Paleo Meal Planning

As we get ready for the paleo challenge I thought it might helpful to give you guys some tips for successful paleo eating.

My biggest tip for anyone is planning. Committing to eat paleo means popping a Lean Cuisine or Hot Pocket in the microwave is no longer an option when you come home from a long day of work and the gym. You have to plan ahead and make sure you keep your fridge stocked with lots of healthy, paleo friendly foods. Planning ahead also helps with cost. Eating lean meats and veggies is obviously more expensive than the drive-thru, but I have found that I can do it with a reasonable budget if I plan properly instead of stopping by the grocery store every night on my way home.

Planning 2 weeks worth of meals works best for me and is the most cost effective. I suggest that you at least do 1 weeks worth at a time. When you’re planning don’t forget to plan for all 3 meals plus snacks.

I also like to do most of my cooking at the beginning of the week (Mon – Wed) and then do leftovers and easy light-on-the-cooking meals for the rest of the week. I’ve never been a big fan of leftovers, but I’ve learned to like them as I am more tired and have less energy for cooking as it gets later in the week.

Ok so here’s what I do:

I make 1 big trip to the store on the first Monday of the 2 weeks. I buy all my meats for weeks 1 and 2, all veggies and fruits for week 1, and all non-perishables for weeks 1 and 2. Throw all meat for week 2 in the freezer when you get home. At the beginning of week 2, I just make one quick, small trip back to the store for my fresh produce needed for week 2. For whatever reason, shopping on this 2 week schedule saves me about $200-300 a month on groceries!

Just for a little inspiration I thought I would include the 2 week meal plan I just made:

Week 1:

Breakfast – paleo quiche and butternut muffins – Not a fan of cooking breakfast every morning. I always make 2 quiches and big batches of muffins or pancakes on Sunday or Monday. They are great re-heated.

Lunch – Roasted Turkey Breast (same thing – roast meat and veggies on Monday. Use for most of the week’s lunches along with some dinner leftovers)

Monday Dinner: Paleo Chicken Pot Pie (Paleo Comfort Foods)

Tuesday Dinner: Speghetti Squash with Sausage & Creamy Marinara – the sauce is a take on this recipe, but I do mine a little differently

Wednesday Dinner: BBQ Chicken Thighs (BBQ Sauce Recipe from Paleo Comfort Foods), Paleo Squash Casserole (also Paleo Comfort Foods)

Thursday and Friday are usually leftovers from Mon, Tues & Wed. Saturday we usually throw some steaks on the grill or something like that. Sunday we usually do breakfast for dinner just to keep it easy.

Week 2:

Breakfast: Veggie & Sausage Fritata, paleo pancakes

Lunch – Grilled Burgers / BBQ Pork Tenderloin (BBQ sauce from Paleo Comfort Foods)

Monday Dinner: Cajun Dirty Rice with Chicken & Sausage (Paleo Comfort Foods)

Tuesday Dinner: Butternut Squash Lasagna

Wednesday: Taco Salad.

Same as week 1 for the rest of the week.

Hope that gives you guys a few tips and a little inspiration! Let me know if you have any questions!