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January 6, 2019

The Easiest, Most Delicious 250 Paleo Recipes You’ll Ever Eat

Paleo
The Easiest, Most Delicious 250 Paleo Recipes You’ll Ever Eat

Simple step-by-step instructions

Caveman Feast is all about delicious, easy to prepare, healthy Paleo meals. With over 250 recipes to choose from, each with a mouthwatering picture you’ll never be short of options.

Hassle free grocery shopping

Time is precious, with the Caveman Feast app you’ll spend less time preparing shopping lists and less time searching for items in the grocery store. Choose how many recipes servings you wish to make, add the ingredients to the shopping list and see your list sorted by aisle.

Track your calories and macros

Losing weight? Gaining muscle? Training for an event?

Enter your goal calories or use the included calculator and we’ll show you exactly how much a meal will contribute towards your goal.

Think Paleo means no desserts…

You haven’t met George’s sweetooth

Healthy but never dessert free, the Caveman Feast app includes over 70 Paleo desserts for guilt free indulgence.

You can literally do anything & everything

Everything you need is inside the CavemanFeast app

Search by ingredient

Tap in one or more ingredients and get a list of recommended recipes.

Switch recipe units

Prefer cups to grams? Switch easily from directly inside the recipe screen.

Device syncing

The app instantly syncs across all your devices.

Add notes to recipes

Save your recipe notes directly inside the app.

Share with friends

Share your shopping list with your better half or a recipe with a friend.

Create a meal plan

Easily plan your week of meals and create a shopping list.

Shop with Apple Watch

Our Apple Watch integration means that you can sync your shopping list and then leave your iPhone at home. Tick off items directly from your wrist

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by Bill
February 3, 2019

Are Quest Protein Bars Good For You?

Supplements
Are Quest Protein Bars Good For You?

Protein bars are all the rage among people that want to be healthy. Individuals that frequent the gym often go on and on about their favorite protein bars, and one of the most popular companies in the world when it comes to this product is Quest. Quest’s protein bars are often considered the gold standard when it comes to this industry, but you might ask the question are Quest protein bars good for you? And by that, we mean actually good for you.

The fact of the matter is that not all protein bars are created equal. While some can be a part of a healthy diet, others are no better than chocolates or candy bars. They might taste good, and they might even be a decent source of protein, but overall they are not good for your health for a variety of reasons. They could potentially contain too much sugar, the proteins they contain could be useless for the body, or they could contain other ingredients that could cause unsuspecting harm to your body. Hence, to answer the question stated above, we must first try to understand the tenets of a good protein bar.

Quick Navigation
What Makes a Good Protein Bar?
Sugar Isn’t The First Ingredient
There’s No Hidden Sugar
They Have At Least Ten Grams of Protein
The Protein is High Quality
They Have Less Than 400 Calories
The Final Question: Are Quest Protein Bars Good For You?

What Makes a Good Protein Bar?

Sugar Isn’t The First Ingredient

Let’s face it, a lot of the products we consume would be useless without sugar. Sugar is an intrinsic part of our diet, and there is no way to change that. However, just because sugar is important does not mean that it needs to be the first ingredient that is listed on the packaging. This is usually a sign that the product is loaded with sugar because the ingredients are listed in order of how much has been used, so avoid protein bars that have sugar listed as the first ingredient.

There’s No Hidden Sugar

If the first ingredient isn’t sugar but is instead something like corn or maple syrup, turbinado or dextrose, dump the bar right away. These are just different ways of saying sugar, so if your bar has something like this listed as the top ingredient, it indicates two things. Firstly, the bar is not nutritionally sound, and secondly, the manufacturers of the bar are using rather sketchy methods to hide the true face of their product.

They Have At Least Ten Grams of Protein

The primary reason anyone would eat a protein bar is to boost their protein intake. Hence, any bar worth its salt is going to have at least ten grams of protein in it. The first ingredient listed on the packaging should be a protein source of some sort. Whatever the source of protein is, the first thing you need to do is to check and make sure that there are at least ten grams of it in there. Then you can move on to the next step in ascertaining the quality of your bar.

