Wait WHAT?! Juli doesn’t eat completely paleo all the time?! What a fake. What a liar. What a cheat. I hate her.
Don’t worry, I feel the same way.
But here’s the thing, I’m not paleo 100% of the time. Because frankly, that’s not how I can live my life. That’s not as happy of a life to me. Especially if I’m not competing. I like doing fun things, and most fun things to me include food. So I wanted to share some of the foods that I have found eatable within my dietary restrictions.
So get this. I don’t deal with grains very well. I seem to deal with corn just fine. I can eat a little bit of cheese, but too much makes me break out. Sugar makes me break out. Nuts make me break out. Boo. Beans and rice make me chunky. Annnnnnd alcohol makes me giggle.
So let’s go over some of the food and drinks that I decide to put in my body when strict paleo food just won’t make the cut.
- Corn tortilla chips. If I go to Mexican restaurants, I will almost have some chips. Not the whole basket, but some. Because they are delicious.
- Arepas. Do you know what an arepa is? If you don’t, you need to figure out where to get one in your city and love life with them in your life. It’s a corn pita stuffed with meat and plantains. It’s ridiculous. I hunt down the Quiero Arepas food truck in Denver on Twitter to find out how often I can get my hands are one of those beauties.
- Pupusas. Ok, so I didn’t know what these little babies were until one day, while hungover sipping on a homemade bloody mary at The Hornet, did I notice them on the menu. And when Laura ordered it, I snacked off her plate multiple times. They’re awesome. It’s like eating an eggs benedict, when the english muffin gets all wet. Ew, gross word choice. But for real. And THEN, Laura and I found pupusas in the gluten free section. Awesome, just awesome.
- Pizza. Who doesn’t miss pizza when they go paleo? Well, I do. So I tend to order gluten free pizzas at some restaurants when I’m out on the town. BUT I’ve found that some pizzas don’t love my insides. So recently, Laura and I found this pizza brand that we absolutely love, and you can find it at Whole Foods. Sometimes we top it with sausage and arugula.
- Taza Chocolate. I’m obsessed with this stuff. Thank god it’s out of my price range or I would buy it all the time. It’s HANDS DOWN my favorite kind of chocolate. No seriously, I dream about this stuff. It kind of tastes like it has coffee grounds in it, which I dig. I like coffee that stays in my teeth for later. Don’t act like I’m gross. You know that sounds wonderful.
- Alcohol. Ok let’s get to alcohol. My favorite wine is Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc. I love ciders. I love mimosas and I newly love bloody marys. But when I go out to bars, I just stick with vodka sodas or shots of vodka.
That’s about it. Or at least all I can think of. You should share in the comments what you like to eat when you don’t eat completely paleo. Because everyone likes sharing.
Oh man. I’m doing a whole30 right now and while I am loving it, I can’t wait to get back to a little more balance in my life. For me that means small amounts of tortilla chips, ice cream, chocolate and alcohol. And cheese. 🙂
I’m allergic to wheat so luckily even my non-paleo choices are somewhat rehulated.
Sushi with rice…cheese… ranch dressing!!!!…store-bought coconut milk dark chocolate ice cream…gluten-free pizza is divine…Justin’s PB cups
Regulated
Never cheat with wheat. But other than that, I do ok with corn and rice on occasion – not great, but no dire consequences. Dairy is awful for my allergies, but I can get away with it in the winter when most pollen/plants are dead anyways. 🙂 And I eat sugar. If I eat dessert consistently, my face totally breaks out, but on occasion or in small amounts (like 2 hershey kisses) it’s ok. This is why Whole30 didn’t work for me. I think paleo provides excellent guidelines, but my life needs a little balance…and a little sugar!
I love love love rice crispy treats, pancakes, pizza, rice, quinoa, kettle corn, beer, manhattans and wine. I can’t do beer because I get all stuffy and icky and dairy, well let’s just say it’s extremely messy. Most of the cheats, I do every once in a while, but during the holidays, the alcohol consumption was at high. I think balance is key and I love that Paleo is such a great guide for me. I’ve truly learned a lot about my body’s needs and find it life changing. In this case, cheating is good because otherwise life would be a little boring.
mmmmmm… cider. I love a brand we have here called “BC Growers”. I don’t think you get it in the States. It’s 7% alcohol, and it’s not for wimps 😉 There’s also a really nice local one called Waupoos Cider. nom-nom… maybe I’ll stop off on the way home and get some 🙂
Cheers!
D
Oh yay.. sometimes I feel so guilty when I slip but it is nice to know that EVERYONE slips!
I love pizza, it is a serious weakness of mine and so is crackers with cheese.
I made my latte everyday but coconut milk. I can not live without it. Before I went Paleo I thought that I could not live without coffee or my Puertorican bread but I have not cheat on bread yet. Before paleo I was eating pseudo paleo style without knowing it. So it been easy!!! I can eat plantains and meat everyday of my live. With some salad or veggies of course. I’m very happy with my new style of eating!! Bb
Gluten free pizza, corn chips, french fries.
My favorite cheat is tortilla chips and homemade salsa. I’m glad to see that you also fall off the paleo tracks also.
I have that scarf! When my husband bought it for me I told him to take it back, it was too expensive. Then I put It on and fell in love! My fav cheat is sushi and beer!