4 paleo-friendly comfort food ideas

Eating on the Paleo diet is a great way to lead a healthy lifestyle, however, the diet's parameters exclude many popular comfort food options. Thankfully there are many comfort foods that are also Paleo-friendly. For some of the best Paleo-friendly comfort food ideas, check out these recipes.

You might think of milkshakes as something loaded with sugar and candy, but it's simple to make a sweet milkshake treat that doesn't ruin your diet.

To make a paleo milkshake:

1. Combine a cup of coconut milk, a quarter cup of almond butter, 8 dates, 1 tablespoon (14.7 mL) of vanilla extract and 2 cups (473.2 mL) of ice in a blender.
2. Blend this until smooth, and voila. A sweet, nutty milkshake.

You can also add Stevia if you want something a little sweeter.

Who doesn't love a good roast chicken when it's cold outside? Roasting a chicken is a great way to make something comforting while still being Paleo-friendly.

To roast a delicious chicken:

1. Stuff it with a lemon cut in half (put both halves in), a handful of fresh thyme, and a whole clove of garlic cut in half.
2. In the roasting pan, include a chopped up onion and three chopped up carrots placed around the chicken.
3. Roast the chicken for about 10 minutes per kilogram at 374 F (190 C), then carve and enjoy.

Make a Paleo-friendly beef stir-fry to warm you up this winter by simply combining some beef, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms.

To make the stir-fry:

1. Chop up two sweet potatoes and roast them in olive oil in an oven at 374 F (190 C) for about 30 minutes.
2. Chop an onion and saute them in olive oil until almost clear. Add an .84 cup (200 mL) package of mushrooms to the pan, then allow them to cook until soft.
3. Cut up a piece of steak that's about 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms) and add it to the skillet to start cooking it.
4. Once the sweet potatoes are done, add them to the same pan, then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.

This is a hearty recipe that can make a whole meal out of one dish.

You may miss the creamy richness of mashed potatoes, but you can recreate it using cauliflower.

1. Chop and steam a head of cauliflower until soft.
2. Combine in a blender with a 1/2 cup (118.3 mL) of Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon (14.7 mL) of minced garlic, half of a chicken bullion cube, and 2 tablespoons (29.5 mL) of cream cheese.
3. Blend this mixture until it resembles mashed potatoes, then add salt and pepper and serve.

Eating on a restrictive diet doesn't mean you have to give up all your favourite foods. Find healthy alternatives and you will forget you are even on a diet.