What do you think?
Rate this book
Primal Cravings: Your favorite foods made Paleo
Primal Cravings sets out to provide the best of both worlds--delicious food to satiate our deep seated, visceral urges, made with ingredients that satisfy our ancient genetic needs for good health. Thin mint cookies, strawberry shortcake waffles, carrot cake cream pies, All-American burgers with French fry buns, ten different flavored bacons... With Primal Cravings, you can enjoy all this and much more, and still stay aligned with the Primal/Paleo eating strategy. Inside you'll find assorted breakfasts, meat and main dishes, sides and salads, snacks, sweets and basics like bread, sauces, and dressings. All 125 innovative recipes are low-sugar, grain-free, gluten-free, and industrial oil-free. Unlike typical substitute recipes in other cookbooks, these new and original grain-free baking methods have almost exclusively eliminated the need for expensive nut flours and nut butters.Based in South Carolina, authors Brandon and Megan Keatley created Primal Cravings on the momentum of their popular Health-Bent.com website--a treasure trove of Primal/Paleo recipes, workout tips and motivational messages. These kitchen whizzes and expert-level fitness coaches present Primal Cravings on the heels of several years of research, experimentation and perfecting recipes in their home kitchen. The recipes are presented in a simple, clear, easy-to-navigate format, with vibrant photos and detailed macronutrient analysis' of each preparation.In addition to the recipes, bonus features include: *A simple and memorable overview of the tenets of a Primal/paleo diet*Primers on ingredients, tools, and stocking your kitchen*Menu suggestions for different occasions (quick, budget, feeding a crowd) If you've been missing or looking for healthy, innovative ways to make breakfast egg dishes, waffles, pancakes, muffins, burgers, chili, pizza, chips, baked goods (cakes, pies, cookies, crackers, brownies) and frozen desserts; or global cuisine like gyros, spanakopita, moo shu, barbacoa, tacos, tikka masala and other favorites, Primal Cravings will open up a whole new world of pleasurable, Primal-approved possibilities.
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 4, 2013
53 people are currently reading
441 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 23, 2013
Butter makes everything taste good. Everything. I could boil my most hated veggie, slather it with butter and yum. Only problem is I can't have dairy, along with gluten and corn.
So. Paleo seems to be a workable solution for me. They believe in grain free, dairy free eating. They're doing it for health and wellness, I'm doing it to avoid various allergy reactions.
I looked for Paleo cookbooks. I bought a few. I've really enjoyed some of them. Not this one. Why? Butter is in most of the recipes I'd be interested in making. Yes, there is a page at the beginning of the book of suggested substitutes, but butter is like cheese. There really is no substitute - at least, not a corn free one. The closest I could come is organic shortening or coconut oil, which aren't butter.
These authors even have you going out and buying deli meat and making recipes with that. No discussion of possible gluten (and almost definite) corn contamination by doing that. (Um, I'm pretty sure they're both grains??) Need something quick and easy? Oh! Run to the deli and use lunchmeat for a wrap!
Except, no. That would give me a corn reaction, and I'd want to sleep for about two days.
I called Amazon, and told them this book has "Paleo" in the title....but the recipes aren't Paleo, as most contain butter. Thankfully, they were gracious enough to send me a postage-paid return label. The search is on for more Paleo cookbooks. If you eat dairy and don't mind corn contamination, maybe this book would work for you.
So. Paleo seems to be a workable solution for me. They believe in grain free, dairy free eating. They're doing it for health and wellness, I'm doing it to avoid various allergy reactions.
I looked for Paleo cookbooks. I bought a few. I've really enjoyed some of them. Not this one. Why? Butter is in most of the recipes I'd be interested in making. Yes, there is a page at the beginning of the book of suggested substitutes, but butter is like cheese. There really is no substitute - at least, not a corn free one. The closest I could come is organic shortening or coconut oil, which aren't butter.
These authors even have you going out and buying deli meat and making recipes with that. No discussion of possible gluten (and almost definite) corn contamination by doing that. (Um, I'm pretty sure they're both grains??) Need something quick and easy? Oh! Run to the deli and use lunchmeat for a wrap!
Except, no. That would give me a corn reaction, and I'd want to sleep for about two days.
