Check Out Our New Pages!

Hi Everyone,

We have some exciting new resources for you to take a look at, our Paleo Masters and Paleo Products pages!

The Paleo Masters page will provide you with a list of the many great leaders and individuals in the Paleo community who, just like us, are committed to helping others. We’ve provided you with links, so you’ll be able to check out their websites and social media sites.

The Paleo Products page will provide you with a list of the Paleo Products that we love. You’ll also be able to find the links to take a look at the websites for these products.

We hope you enjoy these new resources!

Melissa and Camilla

thepaleopact.com | @thepaleopact

June 26TH Cooking Demo

Thank you so much to our wonderful audience who joined us for our Paleo Brunch Demo last week.

We hope you enjoyed our Paleo take on a traditional brunch. We loved all the excitement in the demo and were very happy to see so many people interested in Paleo and learning new recipes. We had a blast answering so many insightful questions. As always if you have additional questions for us or would like even more fantastic recipes, please feel free to take a look around our blog and leaves us comments!

Incase you weren’t able to make it or would like access to digital copies of the recipes you will be able to find the recipe for the Paleo Oatmeal through the link below. We haven’t posted the recipes for the Raspberry Zucchini Almond Muffins or Frappuccinos, so stay tuned for these delicious recipes!

Paleo Oatmeal

Our next Demo will be at the Gluten Free Fair in August, we’ll show you how to make Paleo pizza crust and bread.

We hope to see you then,

Melissa and Camilla

thepaleopact.com | @thepaleopact

Paleo Citrus Summer Slaw

Coleslaw is a traditional side dish for most summer parties. Unfortunately, coleslaw is often made with ingredients that may not fit your ideal definition of healthy and if you have an egg allergy it’s a big no-no. Here is a great alternative to the traditional coleslaw.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
juice of 2 oranges
5 oz pre-cut cabbage (this is often packaged as a coleslaw mix)
1 apple, sliced into thin strips
1 pear, sliced into thin strips
1/4 cup dried cranberries, sweetened with apple juice
1 package raspberries

RECIPE

In a large bowl whisk honey, balsamic and orange juice until throughly incorporated.
Add the remainder of the ingredients and mix together.
Let sit for 30 minutes, then serve at room temperature or chilled.

I hope you enjoy this fantastic summer side dish!

Melissa Van Dover

@mvandover | melissavandover.com

Paleo Vanilla Latte

This is the perfect summer drink that is sure to give you a perk of energy. The best part is that it is super easy to make.

INGREDIENTS

1-2 shots of fresh brewed espresso
2 tablespoons agave or honey
Ice
6-8 ounces almond or coconut milk
tumbler of choice

RECIPE

Brew espresso. (Or if you don’t have an espresso machine make 2-3 ounces of really strong coffee)
Pour espresso into tumbler and add agave, mix until well combined.
Fill tumbler with ice.
Add milk to tumbler until full, stir.

It’s that simple! I hope you enjoy this amazing summer pick me up.

Here’s to summer!

Melissa

@mvandover | melissavandover.com

Learn To Read Your Labels

Learning to read food labels is a critical step to living a healthy, Paleo lifestyle. The issue with food today is that it can be made of so many ingredients. While we always recommend making your own food from scratch we understand that sometimes that just isn’t going to happen. When you run into instances where you must purchase pre-made or pre-prepared foods, we encourage you to look at the label.

On the Paleo Diet the main concerns we have are the contents or ingredients of the food and how the food was produced.

When looking at the ingredients the main thing to keep in mind is that the sooner an ingredient shows up on the list the more prevalent that ingredient is in the food. Another thing that will help you read labels more successfully is to become familiar with the ingredient terms you do not recognize. The best way to do this is to Google unfamiliar terms as you come across them.

The second thing that we really want to pay attention to on the label is how the product was produced. For example, is the product organic, grass-fed, free of nitrates? These are items that you’ll want to look for. Please note, this information will usually show up on the front of a product’s packaging verses on the back with the nutrition label.

As a cautionary tale, just because a label says it’s Paleo doesn’t mean it is. I came across an energy bar recently that said it was Paleo. However, upon further investigation I found that not all the ingredients were in fact Paleo. So yet again we see that it is critical to read through the ingredients in our food.

Here’s to being educated on what we’re putting into our bodies!

Melissa Van Dover

@mvandover | melissavandover.com

NEW AND IMPROVED PALEO TERIYAKI LETTUCE WRAPS

A while ago I posted a recipe for Paleo Teriyaki Lettuce Wraps. I’ve made a few changes since then and I wanted to take the time to share my updated recipe.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon garlic coconut oil (you can substitute this with other Paleo oils if needed)
5 tablespoons Coconut Aminos
4 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar
3 tablespoons hot chili or Sriracha sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup sliced and chopped carrots
1/2 red onion, diced
1 handful green onions, diced
2 pounds organic, grass-fed ground beef
1 head iceberg lettuce

RECIPE

Heat coconut oil, 2 tablespoons Coconut Amions, water and coconut palm sugar in a large frying pan on low, medium heat until you start to see steam rise.
Add carrots, red and green onion, black pepper and salt to pan.
Cover and let cook about 10 minutes until the carrots and onion start to become soft, stir occasionally.
Increase heat to medium and add ground beef, 3 tablespoons of Coconut Aminos and Sriracha to mixture, stir to mix everything together.
Uncover and let cook until meat has browned, stir occasionally.
Reduce heat to low, medium and let reduce until liquid has been absorbed by meat.

