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Simple and practical tips, tricks, and strategies for saving money while eating Paleo meals.
Table of Contents
Paleo is too expensive....................................... 5 Take a look at your money................................. 8 Finding free money............................................. 9 I dont have fancy stores like Whole Foods or Trader Joes...................................................... 10 I cant afford grass-fed or organic.................... 10 I dont have time to cook.................................. 11 I dont have time to shop.................................. 11 I dont know how to cook................................. 12
Keep a price journal......................................... 43 Dont pay for preparation................................. 43 Buy in bulk........................................................ 44 Buy direct from a farm...................................... 44 Organize a group buy....................................... 45 Freeze it!........................................................... 45 How to save for buying in bulk......................... 47 Buy local........................................................... 48 What about coupons?...................................... 48
Learn to use a pressure cooker........................ 14 Learn to use a slow cooker.............................. 15 Learn to make soup......................................... 15 Learn to cook vegetables - four ways.............. 16 Learn basic knife skills..................................... 17 10 easy recipes to know by heart.................... 18
Navigating the green lingo............................ 51 Do I have to buy organic?................................ 53 Do I have to buy grass-fed?............................. 53 Fats and oils..................................................... 54
A couple caveats.............................................. 20 A few helpful pre-game tips............................. 21 How to plan a menu......................................... 23 Time to make the menu.................................... 26 Want something a bit more techno-glitzy?...... 28 A menu to get you started................................ 30 Stocking your paleo pantry.............................. 31 What do I do with that? ................................... 32 Meal maker checklist........................................ 39 This weeks menu............................................. 40 Shopping list.................................................... 41
How to cook meals in advance........................ 56 Other ideas from the Paleo blogosphere......... 57 Prep now, save time later................................. 58 Meat cookies.................................................... 58 Cook it slow...................................................... 59 On defrosting frozen stuff................................. 59 What about snacks?......................................... 60 How not to waste food..................................... 61
Resources................................... 63
About this guide Its a multimedia guide, not just another e-book. Youll see links to bonus reading throughout the guide, as well as video and audio files to watch and listen to. So be sure to read & click whenever you see sidebars like this one. That means theres bonus content and more than meets the eye! Links throughout the book are in orange: like this! So be sure to click where you see orange. Weve also given you big ol wide margins, so if you decide to print this book you can do so, and have plenty of room to take notes. It also makes it easier to read on screen, if thats your thing.
Robb Wolf, a former research biochemist is the New York Times Best Selling author of The Paleo Solution The Original Human Diet. Robb has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the world via his top ranked iTunes podcast, book, eBook programs, seminars, and popular blog. Robb has functioned as a review editor for the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, is co-founder of the nutrition and athletic training journal, The Performance Menu, and co-owner of NorCal Strength & Conditioning, one of the Mens Health top 30 gyms in America. Robb is a former California State Powerlifting Champion (565 lb. Squat, 345 lb. Bench, 565 lb. Dead Lift) and a 6-0 amateur kickboxer. He coaches athletes at the highest levels of competition and consults with Olympians and world champions in MMA, motocross, rowing and triathlon. Wolf has provided seminars in nutrition and strength & conditioning to various entities including NASA, Naval Special Warfare, the Canadian Light Infantry and the United States Marine Corps. Robb lives in Reno, Nevada, with his wife Nicki and their daughter Zoe. You can follow Robb on Twitter and connect with him on his blog, RobbWolf.com. Watch videos and learn more about Robb here.
Chapter 1
All the
excuses
Back to the affordability of Paleo: This way of eating, like virtually any way of eating, can be made much more, or much less expensive. Now, similar to cooking or meal options, I thought this was a pretty straight-forward concept (if you are broke, buy cheap, if you have some cash, kick your heels up a bit) but alas, it is not. So, Im going to walk through some basic shopping and put an arrow in the head of the Paleo is expensive idea, then we will look at some basic finance ideas as I think some folks may benefit from that.
Now, the meat was not grass-fed, but when I hit up a farmers market, I generally buy similar cuts of Grass-fed meat for $4/lb. Can you
All the excuses Paleo Diet Budget Shopping Guide 6
spend $30/lb on New York steaks? Uh, yea, but Keystone the cat needs to eat too, so I go for the inexpensive cuts and just kick my heels up occasionally. When we were living in Chico we routinely bought a half a cow and the average price was $4-5/lb. We have not set that system up here in Reno yet, so I make do with the situation Im in. So Whole Foods (or the farmers market) can be navigated in a reasonable way. Ill pause a minute and wait for the inevitable complaint that arises when you are trying to help people.Ok, I think its just about here:
I cannot for the life of me find the receipt for this, but it was about $20 for all that produce. This is one of the reasons its hard for me to not bludgeon people when they make ignorant statements about everything from fiber to the nutrient content of eating Paleo. I mean, how much more fiber and nutrients DO you need? If I was really tight Id ditch the coconut and avocados and cut at least $6 off that bill and put it elsewhere, but its still a lot of food for not much money.
All the excuses Paleo Diet Budget Shopping Guide 7
Was it organic? No, but it was largely seasonal, and this particular place turns over a mountain of produce. It is amazingly fresh and you cannot beat the price. Now Ill wait for the next question.
to take that vacation to Disneyland. That latte you bought at Starbucks was a tidy $5 after you left a tip for your favorite barista. Do that 4 times a week and thats a neat $20. After a month of lattes and treating your friends a couple times, youve easily blown $100 on overpriced coffee. And what about Saturday night out with some friends? Was that you spending $5-9 per drink on those fancy colorful cocktails? $3 per shot is a bargain nowadays, and it takes several of those to really get you going. At the end of the night what did your bar tab total up to? $30? $50? How often do you rack up one of those? All this is not coming from a high horse of any kind, or to make you feel guilty for spending money on vacations, cell phones, or booze. However, when you really reconsider your allocation of money, it can be very revealing as to what your priorities are. If your priorities are truly to get yourself and your family into optimum health so you can feel better, avoid costly medical bills, and be around and mobile enough to pick up your grandkids and chase them around the yard, then reconsidering where you spend your money might be a good first step.
