If you're exploring the Plant Paradox protocol, understanding compliant food choices is crucial. This guide addresses common questions about incorporating chicken and poultry into your lectin-free diet, provides recipe ideas, and offers resources for sourcing Plant Paradox-friendly ingredients.
Understanding the Plant Paradox Protocol
The Plant Paradox diet, popularized by Dr. Steven Gundry, centers on minimizing lectins in your diet. Lectins, found in many foods, are believed to contribute to inflammation and various health issues. The diet involves eliminating high-lectin foods and emphasizing those with low lectin content.
Plant Paradox Compliant Chicken and Poultry
The Importance of Pasture-Raised Poultry
A core principle of the Plant Paradox is consuming pasture-raised poultry. Chickens should roam freely, bask in the sun, and consume a natural diet of grasses, bugs, insects, and worms. It is vital to avoid poultry treated with antibiotics, hormones, and steroids, or fed GMO corn, wheat, and soy.
Navigating Labels: "Free-Range" vs. "Pasture-Raised"
Be aware that the term "free-range" can be misleading. It often indicates minimal outdoor access, with birds still confined in crowded barns. Look for poultry specifically labeled "pasture-raised" to ensure a more natural and lectin-free diet.
Addressing Supplemental Feeding
Even pasture-raised chickens may require supplemental feed. The key is to ensure this feed is non-GMO and free of soy. Some farms use non-GMO corn and oats as supplemental feed. If this is the best option available, monitor your body's reaction, especially if you have lectin sensitivities.
Read also: Delicious Plant Paradox Breakfasts
Lectin-Light Chicken Feed: A Breakthrough
Dan Walter, owner of Pastured Steps, has developed a lectin-light chicken feed, marking a significant advancement. This feed excludes soy, corn, wheat, peanuts, peas, oats, rice, sunflower, and other common lectin-heavy grains.
Dr. Gundry's Recommendations
In The Plant Paradox Quick and Easy, Dr. Gundry suggests Mary's Free Range, Pasture Raised, Air Chilled Chicken as a suitable alternative when truly pasture-raised poultry is unavailable. While not entirely lectin-free, it's considered an acceptable substitute.
Protein Intake on the Plant Paradox Diet
The Plant Paradox is a low to moderate animal protein diet. Dr. Gundry often encourages a vegetarian or flexitarian approach. A general guideline is 8oz of animal protein per day, divided into 4oz servings, during Phases 1 and 2. Remember that eggs also count towards your daily animal protein intake!
Determining Your Protein Needs
The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. Adjust this based on your individual needs, considering factors like age, health, body weight, and activity level. Experiment to find what works best for you.
Balancing Plant-Based Protein
Since plant-based proteins are often incomplete, ensure you consume a variety of plant foods to obtain all essential amino acids.
Read also: Nutritious Granola Recipes
Where to Buy Plant Paradox Compliant Chicken
Pastured Steps (Midlothian, Texas)
Pastured Steps is a leading producer of lectin-light chicken and chicken feed. They utilize regenerative agriculture practices and offer nationwide delivery and local pickup in the Dallas area.
Burgundy Pasture Beef (Texas)
Burgundy Pasture Beef partners with Cobb Creek Farm to provide pasture-raised chicken, with deliveries within Texas.
The Provisions House (Dallas)
This shop offers flash-frozen meat and chicken, with delivery services in Dallas.
Circle C Farms (Florida)
Circle C Farms delivers nationwide and provides high-quality poultry, including boxes with pre-portioned 4oz servings for Plant Paradox compliance.
Pasture Bird (California)
Pasture Bird focuses on sustainable farming and public education about healthy poultry. They partner with national distributors like Primal Pastures and Crowd Cow for nationwide deliveries.
Read also: Advantages of a Plant-Based Cleanse
Local Farmers Markets
Explore local farmers' markets to connect with farmers and learn about their poultry-raising practices.
Plant Paradox Compliant Chicken Recipes
These Phase 2 Plant Paradox-compliant recipes offer delicious and healthy ways to prepare chicken:
Chicken Kafta (Kofta)
These ground chicken kebabs are seasoned with Middle Eastern spices.
Lectin-Free Chicken Satay
This tender and flavorful chicken satay can be easily made in the oven.
Chicken and Tahini Salad
A simple and satisfying salad with basic ingredients and a tasty tahini sauce.
Green Plantain Curry with Chicken
A flavorful and easy-to-make curry.
Chicken "Gyro" Pita Platter
A delicious al fresco meal option.
Thai-Style Coconut Curry
A low-histamine curry made with chicken and coconut milk.
Pomegranate Chicken with Walnuts
A flavorful and healthy way to cook chicken.
Cabbage and Chicken Soup
A light and nutritious soup, ideal for those following a low-histamine diet.
Asian-Inspired Chicken and Coconut Soup
A flavorful and easy-to-make soup with shiitake mushrooms.
Simple Chicken Salad
A versatile chicken salad for various uses.
Homemade Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets
A healthier alternative to traditional fast-food chicken nuggets.
Aji de Gallina (Peruvian Creamy Chicken)
A low-carb and nutritious version of a Peruvian classic.
Herb-Infused Grilled Spatchcock Chicken
A succulent and aromatic whole chicken preparation.
