Real Life Paleo: 175 Gluten-Free Recipes, Meal Ideas, and an Easy 3-Phased Approach to Lose Weight & Gain Health Paperback – November 4, 2014

This might be the most comprehensive paleo cookbook I have ever read! It has a really fool proof and gentle way of easing the reader into the paleo diet by using 3 phases. The first phase, swap, is about removing gluten and processed foods and sugars and swapping them with healthier alternatives. The second phase, remove, is about gradually removing all grains, dairy, legumes and processed oils. Phase three, heal, is about adding/focusing on nutrient-dense foods and lifestyle choices. The important thing is to progress through the stages at your own pace. In each section, the authors cover food lists, recipes, sources and even places to shop for ingredients that pertain to that section. My family is about 90% paleo now, but I would have loved this when we were getting started!They also have activities and projects to ease you into a paleo lifestyle and everything is very family friendly too. There are even some recipe suggestions for all the major holidays.There are also some meal planning ideas that include make ahead tips and what to do with the leftovers!! They've included a week long meal plan for each phase.After all that there is still 175 recipes including condiments, breakfast, snacks, childhood favorites, appetizers, sides, drinks, mains and desserts.I was blown away at how easy they've made the transition to paleo and the recipes are so good! I would be surprised if anyone using this book as their guide failed at thriving on paleo!A very convenient feature in the kindle version is the recipe index. It's at the beginning even before the intro and just after the table of contents. It has thumbnails of pictures of the recipes with captions that you can select to be sent to that recipe page. It makes navigating the book so much easier!The only thing I could possibly say that's not completely positive is that the recipes are laid out differently than any other recipe I've seen. The directions are first then they list the ingredients. It's not really a big deal, just different. I only mention it BC when I started reading the first recipe I thought it was an error until I flipped the page and saw the ingredients list. Lol!Overall, I recommend this to anyone interested in, getting started or even fully into paleo. It is well thought out and so complete!

When I decided to make a lifestyle eating change for health purposes, I started to research Paleo and Paelo cookbooks. I am so glad I bought this book--it's so much more than a cookbook. There are three phases in the book to ease newbies into the lifestyle: swap, remove, heal. There are several things in this book that make it stand out:1. Nutritional science about the healthy effects of Paleo: the author regained her health, and so did her whole family. Personal experience.2. Advice for families with kids. It's one thing to do Paleo as an adult, but tougher to win over kids. Lots of recipes and advice on making dishes that take the place of many childhood favorites.3. Full meal menus. Not just recipes, but whole menus.4. Holiday food.5. A full walk through of the three phases with "pull outs" at the back of the book for shopping lists and other important info.6. Practical recipes. And regular ones. Stuff that I would want to eat--not something that looks like it came off the menu at a health food eatery. Real food.Highly recommend if you're looking to give Paleo a shot. I did some research about nutritional diets before I bought this and I recommend you study up on Paleo or any lifestyle change in diet before you actually buy cookbooks.

I can't say enough good things about Real Life Paleo. I honestly believe that it has something for everyone. I made the shift to a Paleo lifestyle almost two years ago, but I also gave the book to a family member who isn't Paleo but has been wanting to make some changes to get healthier. I bought the copy to give as a gift first, and after flipping through it, I think I made 6 or 7 recipes out of it before I wrapped it (while handling it very carefully!). I'm thrilled to have my own copy now so I can make some more recipes!My favorite things about Real Life Paleo:-- The 3-phase approach to diet/lifestyle changes (it's so down-to-earth and REAL)-- Tons of recipes that I actually want to make (that's highly unusual for me; I'm much more likely to cherry-pick recipes from different websites than buy a cookbook)-- Photos of whole meals with page references for all the recipes (as a visual type of person, I love this!)-- Advice from people who get it (there's a real family behind this book, and it comes through clearly on every page)

Real Life Paleo is so special because of how incredibly approachable it makes a real food lifestyle.This book is for busy families, for single gals, and for anyone that wonders how the heck they're going to ditch their favorite gluten and sugar-filled treats. Following Stacy and Matt's 3-phased approach is a tried and true way to make that transition less jarring. You'll see lots of your old favorites in this book, like biscuits, breadsticks and chicken wings—and even egg nog and ice cream. And they're all quite magically paleo!But alongside those old favorites are new nutrient-dense staples, like soup full of bone broth, new ways to use offal and veggie-packed meatloaf that will knock your socks off. Name an occasion, a beloved recipe or a needed holiday dish, and you'll probably find a healthier version in Real Life Paleo. With meal plans and a complete guide with both food and lifestyle recommendations that are easy to read and informative, this book includes just about everything you'll need to make paleo work in your life. And if you've already made the transition, it's chock-full of delicious recipes that are different from anything else on my paleo cookbook-packed shelves.This isn't just a paleo cookbook. It's a guidebook that gives you tools to find a balanced approach to a paleo lifestyle. Buy it!