The Paleo diet works on the principle that the human body could function on the same diet as our hunter gatherer ancestors. Sounds complicated, right? Apparently not.
Breakfast
#1. Chia Pudding.
This chia seed-coconut milk-mango amalgamation is an easy make-ahead recipe that’s not only high in fiber, it’ll also help you save a few hours in the morning, too: mix your ingredients the night before, pop it in the fridge overnight, and you’re good to go. Recipe here.
#2. Paleo Chocolate Waffles.
If you wanted to know whether one can have chocolate for breakfast, without the massive sugar crash that comes with it, these raw cacao powder waffles are your answer. Recipe here.
#3. Granola Cereal.
A yummy dose of sweetness for your mornings, without the guilt. Recipe here.
#4. Portobello Mushroom Bacon Avocado Breakfast Sandwich.
Switch your non-Paleo bread slices for portobello mushrooms, and make a sandwich that not only fits your caveman lifestyle, but gives you a delicious energy boost. Just look at that monster of a sandwich! Recipe here.
#5. Breakfast Burrito.
Don’t worry, this mouthwatering breakfast burrito is sans cheese and wheat. Instead, Mexican aioli and avocado salsa are thrown into the mix. You could also substitute tomato salsa, coleslaw, or fermented chili sauce. Go wild! Recipe here.
Lunch
#6. Grilled Chicken Salad.
Taste the summer sunshine on a plate with this sunny salad: crunchy veggies sprinkled with ginger vinaigrette and tossed in with grilled chicken. Sometimes healthy can feel so darn good. Recipe here.
#7. Turkey Chili.
Simple to whip up, and good for you. Prep a large batch during the weekend so you’ll have something to look forward to throughout the weekday. Recipe here.
#8. Shrimp Ceviche.
At first glance, this recipe might seem like something you’d cook up after a particularly intense rave. Shrimp, mango, red onion, cilantro, and (egad!) jalapeño? Trust us, although it’s easy enough that a drunk version of you would really be able to pull it off, it’s a surprisingly delicious meal. Recipe here.
#9. Cauliflower Rice Tuna Sushi.
Put down your pitchforks, people. We’re not trying to ruin your diet… this isn’t even real sushi. This faux “rice” is actually cauliflower. Interesting, right? Recipe here.
#10. Chicken Caesar Burgers.
Basically, it’s a Caesar salad, just in burger form. Recipe here.
Dinner
#11. Chicken & Mushroom Ramen Soup.
You’ve heard of zucchini pasta, but how about zucchini noodles? This is one recipe all Paleo enthusiasts definitely need to try at least once. Recipe here.
#12. Crispy Almond-Crusted Fish.
It’s difficult to imagine that the taste of almond could go well with seafood, yet here we are. Recipe here.
#13. Carnitas.
Okay, so cooking time for this one might be a little longer than one would prefer (3-4 hours) but hey, sometimes the end justifies the means. Amirite? Recipe here.
#14. Barbeque Chicken Pizza.
We’re always down for pizza (who isn’t?), but if it’s the kind with a “paleo pizza crust“, well take my number, ‘coz I’d like to be invited to that party! Recipe here.
#15. Pork Chops With Garlic Sage Butter.
A quick pork chop roasted on an iron skillet with a browned garlic-in-butter sauce. You can’t get any more paleolithic than this. Recipe here.
Dessert
#16. Panna Cotta With Peach Compote.
Such a fancy-pants for such an easy-breezy recipe. Okay, so the waiting time between each layer sucks, but other than that prep time is minimal. Personally, we would sit through an entire Twilight movie if it meant getting to eat this bad boy. Recipe here.
#17. Banana Ice Cream Cake With Lemon Cheesecake Icing & Carrot Cake Crust.
Raw, paleo, vegan, gluten-free. WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE AND NOT IN YOUR KITCHEN MAKING THIS BABY RIGHT NOW? Recipe here.
#18. Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies.
No one can resist a chocolate chip cookie. A single whiff of these freshly-baked mounds of pure joy can send many a faithful hunter-gatherer to their knees. Recipe here.
#19. Chocolate Donuts.
Don’t you think the world is a much better place now that grain-free, paleo donuts have come to fruition? We strongly believe so. Recipe here.
#20. Peanut Butter Truffles.
In the time it takes for the clock’s long hand to travel from one point on the clock to approx. twenty carets further (a fancy, unnecessary way to say 20 minutes) you can be popping one of these chocolatey, peanut-buttery morsels in your mouth. Or an entire tray of them. Recipe here.
Sauces and Dips
#21. Guacamole.
Put that tortilla away. This guac can be eaten on its own (*gasps*) right off the spoon (*falls off chair*) and with bacon (*sprints toward nearest supermarket*). Recipe here.
#22. Chunky Apple Ketchup.
We see your judgmental eyes, Negative Nancy. We just have one thing to say: Don’t knock it ’til you try it. Recipe here.
#23. Grain-Free & Starch-Free Gravy.
If you have 15 minutes to spare and several tablespoons of unused chia seeds lying around (which you’re bound to have in large amounts) why not put it good use, and make your own paleo-friendly gravy? Recipe here.
#24. Homemade Pesto.
After you make this sauce, your first inclination might be to mix it with pasta. But you can do better than that, oh paleolothic one. Use this delicious flavouring as a dip, or slathered on your meats and veggies. Eyes on the prize, brotha! Recipe here.
#25. Spinach & Artichoke Dip.
Dip is one of those recipes that really has no reason not to be paleo-friendly, but sadly trips to the store for healthy dips are a cautionary tale of love and loss. Save yourself from heartbreak and make your own. Recipe here.