If you’ve been following the Paleo diet for a while, you’ll know how time-consuming it can be to make your meals from scratch. After all, one of the main principles of the Paleo diet is eating food that is unprocessed, which is often the quickest and easiest food to make on a busy day.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could just walk into your local Wal-Mart, head for the freezer aisle, and grab some meals that comply with the Paleo or Whole30 diet?
Well, that dream could easily become a reality.
It may come as a surprise that Wal-Mart even stocks frozen Paleo meals, but below we’ll take you through what they have to offer both online and in store.
We’ll also let you in on a couple more Paleo meal delivery services that are not affiliated with Wal-Mart but still provide convenient, delicious, Paleo-friendly meals!
While the overall health benefits of the Paleo diet are so worth it, another difficult aspect is the sourcing of ingredients to ensure your meals are Paleo-friendly. Nothing worth having is ever easy, right?
But that doesn’t mean shunning convenience, and there are plenty of companies popping up around the country that do the same meticulous ingredient sourcing as you, making it their mission to produce foods to Paleo standards while making your life just a bit easier.
We’re sure your mouth is watering, so let’s just dive right in!
Frozen Paleo Meals at Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart doesn’t just sell frozen Paleo meals, but they sell several of the major Paleo frozen food brands in store and online.
If you live in an area with an abundance of Wal-Mart stores, but not a whole lot of specialty food stores then it’s definitely worth swinging by your nearest Wal-Mart to see what they have to offer.
The companies below are the ones that are typically available at most Wal-Mart stores.
They work with a handful of specific Paleo Frozen meal companies, and what you’ll find are your typical frozen dinners, shrink-wrapped and ready to pop in the microwave for a quick, easy-to-make meal.
Beetnik Paleo Wal-Mart Meals: Beetnik Foods offers a line of frozen, ready-to-heat Paleo meals and are available at numerous Wal-Mart stores.
They offer two meal lines, one certified Paleo by the Paleo Foundation and some meals which are gluten free but not Paleo.
Their availability on the shelves at Wal-Mart will probably differ by location, and their main offerings at Wal-Mart include Beef Chilli with Sweet Potato, Chicken with Cauliflower Rice, Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry, and Shepards Pie.
All of these, however, contain potato flour so depending on how strictly you’re following the Paleo diet, Beetnik Wal-Mart frozen meals may or may not be for you. However, their Grass Fed Beef Meatballs do not contain potato based ingredients and are also available at Wal-Mart.
Tastefully Plated Wal-Mart Meals: Tastefully Plated meals are often found in the Wal-Mart freezer section. Like Beetnik, Tastefully Plated has a Paleo meal line, and a non-Paleo ‘natural’ meal line.
The three meals currently available in their Paleo line are Braised Beef, Braised Pork Entrees, and Chicken Breast. Again like Beetnik, Tastefully Plated meals have been certified by the Paleo Foundation, but the three meals that are available in Wal-Mart also have potato starch as an ingredient.
Sugar, which is not technically a Paleo ingredient, is also an ingredient in their Braised Beef entree.
Again, depending on how strictly you’re following the Paleo diet, these meals may not be for you.
There has also been some confusion around the Tastefully Plated meals, due to the extra large placement of the word ‘PALEO’ at the top of the packaging.
Some people have started referring to Tastefully Plated meals as Paleo Brand frozen meals, but they are not actually affiliated with the Paleo Foundation anymore than any other company making Paleo friendly meals.
Wal-Mart Marketplace
Wal-Mart also works with third party companies in order to expand the number of products they offer. One of these brands is Pete’s Paleo, which has begun selling their frozen meals through the Wal-Mart Marketplace program.
Companies who sell through Marketplace do so through the Wal-Mart.com website, so while you’re unlikely to find the Pete’s Paleo meals in the freezer section of your local Wal-Mart, you can still find them on the Wal-Mart website.
If you look for Paleo options there, you’re likely to find Pete’s Paleo meals.
Since the availability of a lot of Wal-Mart’s in-store Paleo products differ by store, buying Paleo frozen meals through Marketplace might be the better option.
Pete’s Paleo Frozen Meals Wal-Mart Bundle: Pete’s Paleo has been selling Paleo meals for years via their website, and now they’ve partnered with Wal-Mart to sell from their Marketplace.
Unlike some of Wal-Mart’s other Paleo frozen meal offerings, Pete’s Paleo is fully compliant with the strictest interpretation of the Paleo diet. All their produce is organic, all meats are grass-fed, grass-finished, or pastured, and free of sweeteners.
Their Wal-Mart bundle uses a cauliflower rice base that is less expensive per meal than their traditional meal plans, although they now offer the same bundle on their website too.
If you like the added convenience of having your meals delivered to your home rather than having to go to Wal-Mart, or if you want a frozen meal that strictly follows the Paleo diet, then companies like Pete’s Paleo may be for you.
