Now I’ve got a confession to make. I’m not strictly 100% Paleo 100% of the time. Oh my gosh! The shock! The horror! I’m more of an 80-20 kinda girl. Maybe even 90-10. But I never want to be that person who no one wants to invite over or go out for dinner with because they’re always a pain in the hole. But I have that flexibility, because I’m not battling any gut issues, autoimmune disorders, or struggling with my body composition. Is that because I’ve eaten mainly paleo for almost 15 years? Maybe. But all I can prove is I like it, it works for me and I feel great and that’s enough reason for me to continue and sing it’s praises to all and sundry. What I do want to say is that there’s some foods that are borderline “paleo” or non-Paleo compliant that I still eat often and I am totally down with and don’t think they’re the “bad guys” that they’re made out to be.
WHITE POTATO – for some reason, white potato got a bad rap when paleo eating came to the fore, but I don’t have an issue with them. Yes they are “carby” but no more than sweet potato. They are high on the glycemic index, but if eaten as part of a meal (not just a plate of spuds alone) this shouldn’t be an issue. They’re nutritious and pretty easy on the wallet. Some people have an issue with the saponins that can be present, so if that’s you, don’t eat them. End of story.
RICE – yes, rice is a grain, albeit gluten-free. If you’ve turned to paleo to lose weight, then eating a ton of rice is not going to help you reach that goal super quick. However if you’re trying to gain weight, or you’re an athlete that needs some quick and easy carbs/calories, then supplementing with a little rice is cool. If you are just wanting to get some carbs in, there’s probably more nutrient dense foods that can do this such as potatoes and other veg.
GRASSFED BUTTER & GHEE – Dairy is normally excluded from paleo Because it doesn’t always play nicely with peoples immune system or digestion, and a lot of people benefit from excluding dairy completely from their diet. However grass-fed butter and especially ghee are much lower in the problematic proteins and carbs that are evident in other dairy products such as milk and yoghurt. So some people whom have difficulty with these dairy products can sometimes tolerate grass-fed butter and ghee. Me, I’m down with it smothered on my freshly baked Multi-Seed Bread mix or in baking.
GREEN BEANS & BEANSPROUTS – while other beans aren’t included in paleo eating due to containing gut-irritants for some people, green beans and bean sprouts are without these anti nutrients, so are A-OK in my book.
MISO – while soy is generally a big no-no on Paleo because of lectins and antinutrients, miso passes the test with me because most of the toxins have been removed during the fermentation process. Fermentation also means gut benefits. Always buy high quality, organic, non-GMO miso and if your gut doesn’t mind it, then you’re all good.
THE FLEXIBLE PALEO DIET
