One of the most popular things to do on Valentine’s day is go out for a romantic dinner.
But going out to dinner might not be the best option if you are trying to live a healthy paleo life. After all, dinner is expensive and restaurants are crowded, But more than anything, your options to eat healthily are limited at best, leaving you with two choices, either you compromise your paleo journey or you can find paleo-friendly foods on the menu (which usually means you will be eating a plain salad, no dressing and a plain sweet potato).
Thankfully you can avoid these stresses by choosing to eat at home. Not only will you be able to have control over your menu but even the most expensive meal is cheaper when served at home. While it may take a bit more time to pull a romantic home-cooked dinner together, you can easily break everything up so that you don’t get overwhelmed. For example, you can do your menu planning a week before valentine’s and do your grocery shopping a few days before.
Meal prep can be done early too. Mixing ingredients, making dressings, and creating batters can all be done and refrigerated the day before the holiday, leaving you more time to focus on the romance of Valentine’s day. You can also set aside ingredients, marinate meats, and get your kitchen ready to prepare meals the day before Valentine’s.
As for the menu, consider thinking about the foods that you would be eating at your favorite restaurant. You will likely have the option of an appetizer, salad, main course, and dessert. If you are having trouble deciding what you would make for each of these courses, consider thinking about what you would be eating at your favorite restaurant and making paleo-friendly versions of that.
Sample ideas for the your meal include:
Appetizers:
- Chicken Wings
- Bacon wrapped shrimp
- Crustless quiches (baked in a cupcake pan)
- Avocado dip
- Grilled vegetable skewers
Salads
- Cucumber tomato and avocado salad
- Cranberry and pecan spinach salad
- Bacon and broccoli salad
- Cobb salad with paleo dressing
Sample Main Course Ideas
- Steak
- Honey chicken
- Baked Salmon
- Stir fry with cauliflower rice
- Sauteed chicken and vegetables
- Sample Sides
- Roasted asparagus
- Roasted apples
- Roasted squash
- Baked sweet potato
Of course, sometimes the most enjoyable way to spend Valentine’s day is to spend a quiet evening at home with the kids. If that is the case, you may want to consider making a kid-friendly dinner that the whole family can enjoy. For example, you could have a paleo pizza party where each child can create their own pizza toppings.
These are just a few simple ways to make your Valentine’s day dinner as romantic and enjoyable as possible. The great thing about being paleo is that there is no limit to the foods that you can create.