Pre-Packaged Paleo Meals Alternatives
Since Pete’s Paleo meals are sold through the Wal-Mart Marketplace, Wal-Mart is only processing the payment. The meals will be made and shipped to you directly by Pete’s Paleo from their kitchens.
As is the case of the companies selling frozen meals below. Their Paleo meals are shipped nationwide, and will ship your frozen or fresh meals directly to your home – just like a purchase through Wal-Mart Marketplace, or the purchase of a third party product on Wal-Mart’s website.
Below, you’ll find some alternative companies to Pete’s Paleo for you to consider.
The Good Kitchen: The Good Kitchen offers meals that are vacuum sealed and nicely labeled, just like the meals you might find in the frozen food section in Wal-Mart. But that’s where the comparisons end.
Meals from The Good Kitchen are made with organic produce based on what is currently in season at the local farms they are partnered with. They not only produce grass-fed and grass-finished beef, pastured poultry, turkey, and pork, but also wild fish and seafood that is in compliance with the Monterey Bay Aquarium guidelines for sustainable fish.
The Good Kitchen was initially created as the company modPALEO which focused specifically on meals compliant with the Paleo diet, and they’ve recently added Primal meals to their food lineup.
What’s more, the information on their Paleo-only meals contains complete, transparent ingredient information, without vague terms like ‘spices’ that are sometimes found on packaged Paleo meals.
Unlike the Beetnik or Tastefully Plated meals we’ve mentioned, The Good Kitchen has a menu that changes weekly with over 20 different meals every week, giving you much greater variety and options.
You also have the option of ordering a recurring plan or a one time order, with all deliveries offering free shipping to any address in the United States, with a minimum of 5 meals per order.
Visit their website for their prices and menu.
Paleo on the Go: Another great option for having frozen Paleo meals, meals from Paleo on the Go can be sent to your home or office. It’s similar to ordering through a Wal-Mart Marketplace seller on the Wal-Mart website.
This service is particularly popular with those who are strictly adhering to the Paleo diet for health reasons.
They also offer a large menu of meals that are not strictly Paleo, but are still designed for those following the Autoimmune Paleo Protocol (AIP), which is a stricter version of Paleo to help improve gut health and caters for those with complicated health conditions.
Paleo on the Go operates their own private gluten-free kitchen, which is something that those on a strict gluten free or Paleo diet will appreciate.
All proteins from Paleo on the Go are grass fed or grass finished, pastured, or wild caught.
What’s more, they also list the farms they use and other sourcing details on their website, so you can see exactly where they are sourcing the ingredients used in their meals for further peace of mind that you’re getting the best quality meals.
They partner with farms in and around their HQ in Florida, and so it is a great service for those who live in the Southeast of the U.S. How much fresher can you get? Plus, if you live in Florida, it’s a good way to support local farmers.
Visit their website for more information on their prices and menus.
Trifecta: Trifecta Nutrition is another Paleo meal delivery service, and as they are based in California, is a great option for those living on the west coast. But if you live further afield, don’t worry. They deliver nationwide too.
Their focus is Paleo meal plans designed for those following the Paleo diet in order to improve their fitness level, weight, and overall health.
When you sign up for one of their Paleo meal plans you have the chance to also have a consultation with one of their nutritionists. Now that’s truly a personal service!
Trifecta also ensures all ingredients in their meals are organic, and that their proteins are grass-fed and finished, pastured, or wild.
Visit their website for current prices on bulk items and their single ingredient AIP Paleo food delivery options.
Paleo and Whole30 Wal-Mart Meals
The freezer aisle at Wal-Mart is a great place to find complete Paleo ready-to-heat meals.
But while not every store location offers Paleo frozen meals, if you live in an area with multiple Wal-Mart stores you’re more likely to have more options.
Finding Whole 30 Wal-Mart frozen meals, however, can be a bit more challenging.
This is because many of the Paleo frozen meals at Wal-Mart are in between being Paleo and less strict Primal meals, but the options above should be suitable for those who are also following the Whole30 diet as well.
How To Check What Paleo Meals Wal-Mart Has in Stock
Another great thing about Wal-Mart is that they can often let you know which products are available at your local store.
They can even tell you whether a particular Wal-Mart location carries a particular frozen meal from a brand and whether they currently have it in stock.
For example, they can tell you if one of Beetnik’s Paleo frozen meals offerings are in stock, and how far you would need to travel if you were looking for a particular Beetnik product that your local store is currently out of.
This is an incredibly helpful feature of the Wal-Mart website, especially for specialty items like Paleo frozen meals.
This saves you a trip to the store, as well as an afternoon spent driving around hoping you can find the meal you’re looking for at nearby stores.
