Paleo Diet Blog

Rockfish with crab imperial and roasted vegetables

To celebrate my girlfriend starting her new job, we went out for a tasty dinner at a joint called Copper Canyon Grill. It is a pretty upscale place for these parts, and I like it because they are very consistent in the quality of their food. Pretty much everything on their menu is good. The night before, my roommate cooked up a piece of salmon for himself. It looked so good that I was totally in the mood for fish. Turns out the special last night was a rockfish filet, topped with crab meat and a side of roasted vegetables. It was soooooo good. Enjoy.

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Avoiding bread on the paleo diet

I live in an apartment complex that is a complex in every sense of the word. In addition to there being about 5 different apartment buildings, there is a Giant grocery store, a 24 hour CVS (clutch), a barber shop, a dry cleaner, a Caribou Coffee, and 3 restaurants. The restaurant I frequent most often is an Italian joint called Mama Lucias. Their food is average to good, and generally overpriced. However, they make this one salad, the Mama’s Salad, that I absolutely love and could eat every day. It is basically mixed greens tossed with walnuts, blue cheese crumbles, baby tomatoes and a raspberry vinaigrette (which I get on the side of course). I always get mine topped with grilled chicken. Mixed all together, it is delicious and relatively paleo-friendly.

Where in years past I would also frequently go to Mama’s for pizza (2-for-1 on Tuesdays) or pasta (2-for-1 on Mondays), I now only order the Mama’s Salad. Nothing more, nothing less. In addition to those paleo no-nos I just mentioned (pizza and pasta), I would also generously take on their deliscious, complimentary bread baskets. With every meal at Mama’s they bring you a basket stacked with toasted italian bread slices slathered with oil, some marinara sauce, and a parmesan cheese-garlic mixture that is sinfully good. The bread is so good I used to take down a basket and then ask for more.

However, that was then. This is now. I snapped the picture above today, just a few hours ago. For the last month or so, whenever I would eat at Mama’s I would make a point of refusing the bread basket. Out of site, out of mind. Today, however, I went to the bathroom after ordering and the basket was on the table when I got back. Now, I could have simply called over the waitress and had her remove it. I could have picked up the basket and thrown it at an unsuspecting toddler. I could have called the bread names and blamed it for years of betrayal and devastation. I could have practiced water-boarding on the bread.

Ultimately, I did none of these things. Instead, I sat down in my seat, gave the basket a nod of respect, and went about eating my delicious salad. See, I have been on the paleo diet long enough now that I know it works. Knowing that it works gives a sense of comfort and confidence. It gives me the power to keep that basket of bread on the table and not take a bite. Does this mean I conquer every temptation that presents itself? No, far from it; but this is a lifestyle transition. That means baby steps. This is just one small step that I’ve conquered. There will be many more along the way.

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Chipotle Burrito Bowl - A great paleo fast food option

If you’ve gone paleo, it probably means McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s, etc. are not on your daily destination list. It’s not that it’s impossible to find a paleo meal at those places (although maybe it is…..the truth is I haven’t tried), but I found one fast food place where you can get a dish that, if not 100% paleo, is pretty damn close. To top it off, it is delicious. The place I’m talking about is Chipotle.

One of my favorite meals (in fact it has become a Sunday tradition) is a burrito from Chipotle. They use quality ingredients, and I can really taste the difference compared to other Latin fast food places. Unfortunately, the burrito as traditionally constituted is not paleo friendly. The main culprits are the beans, rice, and tortilla. However, there is an easy solution to these problems.

Chipotle gives you the option of ordering your burrito in a bowl. No more tortilla! The beans and rice? Mere filling. All they do is take up space, pass on both. The rest? It’s all good for you! It’s paleo friendly! Grilled veggies? Check. Chicken or steak (maybe both)? Check. Salsa? Damn straight. Guacamole? You bet your avacodo-loving heart. Top it all off with some lettuce and your good to go. A paleo burrito bowl. It’s tasty, it’s delicious, it’s paleo. Who says you have to give up fast food?

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Per my annual family tradition, I went up to the isolation that is the Berkshire Mountains for Thanksgiving. I suspected going in that staying paleo was not going to be easy, and perhaps impossible. I was right.

My Aunt and Uncle live in a cabin in Western Massachusetts. There are no stores, no take out restaurants….nothing. They do a big food shop and once the family shows up (about 15 people), we are all locked in for the weekend stuck with whatever food is in the fridge.

Knowing that I would be driving there, I made an effort to eat only paleo friendly fare on the 8 hours to and fro. I packed some walnuts, some raisins, a couple kiwis and a bottle of water. That was the easy part.

Once I was actually at the cabin, I did my best to stay paleo when I could, but it was not easy. For example, the main breakfast food was bagels and cream cheese. Dinner was some type of pasta. By far the easiest meal of all to stay on the paleo diet was Thanksgiving dinner! It was sooooooooo good too.

There was turkey obviously; but there were some extra special sides that I never would have made myself. A roasted vegetable blend perfectly cooked and seasoned. Sauteed red cabbage. I had a paleo feast. It was easily the best paleo meal I have had so far.

Thanksgiving meal aside, at some point I came to the conclusion that staying paleo was just not going to be possible. I indulged here and there. Pasta for dinner. A slice or two of pie for dessert. A cookie to snack on.

