
So you’ve ditched the bags of chips and boxes of crackers and cookies. You’ve found creative uses for all the junk food that used to make up your regular diet. And you’ve Primalized your pantry, stocking up on all the Primal essentials. With nary a can of Cheese Whiz or a bag of Funyuns in sight, what’s a Primal guy or gal to do when a snack attack strikes? I get this question fairly often, and my answer is usually pretty straightforward. But this one from Melanie got me thinking about it again.
I’ve given up chips and crackers and pretzels and granola and all the other high-carb, processed snacks I use to eat between meals. I’ve been Primal for about 6 weeks now and though I’m finding that I rarely have a craving for snack food (I’m hardly ever hungry!) it would still be nice to have a list of Primal approved snacks that require little to no preparation. Thanks for all that you do!
Melanie
That “little to no preparation” bit caught my attention. What are the snack staples for Primal eaters that are just “grab and go”? Here is my attempt at a list followed by a few easy snack recipes. I’d love to hear from you in the comment boards with anything I’ve missed, or anything you’ve struck upon that works for you.
Seeds and Nuts (Walnuts, almonds, pistachios, etc. Macadamias are my favorite.)
Almond Butter (You can make your own.)
Hardboiled Eggs (How to peel.)
Jerky (You can make your own.)
Canned Salmon and Tuna
Sardines
Smoked Salmon
Cold Shrimp
Cold, Sliced Meat
Pork Rinds (I’m not a big fan, but I know some Primal folks love ’em.)
Avocado/Guacamole
Half of a Coconut (and other Coconut Products)
Fresh and Dried Fruit (Berries are a good choice.)
Veggies (jicama, celery, cucumbers, peppers, cherry tomatoes, etc.)
Pickles
Salsa
Dried Seaweed
For all dairy eaters out there:
High-quality Cheese (Cottage cheese seems to be a fave in the Primal community.)
Full-fat Yogurt
Leftovers (Cold bacon, chicken drumstick, steak and just about anything else from the night before.)
Sweet and Salty Primal Trail Mix
Zucchini Chips with Spicy Salsa
Pemmican (Let me add that pemmican is an acquired taste.)
More recipes that might fit the bill.
You can print this list and attach it to your fridge for reference by clicking the printer icon below.
I’m sure I’ve omitted some obvious Primal snacks here. Tell me what this list is missing in the comment board. If you can’t think of anything to add, what is your preferred, go-to Primal snack? Thanks for reading and Grok on!
If you'd like to add an avatar to all of your comments click here!
Leave a Reply
107 Comments on "Primal Blueprint Snack List"
I’m a homemade jerky guy myself. Always satisfies my cravings!
Susan, on your site you have mentioned a study where subjects eating meat weighed more than non-meat eaters. What kind of weight was it, fat or muscle?
What was the body fat % of meat eaters vs non-meat eaters?
You seem to be advocating that a diet low in animal products, care to back it up with some research?
Susan with all due respect to your comment, “do you really thing Grok was able to catch a meal 3 times every single day?” is invalid. One kill (bull, antelope, deer, ect.) is enough meat to feed a man for a year. It was a very poor analogy.
I have not tried to make pemmican but I do make duck confit which is preservation by a similar method and cooked duck legs immersed in solidified fat last a very long time in the fridge.
Crispy duck legs are delicious too.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Duck-Confit-102313
The problem I find with commercial “Greek” yogurt is that most of it is fat-free. You get all the carbs, and none of the good milk fat, and they market it like it’s a good thing! Instead, I get a good quality, preferably local, yogurt, and wrap it in cheesecloth, and hang it from a jelly strainer. The whey drips out (and is good for other uses,) and the remaining yogurt is thick and tasty.
Don’t know if it’s primal for sure, but I like to eat pepperoni (pre-sliced)!
Depends on the quality!
one of my fav quotes…
“peperoni= meat candy”
I need to buy myself some quality peperoni!
I like to make pepperoni chips. I lay them out in concentric circle on about 3 layers of paper towel on a plate. Then cover with one paper towel. I microwave mine on high for about 2 min 13 seconds. You’ll have to play with the time for your specific microwave. They cook up nice and crispy, like chips, YUM!
Yeah, I don’t get hungry either. Kind of annoying when at one point I had set a goal of 2000 calories a day, just to prove I could eat 2000 calories a day and still drop the weight. But I’m not gonna stuff myself either. That’s bad enough on non-Primal, high-carb foods but you can make yourself pretty sick doing it with protein and fat. >_<
Hey!?!!