Other Companies Offering Paleo Frozen Meals
If you want a bit more variety from your Paleo frozen meals, below you’ll find meals that you won’t find at Wal-Mart but in other supermarket frozen food aisles. These particular companies do tend to be regional in their distribution, but their websites do have store locators which make their meals easier to find.
Grandcestors: Grandcestors make traditional frozen meals, with a tv-dinner feel. They’re wrapped in plastic packaging that you poke a few holes into, slide in the microwave, and can enjoy in just a few minutes.
Unlike your typical microwave dinner, however, Grandcestors makes Paleo friendly meals. They use only whole food to produce their meals, and their meals are made to have a balance of macronutrients like proteins, and healthy fats and carbs.
They currently offer several meal options such as Colorado Hash and Chicken Tikka Masala. They also offer Gumbo that is made from cauliflower rice, free-range chicken thighs, turkey Andouille, and plenty of vegetables and spices.
Grandcestors frozen meals are available in Whole Foods in Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah or Washington. However, if you live further afield, you can order Grandcestors meals online and have them shipped right to your door.
Eatology: For those following the Paleo diet in order to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, Eatology is a great option. It’s the only meal delivery option we’ve mentioned that follows both Paleo and Primal diets as well as the Zone protocol.
If you don’t know what the Zone protocol is, it focuses on stabilizing blood sugar levels by balancing macronutrients. Eatology makes sure that the proteins, and healthy fats and carbs in their meals are well balanced when they create their meals.
They have several ordering options and deliver their frozen meals all over the country. Like Paleo on the Go, you can also order breakfast options from Eatology, as well as lunches and dinners.
Their meals come in portion sizes called ‘blocks’ and you can order 2-3 block meals, as well as a ‘party platter’ 12-block meal (this option is great for families). Like other companies, Eatology has a rotating menu, so each time you order you have the option to get something different.
Their breakfast options include lemon-dill breakfast sausage with pumpkin pie and fruit compote, or mushroom and gravy brisket poutine – delicious!
What’s more, their plans are incredibly affordable and you can also make use of monthly discounts on meal plans, as well as discounts for customers who order recurring plans.
For those wanting to stock their kitchen with freezer meals that are budget-friendly as well as Paleo-friendly, Eatology is probably the best option when your local health food store doesn’t carry frozen Paleo meals.
True Fare: Recently rebranded from Pre-made Paleo, True Fare’s frozen meals are a great choice for those following the Whole30 diet.
The company offers a wide variety of Whole30 and Paleo-friendly frozen meals on their menu, and their proteins are all grass-fed, free range, and wild caught. Their produce is also organic.
Like Paleo on the Go, True Fare provides a full list of their vendors for you to peruse, so you can be assured that your barbecue turkey burger or curried pork meatballs are made from the best ingredients.
With True Fare, you also have the option of ordering certain meals a la carte, but they also offer a wide variety of meal plans guaranteed to make your mouth water.
They don’t just have Whole 30 frozen meals, but AIP frozen meals, wild-caught fish and even plans specifically made for athletes.
All of their meals are also Whole30 approved, making them a great source for Whole 30 freezer meals. If you’re interested in speciality, unique ingredients, True Fare also offers a rotating list of specialty proteins like alpaca or water buffalo bratwurst.
They also have their own line of Paleo-friendly snacks.
If you order meals on a Sunday, your food will be prepared and then shipped to your door on Thursday. For more variety in your meals, you can’t go wrong with True Fare, especially if you’re looking for Whole 30 approved and even Keto-friendly freezer meals. Yes, they do Keto friendly meals too!
Paleo Frozen Foods vs Paleo Frozen Entrees
At some larger food stores such as Trader Joe’s or Target, you may be able to find some Paleo frozen meal ingredients, rather than whole Paleo frozen meals. Trader Joe’s for example, sells great frozen cauliflower rice.
Meanwhile, whole-sellers like Costco have started stocking frozen, cooked Paleo-friendly proteins like free-range chicken and wild-caught fish.
Conclusion
The number of companies we’ve covered in this article proves that there is more choice for Paleo friendly meals at Wal-Mart than first thought.
Of course, not all of these options are suitable for a strict Paleo diet, but if you’re not strictly adhering to the diet then the options in the freezer section at Wal-Mart will do just fine.
There are definitely some advantages to buying Paleo frozen meals from Wal-Mart, especially when it comes to saving money.
In fact, in most locations several of the Wal-Mart Paleo frozen meals cost between $1-$5 – a brilliant deal!
But as an alternative to buying Paleo frozen meals in-store, you can instead go for Pete’s Paleo Meals Bundle that are sold through Wal-Mart as well as through the Pete’s Paleo site.
They average a little over $5 per serving, while some bowls cost $10 per serving. This isn’t bad when you take into account the high-quality ingredients that go into the meals.
A lot of the meals from Paleo on the Go, The Good Kitchen and Trifecta also start at around $10 per bowl and entree as well.