The Protein is High Quality

You can’t just have any protein in your bar. Protein bars often have ingredients like xylitol and glycerine which are technically proteins but don’t have any actual nutritional value. One thing you should note is that these chemicals register as proteins if you analyze the bar, but since they don’t get digested as such in the body they are fillers that are put in to save costs. A company that adds ingredients like these is trying to make their products seem healthy but are not putting effort into creating healthful products for the health conscious consumer.

They Have Less Than 400 Calories

A protein bar is supposed to help you boost your protein intake, so they tend to be somewhat filling. That being said, the bars themselves are relatively small, so a ridiculously high-calorie count is unnecessary. It’s a sign that there are ingredients in the bars that are not exactly healthy. If the bar in question has more than 400 calories, it is no longer an adequate substitute to real foods that you could be eating instead such as eggs that provide lots of protein but contain very few calories. Protein bars are supposed to be convenient substitutes, but this should not come at the expense of your health.

The Final Question: Are Quest Protein Bars Good For You?

Now that you know the qualities of a good protein bar, you can compare Quest bars accordingly. Let’s start with protein content. A Quest bar contains 10 grams of protein that comes from real sources such as eggs and peas. This is a definite plus point. They don’t contain sugar, using xylitol instead as a source of sweetness. The protein filler is used for its flavor rather than a source of protein, although the fact that it is a sugar substitute (which aren’t exactly good for you) does not bode well for the bar. That being said, it does not negate the previous two plus points to a great extent.

Moving on to the other aspects of the bars, Quest bars are quite high in fat. They are almond based which is what raises the fat content. However, fat is not as bad you think it is. Indeed, a low sugar high fat bar can be pretty good for you, so this is something that works in this bars favor. Furthermore, they are pretty high in fiber and if there is one thing people need to do is keep their fiber intake up.

Hence, the answer to this question is pretty simple: yes! Quest bars are definitely good for you, better than most other protein bars. It is clear to see why they have a reputation as a gold standard in the world of protein bar. However, you should keep the sugar substitution in mind. Too much xylitol is not at all good for you, so make sure that you keep your consumption of Quest ​bars moderate otherwise the cons might end up outweighing the pros.

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by Bill
February 1, 2019

Are Eggs Allowed on Paleo Diet?

Paleo
Are Eggs Allowed on Paleo Diet?

As people start to get more aware of the impact that certain foods could potentially end up having on their bodies, one of the changes that is occurring is that they are becoming more cognizant of the various diet plans that they can follow to get the results that they desire. Most diets call for some overhaul of your entire system of eating, and the paleo diet is no different. For example, you might be wondering are eggs allowed on a paleo diet? To answer that question we must first try to understand what exactly a paleo diet is.

Quick Navigation
What is a Paleo Diet?
Why Are We Healthy Now?
Are Eggs Allowed on a Paleo Diet?

What is a Paleo Diet?

The term “paleo” comes from the term Paleolithic, which is a word that is used to describe a period in the history of humanity where we made a very important step: we started using tools. During this period we had started to advance as a species, and we were certainly intelligent enough to do so, but the fact of the matter is that we were still hunter-gatherers at the time which is a very important part of why the Paleolithic diet worked.

You see, the reason that we developed agriculture was not because it was better than the lifestyle we were leading at the time. Instead, it was because we wanted things to be a little easier and as technology started developing so too did our control over the world around us. We realized that we did not have to go out hunting anymore, we could grow the right kind of food in the ground beneath our feet.

Now, this was an enormous technological leap, and it certainly made the lives of the human beings alive at the time very different from what they used to be. However, one thing that a lot of people don’t know about is the fact that once we incorporated agriculture into our society, we started becoming malnourished! This surprises a lot of people because we often equate technology and advancement with progress, but this was not exactly the case when it came to the world of the Paleolithic civilizations that eventually ended up creating agriculture through various means of trial and error.

