How to Survive Camp on a Paleo Diet

As CYIA began to loom ahead in the future, wondering about what I was going to eat became a "we-need-to-do-something-about-this"-problem. I'm currently on a Paleo diet, which is grain, sugar, and starch free. This means I eat mostly vegetables, fruit and meat. At CYIA everyone is blessed with home-cooked meals, which unfortunately are full of sugar, grain and starch:) Mom and I decided to check with the cooks, and they agreed to let me bring all my own food to camp! 

This means I need to make all my meals ahead of time. 

That said, I've been furiously cooking, baking, and editing recipes! Mom suggested that I blog the recipes for the things I made, so here you go! 

First off, I made Paleo muffins. I got the basic recipe from Elena's Pantry, here, and edited it a bit by adding fruit and *gasp* vegetables! These are great to add a bit of protein to your lunch or breakfast, and you can get creative by trying different fruits and veggies! (I really want to try Spaghetti Squash!)

Paleo Almond flour/Coconut flour Muffins

1 cup almond flour

• 2 tablespoon coconut flour 
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• ¼ cup agave nectar, honey, or crushed medjool dates mixed with water
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (omit if you want, it's not too necessary, unless you like the taste:)
• 1-2 cups fruit, such as blueberries, mangos, or any other kind of berry
• If you want extra protein, add 1 zucchini, or 1 sweet potato, raw, grated

• 

1. Combine almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt 

2. In a large bowl stir together oil, sweetener of choice, eggs and vanilla

3. Blend the dry ingredients into the wet, dumping a little dry into the wet at a time(it still works if you just dump it all in, I tried) 

4. Add fruit of choice, and vegetable if you want

5. Drop batter into muffin tin and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350º or until a toothpick comes out clean

Next is cauliflower!!! Seriously guys, I never knew how awesome this veggie was. Chopped up, it tastes a whole lot like rice, and it can be made into a pizza crust! 

Cauliflower-Zucchini casserole 

1 cauliflower head

1 Zucchini

Few shakes of pepper, salt, and 1/2 T. minced garlic

1 Chicken breast, cooked

1. Wash cauliflower, cut into pieces like broccoli, and roast at 420º for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned

2. Grind Cauliflower in a food processor until the texture of rice

3. Transfer cauliflower to a towel and wring out excess water

4. Grate zucchini and put it into a cast iron with the cauliflower on medium heat

5. Stir frequently to avoid burning

6. Add spices, and chicken (please cook the chicken before this step!!) 

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

1 Cauliflower head

1/4 c. Dairy free yogurt, or 1/8 c. almond milk

2 T. Oregano

1 T. Minced Garlic 

2 T. Almond flour

(1 egg if you want it to stick together really well, but it's not necessary ) 

1. Repeat steps 1-3 in the instructions for Cauliflower-Zucchini casserole

2. Add all other ingredients to cauliflower and press into a ball

3. Transfer "dough" onto a cookie pan lined with parchment paper

4. Cook for 15 minutes at 350º, then add tomato sauce and desired toppings

5. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned

I froze most of these meals in containers lined with parchment paper in between servings, so that at mealtime I can grab a (I guess it will be a cube...) serving and warm it up in the microwave! I'm also planning on bringing several fresh fruits and vegetables! 

I'll give you the recipe for the way I cook my chicken, also:)

Chicken-The Avery Way!

1 Chicken breast

Shakes of salt and pepper

1. Cut Chicken into cubes and place in a coconut oiled cast iron skillet

2. Turn heat to medium, bake for about five minutes, then begin to stir periodically at a five minute interval

3. Cut one cube of chicken in half, if it's still pink inside it's not done, if it is not pink, it's done!

4. Bake for five more minutes to assure done-ness 

5. Eat however you see fit

So, yeah. Now you are up to date on how I am continuing my Paleo diet outside of the home! Thanks for reading!

~Avery