Paleo on a Road Trip

So I am going to be honest - I find staying on the Paleo wagon hardest when I am on holiday. And while I don't mind having treats on vacation - because life is too short to be perfect, I hate when I eat something that isn't really worth it. And road trips can be long and boring, and eating junk food is kind of a tradition. So here is how I stay Paleo when we are on a road trip!

Tips and Tricks

Be organised!

Plan ahead. If I know we are going away I will make sure we have healthy snacks to pack away. I generally cut up capsicum, have baby carrots, buy a big bag of grapes, and a tub of mixed nuts. Water, Soda water or Kombucha can help me stop the constant need to buy a giant Coke Zero in each town we drive through. I try and make sure we have sweet and savoury items in our Chilly bin - know what you crave on a road trip and combat it!

Eat a satisfying meal before hand.
I try and make sure we are full when we leave. If we leave first thing I will wake up early and cook bacon, eggs and vegetables. If we leave mid day I will cook a big lunch first.

Avoid the Petrol Station. There is nothing Paleo to eat there! 

Know your weaknesses.

For me - its Sonic. So keeping full on yummy, Paleo snacks helps curb my Double Cheeseburger craving.

Enjoy the Drive
Stop and stretch every hour. Find somewhere beautiful and marvel at the landscape around you. Whether you are driving to San Antonio, Auckland or Geraldton. Enjoy the moments.

Treat YoSelf
I am hardly Paleo perfect, I have my treat each week. But for me our holidays are special. I will eat foods that aren't Paleo if we are away, but I try and be sensible. If it is just a breakfast out, I will stick to Paleo. If we are at a "best in Texas" BBQ joint, then I am going to indulge. The main thing for me is that I like to keep my non Paleo for something really worth it. And snacks in the car just aren't worth it for me.

Benefits

Avoid feeling sluggish and yuck when you get to your destination.
Save your non Paleo moments for the yummy food available in the town you are heading to.
Stay more alert and awake - obviously important for driving.
Avoid piling on empty calories while you sit on your butt in the car.

My Paleo Roadtrip Essentials

Chilly bin/cooler/Esky
Capsicum
Baby Carrots
Grapes
Berries
Kombucha
Water bottles
Mixed raw nuts

A Paleo Meal Plan

This post was inspired by an article I read a wee while ago, and as a response to all the questions I receive about the Paleo diet. It seems there are so many different ideas out there, as to what Paleo entails. Here is what I ate for a week so that y'all know I am not running round eating raw mammoth and sturgeon.

So I have a series of Paleo websites and blogs that I like to keep an eye out and find new recipes and hear success stories to keep me motivated. Every now and then I will do a new search to see what I can find. Last week I found an article from the New Zealand Herald discussing Paleo. I was interested to see how Paleo was viewed at home, and what the resident guru had so say about it. Unlike many people he didn’t totally write it off, and he did mention that he thought the clean eating aspect of Paleo was essential. However, he seemed to have his wires crossed on a couple of things. Or maybe he was looking at some alternative ways of committing to Paleo. Whatever was up, the article kind of disappointed me. I know people back home are supporting me, and if they look up local sources for knowledge, I feel like the article is giving an unfair view of Paleo, or at least, Paleo, as I subscribe to it. The craziest thing was that he mentions that you cannot eat carbs, and he also says no fruit. Maybe this is the case on a crazy strict version of the Paleo diet. But that is just not the case in all the books I have read so far.

People are naturally curious to know why I am on the Paleo diet (I keep insisting it’s not a diet, but a lifestyle, but there is no smooth way of writing that haha).. They also want to know what I can and can’t eat. Rob and I thought a good way to address that would be just to list what I eat in a week. Please note, this is not a meal plan prescribed from any book, or blog, and in no way am I giving anyone health or nutrition advice. I just thought it would be a good way to demonstrate, that while in some ways Paleo can be restrictive, most of the time I don’t notice because I am eating such clean and yummy food.

And just remember – everyone does things differently. This is how I fit Paleo in with my lifestyle.

So, this is what I ate in a week..