There is a very important reason why societies became less nourished than they used to be when we were still hunter-gatherers. You see, when you are a hunter-gatherer, you naturally end up eating a pretty diverse diet. If you find an animal, you hunt it and eat the meat, but sometimes you need to go foraging for fruits and vegetables when animals are not as plentiful as they were. This forced give and take is what helped make the original hunter-gatherer diet so diverse and healthful, and it is what helped Paleolithic humans be as fit and strong as they originally were.

When we started to form agriculture-based societies, we started having far less varied diets than we used to. The human beings that were alive at the time did not know that you needed a diverse diet to survive, and so they ended up eating more or less the same thing day in and day out. As a result of this fact, we ended up getting far fewer nutrients than we needed and for the longest time we ended up being less healthy than we used to be without even realizing it at that specific point in time.

A paleo diet is something that takes us back to our roots. The key to the diet is only eating something that a Paleolithic human being would have eaten. The cool thing about this diet is that there are fewer hard and fast rules that you have to follow. Instead, there are general guidelines that create a pool of food that you can draw from. The only caveat is that they need to be food that could have been either hunted or gathered, so anything that has been created through agriculture is a huge no-no for anyone that wants to follow their Paleolithic diet successfully.

Why Are We Healthy Now?

Before you follow any diet at all, you need to make sure that you exhaust any questions that could potentially be asked. After all, this is a diet that could potentially end up having quite a serious impact on your health, and you don’t want to end up suffering simply because you didn’t do your due diligence. One of the most important questions that we need to ask about the Paleolithic diet is that if we initially got less healthy because of agriculture, why is the modern human so much healthier than Paleolithic people?

Well, to start with, the impact of the new agricultural diet on our health was there, but it was often hard to notice because we did not have any medicine to speak of. Hence, infections and the like often ended up killing us. Indeed they were probably the primary reason why people died in the first place as well as being the primary reason why the average lifespan in those times was so short. However, if there were people that managed to avoid infections during their lifetime they usually lived to long ages before the advent of agriculture.

What this means is that we did not have the technology to gather the data necessary to see that our diets were less healthy than they used to be. Other things were killing us faster than our diets, so at the time this change did not seem all that serious, and because we could not see how our health had deteriorated, the advent of agriculture ended up becoming something that stuck around all the way to our modern era.

Modern humans have incredible medicine that can prevent some of the most dangerous diseases out there from having any impact on us. Infections are barely a threat at all, we all have the means to prevent infections from occurring in our own homes. Indeed, medicine has advanced so much that new diseases ended up preying on us and we handled them as well through vaccinations and numerous other advancements that allowed us to live as long as we do and be as healthy as we are in the present era of humanity.

We are also eating better. People were very malnourished before we started realizing that what we ate had an impact on our bodies and that only happened a century or two ago in truth. You probably have a pretty diverse diet and take multivitamins and the like so you are going to be reasonably healthy no matter what, but the fact of the matter is that you are not as healthy as you can be because the diet factor remains. We are now healthy and advanced enough to see that agriculture may have been a mistake from a dietary standpoint if nothing else.

Are Eggs Allowed on a Paleo Diet?

Now we finally come to the answer to our main question. The fact of the matter is that we have to understand the various aspects of the diet so that we know why the answer is what it is, and the information stated above is definitely enough to help you understand that the answer is not going to be as simple as a yes or no. The best that you can get is that you are allowed to eat eggs… sometimes.

There are a few rules because eggs are often farmed. The reason that these eggs aren’t good for you is because they are full of unnatural chemicals and hormones. That being said, free range eggs that are completely organic are going to be something that Paleolithic humans ate. They often found eggs and would eat them while searching for sustenance. This means that you can eat eggs too if you so wish, you need to make sure that they are the right kinds of eggs. Just like all of your meat and vegetables need to be as natural as they can be, your eggs are going to have to be the same as well.

This is indicative of how the diet is in general. People often think that the paleo diet is going to be extremely restrictive, but in truth, it is a lot more lenient than a lot of diets out there. Think of the diet as a list of guidelines rather than a list of food, guidelines that are going to let you eat most of what you already do. You will have to work a bit harder to find alternatives to the easily available products so you can go for the truly healthful food instead.

