Gettin' My Healthy On

  • Home
  • About
  • Favorites
  • Fitness
    • Exercise Guide
    • My Workout Log
    • Workouts
  • Recipes
  • Explore
    • Blogging
    • Fitness
    • Healthy Eating
    • Healthy Living
    • Music Playlists
    • Quotes
    • Recipes
    • Reviews
    • Tips
    • Workouts
You are here: Home / Posts / Healthy Eating / What I Learned from the Paleo Diet

What I Learned from the Paleo Diet

June 1, 2015 by Katie

Now that the first week of my diet experiment is over, I’m excited to talk about my experience on the Paleo diet! Although one week on a specific diet isn’t exactly enough to show you its potential, I got what I wanted out of it – I tried new recipes that were very different for me (and plan to make several again in the future), and I learned that I could never follow a Paleo diet religiously because damn.

Let’s start at the beginning. I spent a lot of time looking up what it means to be Paleo and recipes that abided be the rules – aka:

  • DO EAT meat, seafood, fruits, vegetables, eggs, nuts, seeds, and healthy oils.
  • DON’T EAT dairy, grain, legumes (peanuts too), refined sugar, or processed foods.

Below are most of the goods I got on our trip to the grocery store (I had to run out a few extra times during the week though – womp womp). Most of this I’d get normally, though I did get items like almond milk, extra veggies, coconut milk, dates, and sweet potatoes, which aren’t all-too common in this household (and ignore the chickpeas, I didn’t realize those weren’t Paleo-friendly until the hummus had been made).

Paleo Grocery List

If you’re curious, here’s a detailed look at what I actually ate throughout the entire week, from breakfast to snack to lunch to snack to dinner:

What I Ate on the Paleo Diet

Since that’s kind of chaotic, here’s a more visual look at the snacks I ate:

Paleo Snack Ideas

Figuring out what to eat between meals was strangely complicated for me. I couldn’t eat a lot of my usual protein-packed snacks, like Greek yogurt, hummus, or cheese, but I gradually got the hang of things. The picture above shows some of what I ate, which maybe will help you if you’re considering going Paleo for funsies. My snacks included things like:

  • Lunchmeat with julienned zucchini inside (weird but not bad)
  • Fruit and nut bar (with hemp and chia seeds in place of the peanuts)
  • Apple and almond butter (a classic that always works)
  • Strawberry Chocolate Protein Shake (best cure for hanger)
  • Watermelon
  • Apples topped with cinnamon and grilled  (#gourmet)
  • Avocado chocolate pudding, which was DELICIOUS (used almond butter and coconut milk)
  • Veggie lettuce wrap, which was cucumbers, carrots, celery, and avocado with sriracha and almond butter (seriously so freakin good)
  • Bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with an almond (the smoke detector didn’t think these were the best, but I did)

Paleo Meal Ideas

And for the meals I also found myself at a loss. No bread or pasta? Rubbish. Well I did figure it out eventually, and here’s some of the stuff you see in the above picture (and some others not in it).

  • Sweet potato fries with bacon, green pepper, and mushroom topped with over-easy eggs
  • Smoothies all day errday – okay, just breakfasts, really
  • Sweet potato pancakes (that actually were a massive fail and I threw most out but that’s beside the point)
  • Green beans with garlic and mushrooms (I could eat this every day; such a good side dish)
  • Hamburger on a lettuce wrap thing (surprisingly satisfying)
  • Fajitas in a lettuce wrap
  • Veggie- and meat-loaded pizza on a cauliflower crust (not as bad as I was expecting but I prefer my yeast-free pizza crust)
  • Paleo-friendly chili that was basically a tomato base with ground turkey, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, and celery (plus seasonings).
  • Zoodles (aka zucchini noodles, which are AWESOME) topped with shrimp and some Cajun seasoning
  • Two-Ingredient Pancakes (topped with almond butter? Yes, please)
  • Grilled asparagus

Aaaand now that you know every little detail of every single time I ate this past week…

My Thoughts on the Paleo Diet

As noted in my huge spoiler that began this post, the Paleo diet is not for mwa. I like milk and bread; I’m sorry (not sorry). HowEVER, I made a lot of weird things that I am so happy I finally tried. I’ve been wanting to try zoodles, avocado chocolate pudding, bacon-wrapped dates, sweet potato pancakes (despite the fact they were a fail), and the cauliflower pizza crust (again) for ages, so this forced diet thing for myself was the push I needed.

I think if you do the Paleo diet right, you could reap the benefits of avoiding foods that are processed, loaded with sugar, and/or irritating (like potential dairy or wheat sensitivities). But since I’m not experienced or thoroughly educated on this Paleo thing, I found myself eating a lot of fat – it was healthy fat but still. I missed the option of whole grains, as well as yogurt for a satiating snack. I will say, though, that I ate so many veggies – like, I’m talking all the veggies. So that was great, especially things like asparagus on the grill and fresh lettuce wraps filled with julienned goodness. There are so many ways to eat healthy if you use some creativity (or just spend a lot of time on Pinterest).

You can check out some of my favorite Paleo-inspired dishes if you want to see/read more about things I fancied throughout my week of eating Paleo. As explained in my diet experiment post, this week I’m back to eating normally (aka without any restrictions so somebody give me milk chocolate), and next week I’ll be trying out a Mediterranean-based diet! After last week, however, I think I’ll be a little more lenient and just eat foods that follow the diet most of the time. This girl needs milk in her coffee again.

