By request, over the last week I attempted to record our daily food and exercise for an entire week to share with you all. Last week was a big thumbs down in the exercise department. My husband and I both took it pretty easy after recovering from our Las Vegas trip and the previous week for me had been harder than normal as far as workouts are concerned. I took pictures of most things that we ate (when I remembered!!) I do not weigh or measure what I eat but I’ll try to be specific about what went into my mouth versus what the kids might have eaten. They do a lot more snacking then I do. If you all like this post, I’ll try to post these more often, just let me know if this is helpful and I will accommodate!
For those of you who are new to the blog, just to clarify as you are reading who is who, my husband is John, and our kids are Coby age 15, Jaden who is 7, and little Rowan is 3.
Ok, here goes!
Monday April 4th: Headed home from Vegas!
Exercise: None
Breakfast in the airport: Scrambled Eggs and Bacon, black coffee
Lunch in the car with John: Beef Jerky, Almonds, Broccoli, Sliced Turkey, Strawberries
Dinner at home with the Boys!: Paleo spaghetti with 1lb grass fed groud beef, 1 lb Italian pork sausage, TJ’s Puttanesca sauce and zucchini noodles.
Bedtime Snack for boys: Frozen blueberries topped with So Delicious coconut milk.
Tuesday April 5th:
Exercise: Played tag with Rowan and basketball in the back yard with Jaden and Rowan
Breakfast: Chicken sausage from Trader Joe’s cooked in coconut oil with scrambled eggs
Jaden’s School Lunch: Sliced chicken breast, Lara bar, carrots, apple slices . 
All of Jaden’s lunches are packed in Planet Box lunch containers.
Coby’s school lunch: Beef jerky, banana, pistachios
Lunch for John, Rowan, and myself: Left overs from Monday night, added 1 diced chicken breast and mixed with a frozen veggie mix. Made sweet potatoes to go with it for Rowan.
Snacks throughout the day for Rowan and in the car after school: Beef jerky, coconut flakes, mandarines
Dinner was Pancit!!
Bedtime snack for the boys was blueberries and fresh coconut. My local health food store carries young green Thai coconut now and then and this week we hit the jackpot!!
Wednesday April 6th
Exercise for me: 800 meter run/ 15 front squats with 30lb dumb bells and 15 burpees, 12 & 12 of each, 9 & 9 of each, walked the dogs with the boys, stretching.
Breakfast: Poached eggs, bacon, spinach and asparagus cooked in grass fed butter, left over sweet potatoes for the boys fried in the bacon grease. I ate 2 poached eggs, a huge serving of veggies, and 2 pieces of bacon and the kids ate all the sweet potatoes and everything else. Rowan told me that he loved his asparagus this morning as he alternated between taking bites and hugging me; but just wait to see what he says about it tomorrow!
Jaden’s lunch: Ham and cabbage wraps, orange, banana, Lara bar
Not sure what Coby had for lunch, he played the bass guitar for the musical Grease at his high school and this week was performance week so he went out to lunch with the entire cast and crew.
Morning Rowan snacks: Beef jerky, apples, carrots, almond butter
Lunch for Rowan, John and I: Leftover Pancit and Rowan also had frozen blueberries with coconut milk
After school snack: Turkey slices, coconut flakes, oranges
Dinner: Meatloaf, sweet potatoes with grass fed butter, beets with greens and bacon salad
Bedtime snack for boys: Fresh coconut and salami
Thursday Apirl 7th:
Exercise: Chasing Rowan outside for an hour
Breakfast for the boys: Leftover meatloaf scrambled with eggs, asparagus, spinach. Today Rowan said that asparagus is yucky and he asked with the saddest eyes, “Mom, why did you give this to me today?!?” He’ll probably love it again next week… Too funny!
I met my friend and photographer that took the Everyday Paleo book cover photos for breakfast and I had a 2 egg pesto scramble with sautéed zucchini and a side of bacon. Rowan had his eggs and meatloaf earlier at home so I shared a gluten free pancake with him. Sin of Cortez is a local restaurant that actually serves gluten free pancakes! A great treat!!
Coby’s lunch: Ham, almonds, orange
Jaden’s lunch: Turkey, trail mix, oranges, cucumbers
After school the kids snacked on turkey and avocado chunks.
Dinner: Ground beef seasoned with cumin, garlic, and salsa verde and cabbage and it wasn’t enough so I also fried up some chicken sausages with leftover beets, greens, and bacon from the night before and I added a bunch of chard.
Late night snack after watching Coby play bass in Grease was: thin pork chops fried in coconut oil and a salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Jaden ate pork chops and oranges before he went to bed and Rowan and Coby had blueberries and a few bites of pork chops.
- Coby Ready for Grease!!
Friday April 8th:
Exercise: None beyond playing with the kids…
Breakfast: Eggs and leftover chicken and greens stir fry from last night
Jaden’s lunch: Ham, salami, apples, cucumbers, carrots, guacamole
Coby’s lunch: Not sure – he packed something from home probably beef jerky and fruit, his usual…
Lunch with Rowan: In N’ Out Hamburgers, Protein Style!
After school snack: Trail mix of almonds and dried blueberries, beef jerky, oranges
Dinner: Rotisserie chicken bought from Raley’s, organic salad greens mix with tons of olive oil and some balsamic, steamed broccoli, pressure cooked sweet potatoes with grass fed butter
Bedtime snack for boys: Salami, organic/grass fed pepper jack cheese (found this at my local health food store and couldn’t resist!), apple slices and almond butter
Bedtime snack for John and I: A glass of wine each and some salami and cheese
This was a crazy busy day with drum lessons in the afternoon, another Grease performance Friday night and somewhere in there I recorded our most recent podcast! Long and exhausting week and now on to the weekend!!