Watch this video of Joel Salatin, a leader of the real food movement. He addresses the I cant afford to eat this way question with a decidedly nonpolitically correct answer.
Sign up for a free account through Mint. com, a website that can help you track expenses through tagging different categories. Make tags like booze, entertainment, dining out, and travel. Add up your expenses for the past few months. Still think you dont have any extra money to spend on nutritious food for your family?
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Click to listen to Robb ranting about Hippy excuses for failure numbers 1 and 2.
I cant afford grass-fed meat or organic veggies so Im not going to eat paleo at all.
Well, grass-fed and organic are certainly optimal, but if you cannot afford it you cannot afford it. If it REALLY matters to you, make sacrifices and make it happen, but you might need to shelve your idealism long enough to survive, and reverting to bagels is not the way to go. Your health will be better served by eating conventional meat & mega-farmed produce than a largely grain based diet. This reminds me of the following: Hippy Excuse for Failure #1: I cant find grass-fed meat so Ill eat a bagel. Hippy Excuse for Failure #2: I cant find organic produce so Ill eat a bagel. Substitute afford for the word find above and we have the same story. I cant tell you where your value system should start or stop, but I will definitely tell you when you are sh*tting the bed with faulty logic.
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The choice is not between grass-fed, organic, free-range, constantly-hugged meat or a standard American diet filled with grains, sugar, and unhealthy franken-foods. Its not all or nothing, folks. In Chapter 5, Budget Shopping Priorities, well help you navigate all the confusing green lingo like grass-fed, freerange, cage-free, organic, and such. Then well talk about priorities of quality when shopping on a budget. If you really cant afford grass-fed meat or organic fruits and vegetables, well clue you in on the dirty dozen fruits and vegetables to avoid if you cant buy organic. Well also let you know some great alternatives to grass-fed and wild-caught. Well let you know whats safer to eat and whats not. You can absolutely still eat a healthful paleo diet, even if you cant make the most sustainable choice possible.
Dont think you have time to cook? Track your time over a 24 hour period using a simple notepad and pen. Write down the time and what youre doing each time you start a new activity. For example: 7:30am Wake 7:35am Shower 7:42am Prepare breakfast And so on until you go to sleep. Write out a total next to each line to find out how long you spent doing that activ-
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Chapter 2
LEARN TO
COOK
Learn to cook
Weve teamed up with some of the most badass Paleo chefs and bloggers around to bring you some cooking lessons that will get you up and running in the kitchen in no time! First, a video from yours truly!
Click to listen to Robb talk about cooking.Youll learn how he prepares 99% of his meals, plus some cooking tips that will keep things simple in the kitchen. Get Robbs Food Matrix with thousands of meal combinations right here.
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weights, listening to podcasts, reading, surfing the interwebs, strolling the beach and chilling with friends and family. On weekends, my husband and I are nuts about roaming the farmers market for goodies and seeking out new restaurants that offer scrumptious paleo(ish) options. My hope is to offer my blog as a useful tool for you to explore, as you make choices to suit your own needs and lifestyle. I highly recommend that you do some reading and self-experimentation, to figure out what works best for your body and situation. Take away what you wish for you and your loved ones. My own journey is far from over. I am constantly learning, growing, expanding and revising my knowledge and stance on the science behind nutrition. You are given one body and one life. Take care of it and live it! In addition to my blog, you can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
those with busy schedules and demanding palates, Michelle is passionate about helping readers implement and sustain an ancestral dietary approach; on a daily basis she writes about how home cooks can spend less time in the kitchen and still end up with nutritious, flavor-packed meals for the entire family. Currently, she is working on an iPad cooking app that will be released Spring 2012. You can also check out Nom Nom Paleo t-shirts here!
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Chapter 3
Meal
planning 101
In this chapter, well get you started right away about how to plan a basic menu, how to get your family involved, how to get organized for your grocery shopping trip, how to save money by shopping your pantry and scouring the sales flyers. In the next chapter, well talk about Money Saving Tricks to save you even more money, and in Chapter 5, well also cover some other questions like what if I cant afford grass-fed and other such shopping priorities. Lets get started learning how to plan your meals.
A couple caveats
First, I feel like you should know that its not your job to please everyone. If youre cooking for one, congratulations, you are lucky. If you have a spouse, children, or other family members, then you know as the one who cooks sometimes it can feel like youre a line cook in a busy restaurant full of ticked off customers. Well, you are not a short order cook, nor is this Burger King where they get to have it their way. If youre investing the time into meal planning, shopping, and cooking, then you get to make the decisions about whats in the kitchen cabinets and ultimately what lands on the dinner table. Weve got some strategies for making sure your family feels involved and heard, but unless they are willing to share the responsibility of cooking, shopping, and planning, you choose the meals. Secondly, sometimes youre going to make a bad meal. It just happens. Every cook and every kitchen turns out a bad meal every now and then, whether the eggplant is total mush or the steak is so rubbery your jaw is sore afterward. Know this. Be okay with it. Move on with your life.
Meal planning 101 Paleo Diet Budget Shopping Guide 20
Weve set up a paleo meals inspiration board just for you on Pinterest! Go check it out!
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Monday nights slow cooker meal can mix it up. There are so many delicious things to make in the slow cooker: pot roast, pulled pork, curry chicken, the possibilities are endless and the slow cooker saves time and makes your life easier. Tuesdays taco night is an endless combination of ground meats (beef, lamb, chicken, pork) or fajita style steak, chicken, or seafood with different toppings (fresh salsas, mushrooms, guacamole, cilantro) in lettuce wraps instead of taco shells. And so on. If you like planning meals this way, adjust your theme night to fit your familys schedule. If Tuesday night is a little more hectic and you dont walk in the door til 6:30pm, thats your slow cooker night. You throw a few things in there in the morning, and when you walk in the door that night, dinner is already prepared. If Friday is a night thats more leisurely, pick a meal that maybe takes a little more time to make like a roast chicken (although, all said and done its still only an hour).