Where are the peanuts & cashews??? (are they not good for you? strange, peanuts have a mysterious ingredient that makes you live forever!)
Love jerky, cheese, and sliced roast beef and corned beef.
Usually ~1 AM, on a day where I had only 1 meal – or “randomly” fasted.
I can’t eat more than 1 1/2 meals a day. Specially in the summer – metabolism is too high.
Pop ‘peanuts and cashews’ into the search box above and you’ll discover they aren’t nuts, but legumes and why they don’t appear on the list!
I’m finding two meals a day enough during the summer too.
Ahhh, cashews aren’t legumes.
They are seed and, I believe, belong on this list.
I have heard that they actually are legumes. I have no idea but am curious myself. I just googled it and still have no answer. One page said it was a fruit! Grrrr
Mark,
Are cashews nuts or legumes. Or, how about, are they primal?
Cashews are in the Sumac Family like Mangoes, and Pistachios, and a spice used in the Za’atar blend (a lemon peppery type flavor made from Rhus coriaria. Technically Almonds are like eating a relative of a Peach pit fortunately not bitter almonds. Real Nuts are all in a some what realated family of Walnuts, Pecans, Hicory, Butternuts, some what closely related to Hazel Nuts and Beechnuts and more remotely related to acorns and No relationship to Pinenuts from Conifers, and Tiger nuts from Sedges and Macadamia nuts member of the Protea family. Aden
Cashews aren’t legumes. I’ve seen what the fruits look like, sort of like a pear, and the cashews are sort of clustered on top of them. Odd tree, apparently indigenous to Southeast Asia. But not a true nut, either, and kind of carby, for those trying to cut back on that sort of thing.
I’m with Mark… macadamias rock.
Peanuts are actually considered legumes, so they’re not really Primal-approved.
I absolutely love pork rinds.
It’s so easy to make it yourself and butchers sell pork skin for pennies.
I’m always hungry.
I thought bacon was meat candy… 🙂
Mmm… bacon…
This is a great list, thanks for it, Mark!!!
Diane @ Balanced Bites
that’s funny that you mention bacon…that is one of my on-the-go snacks. i cook up a batch of bacon and chop it into bits for salads at the beginning of the week. it sits in my fridge and i always forget to put it on my salads, so i can just grab a handful whenever i want
If you do dairy, try just dipping raw almonds in butter (don’t be stingy either). My almonds were unroasted and unsalted, so I used Kerrygold salted butter, but if the nuts had been roasted I would probably have preferred unsalted. Either way, it usually only takes 6-10 pieces to satisfy the munchies – with no damage!
That sounds amazing!
I do that with steak. Melt a combination of butter and coconut oil in a little bowl, slice the steak thin (it’s usually cooked medium-rare), and dip the pieces in the butter mixture before eating them. Salted butter works better for that than unsalted. You could theoretically add herbs or spices to flavor it, if you wanted, but I haven’t bothered yet.
I’m addicted to cashews. I’m hoping it’s one of those neolithinc foods like butter that’s actually good for you. But given this description, I’m not hopeful…
http://www.evilmadscientist.com/article.php/cashew
count me as a 2 meal person! brunch & linner 😀
The snack I like (this week) is coconut oil bark. I got the idea here somewhere… Just melt coconut oil & add cocoa powder, toasted coconut, chopped toasted almonds, chopped dried cherries, what ever you want. Cool mixture for a bit then spread on a sheet of aluminum foil & chill or freeze. The CO is filling & satisfying & the cocoa takes care of those “bad stuff” cravings!
@JCB – your almonds & butter sounds yummy! I’m gonna give that a go.
It was born of pure desperation – stuck at work and the almonds by themselves JUST WEREN’T DOIN’ IT! I was in danger of eating w-a-a-a-y too many when I thought of the butter in my lunch bag. Yeah, yummy kinda sums it up.
Glad you like ’em, but dude those things make me yack! NAsty! I’ll eat a bag of normal pork rinds in one sitting if I’m hungry but cracklings…. Ewwwww
Who says that hunger has to be satisfied with “snack” foods. Grab some of the leftovers from your fridge and eat your dinner/lunch early.
BTW – I love teh coconut bark concept – I’m going to try that!