Saturday April 9th:
Exercise: Nothing beyond some basketball in the backyard with the boys
Breakfast: Bacon, Eggs and Strawberries
Lunch: Jaden and I ate tons of amazing paleo food at Norcal’s Paleo Potluck! I made my Chili Verde. I left John, Rowan, and Coby at home. Coby was sleeping in and John and Rowan spent some special time together doing yard work. They had tuna salad and cucumbers for lunch.
Dinner was at Woodstock’s Pizza here in Chico where Jaden rocked the house as an act for Chico School of Rock! Woodstock’s makes an amazing gluten free pizza in which we did partake. I also had 2 glasses of wine. The rest of the evening was spent with Chrissy Gower and her family and the boys snacked on strawberries. Super fun night!!
Sunday April 10th:
Exercise: John and I worked out together in the backyard, warmed up with the boys with sprints, workout was 10 jump squats, 10 hollow rocks, followed by 9 and 9, 8 and 8, all the way down to 1 and 1 with “around the worlds” on every even number (these are when you stay in a push up position and walk your hands moving your body in a full circle). The little boys worked out with us and Coby worked his fingers out texting. LOL!!
Breakfast: Made these awesome coconut flour pancakes that a sweet 7 year old girl named Erin posted the recipe for on my blog! 6 eggs, 1 can coconut milk, 2 Teaspoons vanilla, 1/2 Tablespoon baking soda, 1 Tablespoon honey, 2 Teaspoons cinnamon, 3/4 Cup coconut flour. Beat eggs until frothy. Mix rest ingredients together. Cook on griddle. Keep cakes small. If difficult to flip, cook longer. Also made scrambled eggs, bacon and topped the pancakes with sliced strawberries and bananas. I ate 1 pancake and loaded up on eggs and bacon.
Lunch: Out to eat at Burgers & Brew, a local awesome burger joint that serves pretty high quality and although not grass fed at least organic beef. We all had bun-less hamburgers, salads, and shared some french fries.
Dinner: Chili Colorado – a new recipe that I will post tomorrow!!
Bedtime snack: Family movie night and we made air-popped organic pop corn with tons of grass fed butter.
So, that wraps up a week in our life. As you can see we are not perfect and that’s exactly how I want my life to be. We eat extremely well during the week and tend to kick our heals up a bit more on the weekend, which keeps me sane! The boys snack more then what I actually logged but it’s all about the same stuff that I jotted down including some hardboiled or deviled eggs here and there, leftovers, and Coby’s special afternoon scrambled eggs with meat and veggies that he likes to make for himself and the boys when he gets home from school.
If you have a minute, check out Jaden’s drum performance. You have to watch the last minute of the video when he is warmed up and no longer nervous. Enjoy!!
wow what a week, thanks for sharing how human your family is. I think it is important to eat paleo as much as possible, but we do live in the human ratrace afterall. It is what we do Most of the time that counts:)
Thanks Debbie!
This was very helpful, thank you! I would love to see more posts like this in the future as well!!
Ditto! very helpful post, would love to see more like this.
You got it! I’ll try to do one once a month!
This is great, thanks! Gives me some more ideas for snacks for the kids. I’m curious, what kind of beef jerky and salami / turkey / ham (deli meats) do you buy?
Thanks for posting!
I buy beef jerky either from Paleo Brands http://www.paleobrands.com or the organic from Trader Joe’s which is gluten free, or I’ll buy a brand called Farmers Market from my local health food store and I just recently discovered Tanka Bites which my whole family LOVES!! http://www.tankabites.com
LOVE this! Thanks for being honest and not perfect! I’ve been thinking about one of our local burger joints – told the boys we could go there and go bun-less and get them to add guacamole and bacon to ours! 🙂 They were excited about that!
This is very helpful, and I will probably print it out. Can’t wait to get your cookbook!
Have you ever tried making beef jerky, or do you always buy it?
I have not yet made my own beef jerky. My birthday is right around the corner if anyone wants to send me a food dehydrator I’ll go for it! LOL!!
Making jerking in a dehydrator is super easy, and doesn’t require much time at all! I think it would pay for the dehydrator easily.
I used a “recipe” on the Excalibur dehydrator website: slice meat thinly (about 3/8″), marinate in soy sauce (I used Bragg’s) (and I added some chopped fresh ginger) for a couple hours (or 2 days if you don’t get around to it in time like me), then dehydrate at 150 degrees for 4-6 hours. I sliced up a 2 lb round steak and now have 6 jerky snacks for an upcoming trip. I even dried the fat, and have yummy savory fatty bits to snack on too though I expect that they won’t keep long. I’m looking forward to making more jerky in the future, and they would make great gifts as well!
If you’re looking to expand your kitchen skills, making jerky in a dehydrator is a great way to go.
I loved seeing your week and I hope you do more posts like this in the future…it really helps give ideas for what to feed the family!
Glad it helped Priscilla!
Thanks Sarah!!!
This is very helpful!
You are very welcome Melissa, so glad it was helpful!
Wow! Thanks for sharing. I am new to the Paleo thing and we haven’t totally converted but I must say we are finding we are liking this way of eating more and more. One thing we do miss is our bread. I have yet to find a good replacement. Also I wasn’t a fan of the coconut pancakes I made once before, so I would like to give your recipe a try. I use fresh coconut milk from shredded coconut instead of the can. I was wondering how much of the fresh coconut milk I should use? I don’t think the measurements add up ounce for ounce when you are dealing with fresh versus canned. Any help would be great! Thanks!
Hmmm, I’m not too sure on this because I haven’t used the fresh from shredded before. I would say to play around with it. The pancakes I made with the coconut flour were more crepe like, that’s for sure. I hope that helps as you play with the consistency!
We had the pancakes for breakfast this morning and for this all paleo family they were definately a treat! We all really enjoyed them, they were a little eggy but otherwise very pancake like! We had them wit fresh homemade sausage from our butcher and a fruit salad.
