With a contagious smile, love for fresh produce, and beachy lifestyle, it’s no wonder this wildly successful but down-to-earth Aussie has caught our attention! Pete Evans has made a name for himself as a celebrity chef by opening numerous award-winning restaurants and cooking for everyone from Martha Stewart to European royalty. He is a regular TV personality, spreading the message of clean eating across countless network programs, and has over ten bestselling cookbooks. But the main thing that’s driven us right to his doorstep is his enthusiasm for the Paleo diet.
The Paleo diet is based around eating the types of foods presumed to have been eaten by early humans. It focuses on grass-fed meat, wild fish, fresh vegetables and fruit, eggs, nuts and seeds, and healthy oils such as avocado, coconut and olives, and excludes dairy, cereal grains, potatoes, legumes, sugar, processed and refined food. And while we love our fair share of Greek yogurt and grain bowls, we’re intrigued by what this diet can do for your health.
Pete is a testament to the healing powers of the Paleo way: it changed his life mentally, physically and emotionally. This transformation has paved the way for Pete’s belief that food can be medicine, and that it should be our first port of call for a healthier life. They say the proof is in the pudding, which is why we’re down for giving the Paleo way a try. First stop? Stocking the fridge with Pete Evans’ top grocery item picks:
Favorite place to shop:
B.U Organics. It’s in Bondi Beach, where I live in Australia and run by my good mate Pete Melov. There’s great local produce, lots of nourishing spices and products and it’s also a really awesome community space. Plus his on-site café dishes up a really nourishing lunch and a whole lot of health-giving juices. It’s one of my favorite places to visit.
My favorite veggie:
Cauliflower because it’s one of the most nutrient-dense veggies we can eat. It’s packed with powerful antioxidants like manganese and is full of vitamin C, K, folate, omega-3 fatty acids and protein.
Produce shopping tip:
I really like to shop locally and so I seek out growers in my area at farmers markets or visit their farm stalls. By starting a relationship with them, I get to source the best and freshest in-season veggies and fruit in my area and it’s a great way to shop for perfect produce and meet new friends.
Must-have munchies:
Activated nuts. My favorite combo being almonds, macadamia, walnuts and Brazil nuts. Activated basically means the nuts have been soaked so that they sprout and release their enzyme inhibitors, making them easier to digest.
Fave condiments:
Anything fermented because I love the fact that fermented veg tastes great but is also one of nature’s most powerful probiotics. My favorite condiments are fermented mustard, cultured tomato ketchup and sauerkraut.
Meat, fish and protein:
For meat, beef heart (I love it marinated with an Argentinian sauce called chimichurri, threaded onto skewers and barbecued). For fish, my favorite is kingfish (ideally it’s one I’ve caught myself, but if not, I always have a few portions in my freezer ready to dish up). And for protein, organic chicken liver, hands down is my favorite cooked any which way.
Best bargain:
Best label-reading tip:
Always read your labels on packaged food and get to know and understand what certain ingredients are. If you’re not sure, do some research and identify those ingredients you are unsure of.
Must-have staples:
Ginger, garlic, coconut oil, salt, fish and herbs.
Craziest thing I buy:
Slippery elm powder. This comes from the inner bark of the slippery elm tree and is known to assist in soothing an unsettled stomach. It can be added to juices, smoothies or sauces.
Naturally sweet:
My favorite way to indulge is coconut water, either fresh or frozen into popsicles.
Dairy or non-dairy faves:
Non-dairy all the way for me. And that’s why I can’t go past macadamia cheese.
Skip labels that read:
Low-fat or diet this and that. Low-fat labels usually mean higher sugar levels and hidden calories.
Favorite splurge:
A surfing holiday with my fiancé Nic and the kids to Fiji.
My shopping bag is:
Recycled fabric bags filled with organic produce.
Wine and other indulgences:
I don’t drink and I’ve always had a bit of a thing for savory over sweet, so one of my favorite indulgences is a serving of pâté and seed crackers. Seed crackers are a bit of an undertaking to make because you’ve got to commit a lot time-wise (not so much n the prep, but just waiting for them to dry out), and when someone does make them for me (which luckily, for me, my fiancé often does) I really appreciate them because of the time taken to create them. They taste sooo good with some liver pate.
Simple go-to recipe:
Cauliflower fried rice with free-range bacon. Rather than eating this well-known Asian staple dish with the traditional bland white rice, I choose to replace it with nutrient-rich cauliflower (my favorite veg). Tossed together with my fave ingredients such as tamari, egg, veggies, ginger, garlic and bacon, it makes a delicious mid-week meal.
