Paleo On-the-GoLEO

Titles I currently hold:
1.  Mom
2.  Wife
3.  Teacher
4.  Daughter
5.  Sister
6.  Friend

This is merely a few of the many "titles" I try to not completely mess up maintain on a daily basis.  I live an on-the-go life.  On any given day, I am working, coordinating or shuffling kids to gymnastics, piano lessons, basketball practice, girl scout meetings, 4-h meetings, trying to maintain a clean, organized, presentable, livable house,  and now on top of that, "hunting and gathering," and preparing Paleo meals for myself AND meals for Bob and the girls.

Bob and I both decided to go healthy and like I said, he went no C.R.A.P. but includes whole grains and non-processed carbohydrates in his daily meals.  For the girls, they obviously are now presented with meals that follow no C.R.A.P, but I am not having them follow the Paleo plan.  Soooo, on top of the on-the-go, often single parent daily life, I find myself preparing 2 meals (1 for the fam and 1 for me, although I try to pair up easy Paleo substitutes so that it is not an obnoxious amount of work for me). At the end of the post, see some family friendly no C.R.A.P. meals that I made easy substitutes to make Paleo for me.

As many wonderful things that I can say about Paleo so far, I can also say this.  IT AIN'T EASY.  It is not an on-the-go, no think way of eating.  It is a think ahead, prep ahead, have a lot of time to cook way of eating.  This lady ain't got time for none of that!  My lifestyle does not afford me the liberty to spend hours prepping dinner and making lunches.  I need quick meals and easy grab and go staples.   So basically, I have made Paleo more "On-the-GoLEO" (get it :-) )

My Paleo on the go MUST DOS and favorites:
1.  I have used the parts of the weekend that I am not spending at basketball tournaments, social engagements, church or doing laundry to think, plan, shop and prep for the week.  Even if it is just a mental plan, I have found that I always need a plan, otherwise I find myself frustrated.

2.  I've found easy go to, quick meals.  For instance, I almost always have a bag of nuts or dried fruit in my purse and a bottle of water.  Most days you will often find a packet of tuna in water and an apple (just in case I find myself in need of a meal).  Ask anyone, my Mary Poppins bag is filled with goodies....I had to drop the spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down---after all, sugar is not Paleo.

3.  Make ahead meals.  The past 2 weekends I have made soup in the crockpot on Sunday that serves as my lunch for the week.

4.  Pinterest is my friend.  My very best Paleo friend.  I find all kinds of great ideas and recipes that I can easily use.  I find that if I try new things, I don't get bored.  By day 3, I was already totally over salad every single day.   I am currently looking for a BFF necklace for Pinterest and me, we are that tight.

5.  Spices are necessary.  I love them.  I am trying all kinds of new ones.  I love the spices that I am trying and finding that I love experimenting with my own combinations.  However, last night I got a little red pepper flake happy with the homemade taco seasoning and about blew the girls' heads off (Ooops).


This week's family meals:
Spaghetti:  Whole wheat pasta  with lean ground beef and homemade spaghetti sauce (Bob grows all of the ingredients and cans enough each summer for the whole year....mmmm...so TASTY).

• Paleo substitute for me:  leftover roasted veggies from a weekend meals.  Reheat and add meat sauce over.  It was easy, yummy and very filling

Tacos:  Every Tuesday is taco Tuesday in our house.  The last 2 weeks I have made homemade taco seasoning.  The girls and Bob had theirs on whole wheat tortillas and I had mine on a bed of lettuce with veggies.  

• Paleo substitute for me:  Instead of the cheese and sour cream I used to enjoy on my taco/taco salad, , I threw 1/2 an avocado, 1/4 cup of homemade salsa, and a dash of coconut milk in the blender and it was so amazing!  It will be a new dressing for me....one can only take so much oil and vinegar!

Steak and Fries:  My family is a meat and potato loving family.  So along with the lean sirloin rubbed with garlic and onion powder, I used out super cool Perfect Fry Cutter to make some oven baked potato french fries for Bob and the kids.

• Paleo substitute for me:  I threw in a sweet potato for fries for myself.  I dipped them in a little Dijon Mustard and made Bob and the girls some homemade ketchup (I halved it).  It was super yummy and the my 9 year old said that the fries were better than McDonald's (she is unimpressed by all things mom so I take this as a huge compliment).

Just another day On-the-GoLEO :-)

This is my story.   My PaleOMG Story.