I agree with the prior comments. It’s great to see your example and how you do “kick up your heels” a bit. I was contemplating cutting out the popcorn with our family movie nights, but now I probably won’t. Thank you! 🙂 This has given me some great ideas for feeding my kids with their snacks and lunches, so thanks again!
Kendra, if you want to cut back on your popcorn, try baking pieces of Lacinato kale that’s been tossed in olive oil and sea salt! 250 degrees for at least 30 minutes. I am a recovering potato chip addict, and kale “chips” were crunchy, salty, & yummy! My 18 year old daughter turned her nose up at them – “ewww that’s gross!” Wish I had discovered Paleo & CrossFit sooner to have been a better influence when she was younger. My 3 year old son gobbled them up though 🙂
LOVE kale chips, so do the kids, great snack!!
I’ve heard of kale chips, but hadn’t tried them yet. I might have to this weekend! Thanks!
It’s really nice to see what paleo looks like in real life especially for us beginners. Thanks!
What kind of lunch box is that for Jaden? Looks like something that might come in handy for lunches on the run.
It’s a planet box from http://www.planetbox.com He loves it and so do I so easy to clean and fun!
Thanks Sarah!! You are amazing!! Thank you for the peek into your life, this was very helpful. Can’t wait to get your book!!!
Thanks Lynn! : )
Very helpful!! Thank you so much for sharing!
You are very welcome LC and thank you!!
Loved this! I didn’t know Woodstock’s did a G-Free pizza. We’ll have to try that the next time we’re in Chico as a fun little treat!
Woodstocks and Left Coast both offer GF pizzas here in Chico!!
This was so helpful! It’s nice to see the combinations of real cooking and easy stuff that can be done !
Glad it was helpful Connie, thank you!
I’m really working on getting my daughter to go Paleo and see if we can get some relief from her eczema. It really helped seeing what your kids take for lunches. She realized it is doable!
Jaden had horrible eczema before paleo and it totally cleared up within a few weeks of making the switch, best of luck to you!!
Where do you get the coconut flakes? All I can find are the bags of shredded coconut with sugar on it.
Thanks for showing us how doable it is to feed your kids paleo!!
I was able to find many different kinds at Whole Foods. The flakes that are more ‘shaved’ are much better than the ‘sprinkle’ type. They had them in prepackaged and bulk.
You can order them from Paleo Brands http://www.paleobrands.com or from Tropical Traditions or Bob’s Red Mill makes unsweetened flakes that I buy from Raleys or my local health food store.
absolutely loved reading about your daily life! it gave me some great idea’s for dinner this week!!
ps i love the picture of Coby ready for grease!!
He’s such a cool kid…. : ) thanks Erika!
pps i am so bummed i was out of town last weekend, i wish i could have come and seen Jaden play at woodstocks, he still hasn’t played for me yet! 🙁
We’ll have to schedule your own private concert! Just bring your ear plugs! LOL!
Hi Sara!
I’m new to your podcast and website and love what I hear and see. Can’t wait for the Chile Colorado recipe! Just want to ask how many times a week do you go to the store? I have 3 sons–used to say small, medium, large –now they are all large! And they eat me out of house and home! My oldest has Type I diabetes so I am loving all of your healthy, family style food and reasonable, doable approach to this way of eating. We are slowly but surely coming off the gluten and adding tons more vegetables. You have wonderful ideas for getting everyone on board and am incorporating all the great suggestions. I love that everyone is so positive in their comments and will look forward to keeping up with new posts and recipes. Keep up the great work, especially the videos–and BTW, I think Jaden can count the drums as exercise–he is amazing!
I go to pick up my veggies from my CSA once a week and often we go to our local Saturday market and depending on how much meat I have in my freezer I go to the actual store 1-3 times a week. So glad you found my blog and podcast! Welcome!! : )
Really liked seeing your food and exercise for the week. I hope you do more of these posts!
I will for sure do more of these Bonni, thank you!!
I appreciate the transparency of this post – I think its an honest reflection of what “paleo” looks like on an every day basis. Some weeks are crazy and you make more concessions, some weeks are easy and the meals are incredible and squeaky clean. Thanks for posting what your kiddos eat as well. Since there’s not a lot out there on feeding paleo kiddos (I know they’re just little humans, but it’s a bit different than that in practice), I often wonder if what my girls get is “on target”. I’d love to see more of these in future, too!
Thanks for the feedback Robin, I will do more of these for sure!
This is awesome Sarah! Thanks for doing this…I would love to see more of these! Where did you get the lunch containers for the kids (are they stainless steel?)? Thanks for all you do!
Ditto. Divided lunch container looks great for kids (and me too!), where can I buy one? I’ve looked online and have only found plastic divided lunch trays. Please post so we can buy one too! Love your blog & can’t wait for the book!
We got the lunch box from http://www.planetbox.com Love it!!
OMG! This was great. I feel better that not everyone is perfect with this. In the past I felt bad that I had some popcorn, and about 1x a week I break down and eat GF tortilla chips. This post makes me realize that overall I am 95% paleo! Please tell Dr. F. that Tanya’s gone paleo! (And I sent him another new patient)
BTW, Jaden was great on the drums! You guys are ready to start a caveman-rock-band.
John says, “What’s Up Tanya, and great to hear from you!!” And thank you for sending folks our way! : )
Thanks so much for posting this. It is so nice to see that you guys do have non paleo foods and you don’t stress out over it. I always feel like we have to live this way PERFECTLY, and never have anything non Paleo. So this sets me up for failure. and fail I do, then starts the whole rollercoaster of feeling guilty and one meal ends up being a week before I get the courage back up to have our family start again. This post inspired me more then any other post you have ever done. Thank you, so much stress of trying to be perfect at this has finally lifted and I am going to just enjoy cooking paleo and exercising with my kids and if we decide to have nachos one day I will enjoy them and move on :0)
I’m so glad that the post was helpful!! : )
Very, very useful! Thanks a lot Sarah! I really enjoyed reading this and would love to see similar posts in the future.
