Easy Paleo Lunches

3 of my Favorite Healthy & Affordable Paleo Lunches

I always try to bring my own lunch to work because I am less likely to eat something non paleo. In the mornings, I don't have time to cook an actual lunch while getting my toddler fed and ready for school, getting myself ready for work and putting together my morning protein drink for breakfast on the go. What I do instead is cook my proteins (chicken, steak and pork) on the weekend, or if I am making dinner with say chicken, I'll make a little extra, so I have some meat on hand ready to throw in a salad or eat alone.

The Protein Pack:

I love this combination of hummus and chicken...

3 ounces of cooked chicken or 1 hard boiled egg
3 tablespoons of hummus
1 handful of carrot sticks
2 ounces of blueberries

Easy Salad:

Always a classic combo for me.

3 ounces of cooked steak, or meat of choice
3 large leaves of romaine or kale chopped
1/4 cup of red onion, chopped
1/2 avocado, diced
6 black olives, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar

Onion Salad:

These caramelized onions are to die for... You get the sweetness with a noodle like texture that is just so satisfying! You'll want to cook the onions the night before and have them on hand in the morning.

2 cups of caramelized onions (post on this soon)
3 ounces of protein of choice (chicken, steak or pork)
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Left overs!

Shrimp + Avocado Salad

This salad is perfect on a warm Summer day (or a Spring day here in Arizona). It is light and delicate, while being creamy and flavorful, without mayo. Plus it's healthy and easy to make. It is basically all chopping and not much cooking, in fact none if you buy previously cooked shrimp!

First, let's talk about the main ingredient:

Shrimp

Shrimp is an excellent source of selenium and vitamin B12. It is a very good source of protein, phosphorus, choline, and copper. In addition, it is a good source of niacin, zinc, vitamin E, vitamin B6, omega-3 fatty acids, pantothenic acid, and vitamin A.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs shrimp, cooked & tails removed
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 avocados, pits removed & diced into 1/2 inch squares
• 2 cups of jicama, diced into 1/2 inch squares
• 1 1/2 cups of radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
• 1 cup of cilantro, chopped
• 3 tablespoons of lime juice
• 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

First season the cooked shrimp with paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Toss remaining ingredients together in a bowl. Be careful not to mash the avocado! Season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Serves 4 - 6

Prep Time: 10min

Total Time: 12min

Dual Recipes: Orange Tequila Carnitas + Avocado Cabbage Slaw

TWO recipes in this one and wow, are they good! These two dished complement each other like no other. The moist, slightly tangy carnitas with the crunchy cabbage and creamy avocado is just amazing AND we get to use the slow cooker which just makes life that much better.

Orange Tequila Carnitas

Paleo, Primal + Perfect

Serves 6

This Orange Tequila Carnitas recipe was adapted from the Frugal Paleo (one of my favorite cookbooks) recipe, Tequila Lime Carnitas. I loved the idea of using the tequila in the sauce, which I had never done before, but I wanted to use oranges because we have about 10 orange trees in our front and back yard, so we are constantly looking for ways to include them in recipes. This one was a definite success...

Ingredients

• 3 lbs pork shoulder
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
• 2 cups orange juice
• 1/2 cup tequila
• 2 cups chicken stock
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cut the pork shoulder into five even pieces and coat with chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper, plus salt.
2. Brown pork pieces on all sides in a heated skillet on medium with oil of your choice.
3. Place pork in crockpot, add orange juice, tequila and chicken stock and cook on low for 5 hours.

Avocado Cabbage Slaw

Raw, Vegan, Vegetarian, AIP friendly, Paleo, Primal + Perfect

Serves 6

I came up with this RAW Avocado Cabbage Slaw simply because we had a head of purple cabbage and cauliflower that needed to be used up. I whipped this one up using key ingredient Mexican flavors like cilantro and green onion, and it turned out to be the perfect compliment to the carnitas. The thinly sliced/chopped cauliflower adds a nice texture and actually looks like crumbled Mexican cheese, cotija, which was just a bonus. Plus it is just so easy

Ingredients

• 6 avocados, pit, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 heads of cabbage, thinly sliced or shredded
• 1 head of cauliflower, thinly slice or coarsely chopped
• 7 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
• 2 tablespoons of lime juice
• 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Prep all ingredients and place in to a bowl. Mix well but do not mash the avocado. Season with salt and pepper to your liking