Paleo 'treats' or just the real thing occasionally?
SlimBride2Be
Posts: 315 Member
i can't decide what I feel about Paleo 'treats'. You know the sort- coconut cacao bliss balls or Paleo baking or avocado chocolate mousse. I haven't made any of them in 2 months and I've actively avoided it because I'm scared it's a slippery slope I won't be able to get myself off!
On the other hand my fiancée brought back some very very expensive fancy handmade small dark chocolates from Europe and I have been having about 2 or 3 a week. I don't think they are loaded with sugar as expensive ones don't tend to be as bad as 'junk' chocolate and I seem to be able to restrain myself. About half the box is gone and it will probably take another six weeks to finish (if he doesn't eat them all first!).
BUT they aren't Paleo. They definitely have some sugar and dairy in them.
So should I just keep on as I am and have them as a very occasional cheat treat?
On the other hand my fiancée brought back some very very expensive fancy handmade small dark chocolates from Europe and I have been having about 2 or 3 a week. I don't think they are loaded with sugar as expensive ones don't tend to be as bad as 'junk' chocolate and I seem to be able to restrain myself. About half the box is gone and it will probably take another six weeks to finish (if he doesn't eat them all first!).
BUT they aren't Paleo. They definitely have some sugar and dairy in them.
So should I just keep on as I am and have them as a very occasional cheat treat?
0
Replies
-
I actually love coconut oil chocolates and I keep them in the freezer when I want something sweet.0
-
I'm worried a freezer full of 'legit' treats will just bring on a binge because I am allowed them! At least with real chocolate I know it's not Paleo and I don't binge on them because I love what Paleo does for me so much!0
-
I treat them both equally. I do like a bit of extra dark chocoloate (85-90%), but I still have to have it in moderation.0
-
Nothing wrong with cheating occasionally, especially with high quality products (but ok, if you want to send me those fancy chocolates I can accept them
. 0 -
To me, most of the Paleo "Treats" have too much sugar content. Sure they get the sugar from dried fruit or honey, but it is still sugar. I'm also a bit leery about the different Paleo flours that are marketed to us. They are still processed fairly heavily. If a person is trying to break a sugar addiction and get away from sweet treats, then they should avoid these items until they are sure that can enjoy them on occasion without starting to slip.
That being said, I have found a couple items that I use on occasion. Epic bars make a nice emergency meal when on the road (some of my transplant meds require food when taken). I also use the Julian bakery Paleo Wraps for my hand held foods. Those are basically just coconut meat. Prior to the Paleo Wraps I used to have a hamburger day once a month. I love burgers and my dream vacation would have been crossing the country stopping at Diners, Drive Ins and Dives burger joints. Burger day always ended with regrets. 3 to 4 pound weight gain due to inflammation and water retention, feeling really bleeh for a couple of days and very bloated. The Paleo wraps have helped break that cycle for me.
I also have two small pieces of very dark chocolate daily. It takes 8 days to eat one bar Anything less than 80% tastes too sweet for me anymore.
You know what makes for a really nice sweet treat for me now that I haven't had sweeteners in so long? Roasted beets drizzled with a bit of nice balsamic vinegar. Roasted root veggies are really sweet now 0 -
I don't bother w/ most paleo treats just because they require special ingredients and it's too much bother. My family doesn't really go for it so it's just me. I could freeze some of the extra but I think even I might start to get tired of it. And, frankly, I just don't see things that really look like full on treats for me
THat being said...my normal treat is real full on chocolate ice cream. No added nuts or chunks of chocolate. Just the real deal. In a dish. With a spoon. let it sit out for a few minutes so its starting to get melty. 1/2 cup of that really satisfies me. And, I can count on my family to eat the rest so I won't be tempted to keep treating myself!0 -
I would eat the chocolate from europe and totally enjoy it. One after dinner really satisfies. Our family does enjoy a nice box of chocolates on occasion. One each a night and it can go a long way!0
-
I agree, it's a lovely way to round off a meal, and really feels like I'm not depriving myself as I'm doing so well. I think the little things that make it feel like a way of eating and not a diet are quite key to sustaining this for a lifetime. I wouldn't want to be storing up all the things for eating 'once I've finished my diet'!0
-
Moderation...I agree you don't want to store up for when you finish your diet because it isn't A diet, it is YOUR diet.0
-
I love the Paleo treats because they are so nutrient dense. I don't feel so bad making them for my family, since I know they are getting other benefits from the treats and not just empty calories. Some spike my blood sugar worse than conventional versions, so I now know I must be very very careful, but there are some delicious desert things to be made in Paleo cuisine. I love making nut crusts for pies and coconut flour muffins are the best muffins imo!0
-
I totally agree that both need to be watched due to sugar. I swear dates stick to my backside worse than any piece of cake does. In general, though, I think if you want a treat and have the ability to make it Paleo then that would be ideal. miriamtob really summed it up above. If it's a treat that still has lots of nutrition then it's better. However in certain truly special occasions like wedding cake at a wedding have a piece.0
-
I wish I had the self control for "treats". After my 21 days (the kick start to this lifestyle), I felt very confident that I could resist and control myself around sweets since my cravings had went away. So, I bought a bag of dark chocolate, the good stuff, and planned to have one a day. Well, apparently that's like an alcoholic having a bottle of vodka at home for 1 shot a night. lol. I devoured the bag in two days
and since that, I've struggled daily with avoiding the sweets. I'm not where were I used to be...but I've dug into a cookie or two at work. I seriously feel like I need to completely cut out sweets (paleo approved or not..).