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and grate up the rest and make fresh sauerkraut. If you have a bag of 5 avocados, make some into guacamole for dipping veggies, slice some up to go along with eggs at breakfast, and put the rest into a salad topping. Check out the What Do I Do With That? cheatsheet at the end of this chapter for help with how to avoid the one-meal ingredient and to keep from wasting food.
Shop seasonally
By now youve probably heard at some point or another that we should be eating seasonally. Eating according to whats in season (whats growing in your area right now) has a lot of benefits. First of all, its cheaper. Buying something like strawberries in February is going to be way more expensive. The food is going to be traveling from somewhere that you can wear a bikini in February (think Mexico, Chile, places that are warm all the time). So youre not only paying for the berries, youre paying for them to be harvested,
Meal planning 101 Paleo Diet Budget Shopping Guide 23
packaged, refrigerated, and shipped thousands of miles to your local store. You might pay $5.99 for one pound of strawberries! Contrast this with going to a local you-pick strawberry patch where you can get a whole pound of strawberries for about a dollar, and youre talking about some serious savings. You also get to take care of the planet by purchasing local foods when they are in season. It costs money to ship food thousands of miles, but it also adds up in terms of pollutants, fossil fuels to run ships, airplanes, and trucks, extra packaging and energy costs to keep the food stable, and more. Seasonal produce also keeps the money local. Your food dollar goes directly to a farmer in your area, providing jobs and putting the money right back into your community. Finally, seasonal produce is more nutritious and simply tastes better. Shipping food thousands of miles causes the food to lose nutrients (as soon as its harvested, the nutritional breakdown begins). The fresher the food you eat, the better it is for you and the better it tastes. If youve ever eaten a strawberry picked at the peak of its season, still warm from the early summer sun, then you know the wonderful, intoxicating deliciousness of seasonal produce. Contrast that: if youve ever been tempted to buy a strawberry from the grocery store in December, you remember what a bland, flavorless disappointment it was. There really is a difference when you eat produce in season.
Check out the links below for more tips and advice on making seasonal eating an easy part of your lifestyle. Healthy eating with the seasons How to eat seasonally
Add some seasonal fruits and veggies to your Meal Maker Checklist.
Meal planning 101 Paleo Diet Budget Shopping Guide 24
This is the most fun part of the meal planning process. You get to put it all together and decide what to cook for the next week. Grab your blank This Weeks Menu worksheet and get ready! Start with your pantry items. Grab the Meal Maker Checklist and note what pantry items you have for each category - meat, produce, other stuff. Start with the meat you have available. Use the What Do I Do With That? cheatsheet to come up with some ideas or look at your familys list of meals to get started. Then plan some sides, according to the produce you have and whats on sale. Figure out what to do with your other stuff.
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Then decide out what else you need to buy according to the seasonal charts, or just by filling in any blank spaces with meals your family loves.
Time to go shopping
Now its simple. Go to the grocery store and stick to your list. Dont toss stuff thats not on the list into the cart. Thats it! Using this method will make your shopping trip quicker. Your purchases will mostly be around the outer perimeter of the grocery store, where the produce and meat are located. You wont have to go up and down each aisle trying to find what you need. When you get home, unpack your groceries and put your meal plan up on the fridge or bulletin board, youll have a plan, youll have saved money at the grocery store, and youll know no food will go to waste. Check out the next page for a flowchart showing each easy step.
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Add a few seasonal ingredients to your Meal Maker Checklist. This will be helpful when planning recipes.
Whats in season?
Check the grocery store flyers and add some items you can get on sale to your Meal Maker Checklist. This will be helpful when planning recipes.
Whats on sale?
Use your recipe inspiration board, familys list of favorite meals, and paleo-friendly cookbooks to find recipes. Base dinners around protein. Add in sides based on your produce, whats seasonal, and whats on sale.
Write down whats for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the This Weeks Menu worksheet. Fill in blanks with favorite family recipes or by choosing side items or meats that are on sale.
Write down ingredients youll need for your meal plan on the blank Shopping List worksheet.
Go shopping
Stick to your list.
Hard boil eggs, pre-cook meat, cut up veggies, make guacamole, etc. See the In The Kitchen section for ideas on making meals in advance.
Convenience-prep
Confidently make healthy meals for yourself or your family each night, knowing youve saved money and have a plan!
Eat!
