Call It Anything But “Ice Cream”

January 21, 2012 10 Comments

 

What is it about Saturdays that makes me want to indulge in sweets?! To make matters “worse” I live near Boulder where those self-serve frozen yogurt places with the pay-by-the-ounce topping bars are a dime a dozen. But, I can’t eat that on the regular. Ohhh, I know, I know! Chocolate frozen yogurt topped with Butterfinger crumbles, brownie bites, peanut butter sauce, mochi, and fresh banana slices is freakin’ delicious! (I won’t even TRY to deny that!)

So here’s a little trick that’s well known in the raw diet circuit and has been going around the interwebs. I’ve been using it for a couple of years now:

Step 1: Peel and freeze banana.
Step 2: Stick frozen banana in blender.

And… that’s it. I top mine with slap-chopped nuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon ’cause cinnamon has a way of making food look prettier – just ask Starbucks.

You have to try this banana concoction. It’s so creamy and delicious (there’s a “that’s what she said” joke in there somewhere.)

Here’s the caveat:
Admittedly, even though this qualifies as Paleo I still treat it like a cup of self serve frozen yogurt topped with Butterfingers and brownies. That is to say, I don’t indulge in it very often. After all, an 8″ banana packs 17 grams of sugar. And while I absolutely agree that a banana has its rightful place in a nutritious diet, I still believe a sugar is a sugar is a sugar. If I didn’t, I’d probably be getting drunk off fruit juice right now. I tend to stick with 1/2 a banana max and I eat this wanna-be frozen yogurt maybe once a month. So that’s my personal full disclosure.

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Paleo Hack: In-N-Out

December 8, 2011 11 Comments

In-N-Out. It’s about as synonymous with “California” as Sublime and the beach. Am I right, or am I right? Since I no longer reside in California (don’t feel sorry for me, I now have legitimate mountains as my playground) it’s practically a sacrilege to not drop by In-N-Out and play at the beach while visiting.

I realize when it comes to burgers that “buns make it fun” but Animal Style will wreck a bikini bod faster than you can say “Double-Double!” And considering I was in the Golden State to do that once-a-year-Thanksgiving-thing where I eat so much I gain 7 pounds in one day, I figured it would be smart to Paleo hack it.

So here it is, my Paleo-hack that’s not on their typical menu:

“Double Meat mustard fried with grilled onions, chopped chillies, and extra tomatoes protein style. Please hold the spread.”

I’ll break it down:
Double Meat – Two meat patties, no cheese.
Mustard fried – They’ll put mustard on my meat patty before grilling it.
Grilled onions – Typical In-N-Out burgers come with raw onions but i prefer them grilled.
Chopped chillies – Because some like a little more zing!
Extra tomatoes – It makes my double meat extra beefy.
Protein Style – No bun. They wrap it in hand-leafed lettuce instead.

Double Meat mustard fried with grilled onions, chopped chillies, and extra tomatoes protein style. No spread. Thank you In-N-Out!

The best thing about this hack is it leaves me feeling full and NOT bloated with enough gas to take me to Memphis. Double double points.

Oh! And if you want to be nice, order your dog-baby a “Flying Dutchman.” Our boxer Rogue loves going to In-N-Out with us:

Until next time, California!

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Paleo Hack: Smashburger

September 6, 2011 Leave a Comment

Wish I knew what it is about mountain biking and hiking that makes me want to put a fat hamburger in my belly immediately after.

Here’s the thing (and I’m not ashamed to admit this): I love hamburgers. But I go biking and/or hiking nearly every weekend and if I indulged in my burgerlove weekly, well, the phrase “hot mess” comes to mind. Here’s how to Paleo hack a burger joint… I originally learned this trick from watching Joe Petrusky place an order at a diner. I’m glad I paid attention ’cause now burger joints have become a Top 5 candidate for places-to-eat-out-without-wrecking-my-waist-size when I’m in a pinch. Oh, the IRONY.

(I’m working with Smashburger but this works for any restaurant offering burgers.) If the burger joint allows you to create your own burger, that’s the best route. Otherwise, you can do a paleo hack by ordering a burger and then stripping it – “Off with your sauce!”

1. Order the burger that comes with 2 patties (or, not. Stick with one patty if you want.)
2. Strip the burger: Specify no bun, no cheese, no sauce.
3. Build the burger back up: Ask for extra fixings like lettuce and tomatoes.
4. Make it classy: Ask for a fried egg on top (This is hard to pull off at fast casual places but sit-down restaurants have no problem adding this.)
5. Add bacon (if that’s your thing!)
6. Don’t forget the (good) fat: Ask for a side of avocado. (Some places will have this, others won’t.)

Final cost at a fast casual restaurant is typically $6-$9
Final cost at sit-down waiter-staffed restaurant is typically the cost of the burger plus two bucks for the egg and avocado. $9-$13

And THAT’S IT. Yeah, it’s a mouthful to spell out to whomever is taking my order but I somehow manage to leave guilt-free not bloated.

Filed Under: Paleo, Paleo Hacks, Recipes & Nutrition Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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