Pantry list

(I'm editing this post because I've changed how I eat since I wrote it. Edits will appear in fuchsia.)

I love to cook but don't always find the time to spend creating something fabulous and complex for my meals. I also find that when I'm really hungry, I make poor choices once I get to the kitchen. I'm also not a meal planner. So I keep meals as uncomplicated as possible and make sure my pantry, refrigerator and freezer are full of choices that support how I want to eat.

Other issues I struggle with are a sensitivity to soy (which is used in an incredible amount of processed foods), type 2 diabetes and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). The last two make losing weight a real chore for me, mostly due to insulin resistance and greatly increased carbohydrate sensitivity. It's why going Paleo was so necessary for me.

Because I have very little willpower when I'm hungry, angry, stressed, etc., only one processed snack food is allowed in my kitchen. Vivani Organic Dark Chocolate with Lemon. I keep it in a pantry section in my laundry room, so I don't see it all the time.

Protein sources

• Wild-caught seafood - I try to eat seafood three to five times a week. Sometimes I have more. I keep the sources wild-caught because I don't trust the food sources of farmed fish. It's also been shown that the toxin levels in farmed fish is much higher than that of wild-caught fish. I try to buy fresh seafood when in season, but I do have a stock of canned wild-caught Alaskan salmon, trout, tuna and Portuguese sardines. I have to be careful to choose canned fish not processed with soybean oil. Brands I like include Vital Choice, Angelo Parodi and Crown Prince.
• Free-range poultry - I have sensitivity issues with a lot of poultry on the market, even the organic ones. Despite what scientists have told me, I've found that I need to stick to poultry not fed grain that includes soy. I get my eggs from a local CSA that doesn't feed their chickens soy, and through a process of elimination, I've found some chicken and turkey that I can live with. Trader Joe's caries their store brand of cage-free egg whites that work for me. I've just purchased a Cuisinart Electric Rotisserie so I can roast chicken at home. (After just two uses, the rotisserie stopped working! I can't recommend it.)
• Grass-fed or wild red meat - I love beef, bison, venison, lamb and goat. (Not really a pork fan.) But my choices are limited to grass-fed meat. It's easier to find ground grass-fed meat these days, but other cuts tend to be pricier and harder to source. I can get organic grass-fed ground beef or bison at Safeway. I can find other cuts of red meat at Trader Joe's and Wholefoods (about an hour from my house). I don't usually eat sausage or sandwich meat since it's normally got preservatives, excess salt and I don't know what the meat sources are. However, sometimes I get a serious hot dog craving, and I feed that with either the Trader Joe's Uncured Beef Hot Dogs, or, more recently, the Applegate Farms Uncured Beef Hot Dogs. I've not had a soy reaction to either brand. I recently discovered Steve's Original grass-fed PaleoStix and grass-fed beef jerkey., Entirely soy and carb free! And really tasty too!

Carbohydrate sources

• Seasonal organic fruit - Since I'm really watching my carb intake, I don't drink fruit juices. Too much sugar! But I will eat fruit that's in season, and only in small portions. Not doing dried or frozen fruit either, no jams and jellies. I'm fortunate to live in California and it's easier to find seasonal organic fruit here than in practically any other place. I will eat an avocado a day during the season. Because of how much the sugar in fruit affects me, I pair it with coconut cream. This slows the digestion down and my blood sugar won't spike as much.
• Seasonal organic vegetables - Same applies to the vegetables available to me. I get a lot from my local CSA, a few from the local supermarket and local farmer's markets. I love a good variety, but my current staples are spinach, kale and other greens. I stick to non-starchy veggies. No potatoes or corn. I no longer eat beets and sweet potatoes, but when I have a big carb craving for them, I try to find alternatives that will suffice. Like mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes, and shredded zucchini patties instead of potato latke.
• I don't eat grains any more. Most of my "sandwiches" I eat "protein-style" or wrapped in leaf lettuce. I do a lot of lettuce wraps.
• I don't eat added sugar. I usually don't have more than 15g of sugars on a daily basis.

Fat sources

• I'm not afraid of eating fats. The right fats are essential. I don't limit my fats if I'm eating the good ones.
• Avocados are a big deal for me.
• I use olive oil, but no other vegetable oils. I forgot! I also love to use unrefined coconut oil.
• I use ghee and, more recently, rendered duck fat. Yum!
• I make my own mayonnaise and Hollandaise.
• My pantry has a lot of fresh, raw nuts for me to snack on: almond, pecan, walnut

Un-Paleo stock

I'm not religious about the Paleolithic diet. There are exceptions. Like canned tomatoes. Gotta have them on hand, but I get the sodium-free organic ones. I keep boxed broths in the pantry, organic and soy-free. I use heavy cream in my coffee everyday. I eat cheese, but no more than an ounce or two a day, and I try to find the stuff from grass-fed sources.
By the way, I have a well-stocked wine closet and liquor cabinet. I drink a glass of something no more than once a week. But I've been known to have a bit more on occasion. That usually leads to poor food choices! Which is why I don't go out much.