When you are on a Paleo regime, your goal is to eat strictly whole-food ingredients. This means only foods that were available to our ancestors, such as veggies, fruits, fish, and lean meat. I get that this seems very easy for you, but in fact, it is not.
You still need to learn which ingredients are the base of your diet, which can be consumed often and which one frequently, which should be avoided, and those that can’t be used at all.
Not all veggies and fruits are Paleo-friendly, just like not all meat is Paleo-friendly, especially meat from animals that are not grass-fed or processed meat products like dry meat, patties, and sausages.
But what about sausages that are made from lean meat? Can you eat turkey sausage on a Paleo diet?
This is what you are going to learn in today’s article.
Can Turkey Sausage Be A Good Choice When You Are On Paleo Diet?
Well, store-bought sausage is not something you should eat on Paleo honestly since most are full of additives, salt, fat, and made from meat that we can’t be certain is Paleo-friendly. Unfortunately, a lot of those sausages are made with junk ingredients rather than actual animal parts.
But what most of us did not know is that making sausage is a traditional way of preserving meat and a great way to use almost all animal parts. Remember, our ancestors did not allow themselves the luxury of wasting perfectly good meat only just because it does not look good to the eye.
Anyhow if you know how to make sausages on your own or you know someone who makes them, you can easily substitute regular store-bought sausage with one made from lean turkey meat. The preparation is quick and easy, and the nutritional value is more than satisfying.
Turkey sausage can be a great source of protein for breakfast or dinner. So yes, turkey sausage can be eaten on a Paleo diet when you are 100% sure it is made from allowed ingredients.
What Types Of Sausages Are There?
A high-quality sausage is made with just a few simple ingredients such as meat and a combination of spices. Some people like to add fat, veggies, or fruit to enhance the flavor. Sausage is typically packed in some kind of casing so it can stick together.
Sausages come in many different varieties, but here are three basic types:
- Fresh or raw sausage: This is the most basic form of sausage, and it contains ground meat, fat, and spices all mixed together but not cured or cooked. Usually, it’s sold in casings, but you can also find them in the form of meat patties or loose like any other ground meat.
- Cooked sausage: This is basically fresh sausage that’s been cooked. The only thing you need to do is reheat it if you prefer it warm. So all you have to do is reheat it. It can also come in links or patties, and they are very convenient if you don’t have time for cooking.
- Cured dry sausage: Once again, this is a fresh sausage that has been smoked or fermented. This type of sausage is stable at room temperature, so they are perfect for traveling, hiking when you need a ready supply of high-quality protein.
All of the above can be suitable for a Paleo regime if you know that they don’t contain any forbidden ingredients.
Things To Consider When Picking Out Turkey Sausage On Your Paleo Regime
You must pay attention to two important things when you are buying sausages that you plan to use on the Paleo regime. Those are casings and filling.
1. Casings
This might sound gross to you, but traditional sausage casings are made from animal intestines. So when you see it, it says in a beef or pork or lamb casing, that’s a good sign since it means it’s all-natural and suitable for Paleo.
Again it seems gross, but they do taste the best, and they are the best indicator of a high-quality homemade sausage. The industrially produced sausages usually do not come in natural casings since intestines do not come in standard sizes. These are suitable for Paleo eaters.
There are also collagen casings that are a better option than industrial ones. They should not be eaten since these casings are made from animal hides. These animal hides are treated with acidic and alkaline materials to extract the collagen and some other products to give it a good texture, so it is a smart decision to just avoid eating it. These are not suitable for Paleo eaters.
Casings are sometimes made from cellulose. These types of casings are inedible, and they must be removed before the sausage is sold, so there is no need to worry about what’s in them, but still, they are not suitable for strict Paleo eaters since they are industrially made.
2. Filling
High-quality sausages should be stuffed with a combination of lean meat, a bit of fat or not at all, salt, and spices. Some kinds may have a sweetener, other animal ingredients like blood or fruit.
Keep in mind that good sausages do not need flour, cornstarch, breadcrumbs, gum, or any other texturizing ingredient to hold them together.
The only way to be clear that the sausage is Paleo-approved and to avoid junk ingredients is to take an eye on the ingredients list. In case you can’t find it on the market, you can always make your own.
Making sausages is not that hard, believe me.
How To Make Paleo Sausages?
There are two ways to do this – one is easy, and the other is for those who have a bit more time and like to make it fancier.
The easy way is effortless, so forget about the casings and focus on meat. This method does not require any equipment, and it won’t take a lot of your time either. Mix the meat and spices you prefer and make the sausage patties; they won’t look pretty, but they will be hella tasty.
The bad thing is that they can’t be smoked and fermented, so they can’t be kept at room temperature. However, they are a great addition to your breakfast or an easy dinner like frittata or chili.
If you prefer to make it fancier, you will need to invest in a sausage stuffer and casings. With this machine, you can make any type of sausage you want, so look up some recipes and start experimenting. You can ferment them, smoke them, use them raw or cooked since they are placed in the casing.
Keep in mind that sausage staffer is a pricey little thing and that this process takes a lot of time before you enter this adventure.
Now that you know how to make sausage on your own let me share one of my favorite easy recipes that I prepare almost every week.
Easy, Fragrant Breakfast Turkey Sausage
These homemade turkey sausages will be a lifesaver for you if you need to make a quick breakfast. This amount is enough for ten sausage patties, which you can easily freeze and use when needed.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground turkey meat
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- Four cloves of smashed garlic
- One medium apple, chopped
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
Heat the skillet on medium heat and cook fennel and cumin seeds until the spices are fragrant, about 3-5 minutes—transfer spices on some plate to cool off. Mix turkey meat, apple, garlic, red and black pepper, kosher salt, and seeds until combined.
Form mixture into patties about ½-inch thick, and if you want to freeze them, place them on a foil or parchment-lined sheet pan for an hour or two and then transfer them to freezer bags. When cooking them, set the heat on medium-low and cook each side for 5 minutes.
Can You Eat Turkey Sausage On Paleo – Summing It Up
As you can see, there is nothing wrong with eating sausage on a Paleo regime if you know the ingredient list. In fact, our ancestors ate sausages almost all the time since this was the only way to preserve meat for a longer period without any risk of spoilage.
Making your own sausages is a great way to prevent food wasting and use all the available animal parts. Find a good butcher, farmer, or local producer and buy high-quality sausages without any junk ingredients added.