I like to make impromptu sushi when suddenly hungry: some cream cheese and salmon, rolled up quick. 🙂
Mark,
Bacon is a snack right? I love that stuff! Also I just ordered and received some YouBars that I created. Pretty good but a little spendy with shipping. Larabars are also good alternative. I just have to stop snacking on nuts so much.
David
PS I just bought some pork rinds for the first time. It gives you that crunchy snack without the carbs.
Are we allowed to eat Larabars?
I misread that completely! I thought it said Labradors. LOL! Its too early for my brain to function. Although Grok might have considered Labrador to be a perfectly acceptable protein source 🙂
Great List! As a constantly on the go-person, I often don’t have time to eat even 2 huge meals per day so this will go in the proverbial “back pocket” for sure.
Personally, I got off snacks a while back. When I was a 6-meals-a-day guy, I would crash hard if I missed a meal. Now I just pig out once or twice a day, it much more low-maintenance, and I avoid the crashes.
That being said, for day trips and times it looks I might be going a bit too long without food, my favorite snacks to take along include sardines, nuts, jerky, and fruit.
Anybody have any good primal/paleo morning coffee ideas? i’m trying to kick the diet dew, but can’t drink hot coffee in the summer. it’s hot enough where i live without having to add to it. however, i still need my morning caffeine fix…played with some iced coffee ideas…but can’t find anything that would fit into the primal category
Try iced coffee… add some heavy whipping cream and a little stevia and you’re set. Its delish!
Seconded the iced coffee. I like cold coffee better than hot coffee anyway.
Also, do a Google search for cold-brewed coffee makers. I’ve got one and I swear by it. The usual little bit of bitterness you get in hot-brewed coffee just isn’t there.
Hey Chops,
If you really enjoy your coffee, like I do, just make enough for a couple days, and put it in the fridge. I drink it black straight from the fridge, but I’ve also used coconut milk if you’re not into the amazing taste of black coffee 🙂 Just make sure it’s good coffee, and grind it yourself, it makes a big difference in the taste and smoothness. Good luck kicking the Dew, it’ll kill you!
YES ! Arabica coffee is grown all over the world at altitudes high enough to reduce insect attack to the plants therefore lowering the production of the toxin caffeine. I mix arabica coffee with some dandelion root and just steep as usual. Oh my !
Kick the Dew, CHOPS! 🙂
i know! it’s the last leg of my journey…i’ve cut way back!
I currently use anything from the following list for my between-meal snacks:
1) water
Since I went low-carb (10 years now!), I rarely get hungry between meals, and I don’t have any problem disregarding my “snack pangs”. I occasionally forget to eat a meal (that NEVER happened when I was trying to follow the low-fat fad from Quacks Ornish & McDougal!).
Awesome! Thanks for the list.
RE: Paleo cookies
What do you line the cookie sheet with, parchment paper?
yes parchment paper.
Thats a ton of honey!
Exactly! There’s a million flaws that make this study much less generalizable than the average study.
It would be unfortunate if a newbie came to Mark’s well-researched blog and found a post blending the primal blueprint with scientific hokum about limiting meat. Now, potentially legitimate concerns about meat, such as dioxins, or that weirdo molecule (Neu5Gc?) are things that may warrant some discussion. Also, I don’t know anything about these things, is there a post about them?
I don’t fuss about “toxins” in meat. We gain such tremendous health benefits from eating it, especially if we eat organ meats as well occasionally and our intake is high-fat… I believe that’s going to go a long way to offsetting any risk from toxins. If you’re eating in a way that optimizes your immune system and isn’t giving you fatty liver then you’ll be more than up to the task of dealing with anything that wouldn’t immediately sicken or kill you.
dr. eades just mentioned minger’s study the other day and adds his own insights:
http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/cancer/the-china-study-vs-the-china-study/
I often make coconut chips, but a bit differently….I toast them in the oven with some coconut oil (so the spices stick), ground vanilla beans (you can find them at health food stores) and cinnamon. It’s the best snack EVER.
what temp and what timing in the oven?
Some canned vegetables also make great snacks if you don’t have access to refrigeration. I can definitely eat artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, and asparagus straight out of the can with no seasoning added.
I won’t eat anything out of cans. One: they taste nasty, ‘specially when you’re used to fresh or frozen. Two: there are a host of dangers in the linings that they use in those cans.
So eat out of jars. It’s still canned.
