Getting Ready for Disney: Top 8 Paleo Snacks

Ahh, vacation.  I am so ready for a little break from everyday life.  This stay-at-home, home-schooling, nutritional consulting, blogging mom needs a change in her scenery and I think that Disney is just the place!  However, how many moms out there cringe at the idea of a vacation?  I have to admit, sometime the thought of planning and packing is a slight deterrent to getting me out of the house.  So, I thought I would tackle one of the most important part of any trip– snacks!  I have been Paleo/Primal for about 5 or so years (it’s been so long, I have lost count) and this creates its own unique challenges when we travel.  It can be hard to find places to eat that provide Paleo or Primal meals that are affordable and of good quality.   Gone are the days of grabbing a Happy Meal at the airport or stocking up on candy and pretzels at Wal-Mart on our way out of town.  Don’t despair though!  Eating healthy and satisfying snacks can be just as easy, with a little bit of preparation and a well stocked pantry, you will be ready for a getaway at a moments notice.  Below are some of my MUST haves for any trip.  These are all items that you can find at your local Whole Foods, Sprouts, Natural Grocer, or other health foods store.  (Note: Since we are flying, these are all shelf stable-type foods.   I will also post my shopping list for when I touchdown in Florida.)

1.  Larabars

These are pretty much a necessity for my whole family.  They are portable and everyone can choose their favorite flavor.  With very few ingredients, these bars are made of mostly nuts, dates, and sometimes dried coconut or other dried fruit.  Word of caution:  These are pretty high in sugar so I wouldn’t recommend using as a meal replacement on a consistent basis.  But, when you are sitting at the airport, waiting for your flight, these are certainly a better option than a king size bag of peanut M&M’s.  I purchase a box of Larabars at Costco but you can also find them at most health food stores.

2.  Tanka Beef Jerky

Protein! This can be such a hard part of the diet to go portable with.  I am all about bringing hard boiled eggs and a tuna pouch with me on the airplane but I don’t think the other passengers would appreciate it.  Enter Tanka Bars.  I am usually not a huge beef jerky fan because I always worry about  pulling out a filling.  However, Tanka bars are completely different.  Since they are made with buffalo meat they are so tender and easy to chew, I am betting even the little kiddos will be able to nosh happily.  They contain dried cranberries in most varieties which adds a little pop of freshness and a hint of sweet.  The bars have around 6 grams of sugar for the whole thing.  They come in sticks, bars, and bags of “little bites”.  A must have when you turn caveman and “must eat meat”!  Here are the ingredients for the Spicy Pepper Variety, (my favorite):  Buffalo, Dried Cranberries, (cranberries, sugar), Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Habanero, Jalapeno, Spice, Red Pepper, Onion, Garlic, Lactic Acid Starter Culture.  Nothing scary, no weird preservatives or chemicals.  (The other wonderful option for jerky is Primal Pacs but since they are only available online, they didn’t make this list.)

3.  Go Raw Cookies

These are a personal favorite of my sons.  He likes the Original Cookie flavor but they come in tons of different flavors like Ginger Snaps and Chocolate Super Cookie.  The Original flavor contains organic coconut, unsulphured sesame seeds, and organic dates.  They are pretty tasty!  I like to dip mine in a pouch of nut butter like Justin’s Almond Butter (see below)  to get more protein and fat in my snack.  If you have little people with little hands, these are the perfect size for them to happily munch on and get a great dose of healthy fats for energy.

4.  Nut Butter

I am never without a pouch of nut butter in my purse.  However, when traveling through security you will have to put them in your ziplock bag for liquids since they are “somewhat” liquidy.  FAA states that each container has to be less than 2 oz. and the Classic Almond Butter by Justin’s come in at 1.15 oz. each.  These are  such a great source of protein and fat.  You can also pack a couple of apples in your bag to squirt on the apple as you eat.  Since it is next to impossible to find a plastic knife in the airport I would give up on trying to cut it up.   It’s awesome on bananas too!

5. Dried Fruit

I like to use dried fruit mixed in with my nuts.  Since, it is high in sugar I use it very sparingly.  Also, make sure you that you read those ingredient lists and find out if there is any added sugar (a seemingly daunting task, I know).  Sugar can go by many names, so do your research and keep away from them.  Sometimes they add fruit juice to sweeten the dried fruit and I find this usually to be an acceptable amount of natural sugar.  My favorite dried fruit to take on a trip?  PRUNES!  Yes, they help with digestion and since traveling seems to bring on the tummy troubles in some, it’s always a good dried fruit to keep on hand.

