High Quality Protein Counts: You Are What You Eat, Meat Included
Some people assume paleo means that you get to eat large amounts of meat at every meal and call it a day. That could not be further from the truth (well, it could, but only if you added cake and cookies to every meal)…
Paleo actually refers to a well rounded, primarily plant-based diet with a moderate amount of high quality proteins, healthy fats, and low starches as well. So what “counts” as a high quality protein? This typically refers to meats raised without injected hormones and antibiotics that they then pass on to us when we eat them.
You don’t have to eat 100% grass-fed to call yourself paleo, but these meats are important to consume because they are incredibly nutrient dense, and hormone/toxin free, compared to industrialized meats you’ll find in the aisles of discount markets and at most restaurants.
The list includes:
- Grass-fed pastured steak, beef, lamb, veal, bison, pork, bacon, etc. (Note: Unfortunately, even healthy meats like some bacon is preserved in sugar or syrup. Look for paleo or no-sugar labels on your bacon packaging before purchasing.)
- Organic, free range chicken.
- Organic, free range, and/or pastured chicken or duck eggs.
- Seafood, especially wild sockeye salmon and other high omega-3 fishes as well as clams, oysters, and mussels from clean water areas.
If you don’t have access to these all the time, or you see expensive labels at the grocery store, don’t worry! Buying meat in bulk is a great way to reduce the cost per meal. You can always cut down on your overall meat intake in favor of more veggies and eggs if you are concerned about the quality of meat available to you. You can also always go all vegetarian for a meal or two, if you’re on the road and your only options are super low quality fast food joints.
Plus, these quality protein sources are truly delicious.
