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ericwmontgomery · 01-17-2008, 03:38 AM

I am trying to figure out a way to follow a hunter-gatherer style diet right now which would consist of meat/fish, vegetables, fruits, and nuts, but avoid legumes, tubers, grains, oils (olive oil is ok), processed meats, and dairy products. This isn't really to correct any specific problem I'm having, I just like the idea of investing in my future health by eating healthfully now while I'm still fairly young (I'm 25).

I have two objectives:

Gain weight - I'm pretty skinny
Eat things that benefit long-term health

I'm reasonably confident that I can achieve the weight gain goal as long as I can actually find enough to eat, so no worries there. But I tend to run into a few problems implementing this diet.

First off, it emphasizes buying foods which are more expensive - produce, meat, and nuts are all quite a bit more than ramen, oatmeal and cereal

. I'm still in college and working part-time, and so not bringing in a full-time income limits my grocery budget. I'm not quite constrained to a ramen diet fortunately, but I do have to be careful how much I spend.

Secondly, I was brought up a vegetarian and I've only started eating meat in the last couple years (can you believe it wasn't that long ago that I had my first steak?) so I'm not familiar with a lot of meat-based meal options, or how to cook them. This makes it especially difficult for me to plan meals since I'm not exactly browsing cooking magazines in my free time either.

Third, as a college student who also works, I don't feel like I have a lot of time to cook elaborate meals. I don't like to spend more than about 5 minutes total time actively preparing food (not counting the time it's sitting in the oven or microwave). All the quick and simple meals I've been subsisting on satisfied this time requirement, but every one of them violates the hunter gatherer guidelines in some way.

So I guess I'm looking for any and all feedback people may have. I even wonder if maybe this is too challenging for me right now and I should wait. But I'm always wary of dismissing things for "later", as there will always be challenges, and I think the sooner I can tackle something, the better. Any resources that you think might be useful for me would be great... Advice, opinions, questions, comments, whatever - all feedback welcomed. Thanks!

01-17-2008, 03:38 AM	#1 (permalink)
ericwmontgomery Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: North Carolina, USA Posts: 18	College student looking for diet advice I am trying to figure out a way to follow a hunter-gatherer style diet right now which would consist of meat/fish, vegetables, fruits, and nuts, but avoid legumes, tubers, grains, oils (olive oil is ok), processed meats, and dairy products. This isn't really to correct any specific problem I'm having, I just like the idea of investing in my future health by eating healthfully now while I'm still fairly young (I'm 25). I have two objectives: Gain weight - I'm pretty skinny Eat things that benefit long-term health I'm reasonably confident that I can achieve the weight gain goal as long as I can actually find enough to eat, so no worries there. But I tend to run into a few problems implementing this diet. First off, it emphasizes buying foods which are more expensive - produce, meat, and nuts are all quite a bit more than ramen, oatmeal and cereal . I'm still in college and working part-time, and so not bringing in a full-time income limits my grocery budget. I'm not quite constrained to a ramen diet fortunately, but I do have to be careful how much I spend. Secondly, I was brought up a vegetarian and I've only started eating meat in the last couple years (can you believe it wasn't that long ago that I had my first steak?) so I'm not familiar with a lot of meat-based meal options, or how to cook them. This makes it especially difficult for me to plan meals since I'm not exactly browsing cooking magazines in my free time either. Third, as a college student who also works, I don't feel like I have a lot of time to cook elaborate meals. I don't like to spend more than about 5 minutes total time actively preparing food (not counting the time it's sitting in the oven or microwave). All the quick and simple meals I've been subsisting on satisfied this time requirement, but every one of them violates the hunter gatherer guidelines in some way. So I guess I'm looking for any and all feedback people may have. I even wonder if maybe this is too challenging for me right now and I should wait. But I'm always wary of dismissing things for "later", as there will always be challenges, and I think the sooner I can tackle something, the better. Any resources that you think might be useful for me would be great... Advice, opinions, questions, comments, whatever - all feedback welcomed. Thanks!