I called Amazon, and told them this book has "Paleo" in the title....but the recipes aren't Paleo, as most contain butter. Thankfully, they were gracious enough to send me a postage-paid return label. The search is on for more Paleo cookbooks. If you eat dairy and don't mind corn contamination, maybe this book would work for you.
May 18, 2019
Family favorite recipes. The Devil's Food Snack Cake works great for birthdays and also as muffins without the frosting. The Maple Banana Spice Cake is made in our household at least once a month, we usually bake as muffins. Because these recipes use coconut flour and tapioca flour, our friends with wheat allergies can enjoy too, always a bonus.
June 13, 2021
Enjoyed this book so much I’m going to have to buy myself a copy. I haven’t tried out any of the recipes yet but the gluten free ones look right up my alley.
March 9, 2014
It's great to find a "diet" cookbook that actually has tasty recipes! That being said, I doubt this book would help anyone lose weight - I shuddered at some of the very high calorie and fat counts in the recipes, which are conveniently hidden in the back of the book in an index. I would have liked to see more in-depth writing on why a Paleo/Primal diet is a good choice and why it is healthier and/or why it helps you lose weight.
A little warning as well - while generally Paleo would be gluten free, some of the recipes in this book suggest using things like processed lunch meats which are not always gluten free. So be smart and read labels if you are gluten free due to an allergy/sensitivity like me.
But if you aren't as concerned with your weight or as strict about being Paleo, these recipes are actually pretty darn good! I love the sloppy joe meatballs the best.
A little warning as well - while generally Paleo would be gluten free, some of the recipes in this book suggest using things like processed lunch meats which are not always gluten free. So be smart and read labels if you are gluten free due to an allergy/sensitivity like me.
But if you aren't as concerned with your weight or as strict about being Paleo, these recipes are actually pretty darn good! I love the sloppy joe meatballs the best.
July 7, 2013
I'm a big fan of the blog (complete lurker) and pre-ordered the cookbook as soon as I could. If you are a low carb, paleo, primal eater or have gluten, nut, or dairy issues, you need to have this cookbook in your library. Not one recipe uses almond flour, there are great options for snacks & dessert, and the main dishes are pretty damn tasty. All-American style burger on a french fry bun? Yes please. Tikka masala chicken wings? Get in my mouth. Chicken empanadas? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Oh, did I mention there is an entire chapter devoted to breakfast? Well, there is. This is a great cookbook with simple, delicious, whole food recipes that any home cook should check out...don't let the trendy Paleo/Primal label scare you. Seriously, why don't you have this book yet? Go get it.
June 19, 2013
I gave this to my sons to cook from as they often want their old favorites. They are thirteen and had no trouble following the recipes. We've tried the All-American burgers, the pizza base and the Cherry Almond Streusel Muffins. All turned out great, especially the pizza base that was voted best of five in a paleo pizza smackdown we conducted.
This is a large, hardback but surprisingly not heavy cookbook with great photography and a good introduction to paleo and the authors philosophies around eating.
Two things would have made this cookbook better: a stronger cover, maybe a personal opinion but I found the cover didn't reflect the quality of the rest of the book; and watch out for use of potato starch if that is important to you.
This is a large, hardback but surprisingly not heavy cookbook with great photography and a good introduction to paleo and the authors philosophies around eating.
Two things would have made this cookbook better: a stronger cover, maybe a personal opinion but I found the cover didn't reflect the quality of the rest of the book; and watch out for use of potato starch if that is important to you.
September 27, 2014
I enjoyed this cookbook and I don't enjoy many. The authors are no longer following the paleo lifestyle (according to their blog) but it doesn't really matter. I think we should all eat what makes us feel at our best and make us healthy. That doesn't have to be chicken breast and salad 24/7.
This book was good for me because I don't follow the paleo diet but it is closest to what I eat. I am best without gluten and additives but I eat potatoes, rice and beans. I have special circumstances health wise that others may not have.. But this book is a good jumping off point. It has recipes I would actually make. Except for the ones that have tapioca flour in them. And I'm rambling and can't see what I'm writing. Stupid iPhone.follow the
This book was good for me because I don't follow the paleo diet but it is closest to what I eat. I am best without gluten and additives but I eat potatoes, rice and beans. I have special circumstances health wise that others may not have.. But this book is a good jumping off point. It has recipes I would actually make. Except for the ones that have tapioca flour in them. And I'm rambling and can't see what I'm writing. Stupid iPhone.follow the
November 22, 2016
There are some wonderful recipes (lots of baked goods that have the right taste and texture despite being free of grain flour!) but many do call for dairy products. I'm okay with that- we love our cream, butter and cheese, but I can see where it would be frustrating for those who are strictly paleo. Substituting out dairy isn't always as easy as using coconut oil/milk instead of butter and cream. If you're new to paleo and need someone experienced to work out the best substitutions for you this might not be the best book to start with. If you already know how to modify recipes, or follow a primal diet, get this book!
