Learn from brilliant paleo people!
It is no exaggeration to say that a book saved my life. After being constantly sick for 2 years and facing one baffled doctor after another, a dear friend of mine handed me a book to read… Here is a collection of some of our favourite paleo and cooking books.
A lot of people ask me to recommend books they should read regarding paleo lifestyle, and which paleo cook books to get. The problem is, there are a lot of paleo titles to choose from, and not all of them are of equal quality.
These books have changed my life, and some of them I flick through in our kitchen on daily basis for inspiration and guidance.
The titles below have been handpicked through a process of trial and error during our paleo journey and I warmly recommend them to anyone and everyone interested in real food.
Step one: READ THIS BOOK
“The Paleo Bible - if you have to choose one book to change your life, make it this one!
The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet
This book is brilliant. Not only does it tell you everything you need to know, it is a very entertaining and easy read!
If you want to improve your health and want to read only one book, read this one. It tells you everything you need to know, gives you scientific reasoning for everything and is full of real life anecdotal evidence and recent research data backing up all of his recommendations.
Bottom line? If you haven’t already done so, READ IT!
Warning: May contain traces of verbal vegetarian bashing. For gentler herbivore souls, we recommend reading Dr Cordain’s 
The Paleo Answer instead.
Step two: READY TO COOK?
If The Paleo Diet changes your life, then this book will change the way you cook!
Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat
This book has received such an overwhelming positive feedback, that my expectations were very, very high expectations. However, this wonderful book is even better than I expected!
Cover to cover full of wonderful recipes, that are not only quick and easy make, but also significantly different from anything that I’ve seen in other cook books. Also, includes wonderful little tips & tricks on how to make your new paleo life just that little bit easier and more convenient. And all this in a beautifully designed and self-published book. What’s there not to love?!
Bottom line? If you’re looking for a paleo cook book, THIS IS IT.
Warning: May contain traces of verbal vegetarian bashing. For gentler herbivore souls, we recommend reading Dr Cordain’s The Paleo Answer (below) instead.
Educational reading
These are books that I warmly recommend for everyone interested in paleo lifestyle. Not only are they a good read, they all provide you with the essential knowledge required for such a major lifestyle change.
The Paleo Answer: 7 Days to Lose Weight, Feel Great, Stay Young
The newer book by Dr Loren Cordain with an updated view on some key paleo topics, such as use of canola oil and fattier meats. Contains tons of new studies and real life success stories.
Strongly recommended for everyone from paleo newbies to already convinced old timers - even if you think you already know all you need to know, this book will teach you tons more!
The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and Get Healthy by Eating the Foods You Were Designed to Eat
This is the book I’ve been recommending to everyone since I moved to paleo lifestyle.
The content of the book is slightly dated and Dr Cordain has updated his views quite a bit in his new book (The Paleo Answer, featured at the top of the page), but this book is still a recommended read, just ignore the canola oil and obsession on low fat.
Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, Third Edition
Not specifically paleo, but along the same lines for stress management and the physical manifestations of prolonged stress. While this book is cover to cover cutting edge research, it’s written with a healthy sense of humour, which makes the content very accessible and easy to relate to.
Want to get lean and healthy, but not give up cheese?
This is the second book I read on ancestral eating. The primal approach differs from paleo slightly - for example, primal diet includes dairy products, which makes it very appealing to people who have no issues digesting dairy.
Worried about how paleo can fit your family life style?
A lot of our cooking is inspired on stuff that I see on Sarah Fragoso’s website. I especially appreciate her practical everyday approach to paleo lifestyle, and fabulous, easy to prepare recipes!
The perfect for all you CrossFitters out there!
The Paleo Diet for Athletes: A Nutritional Formula for Peak Athletic Performance
After I started CrossFit in July 2011, I read this book, which tweaks the paleo diet to suit an athletic lifestyle. The focus is on providing specific guidelines on what to eat before, during and after a workout or competition along with recipes.
My favourite cook books:
I adore my cook books and like nothing better than to flick through these in search for inspiration for the next meal. These is a stack of cook books available these days and it’s sometimes difficult to know which one to choose.
Here are my favourites based on a year of trial and error.
Paleo Comfort Foods: Homestyle Cooking for a Gluten-Free Kitchen
This book is stacked with wonderful recipes that are easy to prepare and guarantee delicious results!
Make it Paleo: Over 200 Grain Free Recipes For Any Occasion
The most recent addition to my cook book shelf & I am in love with this book. The desserts are out of this world!
This was the first paleo addition to our cook book shelf and is the staple book as far as paleo cooking goes. Especially good during Whole30, as all the recipes are very well balanced, thought out and super healthy.
This primal cook book by Mark Sisson is a must have for anyone following a primal diet.
Please note: these recipes contain dairy products. Not suitable for lactose intolerant people.
Want to help someone quit smoking?
This book doesn’t have anything to do with paleo, but then again neither does smoking.
I’m assuming that the vast majority of my readers wouldn’t be smokers, but just in case even one of you smokes and wants to quit, or wish to help someone else quit: please give this book a go.
Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking
I’m not big on self-help books, however this one REALLY works.
After witnessing years of painful failed quitting attempts, I bought Kurt this book. He didn’t pick it up straight away, but I kept it available and eventually he was in the right frame of mind to pick it up. After reading it cover to cover, he put down his last cigarette and hasn’t caved in even once since. That was June 2009.
Kurt: “This book breaks the habit down to its elements and gives you the tools to deal with each piece of it. By the time you do that there is no reason to continue smoking. Actual physical withdrawals don’t really last more than a couple of days. You can continue enjoying your coffee even without the smokes, because from the moment you put that last cigarette down, you’re a non-smoker. It really is that simple.”
More sustainable reading & instant access to books:
Please note: if you consume books in masses like I do, please consider doing so electronically on a Kindle
.
- The books are much cheaper
- Significantly less natural resources are required in producing the physical copy
- No fossil fuel required for transporting the product to you
- Less space required for storing your personal library (which in our case started to turn into a real problem!)
- Last but not least: No need to wait for the delivery - you get the book in seconds!
Online resources:
There is an abundance of wonderful information sources online that go into great depth about all things paleo.
Paleo Australia is all about food and cooking inspiration, not even attempting to explain or educate about the nitty-gritty details of paleo diet.
To read more about paleo, why don’t you start with some of our favourite sources of information and inspiration below?
Just getting into paleo lifestyle?
- Fitbomb: What is The Paleo Diet? (article) - a fantastic article to start with.
- Paleo Diet Lifestyle - A great website for anyone just getting into a paleo lifestyle.
Further recommended paleo/primal content:
- The Paleo Solution podcast by Robb Wolf - “Lose fat. Look younger. Feel great. Avoid cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimers. It’s easier than you think with the Paleo Solution.”
- Hunt.Gather.Love. - A blog by Melissa McEwen: “This blog is about the intersection between evolutionary biology and food. But also about practical applications, sustainable agriculture, and general tasty things. I originally started eating this way to heal from chronic health problems and…it worked!”
- Everyday Paleo - A blog by Sarah Fragoso, the author of Everyday Paleo and PaleoTalk. Great up to date information on paleo cooking, crossfit and overall health. (US)
- Mark’s Daily Apple (please note: primal, not paleo) - A blog by Mark Sisson, the author of The Primal Blueprint. Great up to date information on primal living, crossfit and overall health. (US)
Looking for food porn?
- Nom Nom Paleo - Long time favourite and constant source of cooking inspiration! A blog oozing of ridiculously yummy paleo food.
If your favourites aren’t listed above, please comment below! I’d love to find more gems to add to my ever-growing book shelf.
