I was at the gym yesterday when a fellow weightlifter and I got to talking about diet (for lack of a better word) and nutrition. He listened intently, interested in the philosophical foundation upon which the Primal eating plan is based. At the end of the conversation he had the same response I get from many people new to the Primal Blueprint. It started off with “I could never…” and ended with admiration in my ability to be so diligent about what I put in my body. It seems that most people get hung up on a couple things they think (and maybe they’re right) they could never “give up”. For some people it’s tortilla chips or ice cream. For others it’s fast food or pizza.
This reaction bothers me for a number of reasons. First off, I never feel short-changed, cheated or deprived, and I think most people on the PB feel the same way. The overwhelming variety of fresh and clean vegetables, fruits, meats and fats as mother nature intended satisfy me to my heart’s (and belly’s) content. Yes, there is a life after bland bread, tasteless grains and processed junk food. As I’ve said before: Once you go Primal, you’ll never go back.
Secondly, people use the “I could never…” statement as a reason to not try at all. Because they think they could never do one part of the program they don’t give the rest of it a chance. They neglect to realize that it isn’t an all or nothing proposition. For one, we have Sensible Vices and understand that even the most indulgent foods in moderation won’t completely derail your health and wellness. For two, sometimes there are alternatives that provide the same satisfaction without any compromises whatsoever. Case in point this extremely timely email I received from our faithful reader, commenter and friend, Son of Grok. (By the way – Check out Son of Grok’s story about going Primal here.)
Now I don’t mean to come down too hard on my workout buddy, because I completely understand the knee-jerk reaction. But it is such a common response I thought I’d do a little venting. Do you have similar experiences with people you’ve told about the Primal Blueprint? I’d love to hear your stories and the ways in which you’ve handled them. And for all those people that respond with “I could never… give up pizza,” here is your Primal response: Son of Grok’s Primal Pizza Recipe.
I have to admit that I have been selfishly hoarding many of my recipes with the idea that if I start a blog myself, I will have some material. This recipe that my wife and I created last night was just too good to pass up though!
One major weakness for me that I crave and miss since going Primal is pizza. I just love that warm cheesy goodness. Anyways, want to know what we ate last night?
I can sense you cringing from here, but wait! I assure you that you will 100% approve of this pizza as Primal! Let me assure you as well… this one is delicious!
The recipe:
As you can see, this makes a large pizza. Feeds about 4 so plan accordingly! This recipe is high in dairy but for pizza, I will make the exception!
Ingredients: Crust:
2 Cups Almond Meal/Flour
2 Eggs
2 Tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tsp salt
Sauce:
1 Can Tomato Paste
1-2 Cups Water (To desired thickness)
1 Tsp Dried Oregano
1 Tsp Garlic
Toppings:
Whatever you want!
We used fresh shredded swiss and mozzarella, chicken, bacon and onion!
Instructions: Crust:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. This should give you a ball of “dough”. If your dough is too “mushy” (like mine was), continue to add almond flour until you get a good consistency.
3. Make a pizza sheet or baking tray non-stick. This is VERY important if you want your pizza slices to come off in one piece.
4. Press your dough on the sheet nice and even about 1/4 inch in the middle and 1/2 inch at the edges.
5. Put crust in the oven for 15 minutes. It should look slightly golden brown when you take it out.
Sauce:
1. In a saucepan, combine all ingredients. Use water to desired thickness. We like ours pretty thick. Feel free to add more spice if you want it, too.
2. Simmer on stove for approximately 15 minutes.
Toppings:
You will want to pre-cook any meat going on your pizza. Veggies can go on fresh and raw, or cooked depending on your preference. Your favorite cheese will do, but I recommend the 50/50 mix of mozzarella and swiss that we used. It melted perfectly and tasted great!
Put it all together:
1. After crust comes out of the oven, spread sauce evenly over crust.
2. Add your cheese and toppings evenly on top of sauce.
3. Put back in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15 more minutes. Cheese should be evenly melted.
4. Slice and enjoy!
Mark Sisson is the founder of Mark’s Daily Apple, godfather to the Primal food and lifestyle movement, and the New York Times bestselling author of The Keto Reset Diet. His latest book is Keto for Life, where he discusses how he combines the keto diet with a Primal lifestyle for optimal health and longevity. Mark is the author of numerous other books as well, including The Primal Blueprint, which was credited with turbocharging the growth of the primal/paleo movement back in 2009. After spending three decades researching and educating folks on why food is the key component to achieving and maintaining optimal wellness, Mark launched Primal Kitchen, a real-food company that creates Primal/paleo, keto, and Whole30-friendly kitchen staples.