Where We Stand with Food

 

a typical picnic lunch from the summer...

meatballs, steamed broccoli, strawberries, beets, kale, and summer squash 

It's been almost 10 months since we started a Paleo lifestyle. I'm not sure why it is so intriguing, but I get more questions about the way we eat than just about anything. So I thought it might be time for another update. You can read why we started Paleo here and how it has affected our lives here.
Because we still included raw dairy in our diets, we were technically eating a Primal diet. In November, after talking with Dr. F, we decided to give up raw dairy. We sold back our cow shares and gave up cheese, butter, sour cream, milk, yogurt, etc. I admit, I was a little sad because we had such great sources for local milk and cheeses.
Within a couple of weeks of being dairy-free, the bumps that I've had on my upper arms MY ENTIRE LIFE started to go away. The tiny bumps that had shown up on the boys' cheeks and arms started to go away, too. I learned very quickly how to use coconut milk as a dairy replacement in many of my recipes. We also found a couple good sources for dairy-free chocolate.

My biggest fear of going dairy-free was that the boys weren't going to be getting enough calcium. They don't drink a lot of bone broth (actually none) and they would have to eat lots and lots of cruciferous veggies to get adequate amounts of Calcium. They can only drink so many smoothies and juiced veggies a day after all. So we started the boys on a chewable Calcium supplement and they try to drink two glasses per day of orange juice fortified with Calcium. After being reassured by our pediatrician that the boys would be perfectly fine, we embraced the dairy free lifestyle.
So we were truly Paleo. But, after that same November visit with Dr. F and with his guidance, we slacked up a bit on being totally grain and legume free. The new priority was avoiding gluten, dairy, corn, and sugar. I avoid gluten like it is the plague. While the selections are limited especially in BG, I simply adore restaurants that have gluten-free menus.

We still avoid most grains, but have slowly introduced gluten-free oats.
(Oats are gluten free, but I prefer this brand because they can guarantee the oats are manufactured in a gluten free environment.)
 

oatmeal casserole (with a few modifications as noted)

I will eat white rice and gluten-free pasta (if it is made with rice), but that's only happened a handful of times in the last ten months. We have also tried black and pinto beans and they just might stick around in moderation. I have still stayed away from gluten-free baking mixes and gluten-free breads. We seem to be doing fine without them and some of the ingredients on the prepackaged gluten-free stuff scares me. You can bet on me searching for a gluten-free bakery (like this one) though whenever we venture away from Bowling Green.
We still only use local honey and maple syrup for sweeteners. They work just fine and it's amazing how quickly your palate can adjust.

So that's where we stand with food right now. I said it before and I will say it again. I’m sure things will change over time, but we know we definitely aren’t going back to our old food lifestyle. We are in this for the long haul.