Have you decided to try the paleo diet? Are you new to cooking paleo? What is the paleo diet?
Definition of paleo diet: paleo (older, ancient, relating to the geological past) diet (food). Basically the paleo diet is real food diet, similar to the diet of people that lived before mass-agriculture, processing and packaged food. Some people even go as far as saying it is a “caveman diet”. But, I don’t think you have to date that far back!
Paleo foods: vegetables, grass-fed meats, sustainable seafood, nuts, seeds, and fruit.
Non-paelo foods: grains, legumes, sugars, processed foods, sometimes dairy.
The paleo diet is a healthy real food diet that continues to grow at a rapid pace worldwide! Maybe you’ve heard how it’s changed someone’s life for the better, reversed disease, stopped anxiety and depression or how someone lost a significant amount of weight by going paleo.Whatever your reason for looking into the paleo diet, rest assured it is a wonderful (and safe) diet plan.
Being new to any diet can be overwhelming at first. There are so many blogs, articles, cookbooks… all sorts of information overload! No need to bookmark anything online or read forums for hours. Sometimes it’s too overwhelming! That’s why I decided to tell you about my 3 favorite paleo cookbooks for beginners! Here goes!
Practical Paleo By Diane Sanfilippo
Practical Paleo Description: Our great-grandmothers didn’t need nutrition lessons—then again, they weren’t forced to wade through aisle after aisle of packaged foods touting outlandish health claims and confusing marketing jargon. Over the last few decades, we’ve forgotten what “real food” is—and we’re left desperately seeking foods that will truly nourish our bodies. We’re disillusioned with the “conventional wisdom” for good reason—it’s gotten us nowhere.
Achieving optimal health without calorie-counting, diet foods, or feelings of deprivation has never been easier. Practical Paleo explains why avoiding both processed foods and foods marketed as “healthy”—like grains, legumes, and pasteurized dairy—will improve how you look and feel and lead to lasting weight loss. Even better—you may reduce or completely eliminate symptoms associated with common health disorders!
Practical Paleo is jam-packed with over 120 easy recipes, all with special notes about common food allergens including nightshades and FODMAPs. Meal plans are also included, and are designed specifically to support: immune health (autoimmune conditions), blood sugar regulation (diabetes 1 & 2, hypoglycemia), digestive health (leaky gut, IBS & IBD), multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome, thyroid health (hypo and hyper – Hashimotos, Graves), heart health (cholesterol & blood pressure) neurological health (Parkinson’s & Alzheimer’s), cancer recovery, fat loss, athletic performance, a “squeaky-clean” Paleo approach.
Practical Paleo is the resource you’ll reach for again and again, whether you’re looking for information on healthy living, delicious recipes, or easy-to-understand answers to your questions about how a Paleo lifestyle can benefit you, your family, and your friends.
Why I Love This Paleo Cookbook:
This paleo cookbook is my favorite of all paleo cookbooks, EVER. I love how it has meal plans for so many different people. Whether you struggle with adrenal issues, blood sugar issues, digestive issues… you name it she’s got a meal plan specific for you! In the plans she also gives supplement and lifestyle recommendations. Diane Sanfilippo’s book is incredibly organized and very complete. The Practical Paleo book is so much more than a cookbook!
Why This Paleo Cookbook is Great for Beginners:
Diane Sanfilippo is a pioneer in the paleo world. Practical Paleo is a New York Time Bestseller – and now there is this updated and expanded second edition! I recommend this paleo cookbook to beginners because it is so thorough! It is easy to follow, and goes over just about everything you need to know about paleo – plus she does an amazing job talking about digestive disorders, autoimmunity, blood sugar and over all nutrition. Within this cookbook, you’ll find helpful history on nutrition with guides, meal plans, and of course a ton of paleo recipes (150+ in fact!). Practial Paleo has become a Paleo Bible to many people, and if there is just ONE cookbook you want to begin your paleo journey with, you’ve gotta have this book!
The Healing Kitchen By Alaena Haber, Sarah Ballantyne
The Healing Kitchen Description: Achieving health through nutritious food choices has never been simpler or more delicious thanks to The Healing Kitchen!
Half of Americans take two or more prescription medications—and 20 percent of us take at least five. Given the growing scientific evidence that the Standard American Diet is at least partly to blame for our declining health, there is a clear need for change. It’s time for a dietary shift toward nutrient–dense, anti–inflammatory whole foods that promote health rather than undermine it.
