Also known as the caveman diet, the paleo craze is showing no signs of slowing down.
Based on the idea of eating the same foods that our ancestors ate, the paleo diet focuses on whole, clean foods — think vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, organic meats, egg and fish — and cuts out processed or packaged foods and grains.
Signup & Get Early Bird Access To Our Personal Fitness App
While the verdict is still out on whether or not paleo is the miracle diet it claims to be, there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that going back to a more natural, clean-eating diet can do a body good.
For all the busy folks out there, here are 10 paleo diet recipes you can prepare for yourself and the whole family.
Sweet And Sour Glazed Pork
Kick off your paleo plan with Giada De Laurentiis’ delicious sweet and sour pork recipe.
Cooking and preparation time takes 20 to 30 minutes. This is the perfect dish for a lazy weekend or when you have enough energy to prepare dinner.
For this, you need four boneless pork chops. The pork should be about one and a half inches thick and approximately eight ounces each.
You need the following ingredients for seasoning and flying the pork:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed (optional)
- Ground black pepper
- Kosher salt
For the glaze, prepare these ingredients:
- Ground black pepper
- Kosher salt
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- One teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
- Two cloves minced garlic
- Three scallions white and pale green part, chopped finely
- Four tablespoons unsalted butter
It takes 10 to 12 minutes to cook the pork and another nine minutes to prepare the glaze. You can stick to the original recipe or modify it according to your tastes.
Orange Beef Stir Fry
This 30-minute dish is super yummy and easy to prepare. Be sure to include the following items in your grocery list.
- 225 grams beef round
- One tablespoon cilantro, chopped
- One tablespoon avocado or coconut oil
- Two tablespoons coconut aminos or tamari sauce
- Two tablespoons scallions, chopped
- Two cloves of garlic, minced
- Two oranges, chopped
- Salt to taste
For this recipe, you can also add a teaspoon of fresh ginger to enhance the flavour. If beef isn’t your thing, you can use chicken instead.
BLT Salad Bowl
Salads are popular and easy among pale diet lovers. For those who want to enjoy delicious flavours without succumbing to unhealthy meals, here’s a paleo alternative to BLT, minus the bread.
Here’s everything you need to prepare this BLT salad bowl.
- ½ of a cucumber
- Half of a handful Feta cheese
- One handful of coriander
- One avocado
- Two handfuls cherry tomatoes
- Two Romaine lettuce hearts
- Four rashers of bacon
For the salad drizzle, prepare the following:
- Two shot glasses of olive oil
- One shot glass balsamic vinegar
- One teaspoon mustard
- One small lemon, juiced
- Salt to taste
Paleo Egg Roll In A Bowl
Chinese food lovers know how delicious egg rolls can be. If you want a unique paleo twist in your homemade egg roll, here’s a recipe worth trying out.
Be sure to have these ingredients on hand.
- 1/3 cup coconut aminos
- One tablespoon unflavored coconut oil
- One tablespoon sesame oil
- One small cabbage, chopped
- Two large carrots, cut into strips
- Two cloves of garlic, minced
- Four green onions, diced
Once you have everything, you need to sauté until the vegetables are soft. The egg roll recipe also suggests cooking either shrimp or chicken for added protein.
Sweet And Spicy Paleo Chicken Fingers
Chicken lovers would love this chicken finger recipe with its sweet and spicy sauce. This meal is perfect for the whole family and you can prepare it in just a few minutes.
For this recipe, you’ll need.
- ¼ teaspoon pepper, freshly cracked
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup potato starch
- 1/3 cup hot sauce
- ¾ cup honey
- Two ¼ cups almond flour
- One pound chicken tenders
- Two eggs
This recipe requires baking the chicken, so be sure to prepare your baking sheet. You can also prepare sour cream or yogurt for dipping.
Eggplant Pizza
Just because you are eating like a caveman doesn’t mean you have to miss out on pizza – you can always look for a healthier alternative. Here’s an easy-to-cook pizza you can prepare even after a tiring day.
You’ll need the following:
- One large eggplant
- One teaspoon oregano
- One teaspoon basil
- One can of tomato sauce
- One cup mozzarella, shredded
One eggplant makes six to eight slices. This eggplant recipe is all about broiling but you can get everything done in as little as 15 minutes.
Fruity Coleslaw Salad
When you are looking for quick and affordable paleo meals, fruits and cabbage should always be in your fridge. This colourful salad will only take 15 minutes to prepare which gives you ample time to go around doing mommy duties.
For this recipe, prepare the following.
- One green cabbage, sliced thinly
- ¼ cup paleo mayonnaise
- One cup red grapes, chopped
- One cup mandarin oranges, chopped
- One large carrot
- Two cups fresh pineapples, chopped
Once you have everything ready, combine all ingredients in a bowl. Don’t forget to toss.
This fruity coleslaw salad tastes better if you place it in the fridge to chill for about an hour.
Baked Pear Treats
A meal is never be complete without dessert. Here’s a healthy way to satisfy those cravings without kissing your paleo diet goodbye.
For this recipe, prepare the following.
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup walnuts, crushed
- Two teaspoons honey
- Two ripe pears, halved
This baked pear recipe can serve four people and baking time is about 30 minutes.
Healthy Dark Chocolate Treats
Chocolate lovers will love this recipe. It’s healthier way to enjoy all that the chocolaty goodness.
Prepare all these ingredients for your homemade chocolates.
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- Three tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ cup melted coconut oil
- 2/3 cups raw cacao powder
This recipe is so easy to make, and you can save your choco bars for later. You can even give these bars as a gift to friends who are also on a paleo diet.
Lava Flow Ice Pops
When it’s hot outside and you are craving for something cool, these ice pops are just the thing to take out of the fridge. This icy dessert is has a fruity taste, and it is healthy too.
Here’s what you need to create your ice pops.
- One cup strawberries
- One cup coconut milk, full-fate
- One ripe banana
- One and ½ cup pineapples, diced
The fruits for this ice pop recipe can either be fresh or frozen. You can also add a tablespoon of honey to make it sweeter.
You need to freeze the ice pops from four to six hours before you can eat them.