How often do you eat bread?

[Chris Salvato]

This came up on another forum I am active on and I feel that the people here on PMenu are a bit more dedicated than other places I have been around...

I was just curious as to how often you eat bread/grains/rice if you follow Paleo.

I feel like I have yet to meet anyone who truly cuts these totally out of their diet.

Personally, I follow a very paleo-ish way of life and avoid bread/grains/rice if at all possible. However, I find that it is so deeply nestled into our society it is very difficult to avoidable bread on ALL occasions.

For example, I don't want to eat lunch alone every day, but if I go out with co-workers there is a 50/50 shot we will be going to some place that serves sandwiches. With this in mind, i usually get double meat and eat only half the bread...but its still bread/grains.

I usually don't eat bread more than 3x a week, and never more then 1x a day.

Am I just more lax with my Paleo than most people? Or is this normal in our "world of plenty" where bread/grains/rice are cheap, easy and thrown into and onto everything?

[ErikHutson]

I havent ate bread in months, but I do eat brown rice 1-2 times a day, its rich in vitamines and I turn the other cheek as I dont think of it as a processed food since it stops at a certain point where as white rice go deeper into the processing and is stripped of its nutriants.


In all honesty it wont kill you to have some bread as long as your not going over your calories, staying within your carb limits and making smarter choices (such as wheat) when you do decide to do it.


I personally get very moody if I dont reach a certain carb limit so rice is a very effienct, low calorie way of achieving my carb intake where as the rest of my carbs come from fruits and vegetables Ill have maybe 1/4-->3/4 cup of rice depending on the meal but will also eat a good 4-6oz of protein and 2-3 cups of vegies with it.

[sarena kopciel]

been maybe 2 years now!

[Gittit Shwartz]

Can't remember the last time I ate bread. It's not like I never cheat on my diet - I can definitely remember the last time I ate chocolate! I just know the moment a grain goes into my mouth I start feeling like I got the 'flu. It's just not worth it. Really the only non-Paleo "cheats" I had in a long time are sugar (in chocolate), regular soy sauce and dairy.

I found I can figure out a Paleo option at almost any place I go to to eat out. A sandwich place will usually let you have just various sandwich fillings as a mixed "salad" if you ask them. The only place that's impossible is Chinese because they will have cornstarch in EVERYTHING.

Also, you don't need to apologize for following a certain diet, and people are usually very accommodating about it as long as you don't get preachy.

[Chris Salvato]

Originally Posted by Gittit Shwartz

Can't remember the last time I ate bread. It's not like I never cheat on my diet - I can definitely remember the last time I ate chocolate! I just know the moment a grain goes into my mouth I start feeling like I got the 'flu. It's just not worth it. Really the only non-Paleo "cheats" I had in a long time are sugar (in chocolate), regular soy sauce and dairy.

I found I can figure out a Paleo option at almost any place I go to to eat out. A sandwich place will usually let you have just various sandwich fillings as a mixed "salad" if you ask them. The only place that's impossible is Chinese because they will have cornstarch in EVERYTHING.

Also, you don't need to apologize for following a certain diet, and people are usually very accommodating about it as long as you don't get preachy.

The problem I have found with the "salad" option is that it winds up being iceberg lettuce and deli meat. Its something like 40% fat, 5% carb and 55% protein and I just don't happen to think that's acceptable.

I guess I have been more lax than I thought! I don't really even like bread -- but maybe i'll just start bringing my veggies into work and accompanying people to the lunch-spots without getting anything...which is usually what I do when I am fasting, anyway...

[Fenthis Glusos]

I think the main idea to extract from this "Paleo" diet is to not have a grain-based diet, but having smaller portions of grain at meals is fine. It was however the Agricultural Revolution that spurred our population growth, so nowadays most people have to eat some grain -- it is a downward spiral from here on out folks. The message to take from that is the food supply should never outstrip that of the population because that means growth and growth is a waste.


I eat rice (white/brown it doesn't matter, so long as it isn't wheat) with my dinner and breakfast and occasionally some pita. However, they aren't the center of my meal and the size isn't too great -- especially when compared to the greens.

For lunch at work I just stop by the grocery store and pick up some fresh greens (kale, mustard greens, etc.), some fruit and bulk nuts. I chow heavily on the fruit and the raw greens at the same time -- tastes really good, and then some nuts. I cook dinner with some meat when I get home and eat the leftovers for breakfast. I fast one day a week, definitely not for weightloss purposes but for convenience and some other mutual benefits. haha

Tonight I have squid!

[Mike ODonnell]

I like pizza and beer every now and then....if I live 3 years less, so be it....IF will make up for it. Ha.

[Grissim Connery]

i have 2 kinds of cheat days. i have a paleo cheat day in which i eat all paleo but i don't limit the amount. (ex: eat an entire chicken in a few hours amongst the rest of my food for the day). this is my day that i just listen to my body and feed it because it's been hungry. this is normally on wednesdays

the second cheat day is anything goes day (typically saturday). i'm kinda a foodie, so i like to go out on this day and just experience food. if this takes me to a mediterranean restaurant, i will probably eat pita. if it takes me to a bakery, i'll get some cookies or something. this day normally starts with granola as well because, growing up on cereal, this is a giant comfort food for me. if you went to france and got a meal from the best chef there, would you tell him to make you a paleo meal or his most signature dish?

so really i view it as this - i try to LIVE on paleo foods. i try to EXPERIENCE non-paleo foods. it's just like going to the beach for vacation. if i tried to live there, i probably couldn't subside. instead i visit it and carry away memories.

because honestly, if an elderly man told you that he had never had chocolate, wouldn't you pity him? i love the paleo diet, but a dude's gotta try a nice, sugary bar at least some point in there life.

it's funny that i say this though because i'm straight edge, which means i dont' drink or do drugs. although i've had alcohol about 5 times in my life, i've never smoked pot. i'm not planning to either. thus i'm kinda a hypocrite, but whatever...sorry to those guinness fans out there

to answer the initial question, i probably eat grains at least once a week, but what i eat is completely dependent on what i crave on that day. it could be trail mix to the max. grains do give me a funky feeling in my throat that is uncomfortable, but a little apple cider vinegar normally cures it. milk normally has worse effects, so i actually tend to avoid it more.

[Craig Brown]

Depends. If I'm running a little weak I calorie up pretty much however. I've been eating rice & such for the past month with good results. Soon enough I'll start feeling sickly and out it goes. Unless I am being a purist I probably eat wheat once a week....rice or rice noodles one or twice. If I am being a purist, none at all. I do much better with ice cream than bread.

Craig

[kevin mckay]

almost never