5.03.2013

Paleo(ish) Tips & Tricks

 
 
 
Like I shared on Monday's menu post, I'm not super strict about Paleo.  I don't have a manual open double checking what I can and can't eat.  But here are a few of the things I've done/do to improve my nutrition habits....
 
*I've cut grains....no bread, no pasta, no oats, etc.  I do have rice very occasionally when I'm really needing something heavier but by occasionally I mean I've had it maybe twice in the last couple of months! 
 
*I go for organic and as few ingredients as possible when shopping for food.  I aim for primarily fresh or frozen fruits & veggies.  I found a local farm where i can get fresh eggs & local honey.  When buying things that aren't fresh I aim for a product with as few ingredients as possible!  I like to be able to pronounce each ingredient and know what each of them are w/o tons of research! ;) 
 
*We tried coconut oil and fell in love!!  We use it for every and anything!  We also use olive oil but primarily coconut oil!!
 
Those are a few of the major changes we've made!  With that said, there are still times that I break away from these norms!  I've consumed bread one time and pasta one time since I started this journey and it was enough that I won't be doing that again for a long while!!  I felt awful!  :/  And yes, i still occasionally use processed and/or non organic food and its okay!  But I strive for our norm to be different than that!
 
A couple of other little things that have made this easier for me....
 
*Marinades ~ We eat alot of chicken.  I CANNOT stand bland, ick chicken.  So, marinades are my boyfriends. ;)  There are lots of recipes out there for marinades and we use them!  We also use McCormick Grill Mates marinade packets.  There are tons of flavors!! We've tried 3 or 4 of them and loved most of them!!  Quick and easy makes this mama happy!
 
 
*Presentation ~ Lunch is probably the most challenging meal of the day for me!  Basically all of the foods that my kids eat for lunches are no-no's for me now, so I've had to learn ways to make lunch easier.  I do ALOT of salads and mix it up.  Different proteins, different fruits & veggies, different dressings. Kelly over at Kellys Korner actually did a post about salads here.  Check it out ~ lots of conversation in the comments about different ways to make salads!!  But mostly?  Make it look pretty!!  For me, it makes the process of preparing my lunch more fun and its more fun to eat when it looks pretty!!  Get creative and have a good time making those veggies look pretty!! =)
 
this was  my lunch one day.  nothing fancy...deli meat, a little cheese, tomatoes, olives, yellow pepper, cucumber & a little honey mustard.  simple stuff that i made look pretty!
 
*Snacks ~ I struggled with snacking at first because I felt like there just weren't any quick, easy snacks i could grab.  I'm a busy wife and mom and sometimes I don't have lots of time to "make" a snack!  So here are a few of the things that I've found make quick & easy snacks....
 
these bars are SO good and have simple ingredients.  and it doesn't get any easier than grab-n-go!!

i make trail mix.  quick & easy!  and sometimes I'll throw in some dark chocolate for a special treat!! =)

cheese sticks are super easy!  i love greek yogurt!!  we like to mix some honey & pecans into plain greek yogurt ~ delish!!  I also love vanilla greek yogurt!!
 
Strict and stressed is not for me!!  I do my best to put the best into my body and I'm seeing significant results!  Like i mentioned earlier, I've consumed bread one time and pasta one time and i was so foggy headed, had the worst headache and just felt like crap.  I was skeptical when i first started, I'll admit!  But I'm finding ways to make this lifestyle work for me! 
 
Questions??  Please ask!!  I'm no expert for sure but I'm happy to share what little experience I have with this!  What are some of your favorite snacks??  Or tips/tricks for making healthy eating work for you??  I'd love to hear from you!!
 
 
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but  not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
~2 Corinthians 4:8-9~


1 comment:

Angela said...

Way to go girl! Way to figure out what works for you and stick with it.