6.  Plantain and Taro Root Chips

Trader Joe’s carries a plantain chip that is made of plantains and sunflower seed oil–that’s all.  Now there is debate on the Paleo blogosphere as to whether sunflower seed oil is acceptable since we don’t know exactly how the oil is processed in these chips.  That being said, plantains are a safe starch and don’t cause digestive issues like your typical corn tortilla chip can.  The other option that I have been known to pack in my purse are the Terra brand Taro Root Chips.  These are great when you need a delivery method for your guacamole or salsa and they really satisfy that chip craving when you are watching everyone else go to town at the local Tex-Mex restaurant.  Bonus, you won’t feel bloated or foggy brained after eating these chips!  I can’t guarantee that same feeling if you indulge in the margarita though…

7.  Avocados and Coconut Butter

It is so important to keep as much fat with you as possible (and I’m not talking about that annoyingly stubborn belly fat) .  Healthy sources of fat will keep you satiated and also curb those sugar cravings that are inevitable during vacation.  No, I am not talking about fat from a Big Mac or Krispy Creme doughnut, that is an UNHEALTHY fat!  A good example of a portable, healthy fat is an avocado,macadamia nuts, olives, or shredded coconut flakes.  If you can’t find a knife at the airport, you can cut it in half before you leave and put it back together and cover with plastic wrap to keep it from going brown.  My other favorite portable fat is Artisans brand small pouches of Coconut Butter or Coconut Manna, yummy!

8. Dark Chocolate

  

Yes, I know.  You are thinking, chocolate bars aren’t very Paleo are they?  Well, it depends on what type of chocolate you are looking at.  If you are eyeing those Hershey bars at Walgreens, look away!  No, what we are looking for is a very, very dark chocolate with a very low sugar content.  My two favorites are the the Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Bar that is 85% Cacao and the Dagoba Eclipse Bar that only has 8 grams of sugar for the entire bar!  The good thing about dark chocolate is that a little goes a long way and I double dog dare you to eat an entire bar of dark chocolate!  Usually one small square of chocolate and a few macadamia nuts keeps me from attacking that junk food and I am completely satisfied.

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Product Love: Great Lakes Gelatin

12 Uses for Gelatin

Did you know that it can help improve cellulite and reduce wrinkles? Enough said! I like to use it to make pudding and “jello jigglers” out of overly ripe fruit, coconut milk or coconut water.  You will be amazed at all of the great ways we can use this amino acid packed supplement. Can’t find it at the store? You can buy it here.

1. Homemade Marshmallows

This is definitely my kids’ favorite use of Gelatin, and we even add probiotics to make them more healthy. The only ingredients are honey, gelatin, vanilla and water, so they are a great alternative to store bought treats.

These are also easy to make and you can add cocoa powder or mint extract for flavor variations…

2. Hair Treatment

Natural homemade healthy coconut shampoo – kid approved. I got this tip from Pinterest and have been amazed at what an intensive conditioning and strengthening treatment it is! To make, stir 1 tablespoon of Gelatin powder in to 1/2 cup of cool water until mixed. Add 1/2 cup warm/hot water, 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon of honey to create a thick gel/liquid. Pour into hair and massage through hair and scalp. Leave on for at least 5 minutes and rinse with hot water. Shampoo as normal.

It is suggested to do this up to a few times a week to get desired hair thickness/strength and then once a week for maintenance.

3. DIY Children’s Vitamins

Homeade Gummy Vitamins. Kids love these and they are gut friendly inexpensive and customizeable to your child for grown ups too. Most store bought chewable vitamins have a lot of sugar, dyes and additives in them. These homemade chewable vitamins are a great alternative, plus your kids will get the benefits of Gelatin too!

There are endless flavor combinations, and They are simple to make at home! Here’s the recipe.

4. Thickening Shampoo

If you want thicker/stronger hair, adding a teaspoon of gelatin powder to your shampoo can give your hair that boost. It will also add texture and volume to hair immediately. If you use homemade shampoo like mine, you will only need to add about 1/2 tsp to a small batch. If you use a regular bottle shampoo, you can add a teaspoon or more for desired effect!

5. Homemade Jello

No sugar jello packets have some nasty fake ingredients, but it is simple to make a healthy version at home. With homemade Jello, you can customize the flavors, add vitamins, or even use water kefir or kombucha as the base for a vitamin and probiotic boost!

6. Wrinkle Reducer

You know those $50+ wrinkle reducer miracle creams that don’t work? Save a lot of money by just taking gelatin internally each day and using coconut oil for skin care! Gelatin is essentially cooked, powdered collagen (that ingredient they charge you an arm and a leg for that doesn’t even work well externally…;).

Taking Gelatin internally provides the body the building blocks to build great skin, hair and nails from the inside out and helps reduce wrinkles (and stretch marks, as I’ve found since mine are vanishing this time while I’m still pregnant!).