You got it, I’ll do more of these for sure!
Excellent post! Loved the lunch ideas, that’s an area that always leaves me stumped.
So glad it was helpful!!
Thanks for posting this – I’d love to see more posts like this in the future, as well! This was very helpful and gives me lots of ideas.
How did you make the bacon, beets, and greens salad? That sounds very tasty!
I pressure cooked the beets for 20 min, peeled them and diced them. Cooked up some diced bacon, added the chopped up beet greens and sauted until tender (about 5 min) added the beets and a little bit of pepper and balsamic vinegar. Delicious!!
Awesome post! Thanks so much for sharing!!! I’d definitely like to see similar posts in the future.
Thank you and yes I”ll post more of these!
This is great Sarah! Thanks for posting. I particularly love that you drink wine and eat french fries from time to time. Very human 🙂 Also, some of my non-paleo friends think it’s crazy that we eat meat at just about every meal, so it’s nice to see that it is normal for other families, not just my own.
I’m not sure if you’ve ever come across this before, but I found a recipe for homemade Lara bars. I love those things and find they can be very expensive. Here is a recipe I found just in case you are interested: http://homecookinginmontana.blogspot.com/2010/08/homemade-larabar-gluten-free-fruit-and.html
thanks again for all your recipes. I cook from at least 2 or 3 of your recipes every week and I can’t wait to get your book!! you rock 🙂
Awesome!! Thank you so much for the recipe!!
Hi Sarah –
Would you mind sharing your approximate monthly or weekly food budget? I understand that it varies based on what part of the country you live in, where you shop, how many kids you have, etc. So, I know it will only be an estimate, but I suspect that many of us would find it helpful to know if what we spend is similar to other paleo folks. I certainly know that I can’t compare my food budget to my non-paleo friends. For one thing, they eat out far more than I do! Any thoughts?
Sure, I’ll have to sit down and do some calculations and maybe I’ll just do an entire blog post on the topic! : )
So glad you took the time to share that!!!! Its great to see how other moms feed their families!!! – Erika
Hi Sarah, I’m crying as I write this because you and your family are such an inspiration to me! I’ve been off and on CF and Paleo a couple of times and my deepest desire is to get and stay on both. I have 2 little ones (8 & 2) and want to teach them while their young about this lifestyle and set the example. My husband is on board too, we just seem to lack the motivation to keep on it. Do you make meals in advance for the week or did you when you first started? I love to cook, but honestly the hardest thing for me when implementing Paleo is the amount of time I find myself in the kitchen preparing food. I’ve recently pre ordered your book (for me & a friend) and maybe you address those tips in the book. Either way I just wanted to thank you and let you know how helpful your blog is. It was especially great to see your food log, keep it up, you ROCK!!
Thank you so so much for you comment! Big hugs!! : ) I do cook in advance now and then and I try to always make enough of each meal for left overs, it helps tremendously!! Best of luck to you!!
Sarah,
Awesome video of Jaden! Definitely need more performance videos from the young rocker dude! 🙂
Hey, with your zucchini noodles, do you just slice those really thin on a mandolin slicer or something ? I’ve never tried them before! Great post as usual!
Hey Paul,
I make the noodles all the time from Sarah’s recipe…..I prefer them over actual pasta now! Just slice them thin on a mandolin slicer (we leave skin on) and then just bring a pan of water to a boil and drop in the zucchini for 3 minutes. Delish!!
I’ll for sure post more videos of Jaden as they come along! He’s such a budding rock star it’s ridiculous. LOL!! And what Dawn said is correct, just slice them thin with a mandolin slicer!
LOVE the post! definately helps put things into perspective for those of us who are new to the paleo lifestyle!! Thanks to your blog I’m learning lots on how to make it work!!!
Thank you!!
What a great post! It’s always a bit comforting to read about other families eating the way we do. Even after years of eating this way with our family of five, I still find it a bit isolating at times. I know many people that eat the way we do, but none of them have children.
Our kids are 18, 14, and 8. They love the way they eat, it’s just natural to them. Still, it will be wonderful when more people and families start eating real food and we’re not always the ‘odd ducks’. I’m going to show them the pictures of your boys drinking right out of the coconut – proof that they aren’t the only ones that do that!
Hi Tara, my kids think drinking out of a coconut is the most “normal” thing in the world and I wouldn’t have it any other way. : )
love this!! keep it coming!
We are recent converts (about a month now) and I have twin 2.5 yr olds that have been really hard to convert. We have always eaten pretty healthy but they were huge carbos. Love their cheerios, crackers, etc. They still ask for them all the time but I just give them something else. I am having the hardest time getting them to eat veggies. The only thing they will eat are raw carrots and cucumbers. Eveything else gets untouched. They dont even eat sweet potatoes (loved them as babies). HELP!!! Will it take time or am I just doomed??
You are not doomed, just keep offering a variety of different food, make it fun, let them help you prep the food, and they will come around!! : )
Super helpful! I’ve been beating myself up a bit about not exercising as much lately. For the past year I’ve been a ‘Chronic Cardio-er’. I’ve been eating strict Paleo but have put on a few pounds over the last couple of months. I went from 5’7″ @ 127lbs to 5’7″ @ 135lbs. I’ve transitioned over to mainly lifting and sprints…I’m hoping this gain has been due primarily to muscle mass growth…any thoughts?
How do you feel? Do you like how your look? I hate weighing myself, it makes me crazy. I go by how my jeans fit, how I look in the mirror, how I feel, all that good stuff because every time I get on the scale it’s different and it makes me nutty!!! Over training can make you gain unwanted weight, especially overdoing the cardio! Hope that helps!!
