Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies

So life calls for cookies sometimes. No, cavemen did not eat cookies. I'm tired of that retort. Everyone and their mom wants to tell me why the paleo diet is unrealistic. Well, I'm not interested. You know what I am interested in? Eating better stuff than I used to. And yes, I know I ended that sentence with a preposition. Don't care. I eat a "paleo diet" because I've found that processed foods are making us sick. My whole family is sick in some way, and they all eat processed foods. I hope they can change with me so that we all live longer.

I used to be fat. Yeah, that's awkward to talk about. I wouldn't go as far as to say I'm skinny now, but I weigh less than when I went to college, so that's a start. I've had problems with binge eating, but I'm not looking for a pity party because I think most Americans have a problem with binge eating. Commercials encourage it, restaurants encourage it, friends encourage it.... binging is everywhere. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't binged in the last few months. On NON paleo stuff. Processed food. Ew. You know what? It doesn't taste that good. I want it to, but it really just has the aftertaste of chemicals and shame. You eat it mindlessly, but then it lingers on your mind afterwards. Bingers try to hide their habits. But the pounds bingers pack on are a public announcement "I'm not eating what I should be." It's just a harsh truth. And it was for me. I'm trying to heal, but it takes time.

This was me and my fiance on a trip to Las Vegas in 2011, we were both at our highest weights.

The picture below is of us in Portland in July 2012, the week we got engaged. Ian lost 80 pounds, and I lost 65. We didn't lose all the weight eating Paleo, but we have maintained our weight loss by switching to this lifestyle and way of eating. 

If you've read my last few posts, you might know that I love instagram (follow me at paleokatybird). I love people who post often because it shows a glimpse into their everyday life. I follow people that inspire me, and similarly I try to post things that are encouraging. I love to follow cookpigs because I love pastured pork, and she takes pictures of her pigs and piglets, and it makes me want to throw caution into the wind and start a pig farm. I love to follow paleoparents because they are real people. They eat paleo most of the time, but aren't afraid to say they don't follow the diet 100%. I love their "Fattest People in Paleo" manifesto. Recently someone sent a hateful email to the couple because they posted a picture of their family at Five Guys. Really? People need to get a life. By the way, if I were going to eat a fast food burger, it would be at Five Guys. It's delicious. I wouldn't eat the bun, and I'd probably leave off the processed cheese. I'd skip the ketchup (which is just red corn syrup), and I'd ask for extra lettuce and pile it with all the veggies I could. I'd eat the fries, because they do them the right way. But I digress....

The point is, that if you are going to venture down the paleo road, don't force yourself to be a perfectionist. I know that when I restrict myself too much, I just set myself up for a binge attack. So sometimes life calls for cookies. This recipe makes a small batch, and the mashed banana gives it most of its sweetness. I used an inexpensive almond meal from Trader Joe's, as well as their almond butter, but I'm sure more expensive brands would work as well. When you stop baking with wheat products and switch to nut based products, you will find that you have a little more wiggle room. You also realize that it is more expensive to bake without white flour and white sugar, but I believe that you get what you pay for, especially with food. I used liquid coconut nectar in this recipe, but if you don't have it, you could substitute another natural liquid sweetener, like honey or maple syrup. I do like how the coconut nectar tastes a little like butterscotch. :) These cookies will be soft and chewy.

Ingredients:

1/2 a banana, mashed
4 tablespoons unsweetened almond butter (I used Trader Joe's)
4 tablespoons almond meal (again, I used Trader Joe's)
2 Tablespoons Coconut Nectar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of sea salt
1/4 cup of Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips (dairy and soy free)

• Preheat the oven to 350.
• Mix all ingredients together - pretty simple, right?
• It will be sticky, but scoop out the batter in rounded tablespoons onto a lined cookie sheet. You can line it with parchment paper, or a Silpat, like I did. (Thanks mom for the silpat!)
• Bake for 17 minutes, then cool for as long as you can stand it before enjoying. Makes 12 cookies. 

By the way, I don't make any money from the links I put in, nor am I associated with them. I just put them in in case you are wondering what those things are. I'm not a very sophisticated blogger yet, but I might get there, and if I do ever partner with companies or anything, I'll let you know. :)