SUNDAY

Late Breakfast

Two eggs scrambled with spinach, capsicum and mushroom

Black tea

Lunch

Meatballs with cooked peppers, kale salad

Kombucha

Dinner

Roast chicken with sweet potato, slaw

Soda water

Dessert

Frozen strawberries blended

MONDAY

Breakfast

Smoothie – Coconut water, Kale, Mint, Parsley, ½ Banana, ½ Apple

Black tea

Snack

Carrots

Nuts

Lunch

Buffalo salad

Kombucha

Snack

Berries

Dinner

Roasted pork tenderloin, sweet potato, slaw

TUESDAY

Pre Cross Fit snack

Handful of mixed raw nuts, few strawberries

Breakfast

Smoothie – Coconut water, Kale, Mint, Parsley, ½ Banana, ½ Orange

Black tea

Snack

Green tea x 2

Lunch

Grilled Tilapia and Salad

Snack

Green Tea

Handful of baby carrots

½ Capsicum (bell pepper)

Dinner

Roasted pork tenderloin, sweet potato, slaw

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast

Scrambled eggs and bacon

Black tea

Snack

Baby carrots

Lunch

Steak and salad

Snack

½ Capsicum (bell pepper)

Kombucha

Dinner

Baked salmon with cauliflower mash

THURSDAY

Pre Cross Fit snack

Handful of mixed raw nuts, few strawberries

Breakfast

Smoothie - Coconut water, Kale, Mint, Parsley, ½ Banana, ½ Apple

Snack

Green tea

Lunch

Brisket beef with a salad

Snack

Dinner

Stuffed capsicum/bell pepper (beef, spinach, zucchini/courgette, cabbage, chili, mushroom, cilantro)

FRIDAY

Breakfast

Smoothie - Coconut water, Kale, Mint, Parsley, ½ Banana, ½ Apple

Lunch

Chicken salad

Snack

Berries

Dinner

Stuffed capsicum/bell pepper (beef, spinach, zucchini/courgette, cabbage, chili, mushroom, cilantro)

SATURDAY

Breakfast

Eggs, bacon and berries

Snack

Kombucha

Lunch

Chicken breast and kale salad

Snack

Baby carrots and guacamole

Dinner

Burger and sweet potato fries and Shiner Bock

Notice my week is strewn with carbohydrates and fruit…

My food increases on days that I have cross fit, and decreases when I am doing less on the weekends.

Saturday night was my treat night, and I had a delish burger. It was worth the wait all week! And that beer – the first in two and a half months. It tasted AMAZING.

Penny for your thoughts : )

I would love to know if you do something similar…

Are you surprised? Did you think it was less restrictive, or more?

Please remember I am not preaching or saying anyone should do anything other than what they are happy with. I am not a nutritionist or a food scientist. I am just responding to people’s natural curiosity.

I also hope that if anyone is seriously considering Paleo, that these posts may help them get some direction. It can be pretty intimidating at first! To see more about my journey, click here.

 

Paleo Friendly Slaw

Okay y’all, I made this my very first week of Paleo. I needed a yummy side for steak while I knew my husband was going to be eating a big juicy Five Guys burger.

So this recipe was formed out of desperation.

It was a total success and now it is a staple in our Paleo food plan.

What I use:

Slaw

Half a green cabbage

Half a red cabbage

2 or 3 large carrots, grated

-this amount makes a massive bowl, and gives Rob and I like 3 or 4 meals from it.

Dressing

Avocado

Handful of chopped cilantro/coriander

Juice of a lime or two (depending on your taste)

Tablespoon of olive oil

So it is easy as.

Finely chop the cabbages, add them to a bowl with your grated carrot.

In another bowl, mush up the avocado, add the lime juice and cilantro, and then the olive oil. Mix that all up really well.

Throw the avocado mixture into the veges and mix it up like a crazy person.

If you want a little something extra, you could do what my beautiful friend Charlie does and add some toasted sunflower seeds!

And it’s done!

The lime and cilantro makes it so fresh tasting. And after you are done there is just an overwhelming feeling of wow – that was delicious and actually all good for me – yay.