The Healing Kitchen contains more than 175 recipes, every one of which complies with the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol and is free of grains, legumes, dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds, nightshades, and refined sugars. Armed with these budget-friendly, quick-and-easy recipes made from everyday ingredients, you can minimize the amount of time and effort you put into preparing healthful food without sacrificing flavor. Straightforward explanations and a comprehensive collection of visual guides will teach you which foods are your best choices for mitigating chronic illnesses, including autoimmune disease. Practical tips on everything from cleaning out your pantry and making easy ingredient swaps to combining flavors and reinventing leftovers will help you go from theory to practice effortlessly. Even better, twelve weekly meal plans with shopping lists will take all the guesswork out of your weekly trips to the grocery store!
The Healing Kitchen is your best tool for turning your kitchen into healing central—all while minimizing your time commitment, keeping your food budget reined in, and enjoying bite after delicious bite of nourishing meals that help you thrive.
Why I Love This Paleo Cookbook:
I have have suffered (and still are suffering) from a number of health issues, just like Alaena and Sarah, the Healing Kitchen authors. In the beginning of this book, Alaena and Sarah share their personal health struggles and why they finally turned to the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol. I can relate to this cookbook on a unique level because I feel like the recipes are made just for me! They take paleo a step further for those who have auto immune issues. I love the well done recipes, the budget friendly tips and the guide on navigating the grocer store. Having an autoimmune specific paleo cookbook is so helpful for overcoming my health struggles!
Why This Paleo Cookbook is Great for Beginners:
If you are a paleo beginner looking for a very strict paleo diet to help you heal, The Healing Kitchen is the cookbook for you! It is excellent for those people with autoimmune issues, who want to solve them with their diet! All of the 175+ recipes follow the paleo AIP. I highly recommend this cookbook and the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol for anyone suffering from lupus, psoriasis, fibromyalsia, multiple sclerosis, or any other autoimmune disease.
Easy Paleo Meals By Kelly V. Brozyna
Easy Paleo Meals Description: In Easy Paleo Meals, Kelly Brozyna, the spirited personality behind the enormously popular food blog The Spunky Coconut, brings you 150 Paleo family favorites—with all the pluck and liveliness that her readers have come to love.
As a busy mom of three who feeds her family a restricted diet for various health reasons, Kelly understands the challenges of preparing nutritious meals day in and day out. With more than a decade of experience in gluten-free, dairy-free cooking and baking, she has developed scores of creative meals using time-saving techniques that make healthy eating easier.
In addition to delicious recipes, this book offers:
- Helpful guides to Paleo ingredients and essential kitchen tools
- Tips for organizing your kitchen and stocking your pantry to make cooking and shopping more efficient
- Quick-and-easy tutorials for essential kitchen tasks, like spiral-slicing vegetables and setting up a double boiler
- A detailed “Meal Planning 101” section with handy strategies for saving time, like doubling recipes and putting your slow cooker to work
- Hints for feeding kids, with kid-friendly recipes marked with “Kids’ Favorite” icons to make them easy to find
- Weekly meal plans for every season, including detailed shopping lists
- Themed menus for holiday meals and Friday-night family dinners
- Make-ahead mixes for all sorts of baked goods, including Pizza & Bread Mix, Pancake & Muffin Mix, and Scone & Pie Crust Mix, for fast and easy weeknight baking
Why I Love This Cookbook:
The author of this book, her husband and her kids are all involved with the decision of going gluten free and dairy free (due to allergies). This book is definitely written by a mom, because you’ll find all kinds of kid-friendly paleo recipes. Just like the title, the recipes in this book are truly EASY. I love how Kelly shows that following a paleo diet doesn’t have to be difficult.
Why This Paleo Cookbook is Great for Beginners:
Easy Paleo Meals is the ideal book for the paleo newbie. It starts by laying out all the paleo kitchen basics – like the tools you need in the kitchen, how to spiralize vegetables, and even how to stock the cupboard to be successful with your paleo diet. It is a nice paleo cookbook for beginners because the recipes are simple, straight forward and uncomplicated! The recipes are written by a busy mom that appreciates easy and healthy meals. If you are a paleo beginner, especially if you have a family, this is a fabulous cookbook!