Slice the bottom off of the iceberg lettuce remove outside lettuce leafs and discard. Begin to peel off leafs and place on plate to use as lettuce cups. note: when you get towards the end, you can shred the remainder of the lettuce and make a salad.

Scoop the mixture into lettuce cups and serve.

I hope you enjoy this updated recipe!

Melissa Van Dover

@mvandover | melissavandover.com

Paleo Rice Pudding

I love rice pudding. However, an egg allergy and being Paleo tends to get in the way of me enjoying this treat. The following is an egg-free, Paleo version of this classic dessert.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons Chia seeds
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

RECIPE

Add coconut milk, Chia seeds, honey and cinnamon to a bowl.
Mix thoroughly.
Place in the fridge for 1 hour, then serve.

Yes it’s really that simple! It’s also that delicious.

I hope you enjoy this delicious treat!

Melissa Van Dover

@mvandover | melissavandover.com

Paleo Oatmeal

I came up with this recipe because I really wanted oatmeal. Honestly, you can’t really mess this one up. Feel free to substitute the berries and nuts with your toppings of choice.

INGREDIENTS

1 banana
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons Chia seeds
1 tablespoon honey
1 handful blueberries
1 handful cashews, chopped

RECIPE

Pour chia seeds and milk into a bowl and mix.
Mash banana and mix into the chia seed/coconut milk mixture.
Add honey and mix.
Let mixture stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Heat mixture in the microwave until warm, about 1 minute. (You can also leave the mixture at room temperature or chill, depending on your preference)
Top with blueberries and cashews or toppings of your choice.

This recipe is easy and delicious, it’s also a great replacement for oatmeal.

Have a great morning!

Melissa Van Dover

@mvandover | melissavandover.com

Is Agave Paleo?

During our Demos at Natural Grocers we often receive questions about why we choose the particular products that we are using. We’ve noticed that there have been a lot of questions surrounding the use of Agave Nectar and wether or not it is actually Paleo.

So, is Agave Nectar Paleo?

Yes and No. Unfortunately, based on the research that is currently available there are conflicting views on whether or not Agave Nectar is actually Paleo. Let’s take a look at the arguments for and against Agave Nectar being Paleo.

For Agave Being Paleo:

It is actually derived from the Agave Plant, however it is from the starchy root of the plat versus the actual sap.
It does have a lower glycemic index than regular refined sugar.

Against Agave Being Paleo:

It is not in its natural, pure form. The Nectar we consume has gone through a process to extract the sweetener.
The process that the starchy part of the Agave Plant goes through to become a sweetener is similar to the process used to derive high fructose corn syrup.

It comes down to a personal choice as to whether or not you would like to include Agave Nectar in your Paleo diet. We choose to use it in our demos as an allergy substitute for honey, and while we believe honey would be the better Paleo choice we find Agave to be a better choice than normal table sugar.

A few notes about Agave Nectar and Sweeteners:

Agave is much sweeter than normal sugar, so in your recipes you most likely need far less Agave Nectar.
All sweeteners, regardless if they are Paleo; will increase your blood sugar levels and cause your body to produce insulin. Sweeteners should always be consumed in moderation.

Research:

Here are some links to the research “For” and “Against” Agave being Paleo.

Have fun becoming Paleo educated!

Melissa Van Dover

@mvandover | melissavandover.com

GRILLED PORTOBELLO PESTO

I have to admit that this may be my favorite Paleo recipe of all time. I’m not usually one for recipes with out a large protein staple but this is just as savory as a grilled steak.

INGREDIENTS

4 Portobello mushroom caps
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 cup basil (or one small package from the store)
1/3 cup + 2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
salt
black pepper

RECIPE

Cooking the Portobello:

Remove stem from the Portobello mushrooms and scoop out gills. Wash thoroughly.
Using a brush, brush the 2 tbsp of olive oil(you can substitute with coconut oil) over the mushroom caps and sprinkle with black pepper and salt.
Grill for 5-10 minutes or until mushrooms begin to soften.

Making the Pesto:

In a food processor combine the basil, garlic, pine nuts and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste, I added roughly 1-2 tsp of each.
Blend until smooth.

Now drizzle the pesto over the Portobello mushrooms and you’re ready to go. I added a simple side salad with mine to make one fantastic meal!

Here’s to eating healthy without compromising taste!

Melissa Van Dover

@mvandover | melissavandover.com

The Paleo Pact

Choose Well. Eat Well. Live Well.

Author: Melissa Van Dover

Check Out Our New Pages!

June 26TH Cooking Demo

Paleo Citrus Summer Slaw

Paleo Vanilla Latte

INGREDIENTS

RECIPE

Learn To Read Your Labels

NEW AND IMPROVED PALEO TERIYAKI LETTUCE WRAPS

Paleo Rice Pudding

INGREDIENTS

RECIPE

Paleo Oatmeal

INGREDIENTS

RECIPE

Is Agave Paleo?

GRILLED PORTOBELLO PESTO

INGREDIENTS

RECIPE