Oh, the New Paleo Snack Options! The Amazing Eats I Tried at PaleoFX
As you guys know, I just returned from Austin for the PaleoFX 2013 conference. And it was amazeballs. Austin lived up to the foodie hype (more on that in a future post!), and the conference was kind of mind blowing.
I kind of expected the three-day event to really focus on the ins and outs of the Paleo diet and how it’s beneficial, but it was so much more than that. I sat in on sessions about adrenal fatigue (too much stress and pushing it too hard for too long will mess you the heck up), the importance of sleep (make it a priority!), how everything affects our hormones (seriously, everything) and how although eating Paleo can help a lot of things, it’s not a cure-all. Just like we’re always preaching, it has to come with a lot of self-acceptance and not trying to fit into a certain ideal of beauty. To this point, in one of the sessions, I heard a great quote from Sarah Fragoso of one of my favorite sites Everyday Paleo: “Healthy by choice. Hot by accident.” Love that! I also sat in on a session about the importance of low-intensity exercise for performance, and not always killing yourself in the gym. There’s so much emphasis on high-intensity workouts these days that it was kind of an eye-opener.
Oh, and I met THE Robb Wolf and his little Wolf cub, who was beyond adorable. Sheryl, my friend, travel buddy and owner of my gym the Fit Pit, and I grabbed him for a quick photo (thanks for taking it, Alejandra!), where I quickly learned an important lesson: WATCH HOW YOU HOLD YOUR PHONE.
But, I digress. Ya’ll want to see what new Paleo snacks I tried, right? RIGHT! The PaleoFX 2013 expo was filled with yummy snacks. And I tried just about everything in the name of—ahem—research. Yeah, that’s right. Research. First up, we sampled the nomtastic snacks by Paleo Treats. While they were all good, the Mustang Bar—a salty and sweet nut-filled treat—was kind of life changing.
Up next, olive oil tasting! Locally made in Texas, these oils from Texas Olive Ranch were top notch. Especially the Boom blend when paired with a little balsamic vinegar. I could almost have it for lunch.
With a little healthy fat in the belly, we moved on to Epic Bar, where my foodie-brain was really blown. Sometimes I get sick of sweet bars. I need something a little heartier and more savory. And this, my healthy eating friends, is it. Kind of like a jerky and fruit bar (okay, exactly like a jerky and fruit bar), we tried Turkey Almond Cranberry (good!), Beef Habanero Cherry (really good!) and Bison Bacon Cranberry (LIFE CHANGING). Pretty sure I’m going to ask for these for Christmas. Yes, I know it’s April. They’re just that—wait for it—epic!
After the Epic Bars, we checked out Raw Kvass, which is kind of like kombucha but made with fermented veggies. Not sweet and definitely veggie-tasting, it’s a bit of an acquired taste. I think I’ll stick to my sauerkraut for now.
And last but not least: ghee! Seriously, this ghee filled me with glee. You might say it was ghee-lightful! Or O-M-Ghee worthy!
Okay, I’ll stop with the ghee jokes now. If you’re not familiar with ghee, it’s clarified butter (aka the milk is removed so it’s Paleo-friendly) that’s shelf-stable and can be heated at high temperatures. And Pure Indian Foods makes spiced ghee that was crazypants good. So good that I bought a sampler pack of Garlic, Herbes de Provence, Italian, Indian Dessert, Niter Kebbeh (an Ethiopian blend), and Digestive ghee to try. I guarantee you’ll see more posts about me trying it out—on roasted veggies, protein pancakes, sweet potatoes, eggs—oh, I’m getting hungry.
So, yeah, PaleoFX 2013 was a success. Stay tuned in the coming weeks to what else I ate not just at the conference, but also while out in Austin. Goodness, it’s a cool town!
Now tell me, have you tried any of these Paleo snacks or eats? Which one sounds the most delish to you? —Jenn
Comments
Comments are closed.