The end finally. Hope you have the best Monday ever (or maybe just settle for a good one).

Related Posts

  • Why I’m Going Paleo, Mediterranean, and VeganWhy I’m Going Paleo, Mediterranean, and Vegan
  • My Favorite Paleo-Inspired DishesMy Favorite Paleo-Inspired Dishes
  • Two-Ingredient PancakesTwo-Ingredient Pancakes
  • My Blogging ConfessionMy Blogging Confession

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • More
  • Reddit
  • Share on Tumblr
  • WhatsApp

Filed Under: Healthy Eating Tagged With: diet, paleo

« Strawberry Chocolate Protein Shake
A Few of My Favorite Things »

Comments

  1. Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner says

    June 1, 2015 at 6:54 am

    It’s not for me either being a veg I really enjoy and need dairy, soy and grains. It’s an awful lot of protein too! Enjoyed reading this.

    • Katie says

      June 1, 2015 at 7:54 am

      I’m with you! I like having all food groups (and more carbs in my life haha)

  2. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

    June 1, 2015 at 8:30 am

    You should have bought some plantains 😉 They would have made you whole life 10000x better 😉

    • Katie says

      June 2, 2015 at 1:58 pm

      Yumm. I’ve had plantains, but I don’t think I’ve ever actually made anything with them. Guess it’s something to look into!

  3. Sara says

    June 2, 2015 at 1:04 pm

    I’ve thought about trying it, but it just seems so overwhelming to me. When I think about all the foods I would eliminate along with having to eat new things (i.e. spend more time cooking and prepping) I just cant. Plus, I don’t think it’s something my husband would be down with, making it that much harder to do.

    • Katie says

      June 2, 2015 at 1:57 pm

      I get you. It was definitely a lot of food prep, and it was tricky balancing the planning for myself with how my fiance would eat things. I think if I continued with it for awhile, I’d get the hang of it. For now, it’s not for me, but if it works for some people, then more power to them. Haha

About Me
Follow Me on Facebook Follow Me on Twitter Follow Me on Instagram Follow Me on Pinterest

Get New Posts by Email:

Trending

Sorry. No data so far.

logo

Health Advertising by

Instagram:

Today I shared what will be my last post over at G Today I shared what will be my last post over at GettinMyHealthyOn.com. Due to exciting things 🥰 about to demand more of my time, I knew I was ready to officially retire.
.
It's been almost 10 years 😳 since I started my blog, but I'm ready to move on to the next chapter of my life. If you can't tell by the photo, I'm so happy to share we're expecting a baby soon! 👶💜
.
While it feels weird to announce my pregnancy in a farewell blog post, that's ultimately what led to my decision to step down from the personal blog world.
.
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has supported my blog over the last decade. ❤️ I'll still be posting here occasionally but wanted to share the news. 🤗 To check out the farewell post, visit the link in my bio.
Starting the weekend with a bit of sweetness. 😍 Starting the weekend with a bit of sweetness. 😍 First acai bowl in what feels like years. 🍓🫐 #TooPrettyNotToDocument #SendMoreGranola
Yessss, gimme dat chicken noodle, beef barley, pot Yessss, gimme dat chicken noodle, beef barley, potato, chicken tortilla, broccoli cheese, tomato, and all the other kinds I can't think of right now. 😅 #MmNoodleSoup
No idea how these are going to taste, but I'm pret No idea how these are going to taste, but I'm pretty thrilled with myself for finally taking the time to learn this canning thing.

 #SoManyPickles #SoManyCucumbers #TheresMoreInTheFridge 😅
If you're a cucumber fan (or have an overflowing c If you're a cucumber fan (or have an overflowing cucumber plant 🌱 like me), I recently discovered this 3-ingredient snack that's surprisingly good. Then again, I'll take any excuse to eat cream cheese. 😋 
.
All you need is cucumber slices, cream cheese, and Everything But the Bagel Seasoning. 😍
.
Recipe: ➡️ bit.ly/cream-cheese-cuc-bites/
All the rain we've been getting has been making my All the rain we've been getting has been making my garden (and therefore me) so happy. 😍 Cucumbers, green peppers, San Marzano tomatoes, and ghost peppers (😳) are all taking off. The green beans and strawberries aren't far behind. 🌱🍓 Pretty thrilled so far with my first in-ground garden. 🙌
.
Are you growing a veggie/fruit garden this year?
My favorite kind of Taco Tuesday: spicy shrimp tac My favorite kind of Taco Tuesday: spicy shrimp tacos! 🤤🌮 What's your perfect taco?
.
.
.
Recipe inspired by Oscar's Mexican Seafood in San Diego. ➡️ bit.ly/spicytaco
It's supposed to snow tomorrow, but today I'm goin It's supposed to snow tomorrow, but today I'm going to soak up the crisp air, warm sun, and a little bit of mud.
Follow on Instagram
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins
There has been a problem with your Instagram Feed.
logo
Health Advertising by

My Networks:

Fit Approach FitFluential Is Fitness Found Healthy Living Blogs
BlogLovin'

Recent Posts:

  • My Farewell to Blogging
  • Cream Cheese Cucumber Bites with Everything Seasoning
  • Goals for 2021: Living with Intention
  • December Favorites
  • Top 20 Posts of 2020
May 2025
S M T W T F S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Apr    

Archives

Follow Me on Facebook Follow Me on Twitter Follow Me on Instagram Follow Me on Pinterest Follow My RSS Feed
About Me | Workouts | Recipes | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Contact

Copyright © 2025 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress