Paleo Treats – Are They Healthy?

Let’s talk about paleo treats for a second. I love sweet treats but paleo or not, they should be considered a ‘treat’ when it comes down to it. I love baking paleo goods but let’s be real my friends, they aren’t something that should be eaten each and every day. After posting my Paleo Muffins last week, I figured we should talk treats for a sec.

“Oh look, they are paleo ….so they’re healthy!” Have you ever said or heard that? I sure have. I’ve heard it more times than I can count. Being the “paleo girl” in both sides of my family, I bring a lot of food to get togethers that are paleo. When someone picks up a paleo cookie for example, they’ll say, “Oh and they are paleo so I can eat several.” Well, sure. I mean you can eat several of any kind of treat if you want but it’s not recommended – ever. A treat is a treat.

What is Paleo?

What is ‘my paleo’? I try so hard to stay away from the word paleo when it comes to telling people what I eat. It is often heard as a “diet” and I really don’t look at it like that at all. I started eating this way before I even knew it had a “label” and now I’ve clearly built a blog and instagram around this label but in the end, we all find our shade of paleo. What works for me, may not work for you so we need to dabble around this way of eating and find what works best for ourselves.

That said, my paleo is trying to eat most of my days worth of foods consisting of greens/veggies, protein and healthy fats. That’s as simple as it can get. I steer clear of inflammatory foods such as grains/gluten and dairy, as well as soy and sugar. When people ask what I “can’t have”, I tell them what I can have! I prefer to look at it as all the foods I choose to eat, rather than chat about what’s not in my diet. It’s not like I can’t have certain foods – I just choose to eat what makes me feel best and what fuels me for optimal health. When I hear, “Oh, you can’t have that….”, it makes me cringe a bit because it’s not about not being able to, it’s more about making the decision to bypass foods that won’t make me feel good.

It’s Paleo, So It Must Be Healthy!

While I do like to bake the yummy paleo sweet treats, I know to treat them like a treat. I am not perfect – don’t get me wrong. I’ve been known to eat one more cookie than I should have or a few too many pieces of dark chocolate! But when it comes to a baked good, we all have to realize that most of these items are baked with a nut flour.

Think about the handful of nuts that are basically what a serving size is. Now grind up that small handful and see what you have left. Not much. These baked goods are packed with lots and lots of nuts! While nuts aren’t bad for us …..it might be over-doing a good thing. So we eat a paleo muffin for breakfast, then maybe munch on a few nuts later in the day. Perhaps you like that spoonful or 2 of almond or cashew butter at some point in that day (I like a spoonful right after my workout!) and woah! How many nuts did you actually consume in a day? Or better yet ….that week?!

Of course, paleo treats aren’t bad for you. There’s no refined sugars, gluten free and no grains BUT they certainly aren’t “healthy” in terms of fueling our body with proper nutrients. Does that make sense? So while they may not be harmful, they serve the purpose of being able to eat a treat without causing distress on our bodies (unless of course you are allergic to nuts). These No Bake Individual Cheesecakes are DELISH and have a great source of healthy fats – but a treat none the less.

“I’m Eating Paleo and Still Haven’t Lost Weight”

While I didn’t start eating paleo to lose weight, it is often a chosen “diet” to help budge the scale or fit into clothes one might have grown out of. My goal when switching over to this style of eating, was to fuel my body with proper nutrition to keep my health thriving while starting to enter menopause. I knew I needed to support my body that was changing hormonally and this way of eating made sense to me.

I have gotten more than a fair share of questions when it comes to paleo and losing weight. I don’t profess to have the answers because what works for one, may not work for another. I’ll ask for a quick rundown of their daily and/or weekly food intake. This is where I see many people at a standstill with their weight. At first, it would seem that these people stay true to a real food “diet”. They do seem to shed a few pounds by giving up some of their processed foods or sugary ladened desserts. BUT THEN …..paleo treats enter and all hell breaks loose. I see the food log has numerous snacks and treats that aren’t bad for you by any means. But they don’t serve a purpose either, especially when there is a goal in sight.

Because the treat has the term ‘paleo’ labeled on it, it seems people think it can be eaten with greater indulgence. I beg to differ. Most of these treats are made with nut flours, as mentioned above, which pack on tons of calories. Although natural sweeteners are usually used, they are sweeteners none-the-less. I see no problem at all with eating these treats. I definitely have a sweet tooth and look forward to a dessert more often than not. However, if losing weight is what you’re aiming for, taking it easy on these sweets is probably the best idea for your goals. It’s a treat, not a nutritionally sound choice for health.

Out of the Ordinary

I used to be an ‘all or nothing’ girl. And that pretty much related to most things in my life, especially food. It really is about balance though. I know that I can’t live life knowing that I will never have a dessert or treat again or even for 30 days! That’s just me. I will never tell myself that I can’t have something – it will only make me want it more. Therefore, I choose to eat foods that make me feel good. I choose not to eat the foods that make me feel sick and bloated. If I so choose to eat those foods, I pay the consequences and I’m ok with it because I do in fact, know my body and how I react to certain foods.

With that, I know I have a sweet tooth so instead of eating a treat that will make me feel awful or worse, detour my health, I will make paleo treats to have on hand for those times I need a “fix”. And this is where the balance comes into play. I eat a healthy diet of protein, veggies/greens and fats 99% of the time so having occasional paleo sweets will not derail my health or make me feel badly. It is about moderation as well – it’s a cookie, a muffin or piece of berry crumble! In no way do I feel because it’s paleo, that I can eat 6 cookies, 4 muffins or half the dish of berry crumble.

Have your cake and eat it too! Just make sure you’re mindful about what your goals are. Think about how you’ll feel after eating that treat and what purpose it’ll serve. We all need to enjoy food, especially a delicious sweet treat but make sure you keep in mind that these are exactly that, a treat. Paleo or otherwise – treat by definition; is an item that is out of the ordinary and gives great pleasure. So enjoy it ……in moderation.