Great idea about using dinner leftovers for breakfast. We always have random bits left over (not enough for a whole meal) and I’m not sure what to do with them. Never thought of throwing leftover meatloaf in with scrambled eggs for breakfast :o)
Leftovers for breakfast are the best!!! : )
I love that you are doing this! Such great information to see how you really eat and exercise every day. Please keep doing this! Thanks for all of the great ideas.
I will keep them coming, I promise!
Great post Sarah!
Just curious, when you went paleo did you start eating like this right away or did you have to have more snacks or things like paleo pancakes etc. It doesn’t seem like you eat that much, does that just come from being paleo for so long?
thanks Sarah – love your blog and podcast!!!
I’m not a big snacker, more because I lack the time but also I make sure to eat plenty of protein and fat at every meal and I just do not tend to get that hungry. When I first started eating this way I was actually really strict and stayed away from the snacky things and the paleo pancakes which really helped me get over the cravings. Now I’ll kick up my heals more on the weekends then I used to but during the week I stay pretty consistent with how I have eaten from the very beginning. Like I commented to another reader, I don’t give it much thought these days, I eat what makes me feel good and thats most often meat, veggies, and some fat! Also, I’m not a very big person and it depends on how hard I”m working out. When I’m stepping up my workouts I tend to eat more. I eat when I’m hungry!! : )
Thank you so much for the post. Being a busy mother and wife, I find posts like this helpful. Can you tell me what do your kids drink typically?
Water!! Sometimes we make herb tea or have coconut water on occasion and I like to make them coconut milk smoothies with their breakfasts when I have time but honestly, the majority of what they drink during the day is just water. I will buy the So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk that once in a while they drink if I make my apple muffins or nutty cookies but yup, just good ol’ water!!
Hey Sarah!
I have been cooking your recipes for several months now and I haven’t found one I don’t like! I love it! 😀 I do have a few questions for you and I could probably dig around in your podcasts to get the answer but I will ask here.
1. How much do you spend a week in food? We are spending about 20% more buying paleo food. We have strict guidelines like “Grass-fed” which contributes to the price hike, but soon enough we won’t be able to afford this. How do you deal with the budget? I ask you this because you have a family size like us.
2. My boy, who is 2.5 years old, is allergic to eggs, tree nuts, and all dairy. Dairy is not a problem because we don’t have that in our diet as a paleo. However, I find it super hard to find food for him. Suggestions? Directions? I feed him lots of meat and veggies but he is burning out on that fast.
Thanks!
My food spending fluctuates depending on what I have in my freezer! For example, we just bought 150lbs of grass fed ground beef so I won’t be spending as much on meat every week that I usually do for a while now. I spend $84 a month for my weekly CSA share and then about another $20-$30 in veggies and fruits at either our farmers market or at our health food store. On top of that I spend between another $150-$200 a week on other grocery items from eggs to coconut oil and everything else in between. Sometimes more then that depending on our week. Please also remember that I run a food blog and just wrote a book with tons of recipes and I am working on more so I probably spend more then I would if this was not the case. : )
Thanks for posting this! Very awesome and very helpful. 🙂
Can’t wait for your book!
Thank you Traci!
Sarah, I loved this post and would also like to see more in the future! I’m curious about how your boys act at friends’ houses. I see how amazingly well your whole family has taken to the Paleo lifestyle, and I was just wondering how your kids do when they don’t have access to the snacks and treats and healthy options at your house.
Thanks so much for your blog, I love it!
I have the same concern….
My kids do not spend entire weekends away at friends houses, but when they do go elsewhere I try not to worry too much about it and honestly they tend to make the best choices that they can because they like to feel good too! I don’t threaten them or punish them if they choose to eat something that is not paleo I just rest assured that at home they are getting the best nutrition that they can and I trust them to make the best food choices for themselves that they can when outside of the house, just like I trust them to make the best all around choices in life in general. I do not want them to be neurotic about food but too know what being healthy feels like and our lifestyle is such that at this point they all enjoy eating paleo and exercising and feeling great so my hope is that this trend continues as they continue to make their way in the world.
That’s awesome, Sarah! I love it. Thank you for doing this! That gives me tons of ideas and that’s very helpful to see how you integrate paleo into your day-to-day life in a very concrete way, and with some flexibility. I didn’t know In N’ Out had burgers with no buns. Pretty neat.
In N Out Protein style has saved our lives on several occasions! I’m glad you enjoyed the post Isabelle! : )
Sarah,
Thanks for the post – especially the lunch posts as school lunch was getting stale around here. I agree with you regarding the planet box – it’s wonderful and my daughter loves it.
I wanted to know about the Lara bars – do you have any cost saving tips beyond waiting for them to go on sale and stocking up? We love the coconut cream pie ones.
(I did see the other post with the homemade version & I will try this too)
That’s exactly what I do… Wait for them to go on sale and then go for it but honestly I’m over it. I’m going to start making my own too!! I also like to have Paleo People granola on hand for my kids as a snack option. Check it out at paleopeople.com : )
Fantastically informative, thanks Sarah! One question: is this similar to your nutritional intake and exercise routine when first leaning out? My bf and I are bothing being well-behaved Paleo kids and the whole process seems to be moving slower than molasses.
When I was first leaning out I was WAY more strict. For the first 30 days I did not eat anything considered to be “not paleo” and for a few months avoided dairy, kept my fruit intake to a minimum, and tried not to crack out on nuts all day. I worked out 2-3 times a week at the gym and the other days stayed active with the boys. Today I don’t really think about food like I used to. I just eat what makes me feel good and about 95% of the time that’s meat, veggies, and a little bit of fat. On the weekends I will eat some nachos if I want to or have a glass of wine or two but during the week I try to keep things pretty dialed but like I said, it’s more just my life now and not something I am overly focused on. Being neurotic is not a good place for me to be mentally or physically. I always avoid gluten and do rarely do eat anything with sugar because I feel horrible after and it’s just not worth it to me. The last time I had ice cream I felt hung over the entire next day with no great tequila stories to go along with it. I like to earn my hangovers and ice cream is good but not nearly as much fun… Stalled weight loss could also be linked to not getting enough sleep, stress, and various other life situations. Make sure all of that is in check along with your food and you should be good to go.. Hope that helps!!
