10 Signs You’re a Paleo Mom

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years you’ve heard the term paleo. Recently “Paleo” has become a buzz word across the internet, gyms and health food stores alike. While highly popular among Cross Fit enthusiasts, the Paleo Diet has become more and more popular among moms searching for healthier eating habits and increased energy. The Paleo Diet is short for Paleolithic Diet and is commonly referred to as the caveman diet. This diet, while not totally intended for weight loss is more of a lifestyle change which transitions one to eating mostly vegetables, fruits, roots, nuts and seeds, healthy fats and meats. Like many mainstream diets the Paleo lifestyle encourages decreasing intake of sugar, salt and processed foods.

I’ve dabbled in cooking Paleo recipes for a while now, but after completing two months of strict Paleo eating this year, I’ve found that paleo moms have a few things in common. 

1. You own a blender with a motor strong enough to power a weed-eater: Paleo moms love their green smoothies. Owning a blender with a super high powered motor allows you to blend up creamy smoothies with just about any produce in your fridge. Buying one of these pricey appliances also makes it very easy to sneak some extra fruits and veggies into your kids. Plus, there are about 1,000 more wonderful uses for these amazing machines. 
2. You read and analyze ALL THE LABELS: as mentioned previously, Paleo eliminates eating processed foods and lots of commonly used food additives. You’ll be able to spot a Paleo mom as she inspects labels from every section of the grocery store. Once you start reading labels, you are shocked by all the sneaky chemicals and additives you’ll find in your food. 
3. You meal prep like a boss: Since you are eating a more well balanced diet sans processed foods, Paleo requires planning things out in advance. I do a vast majority of my cooking on the weekends and get everything prepped and ready to go so I have no excuses not to eat well. 
4. You know what a “Zoodle” is and can make them using a spiralizer: No, zoodles are not a new breed of dog but actually a substitute for pasta that is made by using a spiralizer to cut zucchini. Cooked into saucy dishes that call for pasta, your kids will barely notice the difference. You can also spiralize a lot of other produce items, making eating veggies fun! 
5. You buy more ghee than regular butter: Ghee is butter that has been eliminated of milk fats. Easier to digest than butter, ghee boasts some pretty impressive nutritional benefits. The best part is ghee can be stored at room temperature without spoiling.   
6. Your grocery cart looks like a garden: A common misconception about Paleo moms is that they eat all meat. This is an untrue rumor. In fact, in a typical day Paleo moms eat lots of fresh vegetables and fruit. When I arrive at the checkout line my grocery cart appears to have an entire garden growing from out of the top. 
7. You buy coconut oil in a vat: Coconut oil is a healthy fat and is totally acceptable for use in Paleo dishes. A quick internet search will also reveal many other homeopathic uses for this magical oil so it is absolutely necessary to buy in LARGE quantities.
8. You’re completely nuts: To Paleo moms, nuts are not just for snacking, but you use them for various culinary purposes. Nut butters and milks add protein and richness to smoothies and sauces. Nut flours are perfect for breading items and baking purposes. I love creative recipes that make nearly an entire meal out of mostly nuts as I always have multiple varieties on hand.
9. You own an Instant Pot and aren’t afraid to use it: These babies make cooking recipes that typically take hours to cook in mere minutes. Want a roast in 20 minutes? Get your hands on an Instant Pot and fear not the steam.
10. You feel amazing: While I don’t always eat this way, when I do follow a mostly Paleo diet I feel like a million bucks! I have increased energy, decreased mental fogginess, decreased bloating and I sleep better at night. If you’re not a Paleo mom yet, give it a try — you won’t regret it! 

Are you a Paleo mom?