Author Topic: Tips for living with a non paleo eater please  (Read 5363 times)

Offline Crispy

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Tips for living with a non paleo eater please
« on: December 14, 2011, 04:26:06 AM »
Hi

I've only just found out about this diet but it sounds like it could really help me. I've developed a wheat (possibly even gluten) intolerance as well as a lactose intolerance and I'm desperate to find a long term solution. The paleo diet really appeals to me, but I have some questions I was hoping people could help me with first.

1. My biggest stumbling block will be integrating the rules of the diet into both mine and my girlfriends dinner routines. Is there any problems for my girlfriend to eat high saturated fat meals without going fully paleo (i.e. still eat bread and all the other banned foods)?

2. Does anyone have any tips to cooking similar meals to satisfy us both?

3. Does anyone have a quick list of "must have" foods to start me off?

Thanks for any help. Looking forward to my first paleo meals!

Offline donnaballard

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Re: Tips for living with a non paleo eater please
« Reply #1 on: December 14, 2011, 06:24:14 AM »
Welcome to the paleo lifestyle-no tips (but you will be getting plenty from others) just a comment.  For health reasons I went paleo and just refused to eat wheat based things. Told my husband he could cook what he wanted but I would be very selective about eating it.  It took about 6 months for him to see the benefits of the way I was eating and he went paleo too. Hopefully your gf will also see the benefits and there will be no conflict at meal time! 
"I don't guess - I look it up."

Offline stephiek

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Re: Tips for living with a non paleo eater please
« Reply #2 on: December 14, 2011, 12:34:34 PM »
I don't really have any tips either, but, wanted to say, on the opposite side of the spectrum from the last comment, I've been Paleo for almost 6 months, and my husband fights it all the time.  He is angry because we are out of bread or out of peanut butter.  I don't pay any attention to those items, since I don't eat them, but am the primary shopper.  It's a bit of a challenge sometimes, but I've managed to keep it up.  He usually just eats his bread and continues on with his day.  He is adamantly against Paleo and informs me daily that I'm going to have a heart attack soon.  Good luck to you, and hopefully your other half will be more inclined to give it a try with you :)

Offline Warren Dew

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Re: Tips for living with a non paleo eater please
« Reply #3 on: December 14, 2011, 01:31:45 PM »
Welcome.

If your girlfriend really wants to eat the bread and potatoes, she may want to be eating less of the meat than you are.  You will be using meat and meat fat to fuel your body, but she'll be getting plenty of calories from the starchy foods.

You can cook paleo meals and just provide some bread and butter - or dinner rolls and butter - for your girlfriend.  If you want, you can also cook a nonpaleo side like potatoes or sweet potatoes, or maybe something like squash that's arguably paleo.

Must have foods:  eggs, preferably pastured or organic omega 3.  Ground beef with the highest fat content you can find (70-75% lean is best), preferably grass finished.  Fruit if you are eating fruit.

stephiek, do you shop from a grocery list?  Anything that I'm not likely to check on and remember - in my case things like my wife's shampoo - I ask her to write on the list.

Offline Crispy

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Re: Tips for living with a non paleo eater please
« Reply #4 on: December 14, 2011, 02:46:25 PM »
My girlfriend is behind me 100% but theres no chance of me breaking her love affair with bread and cheese!

Are there any worries for her eating meals cooked with saturated fat instead of vegetable fats?

Offline Jean

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Re: Tips for living with a non paleo eater please
« Reply #5 on: December 14, 2011, 03:18:20 PM »
Crispy I don't think replacement of vege oils with healthy saturated fats will do her any harm, regardless of what else she's eating. Vege oils are bad for everybody!

I started out on my own and was joined gradually by DH and both DDs, but DS is still eating whatever. He enjoys the paleo meals I make, though.

stephie I would use a list. Tell DH to write what he needs on the list. If it's not on the list it's not your fault - you don't eat it so you can't be expected to notice when you've run out. The way he eats is his decision and his responsibility. He's being childish trying to make the situation all your fault.

Offline stephiek

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Re: Tips for living with a non paleo eater please
« Reply #6 on: December 14, 2011, 04:01:30 PM »
Thanks for the suggestion of a list.  I've tried it.  He's a stubborn toad :p  I told him to tell me, or it won't be purchased.  Simple as that... :)
I agree with all the suggestions, going along with the thread.  And, on the subject of foods that are not technically Paleo, I do still enjoy white potatoes occasionally and home made sweet potato chips, which I like to serve with hamburgers.  These are acceptable starches for my husband.  I don't find that I suffer any ill effects from those items.  Some schools of Paleo find them acceptable, so I do eat them, which definitely helps my situation.  Her ease with your diet will also depend on how hard core you want to go.  I'm not super anal about it, as long as it's not a blatant breech of the rules, like a slice of garlic bread or a piece of cake.  I will occasionally eat ribs that he's made on the grill which have bbq sauce on them.  I'm not saying it would be the best choice for you, but it works for me...

