I have always been passionate about cooking, ever since I was young. I grew up helping my mom prepare meals for our family of 6 and truly enjoyed it. I got my first cookbook when I was 8, my first cooking set when I was 10, and my very own apron shortly after. I also loved baking, and I always made sure there was some sugary treat lying around the house for my family to snack on. My favorite things to make when I was younger were mac and cheese, spaghetti and meatballs, some kind of pork tenderloin, and tacos. My family always did Taco Tuesday and make-your-own pizza Fridays, where we watched a family movie together. As I grew up, my tastes changed a bit, as did my family’s dietary needs. I stopped making super unhealthy treats and switched to healthier snacks, like Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls. My mom also became gluten and dairy-free, and my siblings and I are dairy-free as well. I have tried almost every single milk alternative and my favorite is cashew milk, followed by oat milk. Because of these changes, we had to start altering our meal preps and dinner choices in order to accommodate everyone. That was when my family started to mostly follow the paleo-lifestyle, otherwise known as the caveman diet. This means lots of lean meats, fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds that are not processed and have been around since the so-called caveman times.
When I left home and went to college, the first 2 years were tough, as I was on NC State’s meal plan, and I found it very hard to follow the lifestyle. Now, as a junior, however, I live in an off-campus apartment and finally get to cook for myself! I was incredibly excited to take this newfound food independence as a time to figure out what I could make for myself (on a budget) that was also healthy and made me feel good afterward. I still mostly follow the paleo lifestyle, but of course, splurge and get fast food or eat dairy at times.
I shop at mostly Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, and Target, around twice a week to stock up on food for 2 weeks. I freeze a lot of stuff too, which saves me time and an extra trip to the store when I realize I ran out of something. For breakfast, I usually make a fruit or protein smoothie, smoothie/acai bowl, oatmeal, paleo pancakes, or have dairy-free yogurt with grain-free granola. Right now, my favorite grain-free granola is Nature’s Path Maple Almond Grain Free Granola and can be found at Target for $5.99. I also usually have a cup of tea or some form of juice as a treat (right now my morning cup of apple cider has really been getting me in the fall mood).
For lunch, I usually eat leftovers from dinner the night before, or have a smoothie if I didn’t have one for breakfast. Sometimes, I sleep in late, and not gonna lie, I merge breakfast with lunch and just eat one big meal with a smoothie, and then snack in the afternoon before eating dinner. My favorite snacks are usually some kind of bar, like a Kind bar. For dinner, I usually plan my week’s meals ahead of time, but I eat a lot of chicken and turkey and attempt to limit red meat to once, maybe twice a week. I also use this app called Paprika to save my favorite family recipes or ones I just downloaded off the internet. Currently, my favorite recipes include Healthier 20 Minute Sesame Chicken with rice and broccoli (I also substitute coconut aminos for the soy sauce), Greek Lemon Chicken Kebabs with roasted potatoes and broccoli, crockpot BBQ chicken, tacos with homemade guacamole, Crispy Smashed Chicken from my Nom Nom Paleo cookbook, Teriyaki salmon with mashed potatoes, and Tender Asian-Marinated Flank Steak – Steph Gaudreau.
I often mix in other recipes as well and love trying new recipes, but these are definitely my go-to’s. I do also eat takeout sometimes or go out with my friends, but because I enjoy cooking so much, I prefer to make my own meals, that way I know what’s in them. I also have a sweet tooth, so for dessert, I usually either make some paleo dessert, eat some fruit, or don’t eat paleo and have a cookie or some ice cream. While the paleo lifestyle definitely isn’t for everyone, I have found over the years that it is what works best for me and makes me feel physically and mentally strong and healthy, which is so important, especially during these stressful times.