The Vegetarian's Guide to a Paleo Diet

(First published on Examiner.com at: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-30849-Austin-Vegetarian-Food-Examiner~y2010m1d17-The-Vegetarian-Guide-to-a-Paleo-Diet )

My previous article introducing Paleo diets and vegetarianism touched upon some of the dictates of healthy eating and following an unprocessed foods lifestyle. 

See here for the introductory article: Paleo Diet and Vegetarianism

Here are some additional thoughts and ideas thanks to Paleo followers in Austin: Arun Dev, Ryon Day, Stephanie Cantu, and the very useful blog “The Label Says Paleo”.

Paleo Breakfasts

Try to make your breakfast as colorful as possible. Meals should be beautiful and stimulate more senses than just taste. Here are some suggestions:

• Bell peppers come in a rainbow of beautiful colors; red, green, orange, yellow, brown/purple! Slicing or dicing these and briefly sautéing them with diced onion in coconut, avocado, or another healthy oil, then scrambling some eggs in, results in a beautiful breakfast that stimulates the mind and the body.
• Add a (very small) side of a low-glycemic load fruit such as cantaloupe, honeydew, or some berries
• Bananas are preferably avoided due to their high-glycemic index
• Slice some mangoes; add it on or to the side of your eggs (cooked any style). Throw in a dash of walnuts. (Walnuts are a great source of healthy Omega-6). A healthy and tasty breakfast is ready!
• Avoid breakfast bars and cereal bars – they are nothing but highly processed substitutes. Try fruit-based, date-based, or fig-based bars instead, from local Austin store “The Daily Juice”. Whole Foods also carries other brands. 
• There is no universal law that says that certain foods must be eaten in the morning or cannot be eaten in the morning! It might be the perfect time to break out some of the leftovers from dinner, or if you aren't hungry, to skip a meal.
• Making a batch of hard-boiled eggs makes for a fantastic grab-and-go breakfast. 
• Avoid carbohydrate-laden foods such as breads and bagels (grain elimination, remember?). These will result in up-and-down blood sugar, and a loss of energy during what should be the most productive part of your day.
• If you are addicted to rice/pasta, try quinoa – it’s a healthier substitute for processed pastas and rice! Quinoa cooks easily enough and can be eaten with a lot of different side dishes, ethnic foods, etc.
• Try using sea salt instead of iodized salt.
• Organic milk and dairy is but the first step. Drinking raw unprocessed milk is probably better.
• Make Whole Foods, Central Market, the Farmer’s Market and other such places your daily/weekly haunt.


Breakfast Recipe (Courtesy of Arun Dev)

Coconut and Chocolate Pancakes

2 eggs
1 can Coconut Milk (get one without Guar gum)
1/2 cup Almond Meal/Flour
1 cup Shredded Coconut
A pinch of Baking Powder (optional)
A pinch of Sea Salt
A pinch of Cinnamon
1/2 tsp of Vanilla extract.

In a mixing bowl, add the eggs, the can of coconut milk and stir in the almond meal and shredded coconut. Add a pinch of baking powder (get one without modified Corn Starch), sea salt, cinnamon, vanilla and mix well. If you like chocolate pancakes, add the Ghirardelli chocolate powder to the batter. 
Now comes the fun and challenging part. Heat a non-stick pan and add a few drops of coconut oil. Start with small pancakes as these are not easy to flip without breaking. Cook for a minute or two and once you see the sides of the pancake starting to brown, flip the pancake. These pancakes are very delicate so don’t be discouraged if the first one or two break. Once you have flipped the pancake, allow it to cook for a minute or two on the other side. Carefully remove and serve hot.
Serve with fresh fruits (strawberries, blackberries) and nuts (walnuts, pecans).

For more recipes, ideas and as a useful resource, checkout the Label Says Paleo blog.