From working with thousands of our readers and customers, we know that switching to Paleo canhave its challenges.
There can be a LOT of sticking points, and fortunately, most of these are easy to overcome. Below is our list of the common issues that people get stuck with, and how to solve them.
How Do I Stay Paleo on the Road?
Traveling for work or for pleasure can be great — but not when you’re on a restricted diet and every aspect of food feels frustrating or like tons of work. Fortunately, Paleo can work on the road as easily as it can at home with some easy modifications. Thanks to Paleo-friendly companies, there are several on-the-go, pre-made options, but you can also do a little planning and make some easy meals to take with you.
Want to go Paleo? Not sure where to start?
Start with this FREE Paleo For Beginners Guide Today!
Discover More Here: How to Stay Paleo While Traveling
How Do I Stay Paleo at Work?
We get it — you’re doing well on the weekends when you’re at home, with no temptations. But then you get to work and your coworkers bring the most tempting foods into the office. They want to go to the most non-Paleo restaurants for lunch or happy hour.
Or maybe your work schedule is so insane, you barely have time to give two thoughts to food, let alone three Paleo meals a day. So if you’re surrounded by temptations at work or have no time to make a healthy meal, how do you eat Paleo during the week?
It’s surprisingly easy to stay Paleo with a little planning ahead and thinking outside the box. Batch cooking is your friend here (hello, crockpot recipes), as well as keeping meals simple. Save your gourmet cooking for the weekends when you have more time to experiment.
Discover More Here: How to Stay Paleo at Work
How Do I Stay Paleo at Restaurants?
Even when you’re uber committed to Paleo, at some point you’re going to venture out of the house and end up in a restaurant. Chances are all of the eating options around you aren’t 100% farm-to-table Paleo restaurants, so you’re going to have to make some modifications on the fly. What do you prioritize? How do you order food like a Paleo pro?
Sticking with grilled meat options and steamed veggies makes for easy Paleo restaurant eating. Salad dressings and marinades often have non-Paleo ingredients, so you’ll want to skip those, or pack small condiments inside your purse or lunch sack instead.
Discover More Here: 6 Tips for Staying Paleo When at Restaurants
How Do I Eat Paleo on a Budget?
If you’re on a tight grocery budget, fear not — Paleo can still work for you. It just comes down to making smart choices and choosing the best quality foods that fit your budget. Eating some vegetables, even if they’re not organic, is better than eating no vegetables. The same goes for meats, fish, and eggs if you can’t afford only pastured or free-range. Just purchase the best quality options that you can afford, and make good use of local sources like farmer’s markets, where you can often get higher quality produce for less than grocery store pricing.
Discover More Here: Ultimate Guide to Eating Paleo on a Budget
How Do I Stay Paleo During the Holidays?
Oh, the holidays. The time of year when everyone looks forward to non-Paleo treats. But what if you’re a Paleo eater because of food allergies? Or maybe you’re just tired of falling back onto the gluten train and feeling sick after. It’s totally possible to have completely Paleo holidays that are delicious, satisfying, and festive.
Paleo Halloween can be all about non-food treats, or treats made with Paleo ingredients that will still look just as spooky as anything else.
Discover More Here: 26 Ways to Make Paleo Halloween Treats
Paleo Thanksgiving lends itself to a fabulous feast that is rich with classic flavors like green bean casserole, mashed sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, and, of course, turkey.
Discover More Here: How to Make an Epic Paleo Thanksgiving
Paleo Hanukkah can be just as delicious as a non-Paleo one, especially with these amazing sweet potato latkes.
Discover More Here: Sweet Potato Latkes
Paleo Christmas — when most people think of holidays, they’re thinking of Christmas cookies and dessert. Luckily, Christmas can be Paleo and perfectly festive too.
Discover More Here: 33 Easy, Paleo Christmas Desserts
I Do I Deal with Social Pressure from Friends and Family?
No matter how great you’re doing, there always seems to be that one friend or family member who thinks you need to loosen your standards and lighten up about food. They seem to delight in haggling your food choices, and eventually, you either give in or feel frustrated that you can’t better defend your position. While this can be common, there are diplomatic ways to handle these challengeswithout giving up on your dietary preferences.
Discover More Here: 8 Tips to Handling Social Pressure and Staying Paleo
I Can’t Stop Eating Bread
Bread is one of those difficult foods to fully replace without gluten. Breaking up with bread can be one of your biggest challenges, but it can be done. There are many gluten-free options at health food stores and better yet, it’s easy to make your own gluten-free bread thanks to ingredients like coconut flour and almond flour. There are also pretty compelling reasons to ditch gluten that go far beyond “gluten is bad.” When you understand why bread isn’t that great for you, it’ll be easier to say goodbye.
Discover More Here: 9 Reasons to Ditch Bread and Pasta
I Can’t Stop Eating Sugar
In the short-term, sugar can be a quick craving fix. But in the long-term, it can wreak havoc on your body, including neurotransmitters and blood sugar, not to mention the empty calories. Added refined sugars offer no health benefits. Still, you need a battle plan for quitting since it can be easy to fall back into that bowl of ice cream or piece of cake.
Discover More Here: 6 Ways to Beat Sugar Cravings for Good
I’m Tired of Eating the Same Thing Every Day
It’s easy to find something that works and then fall into a complete routine rut. Making the same foods every single day might resolve some level of stress in the short-term, but it’s going to ultimately lead to food boredom and lack of nutrient variety. The good news is that there’s plenty of room in a Paleo diet for creativity and deliciousness — you just need to know where to find it!
Discover More Here: How to Create a Perfect Paleo Shopping List
I Don’t Want to Spend a Lot of Time in the Kitchen
We get it. Transitioning from a Standard American Diet to a full-on Paleo cooking regimen can be a big (sometimes scary) change. If you feel like you’re suddenly lost in marathon cooking sessions, it’s time to simplify.
Discover More Here: 8 Useful Tips for Easy Paleo Meals
What Happens if I Get Hangry?
If you’re feeling hungry and a little irritable, maybe you need to swap the nutrients you’re taking in.
Discover More Here: Why Some People Get “Hangry” and 3 Ways to Avoid It
Why Do Some People Fail on the Paleo Diet?
There are a lot of reasons why people fall off the Paleo wagon, but there are some that are more common than others. Whether it’s starting for the wrong reason or lack of family support, there are ways to address each of these challenges.
Discover More Here: Chris Hiestand on Why You Fail with Paleo
I’m Allergic to Eggs, So What’s Left?
Eating a Paleo diet and being allergic to eggs can feel impossible — after all, what will you eat for breakfast? The good news is that there are plenty of eggless Paleo recipes, for all meals of the day.
Discover More Here: 33 Amazing Paleo Breakfast Recipes That Ditch Eggs
How Long Do I Need to Stay on Paleo to See Results?
If you sign on to the Paleo diet, are you making a till-death-do-you-part commitment? The fact is that Paleo can be modified and can be different things for different seasons of your life. Even if you stay Paleo “forever,” your diet will morph over time, and can change to meet your needs.
Discover More Here: Do You Have to Eat Paleo Forever?
(Read This Next: The 15 Worst Nutrition Myths (Debunked by Science))
