Product Review: Autoimmune Protocol Meals from Paleo on the Go

Paleo on the Go delivers pre-packaged Paleo meals (vacuum-sealed in food-grade BPA-free plastic) that are prepared in a dedicated gluten-free kitchen, arrive frozen, and are good in the freezer for up to six months. Each package has its own thawing and reheating instructions and the ingredients are listed not only on the package but also on their website, so you know what you’re in for before you order. Not only do they offer a huge selection of entrees, sides, staples, and desserts, but they have the only 100% The Paleo Approach-Approved autoimmune protocol menu! I was recently given the opportunity to try some of their meals, and with the holidays coming up and flu season well under way, I could not have been happier to have someone else do some of the cooking!

Soups are a wonderful comfort food, especially as we’re heading into colder weather here in Texas. They’re one of my favorite breakfast foods this time of year because they are so easy to reheat from frozen and you can get all your protein and veggies in for the meal in one dish. So, as something of an AIP soup fanatic, I was looking forward to trying Paleo on the Go‘s White Chicken Chili with Cilantro and Lime and Baked Potato Soup. The chili (left) combines savory ground chicken, earthy cilantro, just a hint of lime, mild seasonings of garlic and salt, and onion, celery, zucchini, and white-fleshed sweet potato for a stew that is not only nutritious and hearty, but surprisingly flavorful. I filled up on the soup alone, but it would pair very well with a simple side salad for a larger meal. The Baked Potato Soup (right), consisting of white-fleshed sweet potatoes, coconut milk, bacon, green onions, and chicken stock, is thick and creamy, like grits. The dominant flavor is a little acidic, a bit like vinegar, with the chunky potatoes adding just a little bit of texture. Between the two, I definitely preferred the chili, but I think the Baked Potato Soup would pair well with any mild-flavored meat like whitefish or chicken.

If you like Sarah’s Bacon-Apple Chicken Burgers with Maple-Cranberry Sauce (which are also available from Paleo on the Go), their Duck Confit with Sour Cherry Compote will be right up your alley. It pairs juicy poultry with a tart, barely maple-sweetened sauce and both looks and sounds refined… but is actually a very rustic dish you will probably wind up eating with your hands. There is a lot of meat on these duck legs (seasoned with garlic, thyme, onion, and salt) and the sauce features reconstituted dried cherries and just a teeny bit of balsamic vinegar. For the soups, I followed their out-of-vacuum pouch instructions and thawed them in the fridge before heating in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish. This time, I followed the in-pouch instructions and cooked the frozen duck legs in their sealed pouch in a simmering pot of water. The convenience of going from frozen to piping-hot in about 15 minutes was very welcome after a busy day! Each pouch is supposed to be a single serving, but since there were two duck legs enclosed, I shared one with my fiancee alongside some basmati rice and steamed vegetables. He went slack-jawed and moon-eyed at the first bite of the crispy-skinned, tender-fleshed duck and wouldn’t even touch the cherry sauce because he insisted the meat didn’t need it. I on the other hand thought the skin was just a little too crispy (underneath the sauce, it was entirely blackened) and found that the sweet-and-tart notes of the sauce really helped take the edge off. But while the skin and thin layer of meat immediately surrounding it were dry and chewy, the meat inside was perfect. We both love duck and don’t often have occasion to eat it, so sitting down to this quick-and-easy meal in the middle of the week sure felt like an extravagant treat.

The Chicken Pot Pie is by far the star for novelty alone. Yep, it’s a 100% AIP chicken pot pie. Now, I have to confess that I’ve never actually had chicken pot pie before. I was a picky eater as a kid and good luck getting me to go near a pie that wasn’t sweet. But Paleo on the Go’s absolutely delivered the creamy, comforting chicken-and-vegetable mix I was expecting. The crust, made from cassava flour, is a beautiful golden-brown and a little on the soft side, more gooey than flaky. Is that a deal-breaker? Not at all! I’m just happy to be eating something so delicious that 1) is AIP and 2) I didn’t have to make myself! I shared this one with my husband and he wolfed it down as happily as I did. Since he doesn’t eat strictly Paleo, that is always a great bonus–food that is delicious and satisfying enough that he won’t feel compelled to make himself a sandwich instead!

If not having to cook is a nice reprieve, not having to cook without settling for a mediocre meal or a meal that might include ingredients you should be avoiding is beyond incredible. As a seasoned AIP-er who loves to eat but doesn’t always love cooking, my thanks to Paleo on the Go for providing us with some delicious and still-healthy alternatives!!!

NEW for New Year’s

Sarah has also partnered with Paleo on the Go to launch a new 30-Day Meal Plan Challenge!  If trying out the autoimmune protocol is one of your New Year’s resolutions, then this is an amazing option!  How it works:  choose whether you want Paleo on the Go to provide you with one meal a day or two meals a day and purchase that package.  Then download the corresponding meal plan (either with you cooking 2 meals a day because Paleo on the Go is providing 1, or with you cooking 1 meal a day because Paleo on the Go is providing 2).  The meal plan includes links to recipes, notes on which meals are leftover meals, and suggestions for adding steamed veggies or salads to your Paleo on the Go meals where appropriate.  Each plan is for one person, so if you’re looking to feed two people, you’ll need to double everything (both the recipes you cook and you’ll need to buy two packages from Paleo on the Go).

Want to make a 30-Day AIP Meal Plan Challenge even easier?  Every recipe used in the Paleo on the Go meal plan is also available as part of ThePaleoMom Recipe Add-On package with Real Plans!  Simply input your meal plan into Real Plans (keeping meals that Paleo on the Go is providing blank) and you’ll get your interactive shopping list for the week too!  This is also a great way to swap out any recipes for ones you’d prefer or easily rejig the Meal Plan Challenge to feed a family.  Read more about the AIP meal planning option with Real Plans HERE.