Trying out paleo for the whole family

We decided to do a little experiment this week.  After a piece of cake and some lemonade kept my 8-year-old up way past his bedtime last week, he was agreeable to trying to cut the sugar and carbs for a while.  This week has been our trial, and so far, it hasn't been so bad.

We started on Monday and the little princess was quite chipper about having some carrot sticks and ranch for breakfast!  Don't you just love the "why are you pointing that camera at me this early" look, though?

As for my son, he was thrilled to be able to use the juicer and add whatever he wanted!  It was mostly fruit, but he added carrots of his own volition and liked it so much that he wrote down what he used so he can make it again!

Here's a summary of what we've been eating this week:

Breakfasts:

• Bacon and eggs
• Omelets
• Juice (homemade)
• Carrots and dip
• Apples with nut butter

Lunches:

• Salads, salads, and more salads!
• Veggie juices
• Smoothies
• Baked paleo chicken nuggets
• Sliced cheese

 Dinners:

• Steak, grilled chicken, and simple veggie sides

Now that doesn't sound so hard, right?  The thing I've learned with my diet changes is that simpler is better.  I didn't try making all the kids' favorites with new and expensive ingredients.  Instead, we pared down to the basics.  Lots of meat and veggies, and, to make the transition more palatable to my kids, lots of fruit and cheese.  I didn't plan for too many special recipes, except for the juices, but that was more for myself to consume, not them.   

In the long run, I'd like to get the kids down to very little dairy, if any, because I think that's where my family's allergy problems originate.  And I know the amount of fruit they're eating isn't ideal, but until we cleanse their palates of all the sweets, I'm ok with good, seasonal, whole fruits and juices. 

Tomorrow, we might spring for a gluten-free pasta for them, and hubby and I will make some stuffed squash... a new recipe, and if it works out well, I'll post it!