PALEO FRENCH TOAST

PALEO FRENCH TOAST

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By Lisa

We are in the midst of our sixth Paleo Challenge at CrossFit Incendia.

We all know that I get overly excited about the Paleo Lifestyle, right? Daily I’m asked, “Lisa, are you REALLY Paleo all day every day?” I really am and I have been since April 2012.

I was just like all of you in the beginning and I probably had worse nutrition habits, to be perfectly honest. I was a “vegetarian” who didn’t eat vegetables. I existed on grilled cheese sandwiches, bean & cheese burritos, mac & cheese and Jose Cuervo pre-mixed margaritas. I had two favorite snacks: Lay’s potato chips & cottage cheese and Ritz crackers with squeeze canned cheese. I could KILL a bag of chips or a row of crackers like nothing. (Notice all that cheese!) When I was trying to be “healthy,” I ate Lean Pockets for lunch. I had a chemical shit storm inside my body. Literally. 

Like a lot of people, I was motivated to do Paleo for the weight loss aspect of it. I didn’t care about being healthier, I wanted to to wear a bikini on Paleo Breadthe beach in 60 days. Period. I figured that I would “diet” for 60 days and just get right back to my normal life. Luckily, that didn’t happen! On that trip to the beach in Mexico in June 2012, I tried a beer and it made me so sick. I tried some Oreos and a quesadilla with a flour tortilla and I completely shit my pants. I run from pain and it took me about six more months before I tried to “cheat” again. I got sick once again after eating cheesecake (for an entire day) and figured, why keep doing this to myself? Clearly, my body couldn’t handle those foods any more. A light bulb went off inside my head and that’s what changed my entire life.

Paleo is a lifestyle, its not a “diet.” I told a friend recently that I think this lifestyle has been so successful for me because I’m not thinking about the food I “can’t have.” I’m too busy focusing on the foods that I “can have” – foods that make me healthier, stronger, sexier and harder to kill. Foods that don’t make me feel sick and keep me in the bathroom. I get that different things work for different people and this is just what works for me.

IMG_0549Another thing that has made this lifestyle make me feel like I’m not at all deprived are “Paleo Treats.” We all get that Paleo Treats aren’t healthy just because they are made with Paleo ingredients, right? A treat is a treat is a treat…and should be enjoyed in moderation. The fact that I can satisfy my enormous sweet-tooth with Paleo-friendly foods that don’t make me sick is the best thing ever. I’m always on the hunt for new recipes that my family and I can enjoy.

I took the kids to a breakfast spot last weekend and we had gluten-free french toast. It was just okay. Seriously, it was nothing special and our bill was $50 for two meals (and no alcohol!). I knew that there had to be a better way. I don’t really like eating “gluten-free” items because they are filled with so much crap (i.e. another chemical shitstorm in the name of health) and I went on a search for a Paleo version. I came across this recipe from Against All Grain and I cannot tell you how amazing it is. I would suggest adding much less than 2 tablespoons of honey because the bread is just too sweet with the maple syrup on it (next time I’m only going to do 1/2 tablespoon). I would also make the bread the day before and refrigerate it overnight. It tastes a little better the next day and the consistency seems to be a little better for frying. I would also make sure that you cook each side completely so that your bread doesn’t get soggy. It doesn’t take too long to get the hang of it. (I did omit the grilled banana and just sliced one up on top).

This French Toast is so good that Cameron and I had it for dinner one day AND breakfast the next. She keeps asking me for more so you know it’s a non-FAILEO keeper! It’s not even that hard to make, either.

Good luck, Challengers! Once you can have Paleo baked goods, put this on top of your list.