Paleo Cooking Basics
If you can’t remember the last time you used a stove or oven, going paleo is going to feel overwhelming.
What do I eat for breakfast?
What do I eat during the rest of the day?
What snacks are there?
How do I cook these veggies?
I don’t have time to prepare all these meals. How can I find the time?
Where can I get the ingredients for these paleo recipes?
When you’re overwhelmed, it’s easy to just shut down. It all just feels like too much and, instead of taking a deep breath, relaxing, and slowing down to cook a simple meal, you give up and stick a ready meal in the microwave or order takeout. Problem solved, right?
Well, you’ve solved your hunger problem but now you’ve got a new problem. You’ve got a whole load of processed food in your belly and maybe an expanding waistline too.
To avoid the above situation, you need to learn how to cook. There’s no need to become the next world renowned paleo chef but, if you follow our tips, you’ll soon be the best dang paleo chef on your block.
Step 1: The Materials
Before you actually start cooking, you need to make sure you’ve got the right stuff to cook with. Here’s what you’ll need:
Spice rack:
A variety of spices are essential for adding variety and flavor to meals. Go for whole spices rather than ground ones, as they last longer. Keep them stored in a cool area and away from heat. Heat causes them to go bad quickly. Spices should be calorie-free, and contain no additives and no extra sodium. Garlic should be garlic, fennel should be fennel, and cumin should be just cumin.
All-purpose knife:
You most likely already have an assortment of knives, but make sure you have a very sharp 8-inch knife to hand. It will probably cut tough meats like steak and it’ll be able to gentle dice soft foods like tomatoes effectively. Make sure to dry it off immediately after cleaning to avoid wear and rust on the blade.
Spatula and large spoon:
You’ll need both of these for mixing and serving meals.
Ladle:
You need a ladle to serve soups, chilis, and broths with. A second ladle with holes in may be a good idea to use when you’re serving items from a boiling pot.
Glass containers:
Use glass containers for storing leftovers in. Make sure they come with a sealing lid. Glass containers actually keep food fresher than plastic ones one.
Tupperware:
If you’re like most you, probably have a job to get to. Although bringing a couple of hot plates of food to work might be awesome, it’s probably in your best interest to store your work meals in Tupperware for the day.
Insulated bag or large grocery bag:
You can usually get insulted bags from Trader Joe’s for as little as five bucks. These will help keep your food both warm and cool, depending on what it is. If you’re just carrying your food for the day, a simple bag will do. You can even use an old Trader Joe’s bag to carry around your Tupperware for the day.
Kitchen shears:
A good pair of shears is a plus, but I have honestly used a pair from the dollar store with pretty good success. They make it easy to chop up chicken, bacon, pieces of beef, and fish. They can also be used for veggies and fruit as well.
One to three cooking pans:
I’d suggest getting one to three pans, so that you can easily cook in batches or a variety of foods at the same time to save on time. Make sure they come with lids.
Cast iron skillet:
These are awesome for steaks, pork chops, and cutlets.
Large pot:
Get a large pot for making chilis, soups, and various broths. They’re also great for cooking up a load of veggies.
Step 2: The Food
You’ve got the gear and you’re now ready to cook, but what the heck are you supposed to make?
I highly recommend performing a kitchen makeover before heading to the grocery store. There is a rule of thumb I like to live by and that I always tell to clients:
If there is junk food in the house, eventually it will get eaten.
Make life easier for yourself and remove any temptations. Replace the fake food with the real stuff. You can use the Ultimate Paleo Guide Food List or check out this Paleo Food List Infographic. We’ve also developed an “Is It Paleo?” app to help you figure out whether or not something is paleo when you’re at the store.
Step 3: Make Sure A Few Staple Items Are Always To Hand
As you start cooking more and more, you’ll notice that you’re going to use a lot of the same ingredients over and over again. Having these handy will ensure that you can whip up some tasty meals with variety in a pinch. Here’s what to make sure you always have at home:
Coconut oil
Extra virgin olive oil
Almond butter
Coconut aminos
Grass-fed butter or ghee (if you’re primal rather than paleo)
Raw nuts (almonds, macadamia, or whatever your preference is, but no peanuts)
Apple cider vinegar
Balsamic vinegar
Allspice
Bay leaf
Chili powder
Cilantro
Cinnamon
Clove
Cumin
Curry
Dill
Fennel
Garlic cloves
Ginger
Nutmeg
Onion powder
Oregano
Paprika
Parsley
Black pepper
Rosemary
Sage
Sea salt
Thyme
Vanilla
Step 4: Cook!
Do not expect to be a perfect paleo chef at first. You will mess up on occasion and make a few bad meals. This is totally OK. Focus more on being consistent at first and less on being perfect. I wouldn’t even bother with too many recipes either, as doing that can lead to confusion, as well as a ton of leftover food. Instead, remember KISS (keep it simple, stupid).
Put a pan on the stove at medium heat and add some healthy oil (coconut, grass-fed butter (primal), ghee (primal), or olive).
Add a serving of a form of protein of your choice and let it brown by covering it for a few minutes.
Add some of your favorite spices.
Add some of your favorite veggies.
Cover it up and let it sit. Check in on it every two to three minutes.
It really is that easy. I know you probably want some fancy recipes and a ton of variety, but if you’re just learning how to cook and trying to build the paleo habit, you’re more likely to be successful with it if you keep it simple and focus on consistency at first.
The chances are that you already eat the same things over and over again. How important to you is your health? Prove to yourself that you can show up everyday and do the work before getting all Emeril Lagasse on it.
Step 5: Plan
If you want to be successful, you’re going to have to plan. When trying to get healthy, a lot of folks try to FIND time for their health. You’re never going to find time. Most of us are extremely busy. You’re going to have to CREATE time for your health if you want to succeed.
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