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PALEO LEAP CHEAT SHEET
CONVERTING
RECIPES Going Paleo doesn’t mean you have to give up all your old favorite recipes! Some recipes are Paleo as-is: think roast chicken, beef stew, most salads (just leave off the croutons). But you can also use a lot of recipes that originally called for some non-Paleo ingredients! It’s often very simple to substitute for things like corn starch, milk, and soy sauce – here’s how.
QUICK SUBSTITUTIONS FOR MINOR INGREDIENTS If an ingredient isn’t the focus of a dish, use one of these and be on your way.
RECIPE CALLS FOR… CORN STARCH MILK SOY SAUCE
Tapioca starch, in equal quantities. *1
Almond or coconut milk, in equal quantities. If using full-fat coconut milk, dilute it with enough water to get the thickness of milk before using.
*2
Coconut aminos. You may need slightly more coconut aminos than the amount of soy sauce you would have used.
PEANUT BUTTER
Almond butter, in equal quantities.
FLOUR
(1-2 tbsp. in meatballs, as the base for a roux, etc.)
VEGETABLE OIL or other flavorless cooking fat
BREAD CRUMBS
INSTEAD, USE…
*3
Almond flour in equal quantities, or coconut flour, using a little less than the recipe calls for. Refined coconut oil (NOT virgin) or light olive oil (NOT extra virgin), in equal quantities. For a crunchy topping: bacon, chopped nuts, or coconut flakes, to taste. For a binder (e.g. in meatloaf): eggs. 1 egg is enough for one meatloaf or batch of meatballs.
*1 More on dairy substitutes and even more just about cheese if you’re interested! *2 You can buy coconut aminos at health-food stores (look by the soy sauce) or online. *3 Extra virgin cooking oils have more health benefits, but the same antioxidants that make them healthy give them a distinctive taste. If you want a flavorless oil specifically, use refined coconut oil or light olive oil.
MAIN INGREDIENT SWAPS It’s one thing to switch soy sauce for coconut aminos in your stir-fry and call it a day. But what about main ingredients? Sometimes, you can’t adapt a dish if the main ingredient isn’t Paleo – by the time you’re done the “adaptation,” you’ve changed so much that you’re making an entirely different recipe. But sometimes you can – here’s a conversion guide.
RECIPES YOU CAN’T CONVERT WITH SIMPLE SWAPS: Bread, cookies, and other kinds of baking Bean or lentil soups Macaroni and cheese
RECIPES YOU CAN EASILY CONVERT TO PALEO VERSIONS WITH SIMPLE SWAPS: CASSEROLES, HOTDISH, ETC.V Instead of noodles for the starchy component, use potatoes (yes, white potatoes are OK), sweet potatoes, or other root vegetables. Also use dairy/soy/seasoning substitutes as appropriate.
FRIED RICE AND OTHER RICE DISHES Replace cooked rice with finely grated cauliflower. Cauliflower cooks much faster than rice; it just needs a quick sauté to be cooked.
SOUPS “Cream of ____:” Replace milk/cream with coconut milk. “_____ and rice:” Replace rice with riced cauliflower. “_____ noodle:” Replace the noodles with broccoli slaw, shredded cabbage, or another Paleo noodle replacement.
CHILI Instead of beans, use extra vegetables: chop or shred them to your preferred texture.
QUICHES AND SAVORY PIES For quiche: just leave off the pastry crust. For savory pies: replace the crust with a topping of mashed potatoes (yes, white potatoes are OK), sweet potatoes, or other root vegetables.
TACOS AND WRAPS Instead of a corn tortilla, use a Paleo tortilla or just a lettuce wrap with your favorite ingredients.
STIR-FRIES Leave out noodles entirely, or use a Paleo substitute.
BUT WHAT ABOUT…? Don’t see what you need? Try coming up with your own adaptation: think about what the non-Paleo ingredient adds to the dish (texture, bulk, flavor…) and how you could do that with something Paleo.
Copyright © 2015 by Paleo Leap, LLC. All material in this cheat sheet is provided for your information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this information; instead, readers should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being.
