So, Adam and I were talking last night about what we were really hoping to blog about when it comes to the Paleo Diet and what was really not already out there, and what we’ve found is that there’s really nothing out there about what makes the diet doable. And trust me, there are particular activities that must be done in order for you to be able to live a happy, healthy no-dairy, no-grain, no-legume lifestyle aside from just having an iron will to just say no to the siren song of fast food.
The only way this can be done is with preparation! That means meal planning and freezer cooking. You have to offer yourself close to the same level of convenience that you would have by going to McDonalds, as crazy as that sounds. This means you’ve got to cook ahead of time.
Downloads
One of my favorite blogs on the internet is Money Saving Mom, and she really comes through for us in the Meal Planning Dept with some planning sheets that you can edit yourself. She also has freezer cooking printables to aid in that department.
Why Meal Plan and Freezer Cook?
One of the great things about the Paleo Diet is that because everything we eat is fresh, most of it can be frozen easily. This means that you will be able to heat it and eat it later, if you want to. This is great for leftovers or for prepping ingredients for days when you won’t be able to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I personally don’t have fast knife skills anymore (Hey! MS! What are you gonna do?) so I really appreciate having diced veggies already ready in the freezer that Adam has cut up when I’m cooking dinner for him while he’s at work.
By menu planning, you will get an idea of what you need to grocery shop for, and you will be able to tell how much food will be in your refrigerator and freezer so that you don’t have a situation going on where some of it ends up going bad.
Use Your Resources
I like using fast food menus for inspiration for freezer cooking ideas.
One of the items on the McDonalds menu that I used to order all the time in law school was the Fruit and Walnut salad. It’s slices of apple with candied walnut bits and a small amount of sweetened yogart. Creating small snacks, similar to this, that are ready-to-go will make being on the diet much easier!
Since milk yogurt isn’t on the diet, I thought about what the yogurt was used for (dipping) and decided to make a nut-butter substitute using walnuts and pecans. I added raisins to give a little extra sweetness and round out the recipe.
Rae’s Fruit & Walnut Salad
Ingredients
1 Gala or Honeycrisp Apple
1/4 c. walnuts
1/4 c. pecans
1/4 c. raisins
1 tsp raw honey
1/2 tsp sea salt
Preparation
- Food processor: Put in both walnuts and pecans. Process into butter (8-10 minutes on high)
- While it’s processing, chop apple into wedges.
- Once it’s walnut-pecan butter, stir in raisins, honey, and sea salt.
- Serve apple with walnut-pecan raisin butter for dipping, and enjoy!
Don’t Give Up!
Most importantly, though, don’t give up! I slip up all the time and am like, “OMG, I have to have gum!” or I’ll have a terrible craving for bread, but what matters is net change, not daily constant adherence — and overall habit change is huge.
Like the fact that when I think about brownies, now, I think about something like this is progress and that I’m having a birthday brunch at a pancake house known for its omelets where everything is fresh cooked to order instead of a sushi buffet: these are lifestyle changes.
And you read right. My birthday’s coming up! In less than 2 weeks, I’m gonna be 31. Woot. 😉
In It For The Parking 
I have to be honest. I stopped reading when I saw that there is a diet named after dinosaurs. BUT! I’m a DW and always will be so I will say that I had no idea there was a kind of apple called Honeycrisp!
Oh, honeycrisp apples are the best! You have to try them. And I think the name of the diet is hilarity. ❤
For the last two weeks I have eaten a honey crisp apple every morning. Love those things!
I bet we see marijuana legalized in 5 years or less.
Thanks for all your efforts that you have put in this. Very interesting information. “Never grow a wishbone, daughter, where your backbone ought to be.” by Clementine Paddleford.