural foods to achieve greater health. The premise is that the human body evolved over 2 million years consuming only the foods that were available in nature: game meat, fish, vegetables, wild fruits, eggs and nuts. The human race thrived  on this diet which was high in animal fat and proteins and low in carbohydrates.

The Paleo diet is a way of living in harmony with nature to achieve better health in every aspect. Our consumption of these foods enabled us to become a highly evolved species. Not surprisingly the diet recipes on this site reflect this philosophy.

The food was available to us for most of our evolution during the paleolithic era (hence The Paleo Diet), beginning about 2.5 million years ago. The belief is that our genes and physiology evolved at a time when were nourished by the food that was available at the time. This includes beef, fish, shellfish, poultry, pork, lamb, bison etc, as well as eggs, vegetables and limited amounts of fruits and nuts – the basis of paleo recipes.

About 10,000 years ago, at the start of the agricultural era, we started eating foods that were foreign to our genes and metabolism which wreak havoc with our systems, causing the diseases of modern civilization. These include obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, auto-immune diseases, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s and a host of other conditions that were unknown to our ancestors.

Some of the worst offenders today are actually recommended by governments and nutritionists because suspect science and economic agendas have demonized things like saturated fat, cholesterol and red meat. What we should really be eliminating in our diet are grain products, excess sugar, vegetable oils, legumes and dairy products. The paleo diet recipes wll not contain any of these.

The Paleo diet food list and lifestyle are based on real science and evidence. The habits of our healthy ancestors give us a good benchmark to work with.

RECIPE

BEEF SHORT RIBS

• Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• 6 beef short ribs;
• 1 fennel, top removed and core diced;
• 1 leek, green part removed and white cut into 1-inch pieces;
• 2 onions, chopped;
• 6 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces;
• 2 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces;
• 3 cloves garlic, minced;
• 2 tbsp tomato paste;
• 6 cups beef stock;
• 1 bottle dry red wine;
• A few fresh rosemary sprigs;
• A few fresh thyme sprigs;
• Cooking fat;
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
to taste;
PREPARATION
1 Preheat your oven to 400 F.
2 Place the beef short ribs on a foil covered baking
sheet, season them to taste with sea salt and
freshly ground black pepper and place them in
the preheated oven to roast for 15 minutes.
3 In the meantime, heat a pot or dutch oven to
a medium-low heat and cook the fennel, leek,
onion, celery and carrots in some cooking fat for
about 15 minutes.
4 Stir in the garlic and continue cooking for about
2 minutes.
5 Pour in the red wine together with the tomato
paste, season to taste with salt and pepper,
bring to a boil and let boil until reduced by half,
about 10 minutes.
6 Add the roasted short ribs in the pot or dutch
oven, pour in the beef stock and bring to a simmer.
7 Cover and place in the oven, lowering the temperature
to 300 F, for about 2 hours.
8 Remove the meat from the pot or dutch oven
and set set aside.
9 Remove the thyme and rosemary from the liquid
and bring the liquid to a boil.
10 Let the liquid simmer for about 20 minutes,
uncovered, until reduced to the desired consistency.
11 Add back the meat to the liquid before serving
to heat it through.

For access to some 370 paleo diet recipes click here.