On another note- they can get expensive to make, so that's another reason I wouldn't do it. I do really enjoy making Paleo pancakes on the weekend. I found a yummy pumpkin pancake recipe. I add a bit organic maple syrup and eat ham steak with it. Yum. And this way- it's a treat, but they are gone and not sitting on my counter waiting for me. I make one batch and split it with my daughter.0 -
Can't say that I am a fan of the recent trends in Paleo cookbooks in duplicating desserts for routine consumption using coconut flour and almond flour.
I allow myself one treat a week or so and it doesn't need to be Paleo. I don't buy multiple servings to consume at home.0 -
I have a really hard time with paleo treats, I had to stop Lara bars even. I think I feel like yes since they're paleo I can have more and I stop treating it like a treat. I think I do better going for the sugar-laden non-paleo version and in a single serve portion that I won't have extra of at home0
-
I had 20+ Paleo cookbooks and with the exception of just a few, they were half full of Paleoized desserts and baked goods. I fell into the Paleo substitutes, even low carb ones, for the first while but then realized I can be fat/sick on Paleo treats just as easily as any other treats. I feel the cookbooks, obscure ingredients, and unending kitchen gadgets were a complete waste of my money. What I couldn't sell or give away were tossed. I now have only a few Paleo cookbooks - the ones without the crap that makes me sick. Of course now that I only eat animals and no plants all of the cookbooks are pretty useless. lol But ya never know when I might have plant eating company over so keeping Well Fed and a few others seemed wise.0
-
European treats .... Absolutely! Just look at how you are addressing them with such reverence. You know it's a special once in a while thing.
You also know yourself that if it's just a Paleo version of a regular treat you'd be more casual and eat more.
Trust yourself on this, you're doing it right for you!
I'm the same way - if I've spent $4 on an organic chocolate bar it lasts a month.
But if I make chocolate fig coconut bars they're gone in a week!
And best wishes for your wedding day!0 -
Akimajuktuq wrote: »I had 20+ Paleo cookbooks and with the exception of just a few, they were half full of Paleoized desserts and baked goods. I fell into the Paleo substitutes, even low carb ones, for the first while but then realized I can be fat/sick on Paleo treats just as easily as any other treats. I feel the cookbooks, obscure ingredients, and unending kitchen gadgets were a complete waste of my money. What I couldn't sell or give away were tossed. I now have only a few Paleo cookbooks - the ones without the crap that makes me sick. Of course now that I only eat animals and no plants all of the cookbooks are pretty useless. lol But ya never know when I might have plant eating company over so keeping Well Fed and a few others seemed wise.
So which cookbooks did you keep? Just curious.0 -
Well Fed 1 and 2, Beyond Bacon, and can't remember what others as I haven't finished unpacking. lol I really don't need any recipes for how I eat now but couldn't bear to part with all the cookbooks.0
-
scarfe9991 wrote: »I have a really hard time with paleo treats, I had to stop Lara bars even. I think I feel like yes since they're paleo I can have more and I stop treating it like a treat. I think I do better going for the sugar-laden non-paleo version and in a single serve portion that I won't have extra of at home
Ugh...Lara bars...when I was vegan I can't tell you how many fat vegans sat around and wondered why they couldn't lose any weight...they were eating "healthy" stuff like Lara bars, right? OMGaaaah!0 -
You have to really think about WHY you are eating in a paleo or primal manner. If you are trying to eat like the human animal was designed to eat, then where are all these 'treats' coming from? They didn't exist. Something sweet like an apple or a piece of honeycomb was the treat.