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Breakfast
Monday
Egg cupcakes Apple slices
Lunch
Cold leftover chicken Guacamole Green pepper strips
Dinner
Slow cooker pot roast with root veggies
Snack
Handful of almonds
Tuesday
Baked chicken thighs Roasted sweet potatoes with rosemary Stir fried garlic flank steak with broccoli, onion, and carrots
Beef jerky
Wednesday
Thursday
Spinach salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, and leftover flank steak
Slow cooker stew with sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and beef shanks Roast chicken with roasted cauliflower and broccoli
Friday
Frittata made with Leftover frittata on top any veggies in the of a green salad fridge on the verge of spoiling - topped with avocado Coconut flour pancakes, fried eggs Cold leftover roast chicken and veggies
Saturday
Dinner out with friends at a steakhouse - 8oz sirloin, steamed broccoli, baked sweet potato Slow cooker chicken, shredded for tacos in lettuce cups with lots of toppings
Sunday
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Almond butter
Dip apples, celery or any crunchy fruit/veggie in it for a snack Put some in a smoothie Eat a spoonful
Use for breading on meats (think chicken fingers) Use in paleo baked goods (search for almond meal on any of our recommended recipe sites) Mix with cocoa powder and coconut oil - roll into little balls, pop in the freezer for a quick treat
Add some to your homemade broth/stock - helps to grab minerals from the bones Use in salad dressing or vinaigrettes
Artichoke hearts
Drizzle with olive oil and top with cracked pepper for a side dish or snack Combine with other veggies for a salad Throw them into a stir fry Put them in a marinara sauce for an extra hidden serving of veggies Serve cold on a platter with pickles, hard boiled egg and cold leftover meat
Avocado
Make fresh guacamole (heres a favorite, very simple recipe) Cut in half, sprinkle with salt & pepper and eat with a spoon Cut into slices and use to top salads or scrambled eggs Use it in a lettuce wrap Dairy-free chocolate pudding
Bacon
Eat it by itself or with its best friend, eggs Wrap dates in it and bake until bacon is cooked Crumble and sprinkle on top of salads or veggies Chop into pieces and cook through, then add any veggie for a quick and delicious saute
Meal planning 101 Paleo Diet Budget Shopping Guide 31
Balsamic vinegar
Make homemade salad dressing Combine with a little olive oil for a marinade for meats Drizzle over a salad, sauteed veggies, or cooked fruit like peaches or pears
Beef (ground)
Make burgers Make bean-free chili Add taco seasoning and ground tomatoes and cook it - eat it on lettuce wraps Make meatballs - Sarah has a ton of yummy recipes. Make cabbage rolls Google paleo ground beef and make something that pops up Make something on this page
Bell peppers
Cut into strips and dip into guacamole or baba ghanoush Use in a stir fry, soup, or stew Use in fresh salsa Stuff with ground beef and spices and bake
Berries
Eat them fresh Make a smoothie Add a splash of coconut milk and a sprinkle of cocoa powder, eat. Make a cobbler
Broccoli
Lightly steam or saute and drizzle with olive oil or balsamic vinegar Roast with bacon and top with pine nuts Eat raw dipped in guacamole or baba ghanoush Shred the stems and make a fresh slaw (just add a bit of mayonnaise and lime juice)
Butternut squash
Make a hearty soup Roast or cook in a pressure cooker until cooked through and puree Top with coconut oil or butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon Roast it Cube it into small pieces and saute it in a skillet with greens
Meal planning 101 Paleo Diet Budget Shopping Guide 32
Cabbage
Shred it and make fresh slaw (just add a bit of mayonnaise and lime juice) Shred it and saute with apples, sprinkle with cinnamon Make cabbage rolls Cut into wedges and steam it lightly Use it in a soup or stew for an extra hidden veggie serving Make your own sauerkraut
Carrots
Dice and use as a base along with onions and celery for ANY soup or stew Chop and roast, drizzle with olive oil, coconut oil, balsamic vinegar, or butter Chop into sticks and use for dipping in guacamole or baba ghanoush Shred and make a fresh slaw (just add a bit of mayonnaise and lime juice) Pickle it
Cauliflower
Make cauliflower rice Steam and mash it, then prepare like mashed potatoes Lightly steam and drizzle with olive oil, coconut oil, balsamic vinegar, or butter Chop into florets and roast with bacon pieces Pickle it (you can keep in the fridge instead of canning if you like) Steam it along with carrots, then puree it and sprinkle with cinnamon or your favorite spices
Celery
Cut into sticks and use for dipping into almond butter, guacamole, or baba ghanoush Dice and use as a base along with onions and carrots for ANY soup or stew Finely chop and put into seafood patties like crab or salmon cakes Chop for a stir fry Slice it very thin and add to chicken salad Chop roughly and use in a stew or with pot roast
Chicken (pieces)
Toss into a slow cooker with curry sauce, coconut milk, enchilada sauce, etc and cook on low all day Google paleo chicken recipe and make something Make something on this page Or this page
Meal planning 101 Paleo Diet Budget Shopping Guide 33
Rub skin with butter, lard, or coconut oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper or a spice blend and roast it! Sprinkle with salt & pepper, put into the slow cooker, and cook on low for 7-8 hours Use the carcass to make bone broth
Chicken (whole)
Chipotles in adobo
Use sparingly! These are spicy! Puree and add to a marinade Add to your cauliflower rice (see cauliflower) Put in a blender and then add some of the puree to a soup, chili, pureed veggies, or make enchilada sauce
Chili Oil
Add to ground meat for spice and flavor Make a spicy salad dressing Make Thai no-peanut sauce
Cinnamon (ground)
Sprinkle on roast cauliflower, sweet potato, or butternut squash Use in a meat marinade for something unexpected Add to chili or hearty savory stews
Eat it! Make curried coconut chips Combine with dried fruit, nuts, and jerky for a great snack
Bread meats with it (think chicken fingers) Make paleo baked goods (just search on any of our recommended recipe blogs in the Resources section) Make biscuits
Coconut milk
Make a curry (see Thai curry paste) Mix with fruit in a blender for a delicious smoothie
Meal planning 101 Paleo Diet Budget Shopping Guide 34
Use it to flavor your coffee Use it anywhere youd normally use cow milk
Use as a cooking fat Use like you would butter (to top veggies, to melt on a sweet potato) Use in baking instead of butter Use as a moisturizer or on your hair for a special conditioning treatment (really!)
