It’s that time of year again. The time of year where we add one notch to our belts. The time of year where we attend multiple holiday and ugly sweater parties. The spread is one made for kings and queens. You feast! Then, you feel guilty. You gained a few unwanted pounds. You feeling sluggish, not like yourself. Your workout routine basically went out the window (trust me, I am guilty of this too) and you say “I’ll start again next week” but next week turns into next year. Finally, the new year arrives and you hear one of your office mates talking about how they got all these incredible results going on the Paleo diet. So much so, it drives you to go to Google and search “What can I eat on a paleo diet?”. Well, look no further! Since PBH Foods specializes in the best freshly baked Paleo and Keto desserts, I feel like I am pretty qualified to hold your hand through this process. 

The first thing I want you to know is Paleo does not have to be hard. I get it, starting a new diet can be a little scary. Everyone talks about the things you can’t eat, but let’s talk about the things you CAN eat. Ready for this? If it has a face or it grows from the ground, you can eat it. Simple right?! Now let’s unpack that a little bit:

Before we talk about the benefits of the Paleo Diet, I must disclose that I’m not a doctor or a licensed nutritionist nor do I play one on the internet. Always consult with your primary health professional when starting a new diet regimen.

What fruits can I eat on a Paleo diet?

That beauty of the Paleo Diet is you can still have the sweet stuff. I’m talking about fruits. Fruits are a great way to include micro nutrients, amino acids, vitamins and minerals into your diet. It’s also a great way to kill your sugar cravings! Not a fruit person but still want something sweet? Well, that’s where we come in. All the Paleo desserts we make here at PBH Foods are Gluten Free, Dairy free, contain no refined sugar and no refined oil. We follow strict paleo guidelines but ensure our paleo sweets are most importantly, delicious. My personal favorite (as well as our customers) is our Paleo Cinnamon Roll Bites. 

Here is a list of some of my favorite fruits and their benefits:

Grapefruits - Amazing for those who have high blood pressure. Grapefruits are known to naturally known for lowering blood pressure. You have to be careful to eat grape fruits while consuming blood pressure medication as its been known to amplify the effects and can severely lower your blood pressure (again, consult your physician).

Pineapple - These are one of Josy’s favorite fruits. Pineapples are a nutrition powerhouse. They contain high doses of Vitamin C for immune health as well as bromelain which is an anti inflammatory and digestion superstar.

Avocado - Contrary to popular belief, Avocados are actually fruits. Want to impress your friends? Just tell them if it has seeds inside, it’s a fruit. Avocados are a healthy fat bomb! They are also loaded with potassium, fiber and magnesium.

What vegetables can I eat on a Paleo diet? 

I know I know, we grew up thinking veggies were yucky. But now, I can’t live without broccoli! Veggies and leafy greens are naturally low in sugar and calories. So go ahead and graze all you want! Veggies are also a great way to include fiber into your diet. Fiber helps in reducing cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease. Fiber is also very important for proper bowel movements. It helps reduce constipation. Veggies containing fiber will also help you feel fuller for longer with fewer calories!

 Broccoli - Broccoli is by far my favorite veggie and for good reason. It’s an incredibly powerful vegetable that belongs to the same family as cauliflower. Broccoli, when chopped and boiled only contain about 55 calories (low calorie, check!), a full daily dose of vitamin K and twice the daily recommended dose of vitamin C! 

Kale - You can’t walk into a grocery store without noticing the Kale section is always pretty low on stock. That’s because Kale is a very popular leafy green with a plethora of health benefits. It provides 7 calories per cup (again, low calorie, CHECK!) and great amounts of vitamins A, C, and K. 

Spinach - One cup of raw spinach is mostly made up of water and contains only 7 calories s It also has a full daily dose of vitamin K (essential for strong bones) as well as high amounts of vitamin A, C, Magnesium, Iron and Calcium. 

What meats can I eat on a Paleo diet?

My favorite part of the Paleo Diet. Now before I get into this, I must say not all meats are created equal and you should consume the right amounts of each. I would definitely not suggest only eating pork (Paleo peeps LOVE their bacon) or just eating fish (mercury poisoning is a thing). But if you consume the right amount of meat, you will get all the health benefits that our animal friends provide us such as protein (the building blocks for muscle growth and recovery) Vitamin B12 for energy and aiding in digestion Vitamin K (healing and bone health) and Iron (immune health and more)! What I do is a two to one ratio of lean meat to red meats. Lean meats would be anything from chicken to turkey to fish and red meats would be cow protein like steak. 

What nuts and seeds can I eat on a Paleo diet?

On the paleo diet, you can go crazy with nuts and seeds. Though small, these little guys pack a huge nutritional punch! Loaded with amazing healthy fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals. You know what else is made with nuts? You guessed it! Our paleo desserts! PBH paleo desserts are exclusively made with almond flour and most of PBH paleo desserts contain the nutritional powerhouse, coconut oil. One of the best selling products on our store is our Paleo Cinnamon Apple Empanadas. The perfectly sized treat you can take on the go!

So there you have it, the Paleo diet in a nutshell (no pun intended). As you can see, you can have your Paleo cake and eat it too. You can stay strict Paleo and eat the best paleo desserts from PBH Foods at the same time! Here’s to a happy and healthy new year! You got this! 

What are your new years goals?

Stay sweet,

PBH