Great post! It’s easier than people think, but you do have to cook or at least have the right foods on hand. I do an unintentional IF and that was when I really started to seevmy midsection. I wouldn’t eat until I was actually hungry, and that got latervand later because I wasn’t sugaring out. I keep restaurant phone numbers in my cell phone of places where I can get meat for lunch as a carryout order. I do carne asada, carnitas, Thai food, sashimi ( now that it’s finally warm outside, this is more palatable), and my latest favorite is chicken mishwi which is grilled boneless chicken thighs (with salad and yogurt tahini sauce). Aladdin’s here uses organic chicken and produce and tries to source locally. Of course any of their kebabs are good choices too. I did go a few weeks on a Baja fried fish taco kick, but I started to notice I felt like crap. So it’s possible to eat out several days a week and still make progress. It’s a matter of not eating the fried fish tacos every single day (I would totally get grilled fish if they had it). I am a full time professional researcher and am in graduate school for a second PhD (also full time) that includes courses at the medical school, so if I can do it most of the time and keep my weight under control with no real exercise at all some weeks, anyone can. I still drink beer and wine, and tortilla chips are like Kryptonite. But I never eat cereal for breakfast, and not much pasta or bread either. I don’t even buy them. My workouts are walking across campus and taking the stairs, and short home workouts with kettle bells, bodyweight, resistance bands, suspension trainer, planks, and sprinting or bike intervals. Nothing more than 20 min. This is great for travel. I am in better shape than when I was doing triathlons, but back then I was afraid to go 5 minutes without Gatorade or a Gu. Do it in phases, and realize some days are just gonna be weird. Just get back on track with a big hit of steak or other protein.
I like this series.
TrailGrrl
Awesome comment TrailGrrl! Thanks so much for sharing, I love to see what other people are doing as well! : )
Sarah, THANK YOU!!!!! I am new to the Paleo lifestyle and this was so beneficial. I appreciate your honesty and all your hard work putting the whole list (with pictures) together. You have opened my eyes that eating Paleo is not a trend; this is a lifestyle way of eating. I look forward to seeing more posts like this in the future, and then I can show my non Paleo husband that it IS possible!
Thank you Tricia for your comment and I’m so glad that this post was helpful! I will absolutely do more of these in the future. : )
I love your posts!!! I am also curious in regards to your shopping, where do you usually shop? I am trying to keep a budget, and eating this way can get expensive! Any ideas or suggestions?
I am part of a CSA so I pay $84 a month and get a weekly supply of veggies. I also go to my farmers market to supplement for what I get at the CSA. I also shop at my favorite local health food stores and at Trader Joe’s. We are constantly looking for local hook ups for grass fed beef, free range chickens, and pasture raised lambs and hogs and are typically pretty lucky with that. Check out http://www.localharvest.org and http://www.eatwild.com
Thanks so much for doing this! Keep them coming if you can! I am hoping most of these recipes are in the book I pre-ordered?
Yes actually, a few of those recipes are for sure in the book!! : )
I enjoy this. I feel like it motivates me since so few people (actually no one I know in real life) eat this way.
So glad you enjoyed this post, and don’t worry, you are not alone!! : )
Thanks for doing this. I know it’s a lot of work to keep track of, but it is nice to see what other people are doing. I’m always wondering about the diet of others and that glimpse into a week in the life is so awesome.
Glad you enjoyed the post!
Thank you so much for doing this! It’s great to know that paleo doesn’t mean you can’t sometimes (wisely) indulge!
I love this… “As you can see, we are not perfect and that’s exactly how I want my life to be” Amen, sister! Agreed. 🙂
Rock out Jaden! Thanks for posting this Sarah, a week in the life is always helpful and reminds me of simple ideas when in a jam.
You make it look so easy – because it is! Thank you, I’m going to use this as a little guideline for my family next week. 🙂
Super helpful. I’m such a paleo-stumbler and seeing that you don’t have to be absolutely hard core perfect to achieve great results is inspiring. Thanks a bunch–looking forward to the next “week” post.
I LOVED reading through this post. I think I have this perfect paleo person in my head and I can’t attain that. You make paleo practical and livable. I am so glad that you posted this and I got lots of ideas(reminders) for meals and snacks. Thank you for taking your time to do this. If you have time to record it again I would absolutely read it!
Where did you buy or order the containers that you pack your children’s lunch in? My son will be going to school soon and those look awful handy!
I ordered them from http://www.planetbox.com
Thanks so much! They look awesome.
Would you recommend the PlanetBox for adults eating paleo? I am a teacher at a small charter school, so we eat outside on picnic tables with the students and bring our own lunches every day. I really like the concept of the PlanetBox, but I’m not sure if it’d hold enough food for an adult. What do you think?
This is SO great! Thank you for sharring. I am new to all of this and this gives me an idea of what a real day looks like. I do have a question, when you did paleo to take off the baby weight ( I just had a baby and trying to “get my body back”) is this what your days looked like too? Or did you workout more and eat less or? Anything is helpful. thanks!
When I was losing weight, I honestly stuck to meat, veggies, and a little bit of fat. Really didn’t do any sweet potatoes until I was lean, did not have as many kick up heels nights. This week was not a great workout week for me. When I was leaning out I actually worked out about as much as I do now, only 2-3 times a week and stayed active with the kids on my “off” days. Hope that helps!