Coconut oil
Cucumber
Slice and dip in guacamole or baba ghanoush Chop and put on salads Slice, combine with diced tomatoes, onions, and vinaigrette for a simple side dish Top with chicken liver pate
Dijon mustard
Spread on deli meat or cold, leftover meat Combine with mayonnaise for a yummy dip for veggies Use in a salad dressing Use in a marinade or as a topping for meats or seafood
Eggs
Scramble, fry, poach, or hard-boil and eat! Make a simple omelet or frittata with lots of veggies Use to bind meatballs or meatloaf
Lemons/Limes
Slice and put into water for flavor Use juice or zest in a marinade or salad dressing Use juice in guacamole or a fresh slaw Cut in half and stuff the cavity of a roasting chicken
Lettuce
Make a lettuce wrap Make a salad - top with tons of veggies Shred for tacos
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Nuts
Sprinkle on top of a salad (raw or lightly toasted) Sprinkle on top of fresh berries with coconut milk Eat raw as a snack
Salmon (canned)
Make salmon cakes Make salmon salad (mix with mayo, old bay and finely chopped celery) Eat right out of the can Spread on cucumber slices or celery
Salsa
Dip raw veggies in and eat Top cooked meats or seafood Top scrambled eggs or throw into an omelet Put into the slow cooker with chicken thighs for enchilada meat Use with lettuce wrap tacos
Use in an omelet or frittata Add to marinara sauce or a soup/stew for an extra hidden veggie serving Eat raw as a great salad base Put into a fruit smoothie Throw into any stir fry or along with a sauteed veggie
Spinach
Make a curry - Heat a pan, pour in some coconut milk , add a small amount of curry paste and stir until incorporated. Add the rest of the coconut milk from one can, add some meat (diced chicken thighs, scallops, or shrimp), sliced veggies, and cook until the meat is heated through Add to scrambled eggs
Drizzle on top of sauteed or steamed veggies Add to cauliflower rice Use in a salad dressing
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Tomatoes
Make fresh salsa Slice and sprinkle with salt & pepper Dice and toss into any veggie or ground meat dish
Bake whole, top with butter or coconut oil and a sprinkle of cinnamon Cook and puree or mash Make sweet potato pancakes Make grain-free Thanksgiving-style stuffing
Yams/sweet potatoes
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Spices
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Lunch
Dinner
Snack
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
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Shopping List
Protein Veggies Fruit Fats
Spices
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Chapter 4
MONEY TRICKS
SAVING
to their whole counterparts! Anytime you buy pre-cut, pre-cooked, pre-whatever, youre paying more. Learning some basic skills in the kitchen, which we taught you in Chapter 2, will be a lot better investment of your time. When you get home from the grocery store, you can even do a little bit of preparation right away. Slice bell peppers into strips you can dip into guacamole. Make a big container full of chopped onion, celery, and carrots as a base for stews and soups. Cut up a whole chicken if you dont plan on roasting it. Do your own preparation and you will save money.
Think about joining a CSA (community supported agriculture). One of the best ways to make sure you are eating seasonally is to buy directly from a farm.You invest money at the beginning of the year when farmers need it most, and then when produce starts being harvested, you get a basket of fresh, extremely local, and usually organic fruits and vegetables directly from the farm. Its extremely costeffective, and is super for all the reasons we gave you. Read more about CSAs and see if they are right for you.
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Buy in bulk
Buying in bulk can be a money saver, especially when it comes to things you can freeze, or shelf-stable things like coconut oil or almond butter. If you have the space in your pantry or freezer, stock up!
What to expect
From one familys tale of buying their first whole cow: Our cow had a hanging weight of 527 pounds and we had agreed to a price of $2.50 per pound hanging weight. The butcher said that our cow only lost about 25% of his weight (which was on the smaller side of weight loss?). That brought our grand total to $1,317.50 for the entire cow, which figures to about $3.33 per pound on average (though it also depends on your actual packages, some of my groupings have averaged under $3 a pound). Mind you this is for local, natural (not technically organic due to a some of the feed they get during winter), mainly-pastured beef. The equivalent in the grocery store would likely range from $5-$25 a pound depending on the cut. Continue reading here - there are also photos so you can know how much meat you could expect and what cuts are included. Of course, if youre short on cash or freezer space, you could always organize a group buy with friends. Split a cow four ways and the investment is much less per person.
Freeze it!
Buying in bulk can only work well if you have storage for the extra food. For something shelf stable like coconut flour or almond butter, most people can find somewhere in their pantry or even an extra
Money saving tricks Paleo Diet Budget Shopping Guide 44
closet, but with meat, you really need a dedicated freezer. If you have space for this, it can save you a lot of money in the long run. It is, however, an up front investment to buy the freezer. Well talk about how to save to buy a big item like this in just a little bit. Look into buying clubs and restaurant supply stores. Stores such as Costco and Sams club often have great deals on large amounts of food. These stores are also filled with tons of junk that you dont need, so make sure you have a plan when you go in, so you dont get derailed and spend a bunch of money thats totally not in your budget. The first time you go into one of these stores, dont even take your wallet. Just go on a scouting mission! Survey what they have and see if they carry staple items for your household at a significant savings. My list for Costco looks like this: Frozen sausage patties (one brand they carry is just pork, salt, and sugar) Organic chicken & apple sausage Canned wild caught salmon 2 pound grass-fed beef (3 pack) Boneless skinless chicken thighs (6-pack of about 5-6 each) Bag of 6 avocados Case of sweet potatoes Large jar of raw almond butter Case of organic canned tomatoes Your store will vary in what they carry, but if you can scout out some items that your family eats often, this can definitely work in your wallets favor. Restaurant supply stores can also be a fascinating and value-packed trip, if you have one in your area thats open to the public. Many restaurant suppliers that are not open to the public only require a business name and tax ID number to sign up (you often dont have to prove that you are a restaurant owner). For example, I know people who have signed up with their dads lawn care business tax ID or their friends consulting firm tax ID. I am not endorsing dishonesty, but simply putting this information out there - do with it what you will. One restaurant supply store I visited recently has a walk-in freezer the size of your local grocery store (this is JUST the freezer) filled
Money saving tricks Paleo Diet Budget Shopping Guide 45
with sides of beef, cases of ground meat, floor to ceiling - every kind of meat and processed meat product you could think of. If you could organize a group buy, this could be a really great resource. I have purchased for example, a case of wild caught salmon fillets and another case of free range chicken breast for much cheaper than it would have cost just buying them individually from the supermarket.
Here are some steps to figure out how to save for a dedicated purchase.
