Free Everyday Paleo by Sarah Fragoso Page A

sticks, and almond butter. For toddlers, steam a pound of baby carrots on the weekend and have these ready to go in the fridge, along with thinly sliced and peeled apples, mandarin slices, hard-boiled eggs, and small pieces of cooked turkey or chicken.

Table C: Paleo Kitchen Essentials

     
    Slow Cooker —A slow cooker is essential. There is nothing better than taking a few extra minutes in the morning to throw in some protein, veggies, and spices into your slow cooker only to come home to a house filled with delicious smells and dinner ready and waiting. The slow cooker is a must have!

     
    Pressure Cooker —A pressure cooker is another paleo kitchen essential. The pressure cooker allows you to cook food that otherwise takes a long time to prepare in mere minutes. An entire winter squash takes 1 hour in the oven but in the pressure cooker, your side dish will be done in 8 minutes. You can make savory soups and stews in 20 minutes, artichokes in 5, and pork chops in 10.

     
    Food Processor —The food processor allows you freedom and variety, and it’s fast! Many of my recipes call for this handy tool and you’ll love the freshness of homemade sauces, soups, and dips as well as quickly slicing, dicing, and shredding veggies for different paleo concoctions.

     
    Large Soup Pot —Soups and stews are great paleo staples and although the slow cooker and pressure cooker are great, sometimes there is nothing better than the long slow simmer of a soup pot.

     
    Large Skillet —A must have for your fast meat and veggie stir-fry’s!

     
    Small Sauce Pan —Great for everything from poached eggs to my paleo Béarnaise!

     
    Chef’s Knife and Paring Knife — You must slice and dice to survive.

     
    Mandolin Slicer —This tool offers a unique way of thinly slicing veggies, which is a great way to replace the pasta!
    If you have these items prepared ahead of time, you can easily grab-and-go, leaving no excuses for unhealthy, sugar-laden, gluten-filled, prepackaged baby snacks. Most diaper bags come equipped with a smaller tote to keep milk and formula cold. Use this for your baby’s snacks as well, and always have a few ice packs on hand in the freezer to toss in with your snacks. Again, it’s all about planning ahead, and although it might sound daunting, in reality the little bit of extra time is worth happy and healthy children.
    The key to fast snacking success it to not be empty handed. However, if you do find yourself in a pinch, a fast trip into a grocery store for prepackaged sliced fruit, nitrate-free deli meat (now carried by most major grocery stores), and nuts or coconut flakes will avert the hunger crisis.
    SURVIVAL GUIDE: EATING OUT
    Feeling prepared brings on a sense of well-being, calm, and self-assuredness, but the truth is, we are often faced with situations in which social pressure is involved, and this often leads to second-guessing and uncertainty. The next part of the “survival guide” is to know what to do when you have to eat food that you cannot prepare yourself.
    Let’s use eating out as our first example. We all enjoy eating at restaurants with friends and family, so avoiding this scenario altogether is not possible or fun. Once you are eating paleo, looking at a menu can be a daunting task, but again this is when those behavioral changes that you made earlier in the book come into play. You have choices, an entire menu full of them, and you can either ask for what you need or give in and give up.
    Almost every restaurant has protein and vegetables in some form, as well as olive oil and lemon wedges for salad dressings. If you are eating at a standard American food establishment, one can typically ask for the grilled chicken with a side of vegetables and hold the potato or the rice. Do not be afraid to make it very clear that you cannot eat anything that contains gluten.
    As soon as you sit down, ask the waiter or waitress to not bring the bread (unless, of course, people with you want the