Paleo-Friendly Tips For Carb Lovers

Diet fads come and go (cabbage soup or grapefruit, anyone?) but one particular way of eating has not only not lost steam over the years, but is garnering more and more support and proponents. Whether you call it paleolithic, primal, caveman, or any other name that hearkens back to our early ancestors, this ancient way of eating is going gangbusters in the 21st century. Advocates swear by it for maintaining or shedding weight, lowering the risk of disease associated with our modern diet, and just plain feeling — and looking — better.

Based on the idea that our forefathers and mothers ate what they could hunt or gather, the Paleo Diet emphasizes pastured meats, free-ranging poultry, seasonal fruits and vegetables, and plenty of fats from avocados, coconut, and (in some versions) nuts. What it doesn't emphasize is carbs. This can be a blow to anyone who counts panini, risotto, pizza, or tortellini as food groups.

If you think good bread is a birthright and know a dozen ways to prepare a potato, striking carbs from your diet can be perplexing and, frankly, miserable. While most anyone can give up carbs for a few days, it takes a bit of strategy and new ways of thinking to plan ongoing meals you'll actually look forward to, sans the starch.  But if you're convinced that it's the key to the new you in 2012, here are some ways you can live Paleo without weeping over the bread you miss. 

Click here to see the Paleo-Friendly Tips for Carb Lovers Slideshow.