7. Digestive Aid

Constipation? Digestive issues? Gelatin might help!

Nourishing Traditions and much of the information I’ve read from the Weston A. Price foundation recommend Gelatin (usually in the form of homemade bone broth) as a digestive aid, as it can sooth and help heal the digestive track. I’ve noticed tremendous benefits in our son who we put on the GAPS protocol, and I’ve also seen daily gelatin help keep bowels regular and smooth.

8. Joint Help

Gelatin also provides the building blocks for healthy joints and people with arthritis, joint injuries or joint pain might notice a substantial difference from incorporating Gelatin rich foods and supplements. Even WebMD talks about the joint uses of Gelatin:

“Gelatin is used for weight loss and for treating osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and brittle bones (osteoporosis). Some people also use it for strengthening bones, joints, and fingernails. Gelatin is also used for improving hair quality and to shorten recovery after exercise and sports-related injury.”

9. Skin Mask

Gelatin is most effective when used internally, but even externally, it can smooth and strengthen skin. Another Pinterest tip: Mix 1 tablespoon Gelatin Powder with 2 tablespoons warm water and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and apply to face. Leave on for 15 minutes and rinse with warm water.

10. Weight Loss

I haven’t tried it specifically for this purpose, but I’ve found forums of athletes and body builders who use plain gelatin powder for weight loss and maintenance, as they claim that it can boost Human Growth Hormone production and boost metabolism. In my opinion, Gelatin has enough other health benefits that it would be worth trying for this purpose too, even if the only result is better skin, hair, nails, joints, digestion, etc.

The protocol for weight loss is to stop eating at least 3 hours prior to bedtime, and then consume at least 1 tablespoon of gelatin powder right before bed. These guys chewed it straight, but I’d highly recommend mixing in to a cup of chamomile tea by dissolving in about 1/3 cup cool water and then adding 2/3 cup of warm tea. Much better texture and taste!

11. Hormone Help

I’ve written about natural ways to balance hormones before, and it turns out that Gelatin may help here too:

“Too much estrogen in the body (which can be caused by all sorts of reasons including hormonal imbalances, over exposure to phytoestrogens like those found in soy, and xenoestrogens found in plastics) can cause inflammation, infertility and promote accelerated aging. The wonderful, and seemingly endless benefits of gelatin have anti-estrogenic effects which can help offset the effects of excess estrogen in the body.”

12. In/From Homemade Bone Broth

The most cost effective and nutrient dense way to consume Gelatin is in the form of homemade bone broth or stock. Of couse, bone broth isn’t as good for making marshmallows, gummy vitamins, jello or hair masks, but it is an inexpensive way to consume Gelatin. I also add Gelatin powder to soups and stews for an extra gelatin boost, but if you don’t want to attempt all the other uses, at least consider incorporating homemade bone broth into your daily diet. Your gut will thank you!

For all of the recipes listed above, visit here.

Product Review: Paleo Wraps

In general, I try not to rely on packaged food for my meals from day to day. There are just too many inflammation inducing preservatives, sugars, and additives in most packaged foods. That being said, we all have those crazy days, weeks, or even months where we don’t want to cook everything from scratch. The diet that I follow does not allow for any grains, none. That means no corn, rice, wheat, spelt, millet, etc. Conventional bread and tortillas are a thing of the past. I have done the lettuce roll ups but sometimes you just want to be able to hold a sandwich in your hands and take it out the door with you. I saw these at the store and I just had to give them a try.

These Paleo Wraps are a convenient alternative to grabbing a piece of lettuce and trying not dribble all over yourself as you eat. The ingredients are great, coconut water and coconut meat. No weird ingredients you can’t pronounce, no preservatives, nothing genetically modified. Ok, here are the negatives. The price. I got a package of these at The Natural Grocer in Denton for $9.55 for a package of 7. Yikes! Pretty high in my opinion. Then we get to the taste, I would say it’s average. It’s not that they taste bad, in fact they have a very mild flavor, not too coconutty at all – just lacking in any real taste. The thing that bothers me most is the texture. It’s a bit like trying to eat those fruit roll-ups you used to eat as a child. You really gotta sink your teeth in and tear it off. If you heat them up a bit it helps with the texture but it also makes them more delicate and your fillings are prone to leak. I took a package of these with me on a recent trip and they did come in handy for me to make a basic protein roll up with meat, cheese, bell peppers, and cucumbers. I was able to run out the door and grab my lunch to go. So, would I reccommend these? Yes and No. Yes, if you are so totally crunched for time, these are a lifesaver. No, if you don’t want to spend almost ten bucks on a package of grain free sheets of coconut and give your jaw a workout with all of the chewing.

