Woohooo!! Week 1 is done!!! Although it was a challenge to transitioning from your normal eating habits to a Paleo diet, you now have the motivation to keep going, only if it weren’t for those pesky carbohydrate craving testing your will power.
It is completely normal for you to be craving carbohydrates at this point. The key is to make sure you don’t allow yourself to have grains. This craving will pass as long as you resist the urge to eat bread, rice and other grain products. The more grains you have the more your body will want. In order for this carbohydrate craving to go away you need to keep avoiding grains and here are some great GRAIN FREE, yet satisfying options to help you navigate through your carbohydrate cravings.
- Spaghetti Squash with your favorite sauce- this hearty recipe will satisfy any cravings you have for pasta and rice.
- Ground meat dish – chili, meat loaf, meat balls, and hamburgers. Increasing the protein will help you feel full and will help you to avoid nibbling on bread.
- Sweet potato– baked, stuffed, roasted and mashed. Sweet potatoes satisfies your hunger and makes your meals feel substantial.
- Cauliflower- mashed, baked, steamed, pizza dough option
- Zucchini– made into lasagna, pasta noodle, grilled
- Mushrooms– grilled and sautéed
- Nuts and seeds– ground into nut butter, soaked overnight in water – nuts and seed are a great alternative to grains and they can be used for all kinds of recipes and snacks.
- LIVE products– grain free seed based products- bagels and cookies, need I say more?
- Flax seed milled– one minute wrap, fibre bowl, quick muffins
- Almond flour– muffins, breads- any type of muffin, almond flour or not, feels like you are cheating, and this will definitely give you the sensation of having a carb filled muffin!!
Your Turn: Which option are your going to try? How did it make you feel and did it help satisfy your grain cravings? Do you have anything that has helped you withstand the carb cravings?
Well week one went well, the Paleo Brownies are amazing.
I was at a wedding this weekend and staying in a hotel all weekend. It was a challenge but I managed to stay away from the carbs at breakfast and control what went onto my plate and into my mouth. The only challenge was alchohol it was a wedding after all! So right back at it this week and im not going to kick myself for a bit of a slip and I dont beleive it will impact my results over the long term.
Made the grain free flatbread! OMG! THIS is your carb fix. Tasted just like bread, hot out of the oven. I dipped it into my child. Delicious! Who knew? Is there a place to get more recipes? Also, I need a good protein bar that would qualify for this challenge. Any suggestions?
Candice, any protein bar that has less than 20 grams of carbohydrates is ideal. We have protibars here at the clinic that are delicious and qualify for the paleo challenge.
I made the Paleo Mushroom Risotto and I thought it was quite good!! I also made the microwave muffin and I think it’s quite good. Before I started the challenge I already had reduced my carbs so I don’t really find the cravings that bad and the extra protein keeps me feeling pretty full.
Week one went well. Thank you Muriel for suggesting some great snack ideas. I made the brownies and muffins. I’m all set for this week! I also baked chicken breasts to put in my salads for lunch
Tried the almond pancakes and they are great tasting. My husband liked them too.
The snacks and menu items are terrific! I could absolutely be paleo! (Except for milk with my coffee!)
Tonight I made a meat sauce and had it over zucchini:) I used a julienne peeler to get the zucchini “pasta like” and I just poured the sauce over the raw zucchini! It was delicious!!! It actually tastes better raw rather than cooked:) going to try a few other new options tomorrow!
I know, I never thought I could stomach raw zucchini, but what a meal, this is one of my favorites!
I am addicted to the stuffed sweet potatoes. I make them all the time and them are so filling.
I have to admit the grain free flatbread didn’t work for me. But I will try again!
However,,,,,,what did work for me was the lime coconut engergy balls. They kill my afternoon “treat” craving. Also, last night I baked the banana muffins. They are really good!
The bread tastes only as good as what you put on it, try some unique toppings: smoked salmon and tomato, almond butter, egg whites and olive oil.
I didn’t find I had carb cravings and so I think I too go stick with a mostly paleo diet – I do like my coffee with milk and some cheese every now and then! This week I tried the egg muffins. Easy to make and great tasting. Next time I make them will change up the fillings for some variety (bacon, mushroom and onion?).
Doing much better with food options for week 2 thanks to Patsy. Made the flax bread from the instagram picture with tomatoes, smoked salmon and a bit of ff cream cheese. The next day I made the flax bread with procuitto, lettuce and a bit of ff mayo. Also loved the chocolate banana muffins when I need a sugar fix. No more snacking on chips at night with these yummy dinners.
Fortunately, I too did not seem to crave carbs too much. However, the almond banana muffins are really good if you have the need to satisfy a craving. Also, I find that texture of food matters to me so if I feel like I need something crunchy, I will grab a few kale chips and that seems to do the trick!
This week, I’ve been craving carbs. Especially when I’m making my girls peanut sandwiches on whole wheat bread! My mouth was watering! Imade the slow cooker spaghetti squash meal this week and it really curbed the cravings. It tasted a little different with no cheese but it was delicious and perfect for lunch the next day too! I attempted to make the brownies but that was an epic failure!!! I also made the Chia pudding and it was so good!
haven’t tried these yet but will definitely try them now. Thanks for the Tip!
This week was very busy for me and I haven’t yet tried any new recipes. I plan to take some time this evening to pick a paleo snack and a dinner to make on the weekend. I had frozen some banana chocolate muffins last week and that turned out to be a lifesaver this week. They gave me that feeling of eating carbs and I didn’t have to make them. Overall, I’m getting the hang of paleo and feeling good.
Drinking lots of water with lemon to fill my tummy so I can ward off the carb cravings. Home is safe with controls in place but work life is hard with lunch and breakfast meetings. It helps telling people about the challenge as they help to keep me in check.
Cauliflower Pizza really satisfies that Friday supper pizza craving!
Carb cravings not too bad this week. Brownie bites, coconut cream peach and key lime coconut energy bites all big hits! Also stumbled across Paleo wraps from Organic Garage – worth a look!