4 Foods I Eat That Aren’t Paleo

By now, most people know me because of the label Paleo. I’m the girl who went paleo and lost my weight that way. It’s not wrong and I do often describe myself as paleo; but mainly because it’s something easier for people to understand.

I try to steer clear of labelling the way I eat, because at the end of the day I just really focus on fresh, whole foods that aren’t over processed and steer clear of packaged and pre-made goods. This is the same philosophy that Sara and I use with our 10 Week Challenge clients!

To be fair I didn’t include these foods, with the exception of number 2, during my weight loss journey as most of them are a tad higher in carbohydrates. However they’re something I sometimes choose to include now that I’m maintaining.

So that begs the question; what do I eat that isn’t strictly paleo?

White Rice
And rice products such as plain rice crackers. Shock horror – I know! CARBS!? Carbs aren’t the devil – and neither is rice. I have rice maybe once a week. Rice is a naturally gluten free grain that I find doesn’t cause me any gut issues, so I am happy to include it sometimes. That being said, if I was trying to lose weight then I wouldn’t be eating rice. Now that I’m in maintenance stage however, rice is nice to have and I will usually only eat it if I’m out for a Thai or Indian Curry or Rice Crackers on some occasions.
Peanut Butter

Peanut Butter is and will always be, one of my favourites. Most people don’t know that peanuts aren’t actually a nut, but are a member of the legume family. These are skipped in a traditional paleo diet because some legumes can cause gut irritation and contain phytic acid, plus the fact they can be tough to digest. This is one of the reasons that legumes are soaked before cooking – to make them more easily digested. Mark Sisson wrote a great article on the benefits of peanuts. I don’t go too crazy on it, as I do notice my skin gets more congested and my gut can feel a little heavier if I eat too much (look, it’s easy to do with a spoon and a jar). But another benefit is that I can pay $6 for a jar of Pic’s versus $13+ for a jar of almond butter. Peanut Butter is fine during a weight loss journey and a great source of fat and protein whilst remaining lower in carbs.
Corn Products

Admittedly, these are something I only really consume when I’m out for mexican, but it was worth the inclusion. A lot of mexican corn products are gluten free (please make sure you specify you’re gluten free as sometimes their food isn’t!), so when I have a hankering for tacos or hand-hacked corn chips, it’s really nice to be able to include them. Again, they aren’t something I like to eat too regularly, but I do visit my favourite mexican place every month or two and always get corn chips and guac! Corn is another grain, and tough to digest. But it is gluten free and pretty common in mexican food. That’s why you’ll often notice kernels when you’re finished digesting (sorry, not a great mental image!). Again, these are high carb and a treat food so not something I’d eat during weight loss.
Buckwheat
Buckwheat is what you call a pseudo-grain and is in kind of a grey-area when it comes to the ‘paleo’ label. It’s not something I eat too often, but again is naturally gluten free. I also don’t consume loads of this but it had been in a couple of cereals I have bought and buckwheat flour can be really versatile. The groats when prepared correctly, can be super crisp and add a lovely crunch. It’s also a wonderful multivitamin packed full of wonderful nutrients! However at 33g of carbs per cup, it’s not a low carb food. You can check out this awesome article by Eat Drink Paleo on it too.

So there you have it – 4 foods that I eat that aren’t strictly paleo! I’m still very fussy about what I will eat, and these foods aren’t everyday items. As I’ve mentioned – a few of them I wouldn’t include if weight loss is a goal. I also monitor how I feel when consuming them because if I feel any digestive changes then I know they’re not working for me. Changing the way I eat has been all about tuning into how my body feels when I eat. And I loooove eating!

Happy Eating!

E x