My reccommendation, make a batch of coconut flour crepes recipe in this book on the weekend, store them in the refrigerator and save yourself some money! This book has great recipes for meals on the go and tortilla replacements made with coconut flour. I have used the coconut crepes as tortillas for quesadillias, enchiladas, and sweet dessert crepes, yummy!

2 out of 5 stars for Paleo Wraps

Product Love: Coconut Aminos (Soy Sauce Substitute)

I get a lot of questions about product substitutions. When my son was diagnosed with multiple food allergies, I had to find alternatives to our favorite foods so I didn’t go crazy trying to re-invent the culinary wheel. This is one of my favorites. Coconut Aminos by Coconut Secret are a fantastic subsitute for soy sauce without the anti-nutrient results of a traditional soy based sauce. I removed soy from our diets after I learned of the many reasons not to eat soy.

Click here to purchase at my Amazon Store

Here are the details on this great product: Coconut Aminos Soy-Free Seasoning Sauce 100% Organic, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free,Vegan Coconut Aminos is raw, very low glycemic, an abundant source of 17 amino acids, minerals, vitamin and has a nearly neutral pH. A comparison between coconut tree sap and soy, shows that coconut sap contains 2-14 times the amino acid content of soy. Small batches ensure that our organic, low glycemic Coconut Aminos, made from this natural sap, is a raw enzymatically alive product aged and blended with sun dried, mineral-rich sea salt, hand gathered from pristine waters near the southern islands of the Philippine coast. Ingredients: Organic Coconut Sap aged and blended with Sun-Dried, Mineral-Rich Sea Salt. Nutritional Facts:Serving Size 1 Tsp. (5ml), Servings per Container 48, Calories 5 Calories from Fat 0, Total Fat 0g (0% DV), Trans Fat 0g, Sodium 113mg (5% DV), Total Carbohydrate 1g (0% DV), Sugars 0g, Protein 0g, Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 0%, Calcium 0%, Iron 0%. Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on 2,000 calorie diet. Net wt: 8 fl oz I use this in any Asian style dish and no one in my family has ever noticed a difference it taste. It provides that nice salty balance for any dish and delivers essential amino acids your body needs. I have seen this product at Natural Grocer, Whole Foods, and some Sprouts Farmers Markets. If you can’t find it at these stores, you can purchase it here.

Product Love: Nomato and Tomatoless Meat Sauce

I have a lot of clients that are allergic/sensitive to tomatoes and other nightshade vegetables. My biggest request is for a sauce that they can slather on pizza, pasta, or use as a dip. I think this recipe and product fit the bill. So, whether you want something you can order online or a recipe you can make at home, I’ve got you covered. You don’t have to live without your pasta sauce or ketchup anymore!

OPTION #1

Nomato Products Online  www.Nomato.com

Nomato not only carries pasta sauce but they have ketchup and barbecue sauce as well! Here are the ingredients in their pasta sauce:
Ingredients: Organic Carrots, Water, Beets, Organic Onions, Lemon Juice, Kosher Salt, Garlic, Basil, Oregano, and Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C)

OPTION #2

TomatoLess Meat Sauce Recipe
Here is a recipe courtesy of Danielle Walker from www.AgainstAllGrain.com. I strongly recommend you check out her website for lots of other great recipes for those with food allergies/sensitivities. (Scroll down for recipe.)

Author: Danielle Walker – Against All Grain
Recipe type: Main Dish, Sauce
Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (bacon fat will work too, just reduce the salt slightly)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups carrots, peeled and diced
2 cups beets, peeled and diced
1 cup yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
3 pieces of bacon, chopped
2½ teaspoons sea salt
¼ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
¾ cup dry red wine
1 cup chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 pound ground beef, veal, or pork (I used grassfed 85/15 beef)

Instructions
Melt the butter with the olive oil in a sauce pan set over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions and garlic for 3-4 minutes. Add the bacon and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
Add the carrots, beets, and celery and cook until the vegetables have softened slightly, about 5-6 minutes.
Pour in the wine and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.
Carefully pour the sauce into a blender and blend on low for 15 seconds, then increase the speed to high and continue to blend until you have a smooth sauce.
*Be careful when blending hot liquids as they have the tendancy to splatter. You can also use an immersion blender in the pot.
Return the sauce to the pan. Add the bay leaves, basil, oregano, thyme, and vinegar. Bring to a simmer then crumble the ground meat with your hands and add it to the sauce. Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes, until the meat is fully cooked.
*The thickness of the sauce will depend on what the fat content of your meat is. If it is too thick, add a little more stock towards the end of the cooking process until it has reached your desired thickness.