11 Delicious Snack Tips for Paleo On-The-Go!
Are there days where you feel too busy to keep up with the paleo lifestyle?
One of the most common complaints about the transition to paleo is the lack of convenience. It’s true, in the beginning, a paleo lifestyle requires:
- More awareness
- More time
- More effort
This may be daunting but it will get easier. Although your new dietary practices may take time to perfect, they will also transform your health and life in many positive and unanticipated ways. As my wise yoga teacher used to use say,
“The way you do one thing, is the way you do everything.”
For me, this was absolutely true. Cultivating my paleo awareness ignited a domino effect of progress in every nook and cranny of my life.
However, just like any other shift, the transition can be tricky. Just remember the more time you spend perfecting and marinating in your paleo lifestyle, the more automatic it will become.
As Malcolm Gladwell said, becoming an expert requires 10 years or 10,000 hours of focused practice. We, at Palevalley, are here to consolidate your expert training. According to my unscientific estimate, the tips below will catapult you to at least the 5,000th hour!
Master these paleo snack tips and rest assured that there are rainbows, vibrant health AND productivity on the other side.
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1. Hard boil those pasture-raised eggs
I like to make approximately 12 on Sunday night to have a quick snack ready the rest of the week. Top them with unrefined sea salt and cracked black pepper or organic guacamole for an even more decadent treat.
2. Homemade Trail mix
Take several varieties of your favorite organic, raw or sprouted nuts, small amounts of dried fruit (think goji berries, coconut flakes and raw cacao nibs) and mix them together in tiny snack-sized bags or a mason jar. I like to carry them in my purse so I can always have a plan for sensible snacking.
3. Berries with coconut oil drizzled on top
I love this one because it’s simple and it takes 10 minutes. Melt organic unrefined coconut oil in a pan. Once melted, drizzle it on top of your favorite organic berries and place in the freezer for 5 minutes. Deeeeeeeeelish. It's an antioxidant powerhouse, blood sugar stabilizer and sweet tooth destroyer.
4. Smoked wild salmon on organic cucumber slices
This is a perfect little power snack.....cunchy and nutrient-packed. Enough said!
5. Bumps on a log
Top organic celery slices with sprouted almond butter and organic raisins. This snack is ideal for those who suffer from hypertension. Just eating 4 ribs of celery per day has been empirically shown to decrease blood pressure in those who are hypertensive.
6. Paleo blueberry muffins
Batch bake these babies at the beginning of the week for a tasty treat that is ready whenever you are.
Ingredients:
½ cup coconut flour
6 tablespoons of unrefined coconut oil
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. unrefined sea salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 tbsp. organic raw honey
6 organic, pasture-raised eggs
½ cup organic blueberries.
Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl (baking soda + baking powder + unrefined sea salt + cinnamon).
3. Mix the wet ingredients (honey, pasture-raised eggs, unrefined coconut oil) in a separate bowl.
4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients in a vitamix/blender until smooth. This can be done by hand as well.
5. Stir in the blueberries, pour in the tin, and bake for 20-25 minutes. Voila! Store in the refrigerator or freezer for a quick snack anytime.
7. Cauliflower popcorn
This is my favorite new snack! Although it may take a little longer, most of the time it is in the oven, so you can actually still be productive while it is roasting. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Take a head of cauliflower, chop the head into pop-corn sized pieces and place in a bowl. Marinate with 4 tablespoons melted, unrefined coconut oil. Place in the oven for 45-60 minutes (keep a watchful eye) turning the cauliflower after 20-30 minutes. Sprinkle with unrefined sea salt and you’re basically at the movies.
8. Organic avocado filled with pumpkins seeds
This amazing fat-filled snack that will keep you satisfied for several hours. Take ½ an avocado and fill it with raw pumpkin seeds. It’s crunchy, nutrient dense and as easy as it sounds.
9. Egg muffins
Omelets in a muffin! Preheat the oven to 400. This recipe prepares about 8 muffins. If you are cooking for a family, simply double the recipe and store them in the refrigerator to have a protein-packed snack all week long.
Begin by greasing a cupcake tin with unrefined coconut oil. Use 8 pasture-raised eggs, 1 cup broccoli chopped, ½ medium organic onion, ½ organic bell pepper, ¾ cup mushrooms, 4-8 slices of pasture-raised bacon (according to preference), ½ tsp. coconut oil (melted), sea salt to taste. Chop all ingredients as finely as you like and mix together. Pour or spoon the mixture into the baking tin. Cook for around 18-20 minutes (this time may vary so keep a close watch).
10. Spicy, roasted pecans
This snack not only tastes great, but it also makes your entire home smell like the holidays!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use 2 cups of raw pecans. In a bowl, combine 2 pasture-raised egg whites, 2 tsp. organic cinnamon, 2 tsp. organic chili powder, 1 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. raw honey (optional), ¼ tsp. organic cayenne pepper (optional). Add the pecans to the bowl and stir. Place on a parchment-paper lined baking pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes.
11. Try our Grass-fed beef sticks
(They were rated a Top Snack of 2014 by Paleo Magazine!)
I am sure you’ve heard about them by now, but in case you’re in the dark, our 100% grass-fed beef sticks are the perfect, carry-along snack for paleo pros on the go. They are delicious and teeming with high quality nutrients. Plus, you can rest assured that you have high quality protein available all day long. Because eating protein with every snack helps to reduce hunger and increase metabolism, this snack brings you closer to your health and weight loss goals with every bite.
You can order them here:
http://www.paleovalley.com/beef-sticks
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Even though some of these snacks may take time to prepare upfront, they will definitely help truncate the dirty, rotten transition period in the long run.
Another perk of snack preparation is that it will decrease your likelihood of eating on-the-go. This is what usually leads to last minute, “convenience cheats” that you would otherwise not indulge in. These “convenience cheats” are rarely enjoyed, leave you unsatisfied and increase the likelihood that you will cheat AGAIN.
Just remember: the effort you put in at the beginning of the week, sets you up for success for the REST of the week. Life regularly interferes with good intentions. However, when you are prepared for chaos, your chances of a paleo victory increases despite it.
In other words, a little time well spent can mean the difference between a paleo victory or a paleo nosedive. Incorporate these success-inspiring snack tips, save time, avert dietary disaster, and watch your health and happiness reach new heights..😊