Paleo Side Dishes
These are the best Paleo side dishes from my blog. You know, I think my favorite part of all of my meals is the side dishes.
I love my main dishes too but the side dishes are what make my meal more interesting and tastier in my opinion. I really do love vegetables and fruits and bread and so on.
I mean who can live without their fries, salads, fruits, and veggies? I sure can't! My favorite side dish is roasted vegetables of any kind.
I love roasted crookneck squash the most I think. But I also love green beans, broccoli, and asparagus roasted. I roast my potatoes into fries. It's the only way I like fries now. Fries from fast food places don't even interest me anymore.
What are some reader's favorite Paleo side dishes?
- Sweet potato fries! I do olive oil with paprika, salt, and garlic powder
- Aubergine/eggplant
- Zucchini or yellow squash slow-cooked in butter, sprinkled with tarragon; put cauliflower in a food processor and pulse till it's small pieces. slowly cook in a little bit of oil, salt & pepper till soft
- Roasted Roma tomatoes mixed with spiralized zucchini: heat the tomatoes first, turn off heat and add zucchini, let sit for 5-10 minutes then eat
- Brussels sprouts with bacon
- Roasted Veggies - Carrots, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts, Beets...any combo. Toss in avocado oil, salt, and pepper then put in a shallow roasting pan at 375 for about 45 minutes. About every 15 minutes retoss.
- Sautéed diced mushrooms with diced spinach in olive oil, sprinkled sesame seeds to be mixed in ~ This cooks quickly even on low heat, and veggies can be washed and placed in a ziplock bag for easy dicing.
- Roasted butternut squash, try delicata squash, it is delicious and you can eat the peel.
- Roasted turnips are amazing. I boil them a bit and finish cooking in ghee
- Crumbled garlic mushrooms
- Mashed sweet potatoes
- Baked sweet potatoes
- Sauteed squash and apples, and bacon
- Pan fry fresh zucchini and garlic in a tablespoon of bacon grease
- Oven-roasted butternut squash with garlic and favorite spices
- Coleslaw - 2 cups is about 6-7 grams of carbs. Mayo, celery seed and cider vinegar.
- Broccoli soup - Steam broccoli then add to a blender with butter or ghee, bone broth, herbs/spices, a little apple cider vinegar, and water (add until you get the consistency you want)
- Toss veggies with olive oil, garlic powder, and pink salt
- Chop up fruits and veggies and put them in a huge salad
- Sweet potato and celery root 'fries'
- Lemon asparagus with salt and pepper
- Turmeric fried bok choy
- Steam broccoli and toss with sesame oil and sesame seeds
- Green bean or asparagus, steamed to crunchy then tossed with ghee, garlic, salt, pepper, and lemon zest
- Fresh or frozen spinach in a pan with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, bacon bits pine nuts.
T ips to Eat More Veggies
I have a few questions for you: How many veggies are you eating per day? Do you have to think about it? How about I ask you this: What vegetables did you eat YESTERDAY? Do you completely skip over the produce section at the grocery store?
If your answers include: "None, I don’t remember, or Yes" then you are like MOST Americans according to data published by the NPD Group (a market research firm). Most Americans are not getting enough fruits and vegetables in their daily diet.
I’m sure it’s not on purpose that we as Americans are missing out on our veggies. I really believe it is mostly because we are:
A) Out of the habit
B) Never were in the habit, or
C) Because we just don’t know what to do with them
And I know, some of us simply just don't like veggies. Well, maybe the information I’m about to share with you will help you learn to like them. I’m going to encourage us all to get IN THE HABIT of shopping on the produce aisle and GETTING THOSE veggies IN OUR CARTS and ultimately, IN OUR MOUTHS!
Fruits & vegetables are LOADED with vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants which can protect against things like cancer and heart disease! We should also try to get a variety of color and kinds of veggies. Each has different benefits including the following...
Spinach has a handful of vitamins and minerals and also contains phytochemicals that can boost your immune system. It may also help aid in preventing certain kinds of cancers.
