The Paleo Guide to Eating Meat

This Paleo Guide to Eating Meat teaches the history & importance of this nutritious and bioavailable protein source, as well as how to procure them in a sustainable and humane fashion.

Anthropologists have been able to discern from the shape of ancient teeth that humans are omnivorous; that is: we eat both plants and animals. Though plant-based food options back in the “caveman day” were not quite what they are now. Our current bountiful fruit and vegetable supply is largely a product of successful plant breeding and improvement by modern mankind over the centuries.

The greater part of nutrition in Paleolithic times was supplied from meat sources. A human can thrive far longer on a pound of meat than they can on a pound of berries, cavewoman or not.

A ‘hunter-gatherer’ diet involves eating meat. The Paleo diet is focused on bioavailable proteins which are derived from consuming meat. This meat should not be processed in a chemical fashion. (Goodbye, nitrate-cicle hot dogs!) Instead, garnishing and enhancing the flavor of raw meats with herbs and spices while you cook them is a great way to add seasoning to your meats.

A strict Paleo diet would exclude deli meats and bacon which have been processed with sodium nitrate or unnatural preservatives. Thankfully, nowadays there are many Paleo options and recipes (like this homemade bacon recipe from the blog) for uncured meats that have been processed with real food ingredients such as cherry or celery powder instead of processed sludge. (I’m looking at you, SPAM.)

Meat Sourced from Ruminants (+ Some Digestive Science)

A basic tenet of the paleo diet is that grazing animals should serve as the foundation of the diet. The ideal type of animals are grass-fed, pastured ruminants. Ruminants obtain their nutrients from plant-based foods through the process of fermenting during digestion.

Ruminants possess a specialized stomach which enables them to ferment plant-based foods with the help of several bacterial actions as a primary step in digestion. This process enables the animal to break down low-quality vegetable matter which would be otherwise almost indigestible.

Apex predators (including humans) need the nutrients that these plants contain, but don’t have the digestive system to achieve this. We rely on “lower-order” animals to convert these nutrients into nourishing protein that we can utilize. Pretty nifty, huh?

Ruminants such as lamb, cattle, goat, and deer are very good sources of red meat!

When you have a choice, choose grass-fed animals instead of feedlot-raised (aka CAFO) animals. Feedlot animals get much of their nutrition from grain…and that grain is usually GMO and filled with pesticides. Anytime we are consuming more grains – directly or indirectly – we are moving further away from the Paleo ideal.

Although location and budget may be a limiting factor, whenever possible try to source your meat from as close to the farm as possible. Meat from free-ranging, naturally grazing animals is always a better option!

It may sound corny, but it is a fact that animals raised in a more natural ‘happier’ environment, that are slaughtered humanely, will be more tender, tasty and definitely more nutritious. Anyone who has raised and killed their own meat can tell you that the meat from an animal killed in a stressful environment will be less tender. This is due to the release of adrenalin which adversely affects the muscles and toughens the meat. Plus, we want to be kind to our food, always, right?

White Meat

While red meat (not Impossible or Beyond faux minces – yeck!) forms the major part of a Paleo diet, as it did in Paleolithic times, there are plenty of other options as well!

All types of fowl, fish, pork, and shellfish are excellent sources of protein, just as they would have been long ago. If these can be obtained from a humanely processed, free-range, or wild-caught environment, so much the better.

The Paleo Guide to Eating Meat: Quality

Meat consumption is a keystone of the Paleo diet. The high percentage of meat in this lifestyle diet means that quality is extremely important. To achieve those Optimus-Prime health benefits we seek, sticking to Paleo ideals is vital.

A most important Paleo principle is that meat should be clean. This means it is free of unnatural chemicals, and the animals are raised as wild-like or naturally as possible. The ‘garbage in, garbage out’ principle definitely applies here! High consumption of processed meats will not provide expected vitality gains; it will actually reduce vitality due to toxin ingestion and retention. Yikes!

