Smart Choices

Have you ever been out and missed a meal? That starving feeling in your gut and the fogginess in your head from low blood sugar can lead to some bad food choices. I was out picking up some things from Walmart today and had missed breakfast. I was roaming the isles feeling like this.

I was wandering up and down the isles trying my hardest not to just attack any thing that might have a little sugar in it. I got over to their grocery section and saw my salvation. There was a Subway inside, but the bread doesn't fit with a paleo lifestyle. They had an area with a large board above it titled "Quick Meals" which is what my stomach was demanding. But when I got there, it was all microwave pizzas, sandwiches, and other premade, over processed "foods".

The funny thing is, that while I watched plenty of people on their way to a heart attack, gravitate towards these foods, just a 180 turn away the vision looked like this:

So, I turned that direction and made some quick decisions that got my blood sugar back to normal faster than if I had chosen something from the "Quick Meals" section and probably faster than if I had gone to Subway. What I ended up having was some apricots, almonds, and sliced chicken breast (which was my only regret as lunch meat isn't exactly paleo with all the salt and preservatives) But, it was still a satisfying meal with less guilt than anything else I would have done at that moment.

So go out and make some smart decisions because they are plotting against you.

Eating Out 2- Chipotle

Chipotle is one of my regular lunchtime stops for a meal on the go. However, there are limited choices that fit within the paleo lifestyle. The salad there is a great choice though. The carnitas is my personal favorite. I'll pass on the dressing and get it with the fajita vegetables, mild and hot salsa, guacamole, cheese (a violation to the strict paleo, but one I'm not willing to move on), and if I'm extra hungry, I'l get double the meat.

It's a delicious choice and I never seem to get tired of it.

Eating Out 1- Olive Garden

It can be hard to find healthy/ paleo friendly choices when eating out. Here are some relatively good choices that I like when I'm out.

When you think of Italian food, you think of bread and pasta. This can make a paleo lifestyle hard when your wife loves the soup, salad, & breadsticks meal at the Olive Garden There are a few items on the menu that aren't all together bad.

Here are some of the choices I like to go with.

Venetian Apricot Chicken

Grilled chicken breast in an apricot citrus sauce. Served with broccoli, asparagus and diced tomatoes.

The apricot citrus sauce almost certainly has refined sugar added to it, but otherwise this is a good choice.

Grilled Chicken Spiedini

Skewered chicken marinated in Italian herbs and extra-virgin olive oil. Served with Tuscan potatoes and grilled vegetables.

The skewered chicken is one of my favorites here. Just make sure you ask for an extra serving of veggies instead of the potatoes. The same goes for my other favorite the Mixed Grill

It's all about knowing your options and having a plan to stay on track with your goals. I hope this helps.