Carrots, Orange-Pigmented
You always hear “eat your greens” but do not discount your oranges! Carrots are a great source of fiber, aid in weight maintenance, and lower blood cholesterol!
In fact, the orange pigment is due to beta-carotene which is an antioxidant found in other foods like PUMPKIN, SWEET POTATOES, BUTTERNUT SQUASH, PAPAYA, AND CANTALOUPE.
Once the beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A in the body, it helps to maintain healthy eyes (yes, your mom was right when she told you to eat your carrots for good eyes!), immune system, healthy skin and protect against certain cancers.
Broccoli, Kale, Collards, Cabbage, Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower, Turnips
These veggies are all in the same family and are rich in phytochemicals, known to have antioxidant properties as well! Broccoli is FULL of vitamin C (helping you to keep from getting sick) the mineral calcium, fiber (keeping your stomach and intestines healthy and efficient) and vitamin A.
It also has a cancer-fighting compound called sulforaphane. And, Did you know?... Cooking broccoli helps retain more of its vitamins and minerals.
Leafy Greens
Don’t forget your leafy greens!
They are ideal for weight management as they are so low in calories and fat. They are high in dietary fiber, folic acid, vitamin C, magnesium, as well as those awesome phytochemicals!
Did you know?... An increase of one serving per day of green leafy veggies was associated with a 9 percent lower risk of diabetes. And they also contain osteocalcin-a protein essential for bone health. The list goes on!...
Red, Yellow, Orange & Green Peppers, Brussel Sprouts, Garlic, Onions, Tomatoes, Green Peas and so on...
All of these veggies have BENEFITS to your health! With so many benefits how could we ever go without them, even for a day?
Challenge Yourself & Be Creative
~So the challenge is to PLAN your MENU for the week and add veggies to every meal. YES, even breakfast! For breakfast, you can cook some frozen spinach, cut up some peppers of every color and add to your scrambled eggs to make an omelet - and add some onions too!
Or if you like protein shakes, add some leafy fresh spinach to your shake and you won’t even notice the taste! (and if you do, learn to like it... haha! :D, because it’s DOING YOUR BODY GOOD!)
~Make everything into a salad or wrap! Sandwiches don't well for Paleo anyway, so replace your "bread" with lettuce and wrap it! Add shredded carrots, tomatoes, and cucumbers. If you are eating chicken for dinner, make it into a salad! I make almost every meal into a salad.
I used to just eat salad on the side, but I soon realized my salad tasted better if I mixed it into my chicken or whatever it was I was eating. Anything can be made into a salad and it can taste good! Don't think of it as a salad if you don't like salad! ;)
~If you are gonna munch, munch on veggies! Munch on carrots, broccoli, sliced cucumbers or peppers. At first, you might not like it, but then soon you really start to crave those delicious and crispy vegetables... especially when you think about the good they do your body!
Research!
Nothing will make you want to eat them more than KNOWING THEIR BENEFITS! If you have high blood cholesterol or bowel and colon problems, research what veggies and foods can help you. Treat your body with the things that were put here on this earth for you!
Make it Accessible
Keep veggies cut up and ready to eat in your fridge at all times. Keep a bag of pre-made salad all of the time. It's going to be a lot easier to eat good foods if they are cut up and ready to munch on, cook or serve!
Be Creative
Make eating veggies fun for not only you but for your kids and family. Let your kids choose the colors! Let them shop produce with you and learn to pick them! Cut them together and leave them in reach in the fridge so kids can munch on them as well.
They will learn to love their veggies by example! It would be fun to even go visit a local fruit and veggie stand or farm together (or plant your own!).
Get Inspired
Go to a farmer's market and see all the delicious produce- and it will inspire you to add lots of veggies to your diet.
Find different ways to cook them. Sometimes that can make all the difference! You can get lots of delicious ideas below.
Well, now that you know WHY you need your veggies and how they can HELP you in everyday health as well as long-term health, the next step is to GET to the produce section, fill that cart, then actually get these foods IN your body - which, you'll find, will make you feel amazing and healthy!
