Top Five Paleo Substitutions

Healthy Fats

Vegetable and canola oils are out! Good-for-you traditional fats are in! It’s really easy to substitute fats with paleo cooking. Make sure to use quality, sustainably sourced fats so you get all of the health benefits.

• Animal Fats – sustainably sourced and organic preferably
• Avocado Oil – great for higher-temp cooking, baking, salads, mayonnaise
• Coconut Oil – when heated, mixes well into soups, warm drinks, smoothies
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – great for salads, best when not heated
• Ghee / Clarified Butter – lactose free, great for higher-temp cooking
• Grass-fed Butter – great for cooking and baking
• Palm Oil – sustainably sourced, great for higher-temp cooking
• Palm Oil Shortening – sustainably sourced, great for baking and frostings

Paleo Baking

Baked goods are usually one thing that people wonder about when it comes to the paleo lifestyle. While paleo baking does take a little bit of experimenting to find out what you like best, it’s absolutely doable! Everything from muffins, to cakes and tortillas can easily be converted using some grain-free substitutions.

• Blanched Almond Flour – can usually be substituted 1:1 for refined white flour
• Cassava Flour – can usually be substituted 1:1 for refined white flour, however, it often needs a bit less flour or needs more liquid (like coconut milk) or more moisture (like pureed fruit or vegetables—applesauce, bananas, dates, pumpkin, squash)
• Coconut Flour – this flour absorbs a lot of liquid and usually requires a lot less flour and often more eggs
• Tapioca Flour or Starch – can be used in combination with other grain-free flours
• Baking Soda – use instead of baking powder
• Apple Cider Vinegar – a liquid leavening substitution
• Chia Seeds or Freshly Ground Chia Seed Meal – can be used in baking as an egg-free substitute

Non-Dairy Milks

Smoothies, soups, curries, casseroles, homemade ice cream and so much more would not be the same without a creamy addition. You can still enjoy all of your favorites without dairy! Coconut milk and cream is usually best used in recipes that need a higher fat content and a creamier texture. Nut and seed milks are usually best used in recipes that need liquid like smoothies or hot chocolate.

• Almond Milk
• Cashew Milk
• Coconut Cream – great in curries and homemade ice cream
• Coconut Milk – great for creamier recipes that need the fat content
• Hemp Milk
• Macadamia Milk

Natural Sweeteners

Skip the agave and refined white and brown sugar and reach for the natural sweeteners!

• Coconut Sugar – great lower-glycemic granulated sugar, darker in flavor
• Date Sugar – great granulated sugar, mild in flavor
• Maple Sugar – great granulated sugar, mild in flavor
• Maple Syrup – great liquid sweetener with more moisture content, quality is important
• Medjool Dates – pitted and soaked, a great addition for natural sweetening, add to smoothies, ice cream or baked goods
• Raw Honey or Quality Honey – great sweetener with more moisture content

Skip the Rice

Grains are out when you’re eating Paleo, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on a side of “rice!” Vegetables like cauliflower are most commonly used for a great substitution, but broccoli and carrots can be used too.

• Frozen Riced Broccoli
• Frozen Riced Cauliflower
• Riced Broccoli
• Riced Carrots
• Riced Cauliflower