Castaneda - One-pot paleo: simple to make, delicious to eat and gluten-free to boot

Navigating those difficulties and figuring out how to make it work in real life is how Paleo becomes a lifestyle, instead of just a diet. Having a resource to help us make Paleo easier provides a life line for so many busy peopleand One-Pot Paleo does just that! It wont be a surprise to anyone that one of the hardest parts of going Paleo is moving away from simple, pre-made foods toward making everything from scratch. But using the method of cooking entire meals in one pot simplifies something that can be overwhelming to many. Not only does it save time and effort when cooking, but having a meal on the table without a huge mess in the kitchen is an amazing accomplishment! All of that does you no good, however, if the food isnt satisfying once made. Im here to tell you, that is not a concern with the recipes youll find in the pages to follow. We knew wed like the recipes from having followed Jenny and her blog, Paleo Foodie Kitchen, on social media for years.

What we didnt anticipate, however, is how well the book would come together and be packed with gorgeous, drool-worthy, inventive, bold, flavorful, colorful, rich, deliciousness! When the family sat down and paged through the recipes in One-Pot Paleo we couldnt narrow down which we wanted to try to a list of even less than a dozen. With a seemingly genius approach to international cuisine, were thrilled to try out the Japanese Hot Pot, the Japchae Noodles and the Peruvian Chicken Lime Soup. Our favorites ranged from nut-free, dairy-free Plantain Pizza to the incredible Dutch Baby and the Hawaiian Meatballs. And how could we go wrong with Aromatic Mussels or Fifteen-Minute Ginger Chicken Noodles? Furthermore, we love Jennys progressive approach to defining Paleo. Unlike the rigid rules of yesteryear, Paleo is now viewed as a template for each of us to tailor to our own bodys ever changing needs. For some of us that means absolutely no grains but inclusion of high-quality dairy, for others, safe starches like white rice help us regulate hormones and maintain health without derailing gut health.

In One-Pot Paleo youll find nourishing, healing true superfoods like broth, organ meats, vegetables and seafood as well as recipes using rice and butter to expand your Paleo template. And the Allergen Index will allow anyone with food sensitivities (like our family) to find recipes that work for their particular needs. We found comfort and joy in reading Jennys recipes. The photos are spectacular and with each page we found ourselves more and more impressed with what was able to be accomplished in one dish. Dont be afraid to sit down and curl up with a mug of something warm (perhaps the Chicken Broth) to read the whole book cover to coverwe recommend you grab a big pile of sticky notes first; youll wanna flag all the recipes to try later!

Stacy Toth and Matthew McCarry, authors of Real Life Paleo, Beyond Bacon, Eat Like a Dinosaur and bloggers at the popular website PaleoParents.com

She always had her pencil and notepad ready to jot down recipes that looked good and were worth trying. I particularly liked those that were easy to make so I wouldnt have to wait too long to eat! Living in a traditional Filipino household, we had our usual fare that could be deemed unhealthy because it involved a lot of frying, packed seasonings and mixes with MSG. What a lot of people dont know, though, is that theres a wide variety of Filipino food involving vegetables and protein that are fairly nutritious. Yes, I did eat junk food and sweets, but my mom always made sure that I ate a balanced diet to make up for those times that I ate poorly. After I got married, my eating habits took a nosedive. Most of our meals came from a box in the form of Hamburger Helper and macaroni and cheese.

We ate out a lot, and fast food was part of our weekly rotation. Tired of feeling sluggish all the time, I started calorie counting and restricted myself to 1,200 calories a day in order to shed the excess pounds I had gained. I ate low-fat foods and did basic cardio exercises 3 times a week, and within 6 months I was at a healthy weight and had dropped 3 dress sizes. Id found something that finally worked for me, and eating healthy became my new obsession. My low-fat, calorie-counting diet had been consistent for years when in 2011 I was first introduced to Paleo. My kettlebell teacher, Junior, at NDS Athletics handed out reading materials about this eating lifestyle after class one day.

I read it twice and didnt think that I could give up a lot of things I am used to eating, so I put it away. After all, I was able to maintain my weight by keeping my calorie intake in check, and the thought of eating more fat instead of carbohydrates turned me off. A year later, while I was doing some online research on how I could live a healthier lifestyle and eat more whole foods and less processed products, I crossed paths with Paleo once again. I spent countless hours reading sites, blogs and forums, overloading my mind with all the information I could find. It was then that I finally decided to give it a shot. I had nothing to lose, and if it didnt work for me, at least I knew I was eating in a way that was good for my body.

Honestly, it was a gradual introduction that took months of trial and error. My husband was still eating fast food, chips and gluten-based products, so trying to eat Paleo amidst the food temptations in the house was my biggest challenge. Instead of forcing him to embrace Paleo, I figured I would lead by example and cook exciting dishes that were colorful, filled with flavor and totally satisfying. After a while, meal planning became easier and making the right choices became a no-brainer. This has become a way of life. I eat close to 85 percent Paleo and my husband is at 70 percent and I couldnt be any happier! I went through a few rounds of eating strictly Paleo and felt the positive effects of eliminating processed food, gluten, dairy, sugar, legumes and alcohol.