Primal (and low-FODMAP) on a budget: Hash

Oh, you guys.

Back in March I had this infection, see. I will spare you the details but it wasn't anything too bad; however, I am allergic to all the stuff that doctors usually prescribe for this particular thing so I ended up on Cipro. I was scared half to death because heavy-duty antibiotics usually do a real number on my guts, but I am here to tell you, my guts have never been happier than during the 10 days I was taking that stuff. I've always had digestive issues, let's call them, and this stuff FIXED THEM. Just like that. Until I finished my prescription.

At first I was thinking, okay, well, it was the drugs. The drugs fixed me and now I'm broken again because I'm not taking them anymore. Then I was thinking, okay, well, I was not eating any dairy whatsoever while I was taking those drugs because you aren't supposed to, and I know I have trouble with dairy already, so I'll go off the dairy again! And IT FIXED ME. For a couple of weeks. And then I was broken again. I started taking probiotics and drinking kombucha and eating raw fermented sauerkraut and if anything the problem got WORSE. Um, what?!

This led to me frantically Googling things like "PALEO DID NOT FIX MY GUTS OMG WTF WHY IS THIS HAPPENING" which led me to FODMAPs and holy cow, about 80% of my diet at the time was made up of vast quantities of things on the Do Not Eat list (fructans and polyols especially). So yeah. Maybe there is something to this FODMAP thing? I dunno, but I am going to try cutting WAY back on those foods for a bit and see how I do.

And that is my roundabout way of tell you that hash is good, hash is cheap, hash is super customizable to whatever foods you happen to be eating and/or tolerating at any given moment. Hash is really just bits of stuff all cooked together, I mean really, it could not be easier to make.

For the version in that photo up there I just chopped up a couple of slices of bacon and cooked them in a skillet until crispy, then added cubed red-skinned potatoes (if you don't eat potatoes, just leave them out -- my reasoning is that they're a whole food and therefore not verboten in my version of primal/paleo but my blood sugar is fine and I'm not trying to lose weight so you do whatever), cubed zucchini and diced red bell peppers. Then I tossed in some shredded, cooked chicken and a handful of chopped fresh herbs, stuck a lid on the pan, turned the heat down to medium and let it cook, stirring frequently, until the veggies were tender. Season with salt and pepper and Bob's your uncle.

This makes a very filling, satisfying dish. You can throw in whatever meat and veggies you like (I would LOVE to have added onion but it's a FODMAP no-no) and you can get by with small quantities of more expensive ingredients (like decent quality meat) while bulking it out with cheap stuff (like in-season veggies). And you can make a crapload of it and eat it all week for lunch! Yeah!

So yeah. Hash is good. FODMAPs are delicious bad. Apparently. I'll let you know what happens.

How much meat?

When I first heard about the primal/paleo diet, I thought it was all about meat. Meat, meat, meat. All meat, all the time. But I discovered pretty quickly after adopting this way of eating that I really don't eat much, if any, more meat now than I did before. What I do eat more of are vegetables and nuts! Weird, huh?

I should clarify that I was already eating meat almost every day. My body can't metabolize non-heme iron, which I found out years ago when I adopted an ovo-lacto vegetarian diet, so I don't have much choice there. (If you've ever had iron deficiency anemia, then you know it's not only double-plus-unfun but also can lead to serious cardiac issues if left untreated.) And fortunately, I like meat. So if the paleo/primal diet really WAS all about meat ... I'd probably be okay with that. Except for the expense -- the primal lifestyle puts an emphasis on organic, grass-fed/pastured animal products (including eggs and dairy), and I put a further personal emphasis on sustainably/humanely raised meat and other animal products, and that stuff is not cheap, yo.

But things just haven't worked out that way. Instead of substituting meat for all the grains and legumes I'm not eating, I've gravitated toward vegetables and nuts instead. Here's what I eat on a typical day vs. what I used to eat (keep in mind I'm not claiming to be a paragon of healthy/clean eating here in either case, I'm just being honest about what I do and did tend to eat on any given day):

Primal Breakfast: Greek yogurt with honey, fresh berries or sliced bananas and walnuts; OR onions, mushrooms and spinach sauteed in butter with either a poached egg, some chicken sausage, or a scoop of full-fat ricotta cheese on top; OR a cup of homemade chicken stock. (I know that last one is kind of weird, but seriously, sometimes that's all I want. I've never been able to eat a huge breakfast.)

Non-Primal Breakfast (from before): that same Greek yogurt configuration but with granola instead of walnuts; OR half a whole-wheat bagel with strawberry cream cheese; OR eggs with toast; OR pancakes or waffles on the weekend.

Primal Lunch: a big salad with mixed baby greens and herbs, about 1/4 cup of some sort of meat (sardines, sliced leftover steak or burger, shredded chicken breast, whatever), shredded carrots, an avocado, some nuts and/or seeds (I'm partial to walnuts, pine nuts and pumpkin seeds), and homemade honey mustard dressing (Dijon mustard, honey, raw apple cider vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil -- so good!); OR my primal not-ramen; OR leftovers from dinner the night before (see below); OR for an occasional treat, portabella pizza.

Non-Primal Lunch (from before): some microwaved Lean Cuisine or Smart Ones chicken and pasta thing; OR a tuna salad sandwich; OR a BLT; OR a burger and fries or cheese enchiladas with rice and beans if I was eating out.

Primal Dinner: this varies a lot, but typically there's one meat item, one or two hot veggie items, and salad. So let's say ... grilled venison sausage, steamed broccoli, homemade sweet potato fries and a salad. I do still make the occasional grain thing for husband P and the kids. If I make stir-fry, I'll put in extra veggies and have mine with salad instead of rice. If I make tacos or fajitas, I'll use a romaine leaf for my wrap/shell. If I make burgers, I'll have mine with no bun and make kale chips to go with it.

Non-Primal Dinner (from before): Er, same thing except only ONE veggie -- either a hot veggie or salad -- plus something starchy like rice, bread or pasta (tortillas, hamburger buns, etc.).

Primal Snacks: almonds, macadamia nuts, fresh fruit (especially berries), beef jerky, pork rinds, carrot sticks or these primal crackers with this primal hummus (my new addiction), the occasional grain-free cookie made with coconut or almond flour, dark chocolate.

Non-Primal Snacks (from before): pretzels, popcorn, chips (tortilla and/or potato), peanut M&Ms, "fun"-sized candy bars.

Okay, so I guess snacks is one area where I've tended to eat more meat than before, substituting beef jerky and pork rinds for pretzels and chips. But apart from that, my meat intake is pretty similar to what it was before on any given day. My veggies/fruits have increased by rather a lot, though! I sort of cringe to think of how few I was eating before!