Paleo Cooking - Elise Jones

Today I decided to try baking paleo, and chose to make muffins. This may seem hard to believe due to how paleo excludes grains, most sugars and dairy; but there in fact ways to get around that. According to the book I have been reading, Practically Paleo, I have learned that there are many alternatives to things like flour, butter, and sugar that you can use when baking.

 

"The paleo life style includes eating whole food and not refined foods, so there are many alternatives to your everyday ingredients" (Sanfilippo, 23). For example the recipe I used to make the muffins included:

• 2 cups of almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 cup of  raw honey (melted)
• 3 eggs
• 1 table spoon of coconut oil (melted)
• 1 table spoon of ghee (melted)
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries

(Sanfilippo, 246)



Almond flour is typically used in paleo cooking as it is obviously a more natural and whole substitute for regular, refined flour. Since refined sugars are also not allowed within paleo cooking, raw honey is a great substitute to add the sweetness a dish need. The honey also has to be raw not refined, which means it will be in a more solid form. Coconut oil was used as a substitute for butter in this recipe due to its oily substance. Ghee is a type of non-refined butter, and I did not have any at my house so I just added an extra tablespoon of coconut oil (since they have very similar properties) instead.


The recipe I made today, is frequently made in my house because of how simple and fast they are to make. Also, they taste really good, and can be very diverse because you can add or make them with different types fruit. The muffins I made turned out very good, and were extremely easy to make. They only took twenty minutes to make and can be eaten at pretty much any time of day.





Would you try this recipe yourself? Would there be anything you would change?

Paleo Cooking - Elise Jones

Moving into the recipe section of the book, Practically Paleo, I have found new dishes to make eating paleo easier. As I am a breakfast person, I found it difficult to find a variety of foods to make; especially ones that didn't involve grains and dairy products. So when the question "what can I eat for breakfast?" came up, I was answered with "real food! What other animal on the planet eats "breakfast foods"?You can eat anything for breakfast as long as you stick to the Paleo way of eating." (Sanfilippo, 119).

In the mornings, I typically go for the easiest and most filling breakfast option; eggs. Eggs are one of the main pillars of paleo eating, as they are in almost everything, and can be made in a variety of ways. Today I decided to make an egg recipe from the book, that incorporated other food groups.

The recipe included...

• three eggs
• a tablespoon of water
• ham (chopped or shredded)
• hash browns (optional)
• coconut oil

(Sanfilippo, 252)

The dish turned out very good, and it will be something I make very frequently, due to the great flavor, and the nutrients it has. leading to the question, would you make this for breakfast?

Paleo Cooking - Elise Jones

Continuing to read my quarter two IRP book, Practically Paleo, I have used the information to make a smoothie following the paleo diet guidelines. To review, the guidelines of paleo, you are to cut out all refined/processed foods; for example, grains, dairy products, and most sugars. This way of eating has you go back to the basics of foods, for example, meats, fruits, and vegetables (Sanfilippo, 31).

Typically, when I go on paleo, I make a lot of smoothies; mainly because they are high in vitamins and nutrients, they fill me up, and they taste really good. Smoothies follow the paleo guidelines based on their content of fruits, and vegetables. For those who usually make their smoothies with milk and/or honey, you will have to substitute with water, ice, unfiltered juice, etc. Unfiltered juice can be used with paleo recipes because of its lack of refinement (aka lack of unnatural sugars added when processed). (Sanfilippo, 330)


My smoothie consisted of...

• two handfuls of a assorted berries (frozen)
• strawberries, blueberries, blackberries
• a handful of assorted greens
• kale, spinach
• ice
• unfiltered apple juice
• chia seed

Now I know what you're thinking, "wouldn't vegetables in a smoothie be gross?". Well, depending on how much you put in, there could be a difference in taste. But, typically the higher content of fruit should cancel out any bitterness of the greens. Chia seed is another ingredient I commonly use in the smoothies I make, is a usually flavorless, and once blended resembles seeds from fruit. This ingredient is mainly used to give the person drinking the smoothie, the idea and feeling that they are full. This is due to how chia seeds absorb liquid and expand. Thus, producing more substance to the smoothie and a more filling smoothie.


Would you use this smoothie recipe? Would you change or add anything?

Eating Paleo with Elise Jones

Having "gone paleo" before, I have had a continuing interest in the topic, therefor leading me to read the book Practical Paleo, and have learned more about the fundamentals, and purposes around the paleo lifestyle. I'd like this first post to explain what the paleo way of eating is, and what it does for the human body. First off, it is not considered a diet, it is a change in one's lifestyle that leads to long-term health benefits. Also, when hearing about paleo; people commonly think "why would I eat like that, didn't cavemen only live to be 30?". This belief can be shattered with the fact that there is now modern medicine, lack of vulnerability to predatory animals, and the average person is less vulnerable to the elements due to advancements in shelter....you know advancements in the basic needs of survival.  Instead of harming, paleo has actually proven to heal a person's body, "It has helped countless individuals overcome what were seemingly insurmountable, chronic, or even unrecognizable health problems." (Sanfilippo, 18).

 

To summarize the author's views and opinions: the paleo lifestyle surrounds the idea to eat whole foods and avoid modern, possessed, and refined foods. Also today's modern, factory made foods  have commonly led to child-obesity, behavioral disorders, early-onset puberty, and autoimmune conditions. This can be explained with how the USDA's guidelines are not based on sound and scientific theories, and are more set on illogical and potentially dangerous hypothesis, whose use is to mass produce food in order to mass produce food to feed the world's growing population. Where as foods involved with eating paleo are nearly identical to what is already in nature.(Sanfilippo, 32). These reasons have influenced me to choose this lifestyle, and the following ideals will be incorporated into the recipes I prepare from the book.

 

Do eat whole foods...

• meat, seafood, and eggs 
• pasture raised, cage free, vegetarian fed, free range, naturally raised, organic, natural, or wild caught
• vegetables and fruits 
• local, and/or organic
• nuts and seeds
• local, and/or organic
• fats and oils
• organic, cold-pressed, and from well -raised animal sources

Don's eat refined foods...

• refined grains
• whole grains (today's whole grains are still refined and produced in factories)
• packaged snacks
• dairy products
• certain beverages
• sweeteners (yes, this does include sugar)

The ideals of paleo, commonly scare people away, because of how this way of eating cuts out foods that are most familiar to them. "We live in a time when up is down and black is white. We have been taught to believe that the foods coming out of factories are safer and healthier than foods your great-grandmother ate." (Sanfilippo, 32) I believe this is a significant quote from the text, as it explains how people are so used to eating what the government produces, that most people don't realize that going back to the basics would be the best thing for them.


The paleo lifestyle is not for everyone, as it takes quite a bit of knowledge and a lot of commitment. But given the increase of organic foods and places to get these foods, it has made the paleo lifestyle as easy as ever. Which leaves the question, would you try going paleo, or not?