Paleo in the wilderness: easy as pie

I have just returned from a weekend in the wilderness (a.k.a. North Shore Lake Superior, camping out at Splitrock Lighthouse State Park)! It was loads of fun being in nature and living out of my backpack for a few days...and it was a fun challenge to stay paleo too!

For the most part, I stayed strict paleo, especially since I'm part of the gym's challenge. It was somewhat challenging because I could only fit so much in a cooler for 3 days, and also expect it to stay cold and fresh! I brought broccoli, carrots, a cucumber salad, lost of guacamole, lettuce, some buffalo bites/buffalo jerky, and deli turkey and ham. To satisfy my breakfast cravings and sweet tooth, I also had some Larabars and homemade nut granola. Definitely not the typical eggs and bacon paleo-style breakfast, but since I don't go camping that often, I haven't perfected the art of cooking a hearty morning breakfast (including coffee...ahhhhh).

My "unwich": turkey and ham sandwiched between two lettuce leaves

My co-camper and friend Rachel commended my ability to stay paleo in the wild, and I'd have to agree that I'm proud of my dedication to the challenge. I DID decide to eat a few s'mores around the campfire and a piece of pie with ice cream at world famous Betty's Pies on HWY 61 because, honestly, how often do those opportunities present themselves to me on a regular basis? Hardly ever. That's not a good "excuse" to stray from the path, and I'm not into making excuses either. But in my mind, eating should be an enjoyable experience, and I don't plan on missing out on what life offers because I've chosen to follow a certain diet or lifestyle. That would be like being a vegetarian (GASP!) Just kidding :)

What I took away from this camping trip experience was that eating clean paleo (most of the time, at least) is probably the easiest and best diet decision I've made. I know that I'm doing something good for my body because I feel great, have sustained energy, and don't have to obsess or worry about counting calories or weighing things out...can you imagine bringing a scale into the wilderness??? I just eat something good and nutritious when I feel hungry, how easy is that?

The other thing I like about the paleo way of eating is that, surprisingly, I don't feel like I've had to give up anything. That might sound strange, since there are a lot of things one cannot eat in the paleo diet (legumes, grains, dairy, simple sugars). But that's all stuff that I don't really miss now that it's out of my diet - very different from the days I was vegetarian and craved BBQ 24/7! I can't imagine what popcorn tastes like, and it honestly doesn't sound too appetizing anymore.

Pie still sounds good though...even if our caveman ancestors didn't eat it. Everything in moderation, right?

After a 10 mile hike, you gotta have a *little* slice of pie. A la mode of course.