Figure out what disposable income you already have that you can put toward this purchase. Maybe there is an extra $20 per week that you could put here. Revisit Chapter 1 for some tips about where you might be able to reallocate some money from your budget. Can you cancel Netflix for a few months? Forgo a dinner out per week? If you are like most American families, you could probably find another $20-50 per week here. Once you have figured out how much money you can reasonably save each week, start withdrawing that amount from your bank account each Sunday (or whatever day works for you). Get an envelope and mark it BUY THE DEEP FREEZER FUND or something similar, and keep it in a safe place. Each week, place your money inside and keep track of how much youve saved. After a month or three, you will probably have what you need! You can also open a savings account that is connected to your checking account and transfer the money every week. Some people like the cash method, some people like to bank online. Either way, lots of people have successfully saved up this way for big ticket items, Christmas shopping, vacations, and more.
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Buy local
Weve already talked about how shopping seasonally can really make a difference in price. Dont forget about that! Farmers markets and CSAs can help you stick to your budget. Butcher shops are also a great resource. For example, a Trader Joes in my area sells grass-fed ground beef for $6.95 per pound, but my local butcher has grass-fed ground beef for around $5. If you dont burn a lot of gas getting to this extra stop on your shopping route, it can save you a decent amount of money per item. Butcher shops also have an advantage over grocery stores and bulk stores - they know where their meat came from and how it was raised. So ask them! They can also be a great connection to help you buy directly from a farmer. Many butcher shops have meat plans where for a family of 2 or 4 you can get a weeks worth of meat for a certain amount of money. For example my butcher shop offers a weekly family package for two, which is plenty of meat for dinners, breakfasts, and enough to have leftovers for lunch. It looks like this: Family Package for 2 $49.99 plus tax 1 lb. Ground Chuck 1 lb. Homemade Sausage 1 lb. Bacon 1 lb. Hot Dogs 1 lb. Cube Steak 1 lb. Pot Roast 1 lb. Stew Beef 1 Whole or cut up Chicken 2- 8 oz NY Strips 4 Boneless Pork Chops
altogether. If you have a few extra minutes, grab your Sunday paper and browse through to see what they have. Sometimes you can find a great deal on things like almond butter, coconut oil, or a specific brand of eggs. Since coupons for whole foods are tougher to find, this is not a top priority for most budget-savvy paleo shoppers. Your mileage may vary, however!
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Chapter 5
budget
shopping
priorities
Paleo Diet Budget Shopping Guide
Organic - All organic agricultural farms and products must meet the following guidelines (verified by a USDA-approved independent agency): Abstain from the application of prohibited materials (including synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and sewage sludge) for 3 years prior to certification and then continually throughout their organic license. Prohibit the use of genetically modified organisms and irradiation. Employ positive soil building, conservation, manure management and crop rotation practices. Provide outdoor access and pasture for livestock. Refrain from antibiotic and hormone use in animals. Sustain animals on 100% organic feed. Avoid contamination during the processing of organic products. Keep records of all operations. However, not all organic products are created equal. If a product contains the USDA Organic seal, it means that 95 to 100 percent of its ingredients are organic. Products with 70 to 95 percent organic ingredients can still advertise organic ingredients on the front of the package, however, and products with less than 70 percent organic ingredients can identify them on the side panel. Also, the organic structure is set up to accommodate large producers, and the bureaucratic red tape required to be certified organic is prejudicial and hard to access for small farms. So the key here is to ask. A small community-supported agriculture operation might not have the money or the infrastructure to become certified organic, but they may still use 100% organic practices. If you buy local, you can ask the farmer directly how their food is grown, what kind of fertilizers they use, and how they treat their animals. Natural - Be wary of this claim. It can mean just about anything. The claim is only regulated by the USDA in the case of meat and poultry, where natural means no artificial ingredients or colors have been added, and the product has been minimally processed. Pastured - Pasture-raised chickens, turkeys, pigs, and cattle have been raised on a pasture where theyre able to eat grass. They are typically given access to fresh pasture each day. Fresh - This means the food is raw and has never been frozen or
Budget shopping priorities Paleo Diet Budget Shopping Guide 51
heated. However, fresh foods can be treated with radiation, which is never mentioned on the label.
Click to listen to Robb talk about the importance of buying local and maintaining good relationships with local food producers.
Click to listen to Robb talk about why grass-fed meat is beneficial to your health and the planet.
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US Wellness Meats on grass-fed nutrition Read more about how grass farming benefits the environment If you cannot afford grass-fed meat (have you tried some of the options in our Money Saving Tricks chapter - buying in bulk, seeking out a direct buy from a farmer, found a butcher shop, or tried to share a large cut with friends?), then focus on the leaner cuts of traditionally raised meat. These leaner cuts will have less fat in them, which means less omega-6 fatty acid. We dont suggest lean meats because fat is bad for you, only that fat from feedlot-raised animals contains an unhealthy balance of omega-6 and conjugated linoleic acid. Naturally raised, pastured animal fat is good for you and not a problem. However, if you cannot find or afford pastured animals, these cuts of feedlot-raised animals are a good secondary choice. Skinless chicken breast Skinless turkey breast Eye of round roast or steak Sirloin tip side steak Top round roast and steak Bottom round roast and steak Top sirloin steak Low-fat ground beef All kinds of seafood (fish, shellfish) Wild game such as venison or duck
Find out a lot more about how grass farming and pasturebased agriculture benefits the environment and our health in his delightfully cranky new book, Folks, this aint normal!
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Chapter 6
in the
kitchen
In the kitchen
Youve mastered meal planning, shopping, and finding a little extra money in your budget. Here are some tips for making things work a little more smoothly in the kitchen.
