It’s that time of year where we may be feeling motivated to take control of our diets. If you’ve packed on a few extra pounds toward the end of the year, then January is the perfect month to make those changes.
I’m not immune, over the last few months I’ve added at least 7 pounds (plus) to my frame.
The extra weight doesn’t work for me. It may not sound a lot but it’s 7 pounds too many.
So as I sit here (Sunday evening) meal planning for the forthcoming week, I’m googling Paleo recipes.
The Paleo diet is something I dabbled with in 2015. Not one for diets of any type, this style of eating makes sense to me. Simple recipes, whole foods, family friendly and easy to prepare.
When I say family-friendly what I mean is – easy to adapt from the dish I plan to have to what the kids are having. Because the fundamentals of Paleo meals are what would be dished up anyway, it really doesn’t take much effort to add in some extra carbohydrates for the children. My two do a lot of exercise and are very active, I definitely do not want to be restricting carbohydrates.
With this in mind, this is this week’s meal plan (the carbohydrate additions are in brackets).
Monday: Slow-cooked roast chicken with vegetables (potatoes)
Tuesday: Leftover chicken and vegetable soup (noodles and bread rolls)
Wednesday: Honey & lime pan-fried salmon with Mediterranean vegetables (served with rice)
Thursday: Slow-cooked turkey based bolognese with courgette strips (pasta for the family)
Friday: Either a “No Waste Tastes Great” dish or a Chinese take-away (it’s Mum’s night off!)
During the day the family are eating packed lunches, but I’m sticking to a relaxed version of the Paleo diet (aka not entirely to the book). I’m mixing it up with fruit/soya smoothies, egg and vegetable dishes plus plenty of salad and fish. The daytime meals aren’t being planned too closely, I’m just buying a variety of ingredients that will work together so I can pick and choose what I fancy on the day.
I’m thinking this Fritatta recipe from Paleo Leap will definitely be served up one lunchtime!
Do you have any family-friendly Paleo recipes to share? How do you balance what you eat with what your family eats when looking to lose a few pounds?
I have heard the term paleo before but never knew what it was. Sounds very sensible and healthy though!