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by Bill
January 22, 2019

Are Black Eyed Peas Paleo Friendly?

Paleo
Are Black Eyed Peas Paleo Friendly?

Lately, the Paleo trend has been on a roll. Countless people are flocking to this diet, attracted by the promise of high-calorie consumption and weight loss. While Paleo sounds simple, there is still plenty of confusion surrounding this diet. Most of this confusion revolves around food items that are hard to categorize. Black eyed peas are one such food item. We’re going to discuss are black eyed peas paleo friendly or not? This question can be answered with a simple no. However, to fully understand why black eyed peas are not paleo friendly, we should talk about them in greater detail.

If you’re new to the concept of paleo dieting, you might find this article of ours quite useful. We’ve talked about paleo dieting in great depth.

Black eyed peas have a rather misleading name. We call them peas, but they’re technically beans. Now, peas are considered to be paleo friendly, but beans are not. Peas and beans both come from the legume family. Certain differences between the two make the former acceptable and the latter unacceptable.

Many people feel confused about legumes being bad for you when they first start paleo. Vegans are always talking about how great legumes are. They’re loaded with proteins and all kinds of vitamins. While this is true, legumes carry loads of carbs as well along with anti-nutrients. Their high carbs content and anti-nutrients make them a big no in the paleo community. Most legumes have a higher amount of carbs than proteins. Paleo devotees argue that you don’t need to eat them since you can get proteins from more qualitative sources.

Quick Navigation
What Are Black Eyed Peas?
The Nature of Legumes
Carbs And Anti-Nutrients
Are Black Eyed Peas Paleo Friendly?

What Are Black Eyed Peas?

Black eyed peas are actually from the legume family. They aren’t classified as vegetables, and hence they aren’t peas. These beans have been around for a long time. They used to be popular food items amongst the Romans and Greeks. Black eyed peas have been farmed in China and the sub-continent for a very long time. They’re still commonly used in India and Pakistan.

The Nature of Legumes

Humans began eating legumes after they learned how to farm. Legumes cannot be practically consumed on hunting and gathering lifestyle. Legumes are quite rich in vitamins and minerals. They’re a moderate source of protein and are rich in carbohydrates. The biggest problem with legumes is the presence of anti-nutrients. These substances significantly mitigate their nutritional value.

It is widely accepted that legumes aren’t paleo friendly food items. However, there are certain legumes that people include in their paleo diets (such as Quinoa). Some people argue that by processing certain legumes, you can remove anti-nutrients that are present in them. Boiling legumes is another way of reducing the number of anti-nutrients they carry.

Since black-eyed peas are beans, they’re legumes, and hence they aren’t paleo friendly. People who are new to paleo diets often confuse legumes as peas and eat them. This is a rookie mistake that should be avoided. Legumes are bad for you in the short and long run.

Carbs And Anti-Nutrients

While carbohydrates are required in a paleo diet, they need to be consumed in moderation. This is because eating carbs makes you want to eat more carbs. Once you get stuck in this cycle, you’re going to find yourself craving all kinds of unhealthy foods. You should only eat as many carbs as your body can consume. Meaning that the amount of carbs that you consume depends on how much physical activity you do.

Legumes such as black eyed peas will fill you up with more carbs than proteins. This makes them a bad food item, especially if your lifestyle doesn’t include enough physical activity. One can argue that legumes are still a viable option for more active people. This argument can easily be countered by the fact that legumes aren’t practical in terms of nutrition. Why go for such a carb heavy food item when you have many alternatives available? Alternatives that provide you with the same or more amount of proteins and nutrients.

Their high carbohydrate levels aren’t the biggest problem with legumes. Legumes contain substances such as phytic acid and lectins that are classified as anti-nutrients. These substances are part of their defense against predators. Anti-nutrients interfere with the digestive system’s ability to breakdown food and absorb its nutrients. A presence of anti-nutrients in any food item means that the body won’t be able to breakdown that food item properly. This means that even though black eyed peas are loaded with nutrients and minerals, they won’t be of much use to you simply because your body cannot absorb all of these nutrients properly.

