Scott - The Paleo Kid: 26 Easy Recipes That Will Transform Your Family (Primal Gluten Free Kids Cookbook)

By KateEvans Scott

Copyright2013
KIDS LOVE PRESS

All rightsreserved. No part of this book
may be reproduced without
written permission from the author.

This bookis dedicated to my two beautiful children.

Starting on the paleo diet islike taking a step back in time... way back in time... It's a gastro-adventurethat takes you backward two million years to the paleolithic era, when humanswere a hunter-gatherer society. That means that people lived on wild game andthe plants, fruits, and nuts they gathered from their environment.

When human beings startedcultivating grains and raising animals for meat and dairy 10,000 years ago, webegan suffering from chronic illnesses like heart disease, type 2 diabetes,obesity, depression, memory loss, and other inflammatory diseases. Tribalpeople living today that eat similar diets to our paleolithic ancestors do notsuffer from these life-threatening diseases. We have to assume that it has todo with their diet and lifestyle.

If you do the paleo dietright, you won't feel hungry and crave the foods you've eliminated. Instead,you'll feel satiated, vibrant, and healthy!

While there is much debateabout exactly what you can and can't eat on the paleo diet, it's best for kidsto start with a simple-to-follow framework for their eating habits. If you aretrying to address very specific dietary needs, like food allergies or celiac,then of course you'll want to stay away from those foods. Also, peoplechoosing paleo as a weight loss program will want to stay away from starchyvegetables like potatoes, and refrain from eating too many dried and freshfruits.

But since most children arevery active- much like our running, jumping, hiding, walking, swimmingpaleolithic ancestors- they shouldn't have to worry too much about starches andfats.

Here is a food guideline toget you started. Remember, there is a little bit of wiggle room, as even thepaleo diet experts disagree about certain foods. If you are unsure, you shouldalways do your own research and tailor your diet to your specific needs.

Vegetables and Sea Vegetables: You can eat any and all vegetables. In fact, youshould eat a rainbow of vegetables, from red to violet, in order to give yourbody a wide variety of vitamins and nutrients. Sea veggies, like seaweed andalgae, are especially good for you.

Fruits: Eatall the fruits. These can be fresh, cooked, or dried. However, if you'retrying to lose weight or if you have a problem with tooth decay, you may wantto limit dried fruits.

Meats, Fish & Eggs: You will eat a lot of meat and eggs on the paleodiet, as did our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Protein plays a huge role inproper brain and muscle development, and since you're not going to eat anylegumes or grains, meat and eggs become and even more important source of thisvital building block.

It is always best to eat meatand eggs that came from pasture raised animals that were fed a diet similar towhat they would eat in the wild. Always stay away from meats that have addedpreservatives or flavor enhancers, like nitrites or MSG. All different fishspecies are healthy choices, just be conscious of high mercury levels andchoose fish with ecologically friendly harvesting practices. Here are someoptions: Turkey, chicken, goat, lamb, pork, organ meat (liver, gizzards,heart), game meats (pheasant, duck, deer, bison, goose, quail), beef, eggs(from chicken, duck, emu, etc), fish, shell fish, and fish eggs.

Nuts, Seeds, and Butters: All nuts and seeds are good, as well as the buttersmade from them. Keep in mind that peanuts are NOT nuts. They are legumes, andthus are NOT part of the paleo diet. Almond butter makes a great replacementfor peanut butter, and there are many mild nut butters that work well inbaking.

Fats and Oils: Use fats and oils sparingly. Remember that you can not use grain oils,like corn oil or peanut oil. But there are a lot of great substitutes: lard,tallow, bacon grease, olive oil, coconut oil, walnut oil, avocado oil, hazelnutoil, flaxseed oil (unheated).

Drinks: Filtered or spring water should be your main drink. You can also add herbaltea, coconut water, and freshly juiced fruits and vegetables. Stay away fromsoda, bottled juice and juice drinks.

Seasoning: Most spices are fine, including sea salt (NOT refined iodized salt).

The following foods/beverages are okay in moderation,but you don't want to overdo them: Coffee, chocolate, caffeinated tea, raw honey, stevia, agave, grade B maplesyrup.

This is going to be a toughtransition for some children, as they are going to have to give up some foodsthat they love, like cheese, pasta, and bread. But once you start cooking someof the delicious recipes in this book, they will get used to a new, healthierway of eating. They'll start to feel good, and they will stop missing thepizza and sodas!

Cereal Grains: Wheat, rice, barley, corn millet, spelt, kamut, rice, amaranth, sorghum,rye, oats, quinoa, or anything made out of grains (flour, noodles, bread,crackers).

Legumes: All beans are out of the picture, including soybeans (tofu, too) and peanuts. Eliminate black beans, pintos, lentils, peas, lima beans, black-eyed peas,garbanzo beans (hummus), kidney beans, etc.

Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners: white sugar, brown sugar, turbinado sugar, refinedmaple syrup, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, molasses, refined honey,sucralose, aspartame, Splenda, Equal.

Highly Processed Oils and Most Vegetable Oils: Any oil that comes from a seed or legume is notacceptable, like soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, and grapeseed oil. Alsostay away from hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated, and refined oils.

Dairy Products: This includes butter, yogurt, cheese, and milk from cows, goats, sheep,and buffalo. Basically, if it comes from an animals teat, it is not allowed onthe diet. However, that is up for debate in the paleo community. Do yourresearch. If you choose to eat some dairy, make sure that it is full-fat, raw(unpasteurized), organic and grass-fed, fermented dairy.

When my son transitioned to apaleo diet, I can honestly say that I was surprised at how easy it went. Ithelps that he is an adventurous eater. But my daughter was very picky, so Ipicked up a few tricks to make the switch easier for her.

Play to their strengths. If your child loves apples and almond butter, letthem eat it once a day. If they have no problem with vegetables, give them ahealthy serving with every meal. If they'll only eat white foods, make itwhipped cauliflower and almond chicken fingers. Don't force the weird stuff onthem... well, at least not right away.

Involve them in the kitchen. This step is essential for the long-term health ofyour children. If they can cook well-balanced paleo meals that taste great,they will be able to nourish their own bodies for the rest of their lives.

If your child is very small, they can washand scrub fruits and veggies. Byabout the age of three, they could use a crinkle cutter knife (pictured below)that does not cut fingers to help chop carrots, celery, bananas, melon, andmore. At this age, they can also mix batters, set the table, and toss thesalads.

Once they get a bit older, teach them how tohold a knife properly - placing theirleft hand on top of the knife as they use their right hand to cut (or viceversa for lefties). This way they can cut more difficult things like cookedmeats.