Meat is an excellent and natural source of nutrients such as iron, vitamin D, calcium, and protein. These nutrients are indispensable for optimal health and fitness and are easily ingested and assimilated by the human digestive system.

Quality: From Paddock to Plate

Very few people have the option to raise and butcher their own animals. (This is definitely a wish/goal of ours but it would take a lot of training and preparation!) Commercially available meat varies in quality, as does any commodity. Supply chains are highly regulated in an effort to protect both food safety, eating quality, annnnnd some old rich people’s pocketbooks (cough cough). This means that every available cut of meat is not going to conform to Paleo ideals.

Countries and states have different rules regarding what is permissible in both raising and slaughter for animals for human consumption. To source meat that is most likely to be of a standard to be most appropriate to be included in a Paleo diet, try to buy meat from certified organic sources.

Failing that, at least try to ensure that the meat is from grass-fed animals that have not been fed growth hormone stimulants (Hi there, rBst.) or antibiotics. Some butcher buying groups certify this even if they do not meet organic certification requirements, and their buyers are instructed to not buy from non-compliant producers. Empowered community for the win!

The health problems to consumers of eating meat from animals that have been fed growth hormones or antibiotics is well known. Well-meaning licensing authorities have sought to suppress the use of these additives by either banning products or applying withholding periods, whereby an animal cannot be sold for human consumption if it has been recently treated with a product such as an antibiotic.

Eliminate Conventionally-Processed Meats

Sodium nitrates and nitrites are used for curing and preserving deli meats, hotdogs and other processed meats. These chemicals are also used for maintaining flavor and color while extending the shelf life of processed meats.

Increased consumption of processed meats has been linked to several health problems which include heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and bladder cancer. Once this processed meat is grilled its chemical contents such as nitrites and nitrates will turn into potentially carcinogenic nitrosamines.

If you choose to consume hot dogs, bacon, and deli meats, ensure that the ingredients listed are Paleo-approved, ie: celery powder, cherry powder, salt, and maybe some herbs and spices.

Sustainability and Nutrient Maximization: Nose to Tail

Be sure to eat your offal, too, and not just muscle meats! It’s uber Paleo to go forth with your protein consumption in a “waste not, want not” mentality. It may be odd or make you feel squeamish at first to introduce organ meats into your diet, but the nutrients in these Paleolithic-prized parts are second to none and will nourish your body like no other!

Some common options include:

• Skin
• Tongue
• Liver
• Heart
• Kidneys

Get creative with how your organ meats are Paleo-prepared! Try sneaking a little mashed liver into your homemade sausage with biscuits, a bit of cooked tongue into your roast beef stew, or kidneys into your shepherd’s pie or breakfast casserole.

Try different animals’ organs (sheep, chicken, goat, pig, cow, seafood) to see if you prefer one over the other. Before you know it you will start craving these nutrient powerhouse gems and you’ll enjoy incorporating them into your routine regularly.

Taste vs Nutrition

Consumers who have become conditioned (a polite word for…addicted, perhaps?) to the mildly flavored grain-fed meats may initially consider some fresh meat cuts to be a bit intense in flavor. This is simply a matter of what one has become used to, and that situation can quickly be remedied by simply exposing oneself to richer flavors on a daily basis.

Undertaking a healthy diet rich in bioavailable nutrients (Oh, hey again, Paleo!) is all about feeding the body what it needs to properly work and play. Paleo dieters are advised to eat only whole foods, and avoid processed foods that are packed with extreme flavors and hard-to-pronounce ingredients that can have serious health consequences, including what’s on the back of the package of that mystery meat.

Get tons of delicious and nutrient-dense recipe ideas in my 6 Paleo cookbooks!

The Paleo Guide to Eating Meat: State of Mind

Protein is a vital part of the human diet. Meat is the most natural and beneficial way to consume this protein. Meat should be eaten not with a sense of guilt, but a feeling of gratitude, honor, and connection to our ancestors’ guidance.

Have you noticed a shift in your health since going Paleo? I’d love to hear, leave me a comment below!