Best Daily Apple Ever! I want to run home and make all of these to keep around for us when we get “the munchies”!
Awesome list Mark!! We love your site and sometimes reference you on ours. This was a list of snacks we came up with a little while back when we held a Paleo challenge…
http://www.sweetcheekshq.com/2010/06/snack-attack.html
Please check us out!
I always remember not to eat cashews,something about them,oils or carbs?anyhow i always remember the cash word just so i avoid them.it was something i read about.i like walnuts.Regular peanuts also were on the avoid list.I eat boiled eggs with a pinch of sea salt and walnuts as a lunch.Im trying to eat low GI foods.I admit to eating pork skins once in awhile,i like them with vinegar.
In a crunch, Larabars work well.
YES. I love these. I get them as treats for my daughter occasionally. Too high-sugar for me at the moment but wow, less than ten ingredients and you can read them all, and even guess where they come from.
….I snack on the blood of my enemies!
jk
but seriously….
I must admit, I rarely get hungry between meals anymore. My meals (which are relatively small) seem to satisfy me completely, so snacking just never happens. These are great ideas for packaging for road trips or bringing to parties where primal foods may not be provided. Great list!
When I feel a need to snack i just drink a cup o’ joe w/ organic stevia as long I’m not tired and in need of a nap.
I’m very surprised about how much a handful of raw nuts will fill me up. I’ve gotta watch it at times, b/c I think I’m addicted to them.
You can’t get more primal than crunch’n on some nuts and/or ripp’n some fresj meat off a bone…yeah i’m craving ribs right now.
I stumbled on this article, thanks to Tim Ferris – more meat = smarter people! Yay!!
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1FH5xZ/www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128849908/r:f
Homemade Meatballs
Snack consists of ~5 meatballs popped in the microwave for 3mins.
Requires prep but I make large quantities so that I can freeze the majority.
1 part beef
1 part pork
spice as desired (I like mine spicy)
Roll into balls and place in a roasting pan (lot of fat comes out).
Bake for 30-40 mins at 375°F
I always keep a pouch of tuna in my purse. However, as PPs have said, you can’t go wrong with bacon and eggs!
Not sure if you guys can get it in the States (can’t find them in Thailand where I currently live), but Salted Herring with some unions can’t be beat as a snack!
Full of omega 3’s, protein as well as some creatine.
Makes me want to go back to Holland..
One of my favorite things since I’ve gone primal is banana in cream with almond extract or use almond milk. Add a little cinnamon and its better than ice cream!
You need to be careful with the fish oil, Mark. You take too much.
Whale blubber is what the Inuits mainly eat, not processed fish oil pills. There could be oxidative damage done by all that fish oil.
Whale blubber has vitamin A, C and selenium plus a lot of other things working in synergy. You need to eat this if you want to do what the Inuits do. Taking fish oil is not accurately imitating them.
Look into Brian Peskin and what he has to say.
Secret pleasure: smoked oysters from a can. Is that bad?
If anyone is interested in more information on The china study look at
http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/cancer/the-china-study-vs-the-china-study/#more-4213
Greek yogurt
Mix in Chia seeds and blueberries
Top with honey
My favorite snack!
In Malaysia, anchovies provide a steady source of calcium in the diet. The anchovies are sold dried (and salted). The common preparation is to wash, and fry till golden in oil. My mom always kept a jar of these ready to eat in the pantry. Hard to stop snacking on these when I get started. I also found that instead of frying, the anchovies can be microwaved to obtain an equally addictive, crunchy snack.
I didn’t see this in the above comments, Chicken skin, broiled to crispy perfection, with a little salt and garlic powder! I wish somebody would package that idea!
Hello, Chris,
All of your questions have been addressed on the blog, in my book and in the recently released How to Forage in the Modern World (part of the Primal Leap Kit).
1) Some meat is better than no meat. If you can’t get clean meat trim the fat and supplement with healthy fat. And yes, I stress organic/grass-fed.
2) https://www.marksdailyapple.com/did-grok-really-eat-that-much-meat/
3) https://www.marksdailyapple.com/metabolic-typing/
4) https://www.marksdailyapple.com/athlete-training-advice/
https://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-athlete-compromises/
https://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-endurance-training/
https://www.marksdailyapple.com/jonas-colting/
Grok on!
Thanks so much Mark, I’ll knuckle down to some reading. My apologies for making you repeat yourself!