Another problem with legumes is that they often cause inflammation in the gut lining. Some people experience this inflammation more severely than others. Even if you don’t notice any symptoms of inflammation after eating legumes, you can bet your house that your gut lining is inflamed. Long term inflammation in the gut can cause serious health problems.

Now that we’ve talked a bit about legumes, let’s construct a more detailed answer to our question.

Are Black Eyed Peas Paleo Friendly?

No, they are not. Black eyed peas aren’t peas at all; they’re legumes. They carry a decent amount of anti-nutrients such as lectins and phytates. They’re also heavy on carbs and are bad to have in your diet. Certain people argue that the harmful effects of black eyed peas can be eliminated. This can be done by boiling the ​beans before using them. While this may be true, this process isn’t able to completely remove anti-nutrients.

Overall, black eyed peas do more harm than good. They offer a mediocre amount of protein and way more carbs than necessary. Their anti-nutrients are quite harmful to your digestive system. Instead of relying on black eyed peas, one can go for better sources of protein. There are numerous plant and animal products that qualify for a paleo diet. All of them can provide you with qualitative nutrition.

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by Bill
January 16, 2019

Is Refined Coconut Oil Good For You?

Diet & Nutrition
Is Refined Coconut Oil Good For You?

Coconut oil is the poster boy of healthy eating. It’s pretty much part of every healthy eating or cleansing diet out there. This oil is loaded with all kinds of great nutrients that make it great for eating and external application. If you’ve ever gone out to shop for coconut oil, you may have noticed that it comes in two types; refined and unrefined. Unrefined coconut oil is quite self-explanatory. However, refined coconut oil can be a bit confusing. ​People are often unsure about what exactly does refined mean and how does it affect the benefits of the oil.

People tend to think that refined translates to bad in the world of food. This perception is based on the fact that most refined foods are bad for your health. However, when it comes to coconut oil, things become a bit different. Refined coconut oil is simply extracted from the coconut differently. A process that doesn’t affect the composition of the oil. Neither does it introduce any harmful substances into the oil. In fact, according to many people, refined coconut oil is far more practical than its unrefined counterpart.

To understand refined coconut oil better, let’s compare how both versions of coconut oil are made.

Quick Navigation
Unrefined Coconut Oil
Refined Coconut Oil
The Difference Between The Two
Conclusion

Unrefined Coconut Oil

Unrefined coconut oil is derived through a process that is known as wet milling. In this process, fresh coconuts are placed in a centrifuge which spins them around. The oil that gets extracted through this method is packaged without any treatment. This produces oil with a strong coconut flavor and a higher nutrient count. Unrefined coconut oil is loaded with anti-oxidants and nutrients with anti-inflammatory benefits. However, it has a lower smoking point (350 degrees F) which makes it unsuitable for frying. Its dominating coconut flavor makes it impractical for use in cooking as well.

Also, unrefined coconut oil can be hard to stomach for some people. People with sensitive digestive systems have a hard time eating unrefined oil. This is due to its rich composition, a presence of microbes, and certain allergens as well.

Refined Coconut Oil

To get refined coconut oil, we “dry mill” coconuts. In this process, coconuts are baked, and then oil is extracted from them. Once the oil gets extracted, it is then sent through a clay-based filtration system to “bleach” it. The bleaching process doesn’t involve bombarding the oil with harmful chemicals. The clay-based filtration gets rid of pesky microbes, tiny insects, dust particles, and any other particulates that can be bad for ingestion. The purpose of bleaching the oil is to make it “milder”. We get a coconut oil with a milder taste that makes it practical for use in cooking. The oil also becomes easier to digest for the body since all the bad particulates have been removed. If you look at it from a scientific point of view, refined coconut oil is healthier than unrefined coconut oil in terms of hygiene. It’s been treated (without the use of chemicals) to make it safer for consumption.

