How to Eat Paleo When You Love Italian Food
Are Paleo and Italian exclusive types of diets? Cindy Barbieri, the blogger behind Cindy’s Table, and the author of the new cookbook Paleo Italian Cooking, doesn’t think so.
Kara Rota
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How to Eat Paleo When You Love Italian Food
The concept of Paleo Italian cooking was immediately intriguing to me, because in paleo diets, refined grains are a no-no. When I think Italian, I think pasta. Cindy’s here to tell me why Paleo Italian makes sense, and also to share her top kitchen tips and tricks.
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Except for the pasta and bread, much of traditional Italian food is paleo.
Eggs, meat, fish, and vegetables are the building blocks of Cindy’s cuisine. Authentic and hearty Italian food can come together with seafood, chicken, or vegetarian ingredients that provide substance like eggplant and squash. Condiment-type ingredients like anchovies and capers bring tons of flavor.
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Spaghetti squash and spiralized zucchini are ideal substitutes for pasta.
Their starchy texture and heartiness are perfect for sauces loaded with vegetables.
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Keep your pantry stocked (and when items are on sale, stock up!).
When meats are on sale, buy in bulk and take the time to divide into portions and then freeze portions for a later meal.
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Pick one day to plan out your meals, shop, and prepare for the week.
A little planning and efficiency goes a long way. Doing prep work in advance saves you lots of time and keeps you from rushing to get meals on the table. Chop up onions, peppers, and other vegetables and store them in containers so they’ll be all ready to go for making meals during the week.
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Clean as you cook!
You can keep the stress out of cooking by managing your space and dish use in the kitchen as you cook.
Listen to the Clever Cokstr podcast to learn more about Paleo Italian cooking, and how Cindy solves the dessert question!
You can also check out bonus recipes from Paleo Italian Cooking: Acorn Squash Stuffed with Italian Chicken Loaf and Spaghetti Squash Puttanesca.
About the Author
Kara Rota headed children’s programming at Chicago’s Green City Market and studied food politics at Sarah Lawrence College. Kara has been a featured speaker at numerous venues including Food Book Fair, the Roger Smith Food Conference, and the Brooklyn Food Conference. She has written about food for Irish America Magazine, West Side Rag, Recipe Relay, and Food + Tech Connect, and is the former Director of Editorial & Partnerships at Cookstr.com.