Thank you very much, yes that is very helpful. I am doing crossfit and I feel like I am supposed to crossfit every min of the day to make any headway but I can’t keep up with that so this helps to know that you can do 2-3 a week but really stick to paleo and it will come off. I need to zero more in on food…thank you!
I am new to the Paleo diet and was wondering where I could find coconut flour in Chico? I preordered your book and can’t wait for it to arrive! I have lost 4 1/2 lbs. my first week!
Hi Tina! I buy my coconut flour at Raleys in the health food section or at S&S produce. : )
Great! Thank you Sara. : )
Thanks for sharing! I loved reading this, I have always wondered what a typical week was like for your family. I see you eat alot of leftovers, but with a twist. I love that. Keep up the great work. You inspire so many people.
Thank you Stacy! Yes, leftovers are a lifesaver!!
Your website has been such a great help as our family went Paleo at the end of January. I also have two little kid’s and your site has been my main resource to keep us healthy! Thanks for recording your food – I got some really great ideas – especially the coconut pancakes for the kiddos!
Ok Sarah- Let me start by saying how much I love your blog, your parenting and your cooking style. I’m positive that if you lived in Washington we would be fast friends (maybe that’s creepy???) 🙂 Anyway, I have been eating/living paleo since January. Chasing 3 kids is my primary exercise but have been working hard to add in strength training as well. While I feel fantastic, I haven’t lost a single pound. I have given the scale the old heave ho… but still wonder… why? Any ideas?
Hi Katie, without seeing a food log, it’s hard to know! If you are trying to lose weight I would stay away from the starchy veggies like sweet potatoes for now, also cut out the fruit and try not to snack on nuts and dried fruit. Honestly, sticking to meat, veggies, and a little bit of fat at every meal is the best way to achieve your goals. Making sure you are getting at least 8 hours of sleep in a darkened room is HUGE in weight loss. Lack of sleep messes up your cortisol levels and makes it really hard to lean out. I would for sure add some strength training to your exercise regime as well. Hope that helps and best of luck toyou!!
Loved hearing about your week of food & exercise & would love to again! Def gonna try those pancakes.
Hi Sarah,
Thanks so much! This is a HUGE help…please do it again. Question for you: Your meals seem relatively low in fat…you have coconut oil, nuts, butter, animal fat….but that’s pretty much it. I find that my kids and I need more fat than that to feel full and satisfied. When we drop dairy (which my son and I need to do as it makes us congested), we feel less full. Do you use other sources of fat that I’m not aware of? Do you have a feel for what percentage of your daily intake comes from fat? Do you guys have issues wtih satiety? Any suggestions on increasing our satiety without dairy fat?
I do not have issues with satiety. In fact, I used to get that horrible I’m so hungry I’m going to kill someone feeling before eating paleo and now I’m pretty darn ok all day. I’m not entirely sure what percentage of my daily intake comes from fat. I cook with a lot of coconut oil, butter, and coconut milk from time to time as well. I will make coconut milk smoothies for my boys fairly often as well. We eat a lot of protein which helps with satiety. We all do great! We eat when we are hungry!
Thx Sarah this post was great. I think actually seeing the pictures of the kids lunches helps me the most( I am a visual learner).
Thanks for the post – it really helps to see paleo in action! I’m on my second full week, I feel fantastic and have lost a few pounds already (and I cheat a couple of times a week to keep sane). Now I’m trying to get my toddler and my hubby on board (I have a feeling converting my son will be easier than converting my husband). My son is big on grains, and very anti-meat and anti-veggie, no thanks to his grandmas. I think the coconut pancakes will help ease him in, but I haven’t found coconut flour yet (except for Amazon) – wonder if Whole Foods sells it? Also, do you drink coffee or tea in the a.m.? I sleep great at night, but I can’t kick the morning coffee habit.
Hi Sarah,
Great post! I’m on my first week and, as some commenters said, it really helps see what other people have during the course of a day. I think I’m doing fine so far (still craving carbs – bread, specifically) but I’m still trying to get used to some things (like *cooking* breakfast). I’ve already ordered your book and can’t wait to get a look at all the yummy recipes!
Quick question: you mentioned eggs and bacon at the airport. Do you make special requests or questions on those occasions (where does the bacon come from, what fat do they use for the eggs, etc)? I sometimes have to go out for lunch and where I live it’s fairly easy to get some grilled steak or some nice fresh grilled fish with veggies – but I do get paranoid wondering if I’m eating low quality meat or fish.
Thanks and keep up great blog!
Just wanted to say that we tried this pancake recipe this morning for a fun Easter breakfast and they were fantastics! A hit, for sure. Hubby and eldest daughter went back for 2nds and 3rds, hee hee. Thanks for sharing it!
Hi Sarah! Just got the cookbook ordered! I wanted to give you an update on my husband’s progress, he has been doing amazing on his new paleo diet and me and the kids are slowly following him :0) It’s been over six weeks and he already reached his first goal of a 190 lbs, which is about a 25 lb weight loss. He is very happy and says he feels very well and un-starved. Second target and final weight goal is 180, about nine lbs to go! I loved your week in the life blog, it really helps with ideas for the kids! Thanks!
That’s wonderful Coral, thanks so much for the update!!
The dessert with frozen blueberries and So Delicious Coconut Milk was a hit tonight. I used fresh strawberries since that is what I had on hand and the kids loved how the milk turned into strawberry milk by the time the strawberries were eaten. Thanks for the great ideas!
Hey Sarah!
I noticed you and your family eat lots of salami. As a fellow lover of cured meats, I am in constant search for a good salami that’s not stuffed with corn syrup solids, dextrose, etc. I also definitely (want to, but) can’t afford $17 per 6 oz online! What kind of salami do you eat?