The biggest downside of refined coconut oil is that it has a lesser nutritive value than its unrefined version. The process of removing harmful particulates and killing microbes also reduces the oil’s nutrients.

The Difference Between The Two

There isn’t a lot that sets the two types of coconut oils apart. Unrefined coconut oil has a higher nutritive value but also has a far stronger taste. This type of coconut oil is better suited for external application. You can reap its benefits by using it on your skin and hair. Also, if you’re having coconut oil for health purposes than unrefined coconut oil is recommended. It isn’t suitable for cooking and regular eating because of two reasons. Its low smoking point makes it hard to use. Also, its taste can be far too strong to incorporate it into your food.

Refined coconut oil has a lower nutritive value but is also “cleaner”. It’s suitable for use in day to day cooking since it has a higher smoking point. It also has a weaker taste which doesn’t become invasive in your meals. Being “clean” makes it easier to digest as well. Also, while refined oil has a lower nutritive value, it’s still far more beneficial than conventional oils. Coconut oil is a medium-chain fatty acid. This means that the body can break it down more easily.

​The answer to ​whether refined coconut oil is good for you or not ​depends on two things; your usage and how your body reacts to it.

As we mentioned above, unrefined coconut oil carries more useful nutrients. However, it also carries microbes, particulates, and allergens that don’t suit everyone. Some people experience stomach pains when they have coconut oil. If you’re someone who has experienced stomach pains after having coconut oil, then you should probably switch to its refined version. Alternatively, you can try to build up your tolerance towards unrefined coconut oil. This is done by ingesting coconut oil in smaller amounts. You start with one teaspoon a day and gradually increase the amount. This method may help your body get used to the oil.

Dermatological allergic reactions are rare when it comes to coconut oil. This is why we would advise that you stick to unrefined coconut oil for external application. Its stronger dosage of nutrients makes it more beneficial.

If you plan on using coconut oil regularly in your cooking then refined coconut oil is a better option. It has a longer shelf life, it’s easier to heat up, and has a less dominating taste. Another thing to keep in mind is your personal preference. If you’re 100% against processed stuff, then you’ll probably stay away from refined coconut oil. Other people simply cannot stand the strong taste/smell of unrefined coconut oil and hence stick to its refined version.

Conclusion

Refined coconut oil isn’t harmful. The process that it undergoes to become refined doesn’t involve any harmful chemicals. The oil is simply filtered and extracted from baked coconuts. This is done to get rid of microbes and potentially allergy-inducing substances. Refined coconut oil has a milder taste and lasts longer than its unrefined counterpart. However, it has a lower nutritive value a well.

Refined coconut oil isn’t bad for you at all. However, it isn’t better than its unrefined counterpart either. Both types of coconut oils have their pros and cons that make them great for certain uses. To sum it up; refined coconut oil is better for consumption and unrefined coconut oil is better for external application.

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by Bill
January 14, 2019

Is Quinoa Paleo Friendly?

Paleo
Is Quinoa Paleo Friendly?

The paleo diet has taken the fitness and health world by storm. It’s a miracle diet plan that has you lose fat without having to sacrifice any calories. What’s more, a paleo diet lets you nom on all kinds of delicious foods. More and more people are becoming paleo fanatics and for a good reason. People who are new to the diet often have a hard time figuring out what to eat and what not to eat. Quinoa is a perfect example of a disputed food item. Is quinoa paleo friendly or not is a hot topic in the paleo world nowadays. Some people believe that it is perfectly paleo friendly while others feel like it doesn’t meet the set standards of the paleo diet. Today, we’re going to go through the facts and figure out whether Quinoa is okay for a paleo diet or should it be avoided.

Well, the answer to this question isn’t a simple yes or no. If we look at Quinoa from a scientific point of view, then things become even more confusing. This is because Quinoa falls somewhere in between seeds and grains. Before we delve deeper into the conflicted nature of Quinoa, let’s talk a bit more about the paleo diet itself.

