What should I add to my shopping list? page

[thaijinx]

I currently shop for (and eat) the following... I think it's pretty clean, and on track. But, can anyone see any gaping holes, or problems in my diet/shopping list, that I should be aware of... Possible missing nutrients? Things that aren't paleo? I pretty much stick to eating the same thing day in-day out.

(Per Week):

Meat:
steak, beef tetakai, bacon, pork/lamb/chicken, pork/chicken bones (for broth)

Fish:
deep sea perch, shrimp, canned tuna

Vegetables:
pumpkin (for soup), cabbage, 1 potato, spinach, seaweed, shitake mushrooms, 2 onions, spring onions. (occasionally): cos lettuce, 3 tomatoes, fresh basil

Misc:
6 eggs
butter
cheddar cheese
coconut oil
olive oil
1 avocado
garlic
limes
fresh ginger
natural salt
herbs/spices

Home-made RAW energy balls (snack): dates, almonds, walnuts, pecans, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, dessicated coconut, coco powder

Green juices: (1 per day) Carrot, cucumber, celery leaves, spinach, kale, bok choi, pak choi, morning glory, parsley

Fruit: Papaya, (occasionally): banana

[Paleobird]

Within your protein category try to stick with mostly ruminants and wild caught seafood. Nothing wrong with variety, I'm just talking about what to emphasize.
Also, easy on the seeds, nuts, and fructose.

You only eat 6 eggs a week? I have that many for breakfast some days. Eggs are cheap and great for you.

Overall, it looks like you are doing really well.

[Dr. Bork Bork]

You're only getting 6 eggs? We go through nearly 3 dozen a week.

are you shopping for family or just yourself?

tuna fish & eggs are gonna be your "primal top ramen"

[thaijinx]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm trying really hard to stick to it this time (my last attempt failed cause I felt so woosy and lightheaded and nauseous all the time, so I slipped back into carbs again). This time, I'm more focused... so am trying again.

(I'm trying to take more salt int this time to combat the effects of the carb-flu - the sick, light-headed, fatigued feelings that send me off track last time).

Can I just clarify...

"ruminants and wild caught seafood"

- OK, that's more beef and less chicken, more fresh fish and less tinned, right?
- How about pork? I LOVE pork and it's easy to get here, all fatty and tasty.

"seeds, nuts, and fructose"

- By fructose do you mean the fruit?
- I thought papaya and bananas were more startchy, and so 'better' than the sweet fruits which is why I've been including them.
- I know it's best to eliminate these foods, but these are my 'compromise' when it comes to 'snacking'... (Yeah, I know, still a ways to go on this one but I don't overdo it, and I will eventually be able to give them up).

Just me, Dr. Bork Bork, my partner refuses to join me, and enjoys his beer and chocolate and pasta. (He is skinny, and never sick, so doesn't believe it's necessary). Each to their own I say... the only difficulty being that everything I cook is usually just for me - which makes it harder. He won't eat any of my soups or broths, hates salad. Yeah, it's pretty difficult.

I will try and eat more eggs instead of nuts, seeds and fruit snacks. Thanks for the tip.

[Paleobird]

Ruminants are all grazers that chew their cud, cows, bison, deer, sheep (and lamb, Nom), goat, etc. so not just limited to beef. You want to go for the oilier fish like canned or fresh salmon, sardines, mackerel, etc. Chicken is OK if you can get the really good free range kind but even then it doesn't give you the optimal Omega 6:3 ratio. Pork and chicken are OK once in a while, just don't make them the main focus.

The seeds and nuts also screw up this ratio. And yes, by fructose I mean the fruit. If you are feeling the need for some starchy calories and are not trying to lose weight, go for some sweet potatoes or yams. Better yet, mash them up and mix them with some eggs and make pancakes.

For the most coherent and readable explanation of the whole Omega 6:3 thing and why it matters, I recommend Dr. Kurt Harris' Archevore site.

[TigerLily]

I was gonna say more salmon, sardines, mackerel, berries ... but I look up and see you're in Thailand, and I guess if you can even get such things they probably cost a fortune. Eat local, eat seasonal.

[thaijinx]

Thanks for the clarification. I will have a look at what else I can get. Bison, deer, sheep, lamb, and goat are not easily available here. Pork, chicken, and water-buffalo are the most common. I can get beef imported, but the others... I'm not so sure about.

Of course, I'm spoiled with the amount of fish on offer, and in comparison it's cheap. So I will have to look more at fish and shellfish options for variety.

TigerLily, are frozen berries OK? Because, again, it's not something I can get here... but I can check the frozen food section. I'm sure there will be a couple of options. Do you have any favorites? or recommendations?

Thanks.

[zoebird]

i whole heartedly agree with "eat local, eat seasonal."

i moved to NZ, and while i ate very well in the US, i wasn't eating seasonally and not as local as I would have liked.

since moving here, i have to eat seasonal, because if i don't, i can't afford the food! eating seasonally has been *amazing* for us! we get HUGE diversity this way, and we are trying all kinds of "new to us" foods.

in addition, we are exploring a lot more fish and moving into seafood, as well as moving into offal as well as muscle meats. This is largely because it is less expensive -- there's one game-butchering company that cannot sell the venison livers, but will GIVE it to you if you ask. Nice, right? Free liver. We also get a fair bit of free bones for broth. a relationship with your locals is key!

it's great, truly. keep it simple, keep it local, keep it diverse!

[thaijinx]

Ah, that sounds wonderful zoebird. And, part of me longs to be able to revisit NZ, with it's clean air and green environment. And, you can be pretty sure that what you're eating is grass-fed too.

What I worry about, in increasing my meat intake, is summed up in this link:

My Beef with Beef | Mark's Daily Apple

Thailand, is not known for it's food or safety standards... and just a few weeks ago a huge ring was busted of local markets buying meat, unfit for human consumption, and repackaging it and selling it on to unsuspecting customers.

I can get NZ beef, but of course, I have to pay for it!

[Paleobird]

I've had cape buffalo but not water buffalo but they are probably pretty similar. That's a great ruminant.
Nothing better than fresh locally caught seafood.
And, yes, eating locally and in season is the best way to go.