When Paleoleander and I tried strict paleo last time, our biggest challenge was not resisting all the cookies and pizza that jumped out at us from supermarket aisles and restaurant menus, but rather hanging out with our families. Our eating habits worked great when it was just the two of us, and they were okay when we had people over, but when we were invited over relatives' houses for dinner, holidays, etc., we usually had very little choice as to what was served.
I am facing a similar dilemma today. Yesterday I called up my aunt and asked her if she would like to go out for dinner this evening, as I was going to be in her neighborhood and had to return a coat that I had borrowed from her. She agreed, and we decided to meet at her house at 5pm. Then this morning while I was at the gym she left a voicemail on my cellphone saying that she had decided to cook dinner instead, and that we would be having chicken parm, couscous and butternut squash. So what should I do? I'm a little nervous as to how my stomach is going to react to the onslaught of grains and dairy after eating relatively low carb for the past few weeks. And my stomach was just starting to straighten out, too! But I DON'T want to be one of those annoying family members who is always trotting their dietary restrictions out in front of everyone at family get-togethers, a la vegans. So I have decided to eat as best I can during the day, enjoy the forbidden fruits (well, grains and dairy), and see how it goes. I thought I could at least bring some kind of paleo dessert, but what kind of dessert can you get at the Stop and Shop that is paleo? I'm at work and don't have time or tools to prepare anything.
This will be an interesting exercise, because I feel that it was these kinds of situations that derailed our paleo eating last time. Every time I would indulge in sweets, pasta, or other non-paleo foods, I'd have to go back through the awful withdrawl symptoms when I went back to paleo, and after a few times I just got sick of it (literally!). But I don't want to be an actual cavewoman, holed up in her house and becoming more antisocial because I don't want family events to turn into confrontations. What have other people done to maintain their paleo lifestyle without alienating friends or family?
Sensible Shoes
17 hours ago
An update: Dinner went surprisingly well last night! I did eat the couscous, and the squash was deliciously full of butter and brown sugar, but I asked her to leave the cheese off the chicken parm just by saying that my stomach has been upset by cheese lately (which is true). I also brought dessert, so was able to avoid the processed sugar-flour-dairy black hole there. I'm thinking of doing an eventual feature on paleo fast food: ie, what are some quick things you can pick up at the supermarket and assemble at someone's house, to replace the inevitable cookies, cakes, crackers/cheese, etc. that you would swing by to pick up when going to a host's house for dinner when you've no time to prep?
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