CONVERTING
RECIPES Going Paleo doesn’t mean you have to give up all your old favorite recipes! Some recipes are Paleo as-is: think roast chicken, beef stew, most salads (just leave off the croutons). But you can also use a lot of recipes that originally called for some non-Paleo ingredients! It’s often very simple to substitute for things like corn starch, milk, and soy sauce – here’s how.
QUICK SUBSTITUTIONS FOR MINOR INGREDIENTS If an ingredient isn’t the focus of a dish, use one of these and be on your way.
RECIPE CALLS FOR… CORN STARCH MILK SOY SAUCE
Tapioca starch, in equal quantities. *1
Almond or coconut milk, in equal quantities. If using full-fat coconut milk, dilute it with enough water to get the thickness of milk before using.
*2
Coconut aminos. You may need slightly more coconut aminos than the amount of soy sauce you would have used.
PEANUT BUTTER
Almond butter, in equal quantities.
FLOUR
(1-2 tbsp. in meatballs, as the base for a roux, etc.)
VEGETABLE OIL or other flavorless cooking fat
BREAD CRUMBS
INSTEAD, USE…
*3
Almond flour in equal quantities, or coconut flour, using a little less than the recipe calls for. Refined coconut oil (NOT virgin) or light olive oil (NOT extra virgin), in equal quantities. For a crunchy topping: bacon, chopped nuts, or coconut flakes, to taste. For a binder (e.g. in meatloaf): eggs. 1 egg is enough for one meatloaf or batch of meatballs.
*1 More on dairy substitutes and even more just about cheese if you’re interested! *2 You can buy coconut aminos at health-food stores (look by the soy sauce) or online. *3 Extra virgin cooking oils have more health benefits, but the same antioxidants that make them healthy give them a distinctive taste. If you want a flavorless oil specifically, use refined coconut oil or light olive oil.
MAIN INGREDIENT SWAPS It’s one thing to switch soy sauce for coconut aminos in your stir-fry and call it a day. But what about main ingredients? Sometimes, you can’t adapt a dish if the main ingredient isn’t Paleo – by the time you’re done the “adaptation,” you’ve changed so much that you’re making an entirely different recipe. But sometimes you can – here’s a conversion guide.
RECIPES YOU CAN’T CONVERT WITH SIMPLE SWAPS: Bread, cookies, and other kinds of baking Bean or lentil soups Macaroni and cheese
RECIPES YOU CAN EASILY CONVERT TO PALEO VERSIONS WITH SIMPLE SWAPS: CASSEROLES, HOTDISH, ETC.V Instead of noodles for the starchy component, use potatoes (yes, white potatoes are OK), sweet potatoes, or other root vegetables. Also use dairy/soy/seasoning substitutes as appropriate.
FRIED RICE AND OTHER RICE DISHES Replace cooked rice with finely grated cauliflower. Cauliflower cooks much faster than rice; it just needs a quick sauté to be cooked.
SOUPS “Cream of ____:” Replace milk/cream with coconut milk. “_____ and rice:” Replace rice with riced cauliflower. “_____ noodle:” Replace the noodles with broccoli slaw, shredded cabbage, or another Paleo noodle replacement.
CHILI Instead of beans, use extra vegetables: chop or shred them to your preferred texture.
QUICHES AND SAVORY PIES For quiche: just leave off the pastry crust. For savory pies: replace the crust with a topping of mashed potatoes (yes, white potatoes are OK), sweet potatoes, or other root vegetables.
TACOS AND WRAPS Instead of a corn tortilla, use a Paleo tortilla or just a lettuce wrap with your favorite ingredients.
STIR-FRIES Leave out noodles entirely, or use a Paleo substitute.
BUT WHAT ABOUT…? Don’t see what you need? Try coming up with your own adaptation: think about what the non-Paleo ingredient adds to the dish (texture, bulk, flavor…) and how you could do that with something Paleo.
Copyright © 2015 by Paleo Leap, LLC. All material in this cheat sheet is provided for your information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this information; instead, readers should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being.
