I’ll often get inquiries from clients who’ve either purchased one of my pre written plans, or who are working with me on their custom Paleo eating about whether it’s acceptable to swap one protein for another, or to opt for a different fruit from what I may have planned for them.
Here’s the skinny:
- As far as fruits are concerned, stay fresh, local, organic and seasonal and, when substituting one fruit for another the key is to choose one with a similar glycemic index and fiber content. If you’re just about to workout and the meal calls for a banana, which is a higher glycemic option then you’d do well by having another higher glycemic, lower fiber option like fresh pineapple if you didn’t feel in a banana type of mood. Conversely, if your lunch time meal called for scattering some fresh berries on top of your salad, an apple, which, like the berries, is lower glycemic and higher in fiber, would make a good alternative.
- With regard to protein, also keep it local and wild; if you live in Australia and can only source turkey around the holidays, but can get hold of plenty of fresh kangaroo, go for it. If you happen to choose meat that has less fat than what was originally planned, simply accommodate by adding some avocado, olive oil or coconut oil to balance out the macro nutrient ratio.
The more variety the better, so swap away!
” apple, which, like the berries, is lower glycemic and higher in fiber, would make a good alternative.”
Actually according to Dr Loren Cordain’s chart apples are twice or three times as much sugar as berries.
Apples are still considered a lower GI fruit compared to bananas, and thus a good snack option away from training.
Hi Nell, I am following Paleo in order to loose weight. Have lost 12 kilo by following a protein diet combined with fresh veggies and in the last fase before switching to Paleo it was dinner with fish and veggies. I have switched over to 100% paleo some two weeks ago. I have not lost any weigth since and I am getting a bit frustrated. I am reading your comment on high and low glycemic and what you say about apples. I eat at this moment 1 or 2 apples a day and a pear. Always as an in between meals away from home thing. Am I choosing the wrong fruits? My husband says that he thinks it is because my body is getting used to the new weight. I have lost 12 kilo since 20 january 2012. And have 3 more to go in order to get to what I want: 65 kilo at a length of 1.76 m.
I excersize every day, doing powerwalk for an hour. With in the weekends longer walks for 2-4 hours. And I do Aikido (Japanese martial art) every now and then for 2 hours.
Thanks for letting me know.
Josee, I do not think you are not losing weight simply due to eating three pieces of fruit per day; if you are eating all your Paleo meals regularly, balancing the macro nutrients of each meal and timing your eating well, then that sets the stage for weight loss, sometimes slow but steady. Make sure you’re not going hungry or following an antiquated mindset of restricting yourself, going low fat or simply not eating enough.
It sounds like you’ve had great success so far- keep at it!