Guest Post: Alex Boake, The Art of Keeping Real Food Fun

About six months ago or so I was posting to the Foodee Project and browsing the many delicious looking recipes that were posted when something unique caught my eye. It was the ancestral health movements very own resident artist, Alex Boake! You know that moment of discovery that happens when you run across something that hits about a half dozen of your interests at once? It doesn’t happen very often in your life, but when it does, it’s pretty spectacular. Here I ran into an amateur chef in the paleo world who was also a comic book artist interested in art for kids! We are very honored that she is guesting with us and drew a lot of awesome art just for you! Check out her site and blog for more like this!

There are many people who get put off and confused by the so-called restrictions of ancestral health diets such as Paleo. They are confused and daunted, thinking to themselves, “If I eliminate grains and processed foods…what is left for me to eat?!” Of course, you and I seasoned Paleo eaters know that there are still a world of possibilities when you ‘limit’ yourself to Real Food. However, even when you know the ropes, sometimes you get into a little bit of a rut. Steak and salad are beautiful things, but it’s nice to mix it up every once and while. This is especially true when you are cooking for a family and cooking for kids! So, what can we do to keep Real Food fun? Here are a few tips and tricks that I like to bust out to keep my spectrum full!

Eat Local

Summer time is here, and that means that all of your local Farmers’ Markets are opening up for business. In my city I’m lucky enough to have a Market open in a different area of town almost every day of the week. Check online to find out if there is one in your area. This is a fantastic opportunity to get to know people in your food producing community. Talk to the people who are growing the fruits and vegetables that you are bringing to the table. You may learn a thing or two that you didn’t know, and returning to the market to do your shopping can create strong friendships—a much more human experience than foraging at a Big Box Store.

 

 

Spice Up Your Life

Ah, Salt and Pepper–what more do you need? Well, need, perhaps isn’t the right word. We are talking about keeping Real Food fun, and a fantastic way to change things up in your meal plan is to put a flavour injection by way of your spice cabinet. Cinnamon goes well with just about anything. Turmeric is an under-used spice with anti inflammatory properties. Fresh Basil is blissful! Once a week, pick a new spice or herb to try—good things will happen, I promise!

 

 

Meat Someone New

Always have grilled Chicken Breasts? Are you a slave to Stewing cuts of Beef? Plagued by Pork Chops? Break out of your deeply carved habits! Even changing the cut of meat will change things up! Different parts of the animal take better to different types of cooking, which will open up your recipe repertoire to more variation.

Eat Seasonal

This one, to me, goes hand in hand with Eating Local. Sure, you can get Strawberries all year round. However, do those giant berries that have spent forever in transit actually have any flavour? Even if they did, isn’t there something to be said about absence making the heart grow fonder? Making use of local produce seasonally will naturally bring variety to your cooking, and encourage you to use the full range of the Real Food bounty that there is to eat.

Tongue Traveling

Thailand…India…Mexico..Japan…Spain…no, I’m not on an incredibly expensive world tour, folks. I’m still at home in my kitchen…but my tongue sure is on a trip! You don’t even have to eat out to try international cuisine. A little Internet research will provide you will a ton of recipes that diverge from your standard Meat and Potatoes approach. If you live in a big city, you may also have access to ethnic grocery stores where you can source unusual ingredients. Make substitutions where you must, but allow your tastebuds to soar to new places!

 

 

Strange Fruits (and Vegetables)

Ever go to the grocery store, wander through the produce isles and say to yourself…”What the heck is that thing?!” Yes, there are Apples and Sweet Potatoes, but there are also Dragonfruit and Kohlrabi, Durian and Jicama, Longan and Cassava…! Those strange fruits and vegetables aren’t just there for decoration, they’re there for you to expand your horizons! Do a little bit of research and find out how to cook a new ingredient, or grab a different fruit to add to your salad. Don’t be daunted by different.

Swap Recipe Cards

There is a fantastic Paleo and Real Food community online, and everyone has amazingly creative recipes. Make a point to try something from someone else’s recipe box—and let them know how it turned out! Us food bloggers love feedback, and hearing about modifications and tweaks to our recipes often leads to inspiration for new dishes to share.

 

 

Eat The Rainbow

When all else fails, try and eat a Real Food Rainbow. Colourful fruits and vegetables add variety and vitamins to your meals. Plus, who can argue with a colourful and lovely plate of Real Food? Not me!

Alex Boake is the extremely talented mind behind AlexBoake.com. Go check out her illustrations and visit her Spreadshirt Shop, where you can buy this last image as a shirt like we intend to!

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