Quick Navigation
The Paleo Diet
The Nature of Quinoa
So, Is ​Quinoa Paleo Friendly?
Conclusion

The Paleo Diet

This diet is incredibly simple in theory. All you have to do it stick to food items that our ancestors used to eat before they learned how to farm. We humans used to be hunter-gatherers before we learned how to farm. The paleo diet reasons that once we began farming, we started producing food items that nature hadn’t intended for us to eat. Hence, these food items aren’t the best source of nourishment for our bodies. This means that a variety of food items, including grains, must be avoided.

The list of things that the paleo diet deems acceptable for our bodies includes meat, nuts, seeds, and more. We’ve talked about the paleo diet in great detail in a previous article. You can go through it if you want more information about going paleo. Our point of talking about the paleo diet here is to discuss exactly why certain food items are to be avoided. Namely, grains; a vital ingredient that is part of various regions’ staple diet. While grains our nourishing, they also consist of various anti-nutrients. Anti-nutrients are substances that are bad for our immune system and our digestive system in the long run. Anti-nutrients that are commonly found in grains include:

  • Lectins
  • Gluten
  • Saponins

These are the kind of substances that we should avoid consuming. Grains are also avoided due to their high carb content.

The Nature of Quinoa

Quinoa is essentially a seed that comes from the goosefoot plant. It is officially classified as a seed. There are a variety of seeds that are allowed in a paleo diet because they’re a rich source of nutrients. However, it is also classified as a pseudocereal. Meaning that it’s a food item that lies in the grey area that exists between seeds and grains. This is where all the confusion regarding Quinoa comes from.

Some people say that since it’s a seed, then it’s a paleo friendly food item. Others argue that it is also classified as a grain, which makes it unsuitable for paleo diets.

The reason why Quinoa is thought to be a grain is that it does contain some harmful anti-nutrients. ​Quinoa is gluten free, in fact, Quinoa is loaded with protein and essential amino acids. However, it contains harmful anti-nutrients and has a very high number of carbs. Quinoa also includes Saponins, which are mostly present in its out husk.

So, Is ​Quinoa Paleo Friendly?

After taking a detailed look at Quinoa, we can surmise that Quinoa is and isn’t paleo friendly. It’s a superb source of protein and other nutrients that are required in a paleo diet. However, it also has properties that make it anti-paleo. Namely, this pseudocereal contains anti-nutrients and loads of carbs.

Some people argue that processing Quinoa and turning it into flour can negate its bad properties. Processing Quinoa will get rid of its outer husk, the part that contains most of the anti-nutrients. While this is a plausible way of eating Quinoa, it isn’t a well-rounded solution. Processed Quinoa is a huge source of carbs. This makes it a bad ingredient for regular intake. Unless you have a very active lifestyle and require loads of carbs, another problem with processed Quinoa is its availability. Good quality, properly processed Quinoa is hard to come by.

Quinoa can be counted as a paleo food item, provided that it is prepared correctly. If you can’t find any processed Quinoa, then you should thoroughly clean it before use. Leave the seeds to soak in some water for a few hours. Then rinse them in water to get rid of their outer husk. This will significantly reduce the amount of bad substances present.

Quinoa is a food item that is popular amongst people who are new to the paleo diet. It acts as a handy transitioning ingredient for when you’re preparing to leave grains behind completely. Once you’ve become used to a proper paleo diet, then it is advised to leave Quinoa behind as well. This is because there are a ton of other food items that you can replace Quinoa with.

Conclusion

Quinoa is a very nutritive pseudocereal. It is loaded with protein and is a complete source of essential amino acids such as phytic acid. However, it also contains plenty of carbohydrates and certain anti-nutrients. This handful of grain-like properties present in Quinoa make it a disputed ingredient amongst paleo dieters. One can have Quinoa in their paleo diet if it is properly prepped. However, Quinoa shouldn’t be thought of as an irreplaceable food item. You can find many food items with the same benefits. The biggest attraction of eating Quinoa is that it can be used to substitute grains. People who have a hard time saying goodbye to grains can use Quinoa as a transitioning food item.

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