Brotein And Lots of It
Since I am a college student, Costco is a great option for me to get a lot of organic meat in bulk (I buy the exact kind in the picture posted above). I will go to Whole Foods to get grass-fed steaks once in a while as a treat, but at $12.99/lb it can't be a weekly option for me. I think its important to at least buy organic meats, but I also think someone with a tight budget who can only buy store-bought meat should buy within their means and just avoid any processed meats treated with preservatives or hormones when possible.
Protein I buy each week (my freezer is always full!)
- at least 3 pounds of ground beef (organic, grassfed)
- steaks (t-bone, ribeye, strip, sirloin)
- 2 dozen eggs (organic/free range is ideal)
- TONS of chicken breasts, usually 10 pounds at a time from Costco (organic if you have the $, at least hormone free)
- ground turkey 99% lean (good for post-workout in stir-frys or as burgers)
- pork sirloin, pork ribs, baby back ribs
- Seafood such as salmon, cod, flounder, shrimp, halibut, ALL WILD CAUGHT!
- organic bacon or turkey bacon, nitrate free
- deli meats such as turkey or chicken breast, sodium and nitrate free. Steer clear of processed/commercial deli meats!
- organic chicken sausages with no added sugar, nitrates/sulfites (it's important to check ingredients here! There are good options at Whole Foods)
- Other less common meats I buy but are good options: venison, buffalo, bison, lamb chops, duck
Veggies & Fruit
Vegetables
- kale, organic, dinosaur or baby kale
- baby spinach, organic
- arugula
- purple cabbage
- asparagus
- broccoli (raw or frozen)
- bell peppers
- zucchini
- cucumber
- tomatoes (these are probably a fruit but whatever!)
- baby carrots
- green beans (fresh or frozen)
- brussel sprouts
- portabella or crimini mushrooms
- artichoke hearts (canned with only other ingredient being water)
- beets
- celery
- cauliflower
- bok choy
- sweet potato/yams
- butternut squash
- eggplant
- garlic (fresh or minced, I literally use this everyday in my meals)
- red and white/yellow onions
- green onion
- swiss chard or collard greens
- turnips
- Apples, organic is important for apples since they are known to carry the most pesticides than any other fruit!
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Blackberries
- Oranges
- Kiwi, buy organic so you can eat the skin loaded with vitamins and fiber
- Mango
- Bananas
- Dates
- Frozen berries for smoothies
- Lemon and limes
- Cantaloupe and honeydew melon
- Pineapple
- Pears
- Star fruit
- Nectarines or plums
- Grapes, they are delicious frozen as well!
- Limit dried fruit consumption since they usually add excess sugar to the diet
It's All About the Fat!
- Coconut oil: used in just about every meal I make, from scrambled eggs to stirfrys or sautés with veggies
- Grassfed butter: I buy unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter. Saturated fat in butter is good for your heart and will give you extra energy and healthy fat. I cook my veggies with this.
- Extra Virgin Olive oil for salad dressing: I don't use this to cook with since it does not remain stable under high heat like coconut oil
- Avocado oil or macadamia oil: I use for dressing or when I make homemade mayo! Also these are very resistant to oxidation and stable under high heat.
- Ghee or lard: I personally want to try these options as I never bought them before but hear good things.
- Avocados: on top of salads, for guacamole, or as a replacement for mayo in tuna salad!
- Nuts: Personally I always have almonds in the house, but cashews, pecans, & macadamia nuts are great as well
- Butters: Almond butter and Artisana coconut butter are always in my pantry
- Black pitted olives
- Coconut flakes and coconut milk are other good options for healthy fats, which can be used in many baking recipes as well
Some Notable Pantry Items
- Larabars and Quest Bars: as a student these are great, simple snacks for me on the go. I absolutely love Quest Bars due to having 20+ grams protein per bar.
- Canned tuna and alaskan salmon (Wild Planet is the best brand, since they retain all the healthy omega-3s in their canned fish)
- Brown rice & Quinoa: although this is a maybe for many paleo people, my boyfriend & I like to take a break from sweet potato once in a while with these as our post workout carbs. Rice is gluten free and I don't really see a problem with it in my diet, but if you want to loose weight I would limit the amount of these you eat since they are very high in carbs.
- Gluten Free Oats: I do not eat these often, but I have while making "paleo pancakes", before a heavy squat day for some slow digesting carbs, or post-workout with some whey protein. They are in my pantry and I want to be 100% honest with my viewers. 80/20 paleo works for me!
- 100% Pure Canned Pumpkin: Great for baking. I'll be posting a recipe with this soon.
- Honey from a local beekeeper or farm
Lastly, What Else I keep in My Fridge
- Unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk
- Chobani plain greek yogurt: since dairy is not paleo this is not typically endorsed BUT I love greek yogurt due to its high protein content and healthy bacteria to promote gut health. Sub this as mayo (1 cup greek yogurt for 1 cup mayo), or mix with whey/casein protein powder or almond butter for a protein packed snack!
- Egg whites, to eat post workout or in baking recipes
- HOT SAUCE <3
- Salsa
- Balsamic and red wine vinegar
- Tamari gluten-free soy sauce