Did I feel good about it? NO! However, I got home last night and I weighed myself this morning. I am only up 1/2 a pound. I was 249 when I started the paleo diet and as of today I am 247. 2 pounds might not seem like a lot, but that is with practically no exercise (I have been injured for most of the last month) and plenty of cheating. Ultimately I do feel better, and physically I just look a lot less bloated (probably water loss).

The truth is the number of pounds lost each week is not of major concern to me. If this was some short term diet being used to reach as specific number, that would be one thing. However, my switch to the paleo diet is A LONG TERM HEALTH PLAN. Basic science tells me that if I stick to the paleo diet way of eating the majority of the time, I WILL LOSE WEIGHT AND BE HEALTHY. Therefore the time it takes me to get there is not a major concern.

This is not to say I wouldn’t like to lose weight and hit my optimal weight sooner rather later. It just means that if I get caught up in the numbers, I may get discouraged and lose sight of the longterm goal.

Anyways, today is Sunday and I’m ready for some football. After my less than paleo-friendly Thanksgiving experience, I am getting back on the wagon today. My birthday is one week from today. Since I know I will be going out and will most definitely indulge, I will use that as a motivation to stay 100% paleo until then.

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This past weekend, I unexpectedly traveled to New York from DC. Once I knew I was going, one of the first things that ran through my mind was how I was going to approach my new paleo diet on the road.

When starting a new eating plan, getting into a routine is crucial for success. Getting into a routine is more easily accomplished at home when you are on your regular schedule in your regular surroundings. Once you have established your routine, it is much easier to adapt to a few days on the road.

Since I was only on my 3rd day on the diet, it would have been easy to just go back to my normal eating habits for the weekend and start over again when I got back home. I decided, however, to make a conscious effort to stay as “paleo” as I could while on my trip.

I left for NYC by bus on Friday morning. Knowing the bus ride would be 4-5 hours, I made sure I had a solid breakfast of eggs, bacon and fruit. I also packed a bag with a mix of almonds and raisins. About half way through the ride when hunger started to rear it’s ugly head…I just grabbed my little mix and had a couple handfuls. This prepacked little snack bag actually lasted me through the entire trip and proved invaluable whenever I was hungry and needed something quick.

Once in the city, I had the good fortune of dining at some nice restaurants where it was fairly easy to select paleo friendly fare. On Friday night I ate an upscale restaurant called 81 (it is on 81st Street). For an appetizer I had a roasted quail egg, and for my main course I had Alaskan black cod with a side of broccoli. Admittedly, I had a couple glasses of red wine before dinner and a glass of port wine for dessert.

One of the harder things I found about traveling was the ability to find organic foods. I passed a bodega or two (say it with me now: bo…….dega) that had some organic fruit, but on the whole I just ate what was available.

On Saturday morning I went for breakfast at a local diner on the upper west side. I had an omelet with a side of melon and a glass of orange juice. Later in the day I found myself wondering aimlessly after visiting a friend in the West Village. With the weather turning nasty, and my stomach rumbling , I looked for restaurants I could dive into for a quick meal before my planned dinner in Harlem later that night. On the corner of a street I spotted what looked like a decent Chinese restaurant. Now I love Chinese food. I could easily have ordered some pork dumplings and General Tso’s Chicken and been a happy camper. However, I resisted the urge and went paleo. I ordered what amounted to steamed chicken and broccoli with an orange-infused hot pepper sauce on the side. The dish came with rice, but I simply pushed the bowl to the other side of the table and didn’t think twice (paleo means no rice!)

After enjoying my delicious paleo Chinese meal, I made my way to Union Square. In the middle of Union Square was a huge farmers market! There were at least 50 tents set up with everything from game meats, to vegetables to exotic fruit. Even though it was now raining, I made my way past every tent to see what was available. Though I didn’t get anything, it was fun nonetheless to see all the variety.

Dinner was at an Italian restaurant in Harlem (I couldn’t make that up…..it’s at 129 & Lenox). I was treated to bacon-wrapped scallops for an appetizer, and lobster with spinach as my main course. Paleo friendly. Paleo delicious. After sipping on some dessert wine, I headed back to the apartment I was staying at and called it a night.

I decided to get up and take the early bus back to DC on Sunday. My only reason for doing so was that I wanted to get home in time to watch some football. I arrived at Port Authority around 8:30am and the bus did not leave until 10am. This gave me time to grab some breakfast while I waited. Obviously there were not a lot of choices. I did the best I could. I found a little food counter that was making fresh omelets. I ordered a western omelet (mushrooms, peppers, onions) with a side of bacon (I love bacon!!!). I added a banana and a cup of black tea to complete the meal.

The Port Authority Paleo Breakfast of Champions!

After eating up, and watching a couple episodes of The Office on my computer, my bus arrived and I departed back to DC. About an hour away from DC, I got a little hungry. I didn’t panic. I didn’t see mirages of General Tso’s Chicken (Ok, maybe one mirage). I simply opened my backpack and grabbed my little bag of almonds and raisins. I had a couple handfuls and was satisfied. I’m sure I wasn’t perfect in staying paleo; but I certainly put in a lot of effort and did the best I could. Overall, it was a great trip that showed me I have the strength to stay paleo even when away from home.

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