Well folks, that’s in. The month of April is over, and my paleo challenge with it. But the thing is that I don’t think I’m going to end it here. I’ve talked about how even my energy level has been and how much better my skin is, and I don’t want to mess that all up! So here are the usual updates for my last few official days of paleo, plus my plan moving forward.

Favorite Meal

On our last official night of paleo, we had some oven roasted chicken thighs with grilled onions and herbs, and on the side a yam with a delightful pad of melting butter. I like yams because they’re a little sweet, just enough to satisfy my sweet tooth without doing too much damage.

Favorite Snack

I have been loving snacking through this whole diet (as you’ve probably noticed from my past lunches). I’ve especially  loved exploring paleo recipes that remind me of non-paleo foods. It has been helping me feel like I’m not missing anything by eating paleo, and makes me feel like I could keep this up for a lot longer if I wanted to.

We had friends over for dinner one night, and I whipped this almond cake up for dessert (adapted from this recipe). It was super easy to do! In fact we made a second one using orange instead of lemon, and I have to say I think I prefer the orange version! Drizzled with a little honey, it made the perfect sweet finish to a delicious meal.

I also made some paleo granola (adapted from this recipe), which is so delicious! Before this month, cereal was my breakfast pretty much every morning. On paleo we almost always have eggs and bacon for breakfast, but I was looking for something to mix it up a bit. This granola is oat-less and basically all nuts and dried fruit, so it’s very filling and a great kick start to the morning

Something Learned

Ok, I have a confession to make. There were two meals when I was unable to truly stick to paleo. I was at a conference where lunch was provided for us, and I have to say the options were limited and left few choices for anyone with special dietary needs. But what it taught me, which will help me moving forward, is to make better decisions about what I’m putting into my body. For example, when confronted with pizza on the first day I could choose between regular pizza, gluten free pizza, and vegan pizza.

First I loaded up with as much salad as I could without seeming like a hog, and then I chose a small slice of gluten free pizza, deciding that the processed soy and gluten in the vegan pizza was probably worse for me than simply having some lactose and doing without the gluten. And I topped it off with a couple of baked chicken wings.

On the second day of the conference there was only chicken in mole (delicious!), corn tamale, and white rice served. So in that case I skipped the rice altogether, and then after hearing that the corn was all organic and that they did not use any soy in their cooking but instead used grape seed oil, I decided to eat some of the tamale as a means to get enough energy to carry me through the rest of the day.

How I Feel

As I’ve mentioned, my energy level remains even and my skin is still healthy, and I aim to keep that going for as long as possible! But now that my paleo month is over, I also feel a bit relieved that in situations like the conference lunches, or when I go to a friend’s house for dinner, I can let loose a little bit and not worry too much about eating bread, pasta, or milk products if that’s what’s being served. Which leads me to…

The Plan Moving Forward

Here’s what the hubby and I have decided to do, for our health: At home, we will continue to basically eat paleo, adding in occasional legumes (beans and peanuts) and whole grains (quinoa and farro) to be sure we’re also getting the valuable vitamins and nutrition they can provide. But the legumes and grains will be limited. Mainly our diet will continue to consist of protein and veggies, and we’ll continue to avoid lactose and gluten as much as possible. However, we’ve also decided that when we go out to dinner or find ourselves in a situation with few paleo options, we’re not going to stress about it. There is so much delicious food out there to be had, why miss out on it all the time. There are too many non-paleo things we love to taste! But the idea is “everything in moderation,” and that’s what we will be sticking to.

Besides, when we head to Abu Dhabi and Turkey in a few weeks, and are confronted with incredible foods we’ve never even heard of, we will be trying it all!

Will you be changing your eating habits moving forward? What changes are you making to be healthier?