January 29, 2015
found this at the library. I'm not sure how accurate it is to claim it as read when I haven't cooked from it yet, but here is my take on what I've found. There is a large amount of cheese in this book for a paleo cookbook. It is also very carb heavy, which I guess is okay for the authors, who are regular crossfitters. The dessert portion of the book is quite large. But there are a few re-imaginings that I would love to try, such as the Cuban burger on a fried plaintains and butternut squash lasagna. I think this cookbook's target audience is people who don't actually have any food allergies, but want all their food to be slightly healthier by removing grains, etc.
December 26, 2013
Although I have not yet made any of the recipes, these actually look like ones that I would want to make without too much hassle as far as finding ingredients, etc. At first I was not pleased that the nutrition facts were not listed in each recipe; however, I was happy to find it all in a handy reference section in the back--very helpful for those needing to select meals within specific restrictions. I am also a fan of having a full-sized picture of each recipe.
September 7, 2014
I did enjoy the 80/20 approach the author's described. It seemed more doable than going completely cold turkey from cutting out certain foods from my diet. Surprisingly this was one of the few Paleo cook books that I've read that has a handful of dessert recipes. I didn't try them. I did try some of the breakfast recipes! They were so yummy.
February 2, 2019
Recipes are interesting, creative, and accompanied by nice pictures. The nutritional information is located in the back of the book which is a little inconvenient. In the beginning of the book, the writers outline what primal eating and the Paleo philosophy means to them. At the back of the book there is a list of additional recommended reading and resources.
June 9, 2015
I could only give this two stars because they used tapioca or potato starch in almost everything. Both of those are questionable on the paleo scale and my epileptic son cannot have them. However, if one is struggling with transition from regular American diet to Paleo these recipes could help them.
May 4, 2017
Really fresh and new. I hate it when I get a cookbook that reads like every other cookbook. Primal Cravings had a ton of different recipes, even compared to other paleo cookbooks I've read. This was recommended to me by one of my friends that works in a natural food store. She gets to see it all. I'm very glad I trusted her recommendation.
April 1, 2014
Not too sure about this one
Not too sure about this one
These recipes call for potatoes, a lot of use of sweets, and many recipes appear to be too time consuming for a working mother of 2.
Not too sure about this one
These recipes call for potatoes, a lot of use of sweets, and many recipes appear to be too time consuming for a working mother of 2.
May 15, 2014
i'm trying to get into cooking a bit more, and this cookbook has some amazing recipes and the food looks delicious. i feel like it is a bit above my level, cooking-wise, however - dutch oven, etc. also uses eggs, creams, which i don't eat.
April 5, 2016
Great book with a large variety of recipes. I borrowed a digital copy from the library and found that, for me, using a digital version is not so easy! Messy hands, messy iPad, yuck. Anywho, I did enjoy the recipes I was able to try and would definitely buy this book.
July 30, 2013
Beautiful book. I marked at least 50 recipes I want to try.
August 2, 2013
I pretty much have every recipe bookmarked. :) Every recipe I have made has been delicious.
September 6, 2013
Very delicious looking recipes.
August 22, 2013
My favorite Paleo Recipe book so far!
July 9, 2016
Fantastic cookbook! I use this all the time and have made several recipes multiple times. If you're looking for Primal cookbooks, this would be a staple!
January 9, 2014
I like how this book was written. Easy to read with some humor thrown in. Haven't made any of the recipes yet but they look easy enough
May 19, 2014
This book makes eating primal/paleo an attainable goal. Down to earth recipes that are tasty and easy. Love it!
August 12, 2014
Loved the stories that went the recipes. Read more like an adventure.
May 12, 2014
More Primal than paleo (as the title suggests) but one of my favorites!
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews