Shabbos is Difficult

For a Paleo-eater, Shabbos is difficult. Not impossible, but difficult.

First off, to properly observe Shabbos, I cannot be 100% paleo. So, it becomes a matter of minimizing the problem foods.

Kiddush Friday night: The wine I make kiddush on is a semi-dry wine. It does contain some fruit sugars, but still this has to be minimized. For Hamotzie, I try to take a minimum amount of challah. I should probably investigate what the minimum is, but for now, it is half a slice. I will admit that I ate some things I should probably leave alone. It was my son and daughter-in-law's first wedding anniversary, and my wife make lots of food. The shepard's pie had a potato topping (which I only had some of), and the baked turkey wings had some rice.

I did not DID NOT eat any of the cake, gefilte fish, etc.

Shabbos day: At shul, we had a kiddush sponsored by one person who had a yartzeit and in honor of another who had an aufruf. {The kiddushes at our shul are more than just a grab-a-nosh, there is a fair amount of food, and the talks go for a while. While shul ended at 12:15, the kiddush doesn't end until 1 pm (or sometimes later). So we don't get home until nearly 2 pm} After the Rabbi makes kiddush, I'l have just barely enough of the crackers to make it a makom seudah, a couple of raisins (for the brachah ha'eitz), some carrots (for ha'adamah), and seltzer water ( I used to drink the diet coke, but now that my doctor doesn't want me to have caffeine, pretty much all I'm left with is seltzer). Then I'll have some of the fish. Now, I know that store bought whitefish salad had sugar in it, but I didn't have too much.

At home it's pretty much a repeat of Friday night. Kiddush and Hamotzei. But, then I have some home made bean soup. It's a mixture of kidney and pinto beans, black eyed peas, chick peas, small lima beans, lentils, quinoa, and barley with garlic and cayenne pepper spices. I start it up erev Shabbos in a crock pot, and by the time the daytime meal comes around, it it perfectly cooked.

So, in all, I think with some adjustments, the paleo-lifestyle can be compatible with the Shabbos lifestyle.