Offline celticcavegirl

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Re: Tips for living with a non paleo eater please
« Reply #7 on: December 14, 2011, 05:02:49 PM »
I would suggest, as others have, making something paleo that can have starch added to it.  That means that pasta bakes and the like are out but you can do all kind of other things

For you - 2 fillets fish, green veg; for her - 1 fillet fish, green veg + new potatoes
For you - 2 servings oxtail stew; for her - 1 serving + jacket potato
for you - 2 servings thai seafood curry; for her - 1 serving curry + rice
for you - big steak, mushrooms, spinach.  For her - small steak, fries or bread, spinach

etc. etc. etc.

Winter 'Desserts'
Poached pears in brandy with chocolate (use 85%).  She could add cream and/or extra brown sugar
stewed berries / apricots/ apples etc.  Add sugar and crumble topping to her share.
banana flambe (I fry an over-ripe banana in ghee, add chopped hazelnuts, a drop of honey, a little OJ and a little brandy or rum, reduce to make a drizzle).  More honey in her version.
As most paleo meals are quite simple, it's pretty easy to add non-paleo starchy side-dishes.  The danger for her is ending up eating high fat and high carb, which is pretty much a recipe for weight gain!

My bf isn't fully paleo but since dating me has massively cut down on carbs, bread, pasta and sugar and upped his meat consumption and has lost about 10 pounds.  He will still order a dessert if we eat out but he eats and loves all my paleo cooking

@stephieK - that's really sad to hear that your husband is so unsupportive.  Sounds like he's jealous of you making positive changes in your life
« Last Edit: December 15, 2011, 06:24:19 AM by celticcavegirl »
Sugar addiction kills more people than all other kinds of drugs combined

If your food needs a prefix, it's not paleo!

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Offline Crispy

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Re: Tips for living with a non paleo eater please
« Reply #8 on: December 15, 2011, 03:45:52 AM »
Thanks everyone, especially celticcavegirl. I was hoping that meals would follow that sort of trend. My only concern is still her eating too many carbs and saturated fat at the same time! I'll just have to be careful.

Loving the winter desserts ideas too thanks!

I'm going to make myself a eating plan for two weeks and buy everything I need.

Does anyone have trouble buying coconut oil and the other paleo essentials in supermarkets?

Thanks all

Offline Warren Dew

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Re: Tips for living with a non paleo eater please
« Reply #9 on: December 15, 2011, 08:17:48 AM »
Just to avoid possibly misleading a newbie - 85% chocolate is not actually paleo, nor is orange juice, brandy, or rum.  They might not be a problem as minor ingredients in a dessert, but it wouldn't be a good idea to have a big glass of orange juice for breakfast every morning!

Offline stephiek

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Re: Tips for living with a non paleo eater please
« Reply #10 on: December 15, 2011, 08:46:53 AM »
I second that, Warren Drew, especially if you haven't had any juice for a while.  I made that mistake and suffered wretched consequences :p

Offline Fee

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Re: Tips for living with a non paleo eater please
« Reply #11 on: December 16, 2011, 01:34:18 PM »
My husband does not want to eat paleo, which is fine.  He does love the paleo dinners that I have been making, but he will have cereals for breakfast and bread for lunch as well as processed stuff like muesli bars for snacks.  I think he can't get his head around such low carbs, feeling like he would not have energy without them and of course it does feel very foreign.  He doesn't really cook, so because I do all the cooking, he has to eat what I prepare or make something himself.  He sometimes adds some bread to night meals, but he loves the taste and quantity of the paleo dinners.

I cleaned out my pantry and fridge and I have 1 shelf in the pantry of paleo stuff (herbs, coconut milk, onions, sweet potatos, garlic, nuts) and he has about 3!  I have the crisper and 2 shelves in the fridge for meat, veges, berries, guaccamole etc and he has separate shelves for cheese, milk, yoghurt, beer etc.  So I found that it was easier for me to be more organised by keeping my foods separate, and boy, it really shows you that most of the food I have is fresh and therefore refrigerated and there is hardly anything in the cupboard, where as most of his food is in the cupboard, in boxes and wrappers!

Offline celticcavegirl

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Re: Tips for living with a non paleo eater please
« Reply #12 on: December 16, 2011, 02:38:03 PM »
Just to avoid possibly misleading a newbie - 85% chocolate is not actually paleo, nor is orange juice, brandy, or rum.  They might not be a problem as minor ingredients in a dessert, but it wouldn't be a good idea to have a big glass of orange juice for breakfast every morning!

I am taking possibly a tablespoon of orange juice here and a teaspoon of rum!
Sugar addiction kills more people than all other kinds of drugs combined

If your food needs a prefix, it's not paleo!

E.M.F.

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Re: Tips for living with a non paleo eater please
« Reply #12 on: December 16, 2011, 02:38:03 PM »