On the Road Again

One of the hardest things about being paleo(ish) is eating healthy when I'm not at home. 

This weekend I'm so excited to be going on a weekend service trip through Mizzou Alternative Breaks. We get to volunteer at the Ripley County Fairgrounds preforming maintenance work that would otherwise go undone. I'm so excited for the opportunity, but it presents itself with a teeny tiny obstacle. 

How do you eat healthy, remain flexible, and still have fun? 

My answer- Lower your standards a bit. 

I am by no means intending to go crazy and binge on fast food and processed sugars (mostly because I would feel crappy the whole weekend and be completely intolerable), but I also don't want to be the girl creating problems for other people because of my own preferences. 

So here is what I do. I always buy enough a handful of protein bars before every trip. I prefer Quest bars because they have a 20 grams of protein, 18 grams of fiber, and only 3 net carbs. You can get them individually at Hyvee or in bulk on Amazon. 

I also buy some gluten free bread. I try to avoid gluten free bread for the most part because I cannot be trusted. I think it's fine in moderation, but I have never been one for moderation. I'm kind of an all or nothing kind of gal. But it is really handy when traveling a group because you can rap a jar of natural peanut butter (Smuckers Natural is my favorite) and you have a quick easy snack/meal that is at least better than stopping at a fast food place. 

But here is the most important thing. When in Rome you eat the pasta. I always have to remind myself not to rob myself of an experience because I'm trying to be healthy. Sometime the cookie is worth it, particularly when you are on a once in a lifetime trip. 

Now I doubt Doniphan, Missouri is going to be life changing, but embracing moments are important, and if that means eating a cookie I think I will live. 

Paleo(ish) on the Go Go

One of the most important things when attempting to stick to a paleo diet is food prep. Having food ready before you get desperately hungry and eat whatever is available. While I understand the importance of food prep, I rarely have time for it, and when I do I have no place to store my meals during the day. So here is how I do paleo on the go:

Chipotle: It gets a bad rap sometimes because could easily consume your entire recommended caloric intake, but if you know what to get you could actually get a pretty healthy meal. I get brown rice, double chicken (about 75% they don't charge you extra for it), hot salsa, and guacamole.

Ingredient: They changed their menu recently, but I still build my own salad. It's the easiest way to avoid all the cheese. I get spinach, chicken (yeah, it's extra here too, and they always charge you), sliced almonds, avocado and red onions with almond champagne vinaigrette (I have no idea what that is, but it's delicious).

Kaldis: Do you know why I love Kaldis? Because they have an unwrapped breakfast burrito, and it is delicious. Their egg white unwrapped breakfast burrito has egg whites, spinach, and sweet potatoes.

Lucky's Market: Lucky's is the bomb. It has lots and lots of paleo(ish) options from chicken breast to chicken curry salad. My favorite is the kale slaw. It will change your life.

The best thing about these four options is they are all within a mile of campus!

Being Paleo According to Parks and Rec

I finally emotionally prepared myself to watch the final season of Parks and Rec, and I'm sorry to report no amount of emotional preparation could have made Leslie's final farewell any easier (mostly kidding). So in honor of the TV magic that Parks and Rec made for the last 7 seasons here are 8 gifs that describe what exactly it is to be Paleo(ish).

The first time somebody told you about the Paleo diet and you were like

Mostly because you thought you couldn't have good things like bacon and butter...but then you found out you totally can

So you decided to give it a try, but for the first two weeks all you wanted was bread, or dairy, or anything that wasn't healthy

But you got through those first two weeks like a champ, and you know what you feel pretty awesome

The best part is you are actually encouraged to eat more food, which is great because you are like always hungry

You try to get your roommate to go Paleo but she's all

Mostly because you finally convinced her to try kale and she still frequently brings up the time you betrayed her trust with a vegetable

But ya know somedays you need a cheat day, and that's okay because a life without ice cream is just not a life worth living