This is a little late of a reply, but I was wondering the same thing about the salami. Also, I’ve had the hardest time trying to find nitrate/nitrite-free ham. Assuming that’s the kind of ham you’re eating, where did you find it and/or what brand are the ham and salami?
Thank you 🙂
Heather
Try Boar’s Head brand. They’re not necessarily organic/grassfedd, but are gluten and preservative free. Also, Applegate Farms has a great (and yummy) salami.
Hi Sarah!! First of all you are amazing!! With two kids of my own ages 3 and 5 your book is a lifesaver! Not to mention what it has done for me! Paleo is like my magic wand to being my best!! Love it! I just need to ask… Is beef jerky, nitrate free and no hormones of course, ok to eat daily? What about red meat? Thank you so much! I tried to google it but couldn’t find info soni thought I’d ask an expert! Thank you!!!!
Hugs!!
D
Hi Sarah,
Since I know that you and other readers are a fan of In-N-Out, I shared the secret menu that may allow for more creative Paleo-friendly options :0)
http://www.badmouth.net/in-n-outs-secret-menu/
hi there
Thank you for such a great website. You talk about eating butter and cheese on gluten free pizzas etc I thought these foods were not allowed on the paleo diet.
LAra
Hi Lara,
Butter, if eating grass fed especially, actually can have beneficial properties to it as it’s mainly fat. If you have any sort of autoimmune issue, I would avoid any kind of dairy, including butter. I do not consider eating paleo a diet but a lifestyle and now and then I find it’s important to kick up your heels and enjoy something like a gluten free pizza with some cheese on it. The reality is, none of us live in a paleo bubble and it’s great that we now have at least gluten free options like the pizza my family enjoyed during my week in the life post. If you are first starting out eating paleo I would consider sticking to a fairly strict paleo diet for the first month to “reset” your body, get over those carb/sugar cravings and start to feel better. Even when our family does eat something like gluten free pizza or nachos it’s a once in a while occurrence and most often we eat what I make at home.
Hi! Do you have a recipe for the beet bacon salad you mention for Wednesday? It looks amazing! Thanks.
There is a beet salad recipe in my book but this one is similar, minus the shrimp and add some bacon! http://everydaypaleo.com/2011/01/04/everyday-paleo-book-update-and-warm-roasted-beet-kale-and-shrimp-salad/
It’s so awesome to see someone else’s small kids switch between loving and hating the same food depending on the day. I thought it was just my two year old!! Love your blog and love this post – it’s great to see how you keep it real. I just got your book yesterday after Amazon ‘said’ I might like it – I have been Primal Blueprinting since 2009 which is very similar to Paleo. I was looking for a book/blog/advice about how to integrate the family into Paleo eating/exercise/lifestyle, and your book is the answer! There is nothing like being able to relate to another mom! Thanks so much!!!
Thank you Dawn!! : )
what a great little drummer! so great to see a family doing this together! must share with others…thank you
Sarah,
This is amazing and so helpful – thank you! This really helped put things into perspective for me. My dad has been paleo for awhile and has never felt better. I am excited for the journey ahead. Please continue to post your meals and activity it’s so so helpful.
Melisa in MN
The Trader Joes Beef Jerky in your picture isn’t Paleo legal, is it?? It has cane sugar and soy…
Were can one buy coconut flour here in Texas?
I’m not sure specifically where you can buy coconut flour in Texas but most whole foods carry it or other health food stores and you can also order it from here: http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/organic_coconut_flour.htm
I love love love this post. Could you post more of these posts!!! It was so nice to see and read what things you did as work outs as well as eating. IT WAS GREAT! Thank you!
In Texas, coconut flour can be found at Fiesta Foods, Central Market, and Whole Foods. Some of the larger H.E.B. stores *may* carry it.
hey thanks for sharing! iwanted to ask since i started Paleo
can i eat sliced turkeys-chicken-beef that they sell at the market the one that is already sliced or they slice it for you of the roll thing ?
and are burgers okay ?
Sarah I absolutely LOVE this blog post!!! I am slowly but surely moving towards a paleo lifestyle and reading that you guys are “not perfect” makes me feel better/less apprehensive about the shift! I just made the paleo coconut pancakes you mentioned in this post and with 1/2 a sliced banana on top and a drizzle of maple syrup, oh my goodness – HEAVEN! Reminded me of breakfast in Hawaii. Thank you for having such an excellent blog and sharing your “day in the life.”
Thanks Q! : )
Please do lot more post about youe food and excercise. I am new in paleo and this is very helpful for me. Can you send link with your other post like this or you have not write yet? Many many thanks and question do you prefer bacon over plants fat like avocado? I have not seen any avocado in this week post journal.
Just stumbled upon this post as I was searching for a Paleo Potluck idea. I absolutely love your food journals. So quick and easy. No need to rack your brain on elaborate meals (which I tend to do). I really enjoy the journal so I would love to see more!
I just started this lifestyle change, I love your web site, it is very resourceful, plus it is fun to read the places and things you do, my husband and I are from that part of CA.
Thank you Chrissy!!!
So is it OK to eat eggs every day?
This morning, I made the Paleo coconut flour pancakes (I got the recipe from another blog that referred to this page). I followed the recipe carefully, but there was a fairly strong taste of excess baking soda. I have added a tablespoon of vinegar to the remainder of the batter, and there is still excess soda in the mix. I mixed the soda in thoroughly, so that’s not the problem. The blogger from whom I got the recipe says that it tasted fine for him, but I am still wondering if you really meant 1/2 tablespoon of soda. I will try it with much less–perhaps 1/2 teaspoon–and see if it works. An alternative might be to separate the eggs, whip the whites until they are firm, and fold them in at the end, skipping the soda altogether.
Sarah, what resistance bands do you use? I remember you saying in the workshop that you order them for $2 each on amazon. Thanks.
This is the brand! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00032QBIU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Thanks Sarah! This post is really amazing!!