Paleo Learning Curve

So as with any lifestyle change, there is a lot to learn when deciding to go paleo. It can be so overwhelming at first. When I first started looking into it I sort of felt like it was out of reach. I couldn't imagine eliminating so many food groups, and finding the time and money to live this way. So I started trying to do some research online. There is TONS out there. But I felt like most of it wasn't what I was looking for.

There were a lot of fitness experts, health fanatics, and "power couples" who shared useful tips, but the recipes included crazy, hard to find (and really expensive) ingredients, and honestly the food didn't look like something my husband or two year old would be pleased with. They are doing great things, I just didn't feel like it applied to my lifestyle. So I started to wonder is it was really possible for ME to do this. Let me qualify what "me" means here...

I am a...mom, wife to a husband who doesn't care much for nutrition, and doesn't get excited by a healthy lifestyle, full time student/part time hairstylist (aka not a ton of time to worry about food prep), pregnant, non paleo expert, girl who is living on a very tight student budget. I needed to make this work on little time, little money, and normal yummy food my family would enjoy eating. SO! That being said, I thought I would share some things I learn as I go on this journey. Just in case anyone out there is more like me.

Let me say again, I do NOT consider myself an expert by any stretch of the imagination. But I am learning as I go, and it is really working for me. So what have I learned so far?

• The cook book Paleo Slow Cooking, by Chrissy Gower is AMAZING. The ingredients are normal, the prep is short, and the food is great. I can throw it in the crock pot before I leave in the morning and we come home to a delicious dinner ready and waiting. If you are serious about going paleo, this book is worth your money.
• Getting everything you can't have out of the house, and fully stocking your pantry with lots of things you can have, will eliminate the temptation to cheat. Sure, I cheat, but having to go out and get the item I am cheating with rather than having it at my constant reach is key. When there is a good variety of things I can have always around me, I am less inclined to think of the things I can't have.
• It is possible to make paleo dessert, but in my opinion it is better to just limit your desserts and eat the real thing when you decide to splurge. The paleo brownie isn't as good as a real brownie...so just eat the real one, but make sure it is limited, and worth it.
• When it comes to the 85% rule, rather than going crazy and having anything and everything with the other 15%, use it for small things. Ryan for example doesn't like using lettuce for his taco shells like I do, so he uses corn tortillas and counts that towards with cheats. While pregnant a glass of milk in the morning makes me feel so much better sometimes, so a few mornings a week I allow myself a nice glass of milk with breakfast. Sure there have been bigger splurges in there too, but plan your week ahead and think of when you might need to cheat. Just plan. It makes it so much easier.
• On that note, make a menu. If you just come home and have no dinner plans, you will be far more tempted to go for quick and easy and often not healthy. Simply having a plan will eliminate so much stress. Chances are if you don't have a meal planned, you will venture off the path.
• That being said, have "quick fixes" ready. I like to grill chicken, hard boil eggs, and wash and chop fruits and veggies to have in the fridge at the beginning of each week. This way when plans fall through, or you are hungry and in a hurry, there are healthy options quick and easy there for you. 
• Make sure you have variety. I get bored easily. I can't have the same thing everyday for very long. It is nice to have staples to fall back on, but get creative. I have found at the beginning it was very helpful for me to stick to the book. Make exact recipes, and stick to the really straightforward option. The longer I go now, the more I am venturing out and trying my own creations and recipes. I think it is so fun to sit and think of new meals I can make. But having a hard copy cook book is awesome in the beginning to give you direction.
• There are a few things we always cheat on. I don't buy grass fed beef, organic, or worry too much about spices being totally paleo approved. This helps keep things within budget, and makes finding ingredients simple.
• Shop the perimeter of the grocery store. Almost everything you need is found there, rather than in the middle. 
• Eat less expensive meats, and go heavy on the veggies. This keeps cost down.

We really have been loving our paleo journey. Ryan has admitted several times that he feels so much better after a paleo meal then after a cheat meal. I am also loving it being pregnant. I can't believe how much better I feel so far with this pregnancy than I did with Kyle. There is no comparison. I still have a lot to learn, but it is going well so far. I will keep you posted as I go, and any recipes I try that I make up, or find online rather than a copywrited cookbook I will try to share every now and then. Happy eating!