Good food, great friends and awesome commercials....uh....football! Most people will eat and drink too much, but it doesn't mean you have to succumb to the same bad habits. For many of you that have been following this blog, you understand the importance of fueling your body for more than just a leisurely walk around the neighborhood. You made a deliberate decision to eat well and getting together with friends and family for an afternoon of football viewing doesn't mean an afternoon of gorging on unhealthy foods.
Chili makes a great choice, especially if you dump all ingredients into a crockpot and let it simmer until guests arrive (or take with you and plug in when you arrive at your destination).
A crockpot full of meatballs is also a great choice for the main dish (recipe below).
A nice large bowl of salad that includes some chicken for protein will go with just about anything else that will be served. You can add as many or as little ingredients as you want.
Scroll down to the Paleo dressings that was posted earlier and you have a complete meal or snack, depending on your portion.
Sweet potato chips that have been baked are a great alternative to the greasy bags of chips most people serve. (scroll down to earlier post)
Set aside small bowls of assorted nuts that can be mixed with dried fruit (remember peanuts are a legume, not a nut!).
Finish off with a big bowl of fruit salad that you can mix yourself or, if convenience is key, purchased already mixed and on a nice platter.
All foods are Paleo and delicious - your guests will never even realize just how healthy they are eating!
Meatballs in Sweet n' Spicy Sauce
1 lb. grassfed beef (ground)
1/2 cup spinach leaves, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, minced
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced (3 tsp.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking pan with a thin layer of olive oil. Knead together beef, spinach, parsley, basil and garlic in bowl. Mix well.
Form mixture into 1 inch meatballs. Tuck in any herbs or spinach pieces that stick out.
Place meatballs in rows in the baking pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until done. Season to taste with sea salt optional.
Sweet n' Spicy Sauce
6oz can tomato paste (preferable organic)
2 Cups beef stock
3 Cloves Garlic – minced
.5 of an onion – minced
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (i used a spicy garlic dijon that added a bit of a kick)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 sprinkle of cinnamon (1 tsp)
1.Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Stir together well.
2.Bring it to a simmer and let it sit for 20-30 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
3.Easy!
Hi maria. I was just curious of how many times a day you recommend a person eat? every 3-4 hours? Or 4-6 meals a day? Thanks
ReplyDeleteHi Brooke -
ReplyDeleteI eat Paleo and eat whenever I am hungry. That's the beauty of a clean diet.
If not eating Paleo, the answer will vary depending on how favorable/unfavorable a person's diet is.
Zone encourages a person to eat something every 4 hours, never going past the 5 hour mark. I found that Zone was entirely too caloric restrictive for my physical demands. Reason why I switched to Paleo - when you're hungry, you eat!