Paleo-vegan lunch.
Lately I’ve been eating a bit lighter to compensate for some overindulgence over the holidays. January is typically no-sugar month around here (fresh fruit allowed) but the meal pictured above goes a bit further: no animal products, no grains, no legumes. I wouldn’t recommend paleo-vegan as a diet (not enough protein, hard to get enough calcium, B12, and calories) but if you want a filling, inexpensive, nutrient-dense meal with a light environmental footprint, you could do worse. The salad above includes the following:
- organic greens
- olive-oil roasted yam cubes
- cherry tomatoes
- mini-bell peppers
- raw sauerkraut
- avocado
- tangerine
- roasted sunflower seeds
- roasted almonds
- seasoned with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and paprika
It’s easy to get too much protein on a paleo diet (eggs for breakfast, chicken lunch, steak for dinner, etc.). Too much protein is acidifying and can potentially leach calcium from bones. Animal protein is generally expensive too. There’s no reason to eat more than you need.
The ingredients to make the salad above cost less than $2.00. With the exception of the roasted yam cubes that were leftovers from another meal, assembly (including “clean as you go”) took less than 10 minutes.
The salad lunch is a good way to go even if you throw some blue cheese or sardines in there. Fast, cheap, nutritious, delicious, and no post-meal sleepiness.
Please be respectful of other people’s dietary requirements and choices in the comments. This post may be worth a re-read.
Good health to you!