Gimme protein
Once a week, hit up Sams Club (or Costco or whatever wholesaler is nearby) and buy big amounts of protein (upwards of 20 pounds of meat). Mix it up each week with steak, hamburger, chicken, pork or beef tenderloin, shrimp, fish. Then fire up the grill and cook enough for the whole week. You can add in seasonings (Old Bay for the shrimp, taco seasoning for ground meat, salt & pepper for steak, paprika for chicken, etc.) while grilling everything. The trick is to cook everything just shy of being done (medium rare, even for the chicken & seafood). Then later when the food is reheated in the microwave, it still tastes good and doesnt get dry and rubbery. You can then portion out the food and put it in ziplocks or plastic containers. Leave enough in the fridge for the next few days, and throw the rest in the freezer. Each day, pull a portion down into the fridge so its ready for the next day.
Follow the same procedure for veggies with a little variation. You can buy bulk amounts of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, brussels sprouts, asparagus, whatever veggies look good that week. Leave the veggies raw and portion out 2-3 cups or however much looks yummy. Another option is to make a big chopped salad at the start of the week and keep it in the fridge. Each day just scoop out a portion. Slice up your meat and put on top, add some olive oil, and youve got a darn tasty lunch.
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staceylillich said: On the weekend I cook up several pounds of bacon and venison sausage and baggie it into individual servings for breakfasts. Famlivingsimple said: Lately we have been making lots of chili and reheating it, but putting it on top of cauliflower to make it last longer. NomNomPaleo said: I sous vide a bunch o meats, make pot o stew, & frittatas!
Meat Cookies
Another great go-to meal/snack is what I like to call Meat Cookies. The wild caught salmon burgers from Costco are legit (tons of Omega-3s and 20g protein) as well as their turkey burgers (35g protein!). Grill a bunch of them at the start of the week and then eat them cold throughout the day. You can top them with homemade mayo or guacamole. Viva la meat cookie.
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Cook it slow
Soups and stews are so easy to incorporate into a busy paleo lifestyle. The slow cooker is your friend. Here are your steps to a successful stew: Get a hunk of sturdy meat (pork loin, beef pot roast, a few skinless chicken thighs, venison, bison). This is the perfect opportunity to turn a cheaper cut of meat into something totally magical. Get some chopped veggies (carrots, celery, onions, garlic, tomatoes). Get some really good broth (chicken, veggie, beef, whatever you can get that tastes amazing on its own). Put them all in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Thats it! Now freeze the extras. Dont forget to check out the Learn to use a slow cooker video in the Learn to Cook chapter. Also, go to any of the paleo blogs weve included in the resources section and search slow cooker or crock pot for many more ideas! Or go to Google and type in slow cooker paleo or crock pot paleo. Feast your eyes on the results and get cookin.
If Im using stuff that is solid frozen, I will speed up thawing by placing the frozen item in a bowl of boiling/really hot water or leave it in the sink with hot water running over top of it. Paleodish said this: To reheat refrigerated items, I either re-heat them on the stove or sometimes toss it in the slow cooker. Tip Depending on what it is adding a little water or olive/coconut oil to it when re-heating seems to do the trick just fine. For frozen items, I usually take them out of the freezer and put them in a bowl/on plate to thaw in the fridge.
Handful of nuts or seeds Fermented veggies or pickles Canned sardines, smoked oysters, or herring Canned wild salmon Almond butter, plain or on celery or banana Fresh fruit like apples or peaches with nuts Coconut flakes Apples cooked in a little coconut oil, sprinkled with cinnamon Slices of high-quality lunch meat or salami Smoked salmon Pork rinds Kale chips Toasted nori Olives Trail mix Egg muffins A simple omelet
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WHATS NEXT?
RESOURCES
Whats next?
Well, kids, weve come to the end of this Paleo Diet Budget Shopping Guide. Weve hopefully dismantled all your excuses as to why a Paleo diet is too expensive, time consuming, or hard to pull off. Weve given you some cooking skills you can use. Weve taught you the most powerful way to make Paleo on a budget work for you - meal planning. Weve given you shopping tips, kitchen tips, money saving tricks, and more.
Still having trouble? Need help? Want to share your success or give us some new ideas? Visit us at the blog, Robb Wolf.com and let us know how you did! Start a thread on the forums Contact us with questions Come chat with us on Facebook or Twitter We want to stay in touch, so reach out and get involved!
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Resources
Connect with Robb online
Robb Wolf.com Get email updates including our Paleo RD tip of the week, the latest on the Paleo Solution, paleo eats, sustainability, and more! Friend me on Facebook Follow me on Twitter Watch me on YouTube
Robb Wolfs 30 Day Total Transformation is the ultimate getting started guide to the Paleo diet. Includes interactive information on nutrition, metabolism, exercise, a meal plan, shopping list, and more. Click here to learn more
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Find some awesome Paleo-friendly cookbooks and more recommended reading in my Amazon shop.