The Plant Paradox Family Cookbook
The Plant Paradox Family Cookbook by Dr. Steven Gundry offers 80 one-pot recipes for families, emphasizing lectin-free cooking using Instant Pots, slow cookers, and sheet pans. It simplifies the lectin-free movement, making it accessible for the whole family.
Featured Recipes
The cookbook includes a simple French baguette recipe and variations for French toast. It also features contributions from other lectin-free food bloggers.
Cookbook Focus
The cookbook focuses on creating a healthy microbiome by avoiding lectin-containing foods that can damage the gut wall and trigger inflammation. It provides recipes for weeknight dinners, make-ahead breakfasts, snacks, and lunchbox meals.
Foods to Enjoy and Avoid on the Plant Paradox Diet
Foods Allowed
- Coconut oil
- Green tea
- Kiwis
- Macadamia nuts
- Kale
- Avocados
- Sweet potatoes/yams
- Kalamata olives
- Pomegranates
- Cilantro
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Walnuts
- Turmeric
- Dark chocolate
Foods to Avoid
- Starchy carbs (bread, cereal, cookies, crackers, pasta, pastry, potato chips, potatoes, rice, tortillas, wheat flour)
- Grains (brown rice, quinoa, corn products, wheat)
- Sugars/sweeteners (agave, refined sugar, coconut sugar, artificial sweeteners)
- Certain fruits and vegetables (beans, bell peppers, chili peppers, cucumbers, edamame, eggplant, goji berries, lentils, melons, peas, pumpkins, squashes, tomatillos, tomatoes, tofu, zucchini)
- Certain nuts and seeds (almonds with peels, cashews, chia seeds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds)
- Certain milk products (butter from A1 cows, cottage cheese, frozen yogurt, most ice creams, kefir from American cows, cow’s milk, cow’s milk cheese from American cows, ricotta, yogurt)
- Certain oils (partially hydrogenated oils, corn, cottonseed, grapeseed, peanut, safflower, soy, sunflower, vegetable)
- Certain herbs and seasonings (ketchup, mayonnaise unless MCT or avocado-based, red chili flakes, soy sauce, steak sauces, Worcestershire sauce unless gluten-free)
Sample Lectin-Free Diet Food List
Produce
- Artichoke
- Asparagus
- Avocados
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Cilantro
- Garlic
- Greens (collard, mustard)
- Kimchi
- Olives
- Spinach
Oils
- Avocado
- Coconut
- Flaxseed
- MCT
- Olive
- Sesame
Nuts and Seeds
- Coconut milk
- Flaxseeds
- Hempseeds
- Macadamia nuts
- Pistachios
- Walnuts
- Sesame seeds
Flours
- Almond
- Cassava
- Coconut
- Sweet potato
Meats and Seafood
- Pasture-raised chicken
- Pastured turkey
- Duck
- Beef
- Bison
- Pork (humanely raised)
- Anchovies
- Tuna
- Cod
- Crab
- Halibut
- Sardine
Dairy
- Goat milk and goat cheese
- Coconut yogurt
- Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Herbs, Seasonings, and Condiments
- Most seasonings
- Miso
- Nutritional yeast
- Mustard
- Vinegars
Sweeteners
- Monk fruit
- Local honey
- Stevia
- Xylitol
Sample Meal Plan
- Breakfast: Coconut yogurt with blueberries, black coffee
- Lunch: Grilled shrimp and sweet potato
- Dinner: Chicken skewers, broccoli, and white rice
Lectin-Free Diet Snacks
- Pistachios, walnuts, or sesame seeds instead of cashews, peanuts, or pumpkin seeds
- Celery sticks with almond butter instead of potato chips
- Sweet potato fries (cooked in lectin-free oil) instead of French fries
- Dark chocolate or coconut milk ice cream instead of candy bars and dairy-based ice cream
Phases of the Plant Paradox Diet
Phase 1: Gut Reset
- Goal: Change the types of bacteria in your gut.
- Length: 3 days.
- What to Expect: Transition to healthier eating habits.
- Avoid: All items on the "no" list, most fruits, beans, tofu, unfermented soy, cow’s milk.
Phase 2: Repair and Restore
- Goal: Repair and restore your digestive tract while adopting healthier eating habits.
- Length: 6 weeks or more.
- What to Expect: Breaking old eating habits, weight loss, increased energy, reduced junk food cravings, and the normalization of healthy eating habits.
- Avoid: All items on the "no" list, most fruits, beans, tofu, unfermented soy, cow’s milk.
Phase 3: Maintenance and Reintroduction
- Goal: Gradually reintroduce certain lectin-containing foods prepared properly.
- Length: Can be continued for a lifetime.
- When to Move to Phase 3: When bowel movements are regular, joint pain has subsided, brain fog has cleared, skin has improved, energy has increased, sleep has improved, and weight has normalized.
- What to Expect: Increased awareness of how your body responds to foods, weight stabilization, and appreciation for the addition of new foods.
- Avoid: All items on the "no" list and most fruits, beans, tofu, unfermented soy, cow’s milk from an unapproved source.
- Eat: All foods listed in Phases 1 and 2, plus A2 casein dairy and honey. Some lectin-containing foods can be reintroduced through pressure cooking or peeling and deseeding.
Additional Tips
- Consult Your Doctor: Before starting any new diet, especially if you have chronic conditions.
- Make a Shopping List: Plan your meals and snacks.
- Keep a Food Journal: Track your progress and identify any sensitivities.
- Find Support: Connect with others following the Plant Paradox diet.