Baking as a cooking technique was developed AFTER we turned to grains as a basic food. Why use a post-agricultural technique at all? The food we are designed to eat was meant to be eaten raw. Or simply roasted. Or slowly cooked on the embers. Fancy desserts, sweet treats, and fake bakes are as silly as vegetarians eating 'meat' made out of soy.
It really helps to think of why you eat in the context of ancestral hunting and gathering, rather than treating it as a fad diet and following a gaggle of 'gurus' who are trying to make a buck off of it. 'Paleo' recipe sites and books are for the most part moneychangers in the temple courtyard.0 -
Monkeydharma has it right. All these Paleo treats have made Paleo anything but. And anything but healthy, and not a whole lot better than SAD imo. I got rid of almost all of my cookbooks because they were half full of Paleo "treats". And all the stupid Paleo ingredients in my cupboards... all a huge waste and all tossed where they belong. Even meat dishes in those cookbooks often had sweet sauces. Eating like that did NOT get me where I want to be. I did have huge improvement the first year and then it's been a struggle ever since.
Yup, Paleo IS a fad when not kept in the context of ancestral hunting and gathering.
Larabars? That's a swear word as far as I'm concerned. More money to General Mills to help design more foods that people can't resist and will over-eat to boost their profits. If one does choose Paleo treats there are far more healthier bars one can make at home, easily.0 -
I personally do a bit of both. My husband makes amaaazing single serve paleo browinies once a week or so. But I think for us it is a slippery slope. We actually tend stick to eating healthy BETTER when we eat indulge in store bought treats every now and then. We try to stick to dark chocolate bars and then once they are gone, that's it. When it's a brownie that we can make any time we want, it is definitely harder to have that control.
We also treat special occasions like weddings or dates with friends (which is very rare) as a no-rules kinda thing. we eat what we want and try not to over-indulge. I am not missing out on ribs at a barbecue joint with friends just because the bbq sauce is not paleo!0 -
I just made coconut butter* today, actually. One spoonful was incredibly satisfying. I'd prefer a fresh coconut, like the one I had on a street corner in Honolulu (best thing I *ever* tasted!), but I'll settle for a spoonful of coconut butter when I'm feeling twitchy.
(*Unsweetened coconut flakes in a food processor with S-blade until it turns into something rather like runny peanut butter. Last time I tried it, I processed it for 15 or 20 minutes on and off, and it just turned into grainy coconut flour -- even adding oil didn't help. Today -- different brand of flakes -- it took less than 5 minutes. Haven't quite figured out the difference yet.)0 -
I have no control with treats, paleo or otherwise so just skip them (or if I make something end up regretting it). If I am going to have a treat it is a baked apple with grass fed butter, a bit of honey, cinnamon, and chopped walnuts0
-
I haven't tried to make any yet but then again I was never an avid baker (or cook for that matter) I did just make a dijon glazed salmon that was freaking amazing though. I am definitely making that one again! I think I'll just stick to the occasional 85% dark cacao or get my sweet fix from fruit0
-
For me, it comes down to whether a not the non paleo treat is special enough. If it is, a MINDFUL treat is okay in my book. When I say mindful, I mean that you are having a reasonable serving of it, and enjoying it, and you make the decision to have it mindfully - i.e., you are not falling off the wagon.
Examples:
Fancy handmade small dark chocolates from Europe purchased by finance - probably worth it (especially if you are only having 2-3 per week.)
Handful of Halloween candy from Walmart stolen from kids when they were at school - not worth it. There is nothing special about that candy.
Elderly Grandmothers famous carrot cake that is a Thanksgiving tradition in your family - probably worth it (small slice)
Supermarket chemical laden birthday cake for fellow employee that you don't really like - not worth it
2 -
Those are great points Runnergirl!0
-
It was through paleo I found the multiple food sensitivities wheat, corn, soy and legumes. If I cheat with the real thing I suffer incredibly and nothing ever is worth that so those are my bottom lines. I don't touch them no matter what.
I will have a treat with rice flour or oat flour on bdays. Or a rice cake or cracker a few times a week. But that's it.1
This discussion has been closed.