New to Primal ... Rate My Diet? page

[Tim1459]

Hello, I'm new to primal living, and not very knowledgeable about nutrition in general at all.

I have a few questions, maybe you guys can help.

I have been eating primal for a couple weeks (easing into it) and have been tracking my eating with my fitness pal.

1st Question is: Are the microwaveable 'steamers' bags good or bad? Pictsweet, Birdseye, etc...

2nd Question is: Am I getting enough nutrition?

My Diet yesterday was...
Lunch... 3oz Grilled Chicken Breast Strips & Steamed Broccoli, Cauliflower & Carrots
Dinner... 3oz Grilled Chicken Breast Strips & Steamed Broccoli
Snacks... 2cups Strawberries, 2cups Carrots, 1 Orange, 2cups Cucumber, and 1/4 cup Walnuts

Myfitnesspal says: 13g FAT, 86g CARBS, 59g PROTEIN

Low on Cholesterol, Sodium, Calcium, and Iron
High on Fiber, Sugar, Vitamin A and C

Any suggestions on what to adjust, or is this fine, or do I need suppliments, any help is appreciated.

Of course I don't eat these exact same things each day, but I do in general. I'll eat an apple instead of orange, etc...

Thank you in advance
Tim

[sbhikes]

It appears you are trying to do this like any other low fat diet. You will fail.

First of all, read the ingredients on these steamers things. Are there any ingredients other than vegetables? If so, then you should just buy plain vegetables and learn how to steam them yourself.

Second, why are you avoiding fat like the plague? You need to read the getting started stuff in Mark's blog.
Newbies Start Here: Primer to the Primal Blueprint Lifestyle | Mark's Daily Apple Health and Fitness Forum page
Primal Blueprint 101 | Mark's Daily Apple

[tstein13]

I'm not sure what your activity level is, but it sounds like you are starving yourself. If you are only eating 700 calories a day, I will assume you are trying to lose weight.

I would first up my calorie intake. Add in other types of meats and more of them. Wild Caught Fish, Grass-Fed Beef, etc. According to what you have written, you have little to no omega-3 intake. If you can't handle fish, look into taking some fish oil to balance out your omega 3 / 6 ratio. Being low in iron isn't good either. Again, more meat.

Also, in general, you need more fat. Although I haven't checked the official ratios in a little while, my diet is about 50 - 60% fat. There isn't necessarily an optimal range, that would be based on your individual needs/goals. I do know that fat will keep you fuller for a longer period of time.

Also, although I wouldn't buy them myself, I don't think there is anything necessarily wrong with frozen vegetables as long as there is nothing added to the bag (sodium, chemical creamy sauce, etc.). I prefer to buy fresh produce.

Look into getting the Primal Blueprint as this information is all laid out. A little over a year ago, I was clueless myself. Hanging out on this site and reading that book changed my life for the better.

Hope that helps.

[SophieScreams]

Where's the fat? You must be very hungry. You probably won't be able to sustain this for very long.
Here's a typical day for me:

Meal 1: 2 eggs cooked in butter, 2-4 strips of bacon, 1/4 avocado
Meal 2: "big ass salad", however much I want with EVOO or avocado oil, RW vinegar,
leftover primal chili, strawberries
Snacks if I need them: cold leftover chicken, shrimp, some nuts, maybe some other berries or an apple.
I have no idea what the macros on this is, I'm just satisfied and looking mighty fit these days eating this way.

I was unsuccessful on paleo, the Dr. Cordain way, in the past, simply because I was clinging to the CW fat phobia.

[Tim1459]

Thanks for the responses.

I have the book, I read it fast, I'm going to re-read it, more than once I'm sure.

I'm reading through the forums also. Thanks for the links.

The microwave steamer (the ones I eat) bags have nothing added, and I do intend to learn to steam fresh produce eventually.

Is steaming vegies ok? Does it kill the nutrients?

Also, i can't handle fish, so I need to look into suppliments.

Thanks again for the advise, and if anyone has anything to add, please feel free.

Any help is appreciated.

[SophieScreams]

I steam frozen veg all the time. Then I add grassfed butter or an acceptable oil. Not aware of anything wrong with it, especially if you're on a budget or have time restraints.

[touchdowntodd]

what are your goals?

my first bit of advice would be feed yourself enough that snacks arent necessary (except rare occasions) .. when you get to that point you will also find yourself skipping meals, and finding the zone!!

[KimInGA]

I think steaming is supposed to be one of the best cooking options, as far as keeping vitamins and such intact. It's really easy if you buy one of those steamer thingies that look like a metal colander. Amazon has them. But I totally get using the steam-in-a-bag, at least at first ... I did until I got more into the swing of cooking everything from scratch. It helps me a lot to plan the week out in advance, and make dinners that will yield leftovers I can take to work for lunch. I also second the other poster on taking salads for lunch ... I loooove a big ol' salad with garlic/basil infused EVOO, shaved parm and crumbled walnuts on it. Just dump it all together and then shake it up at lunchtime - - easy, good for you, and tasty!

[climbergirl]

I use a lot of steam-in-bag veggies, or just frozen ones in general because they're inexpensive and last for a while without going bad (which is useful when you're just cooking for yourself). Really helpful when making omelets - everything is already cut up!

In general, it looks like you need more fat in your diet; don't be afraid of it! It seems counter-intuitive, but our bodies need it. That, and it just tastes good

[jakey]

steaming veggies is not a problem. the diet you present in the original post is a problem - you will fail at a diet like this. the carbs in most vegetables that aren't starchy are really not going to fuel you, despite the fact that they appear on your calorie tracker. the fruit will provide some carbohydrate, but not nearly enough to fuel you.

so you're running a very low carb diet without fat, and frankly, without much protein. this is essentially a crash diet, and not a recipe for success. you need either fat or carb.