Nourished and Nurtured Nourished Kitchen Nourishing Days Nourishing Gourmet Our Life In Food Paleo Comfort Foods Paleo for Foodies Paleo Joy Performance Menu Primal Eats Purely Primal Robb Wolf Staceys Paleo Kitchen The Clothes Make The Girl The Domestic Man The Herbangardener The Well Fed Homestead The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen Wellness Mama
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Index
A
affordability of Paleo 58 allocation of money 9 almond butter 32, 34, 44, 45, 46, 49, 57, 58, 61 almond flour 10, 32, 45 almond meal 31, 32 apple 23, 30, 32, 34, 46, 53, 57, 61 Apple cider vinegar 31, 32 apps 28 artichoke hearts 32 avocado 7, 22, 23, 32, 46, 53
B
bacon 33, 34, 48, 58 balsamic vinegar 33, 34 beef 6, 22, 25, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 56, 57, 59, 60, 66 beef (ground) 33, 54 bell pepper 33, 44, 53, 60 berries 24, 33, 37 blogs 11, 21, 29, 36, 59 bone broth 18, 35 broccoli 33, 53, 56, 57, 60 budget 8, 9, 10, 11, 43, 46, 47, 48, 49, 51, 56, 63 bulk 10, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 54, 56, 66, 67 butcher shop 10, 44, 48, 54 butternut squash 34, 35 buy direct 44, 48 buy local 48, 52, 53
coconut milk 23, 31, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38 coconut oil 8, 10, 32, 34, 35, 36, 38, 43, 44, 45, 49, 60, 61, 66 cookbooks 21, 66 cooking 14, 20, 21, 58 cook meals in advance 56 Costco 7, 10, 46, 56, 58 coupons 48, 49 cowpooling 44. See alsowhole cow crock pot 57, 59. See alsoslow cooker CrossFit 44 CSA 10, 44, 48 cucumber 36, 37, 60 curry 22, 23, 35, 36, 38
group buy 45, 47 guacamole 22, 23, 30, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37, 44, 58, 60
H
hippy excuse 10
I
inspiration 21, 23, 26. See alsoPinterest iPhone 29
J
Joel Salatin 9
D
defrosting 59 dijon mustard 31, 36 dirty dozen 11, 53
K
knife skills 17
L
lamb 22, 66 lean meats 54 lemons 31, 37 lettuce 22, 32, 33, 37, 53, 58 limes 31, 37 local food 24, 53 Local Harvest 44 lunch 23, 30, 40, 48, 56, 57, 61
E
Eat Wild 44, 53, 66 eggs 23, 32, 37, 38, 49, 51, 53, 58, 60 Environmental Working Group 53 expensive 5, 6, 7, 8, 24, 43, 61, 63. See alsoaffordability of Paleo
F
Facebook 11, 16, 63, 64 factory farm 53 fajita 22, 58 family 8, 9, 11, 12, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 30, 45, 46, 48 fats 8, 10, 39, 41, 54 free-range 11, 51, 53 freeze 29, 44, 45, 57, 59 freezer 23, 31, 32, 44, 45, 46, 47, 56, 57, 59, 60 freezing soup 59 frittata 30, 37, 58
M
Marks Daily Apple 44, 66 Meal Maker Checklist 23, 25, 26, 39 meal plan 28, 29, 30, 43, 64 meal planning 11, 20, 21, 22, 26, 29, 56, 63, 64 meat 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 17, 22, 25, 26, 28, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61 Meat 66 meat cookies 58 Michelle Tam 16 Mountain Rose Herbs 67 mushrooms 22, 58
C
cabbage 22, 33, 34, 53, 60 cage-free 11, 51, 53 carrots 34, 56, 58, 59, 60 cauliflower 34, 35, 38, 56, 58 celery 32, 34, 37, 44, 53, 58, 59, 61 Charles Mayfield 18 chicken 6, 18, 22, 23, 25, 32, 35, 36, 37, 38, 43, 44, 46, 47, 48, 51, 52, 54, 56, 59, 60 chili 18, 33, 35, 58 chili oil 31, 35 chipotle 31, 35 Cindy Sexton 15 cinnamon 34, 35, 38, 58, 61 coaching 64 coconut 7, 35, 61, 66, 67 coconut aminos 31, 36 coconut flour 36, 45
G
grass farming 54 grass-fed 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 20, 31, 44, 46, 48, 51, 53, 54, 66 grass-finished 51 grocery shopping 11, 20, 58 grocery store 8, 11, 20, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 44, 45, 46, 48
N
Netflix 9, 11, 47 Nom Nom Paleo 16, 17, 66 nuts 10, 16, 30, 31, 33, 36, 37, 60, 61
67
O
oils 54 organic 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 44, 45, 46, 51, 52, 53, 57, 66, 67
T
taco 22, 30, 33, 37, 56 Taco 22 theme nights 22 The Paleo Solution 3, 64 tomato 33, 36, 38, 46, 59 tomato sauce 18 Trader Joes 5, 10, 48 Tropical Traditions 66 Twitter 3, 11, 16, 63, 64
P
Paleo Brands 3, 60, 66 PALEOdISH 15, 60 pantry 20, 23, 26, 29, 31, 32, 43, 44, 45 pastured 45, 52, 54 Pinterest 16, 21, 23, 26 pork 22, 46, 48, 56, 57, 59, 60, 61, 66 pot roast 18, 22, 30, 35, 48, 59 preparation 43, 44 prepping 58 pressure cooker 14, 34 price journal 43 priorities 9, 11, 20, 51 produce 7, 8, 10, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 43, 44, 48, 51, 53 protein 31, 39, 41, 56, 57, 58
U
USDA 52 US Wellness Meats 54, 66
V
vacation 9, 47 vegetables 8, 10, 11, 16, 43, 44, 53, 60 veggies 10, 22, 25, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 41, 56, 57, 58, 59, 61. See alsovegetables
R
recipes 18, 21, 22, 26, 29, 32, 33, 66 restaurant supply stores 46
W
Weston A Price 44 whole cow 44, 45 Whole Foods 5, 6, 7, 10
S
salad dressing 18, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38 sales flyer 20, 25 salmon 31, 35, 37, 46, 47, 58, 61 salsa 22, 31, 33, 37, 38 save for a dedicated purchase 47 savings account 47 saving time 11, 17, 22, 56, 58 schedule 17, 22, 56 seafood 22, 35, 36, 37, 54, 56 seasonal 8, 23, 24, 25, 26, 31, 44, 48 shopping. Seegrocery shopping shopping list 27, 29, 41, 57, 64 slow cooker 14, 22, 35, 37, 59, 60 snacks 3, 23, 57, 58, 60, 66 soup 15, 18, 22, 33, 34, 35, 37, 38, 44, 59, 61 spinach 30, 31, 37, 38, 53 Starbucks 9 steak 6, 20, 22, 30, 48, 54, 56 storing food 61 strawberries. Seeberries sweet potato 30, 31, 35, 38, 46, 57, 58
Y
yams 31, 38 YouTube 64
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