With the growing awareness of healthy eating habits, people planning important life events like weddings and housewarmings are choosing to incorporate health-conscious practices by opting for creative paleo-friendly wedding menu ideas that blend scrumptious meals and nutrition, with such menus quickly becoming the next big trend.
A paleo diet, also known as the caveman diet, consists of food habits that focus on eating food items that mimic foods that our ancestors ate in the Paleolithic age. Since most of the people consumed food that was hunted and gathered during that time, the diet consists of whole and unprocessed foods that are nutrient-dense.
For couples who enjoy the paleo diet and want to add a touch of their personal values and lifestyle to their wedding menu, picking items off of the caveman’s diet might be a fun thing to do on their special day.
In today’s article, we’re going to explore some paleo-friendly wedding menu ideas to make your wedding day as special as your commitment to your health.
Why Choose Paleo-Friendly Wedding Menu Ideas?
Here are some of the benefits of choosing a paleo-friendly diet for your wedding menu:
It Reduces Inflammation
Paleo-friendly diets are rich in antioxidants and healthy fats, which help reduce inflammation in the body and keep you healthy.
It Helps Regulate Blood-Sugar Levels
The focus of the paleo diet is on avoiding processed foods that are often high in refined sugar, which can help people following this diet to regulate their blood sugar levels and even reduce the symptoms of diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure.
It Makes Your Gut Healthy
Dairy isn’t part of this diet. Less contact with dairy and processed foods of all kinds helps heal your gut and leads to fewer digestive problems as well as an improved immune system.
It Aids Your Weight Loss Journey
A high-protein diet that’s rich in whole foods is great for people looking for weight loss solutions, and the paleo diet makes it possible by cutting back on processed foods and carbohydrates.
Paleo-Friendly Wedding Appetizers
To start your wedding menu curation, you need to find some perfect paleo-friendly appetizers. Here are some paleo-friendly wedding menu ideas that you may enjoy adding to your special day:
Avocado Dip With Veggie Platter
Fresh vegetables are the heart and soul of a paleo diet, so having a delicious veggie platter with a variety of vegetables cooked in healthy fats like olive oil can be a fun way to add variety to the wedding menu, while the avocado dip or guacamole can be an interesting way to enjoy the vegetables while maintaining the paleo flavors.
Pizza Soup
Paleo soups are a fun way to add flavors to your paleo menu. Paleo diets focus on adding more whole foods to the dishes while avoiding carbohydrates, so what if you could enjoy the scrumptious taste of pizza without the pizza base? The paleo-inspired pizza soup is a perfect example of it. Just throw in your favorite pizza toppings, be it vegetables or meat, with marinara sauce and broth for a rich and warm soup that’s got the best of both worlds for a unique paleo-friendly wedding appetizer.
Shrimp Lettuce Cups
Seafood is an important part of a paleo diet, and adding shrimp lettuce cups to your wedding menu can bring together a satisfying combination of both seafood and green vegetables for the diet at hand. In fact, if you’re planning a wedding in the aquaculture-rich states of Florida, Maine, or California, especially any venues in San Diego, known for its famous El Pescador Fish Market, you may want to consider ordering locally sourced shrimp and other seafood to complement your paleo wedding menu.
Paleo-Friendly Wedding Main Course
Your main course is the heart of your wedding menu. So, here are three paleo-friendly recipes that you can add to your wedding menu:
Baked Fresh Rainbow Trout
Baked fresh rainbow trout is a haven for paleo lovers. This high-protein dish is extremely filling, making it a perfect addition to your paleo-friendly wedding menu ideas. The best part about this main course option, apart from the fresh fish, is the use of spices and herbs such as dill and thyme, along with healthy fats such as olive oil that make the dish such a perfect fit for a paleo-friendly wedding.
Roasted Chicken or Pork Loin
Roasted chicken and pork loin are some of the best dishes that you can serve at a wedding. Since most people eat some kind of meat, a simple roasted lean meat option can be filling and completely easier to make, keeping the paleo diet in mind. Remember to season the lean meat well, and use celery to stuff it to add a touch of green to the meat. You can also serve baked asparagus on the side to complete the meal.
Spring Cobb Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Salad is a perfect option for a main course as long as it’s filling in nature, and a spring cobb salad with raspberry vinaigrette is a perfect match for couples looking for paleo-friendly main courses for their wedding menu. To create a cobb salad, mix your lean meats, eggs, lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, and avocados together. Then top it off with a refreshing raspberry vinaigrette for a medley of flavors.
Paleo-Friendly Side Dishes
You can’t enjoy a wedding meal without some unique side dishes, especially when they’re part of your paleo-friendly wedding menu ideas. Here are three things that you can add to your wedding menu:
Pan Fried Brussels Sprouts
A side of pan-fried brussels sprouts can add a touch of greenery to your paleo-friendly wedding menu and can go well with almost all the main dishes. Just remember to use fresh garlic cloves and simple seasonings like salt and pepper while cooking the brussels sprouts to let the flavor shine. Follow it up with a squeeze of lemon for a refreshing touch of Vitamin C.
Balsamic Grilled Zucchinis
You can’t go wrong with barbecued vegetables, especially when it comes to balsamic grilled zucchinis. Just choose some fresh zucchinis and grill them well with seasonings of your choice. Afterwards, drizzle a mix of honey balsamic vinegar on top with some olive oil and fresh herbs for a refreshing side dish that can be enjoyed by your guests.
Crab Ceviche
Crab ceviche is a classy side dish that can make your paleo-friendly wedding menu worth your special day. The recipe uses a combination of flaked imitation crabmeat, tomatoes, serrano peppers, onions, and seasonings for a spicy delicacy. The flavor is enhanced with the use of fresh limes and cilantro.
Paleo-Friendly Wedding Desserts
A wedding menu is incomplete without something sweet, so here are a few dessert options that you can add to your paleo-friendly wedding menu ideas:
Pumpkin Bars
Paleo-friendly pumpkin bars are a unique twist on the traditional pumpkin pie and can be enjoyed by both paleo and non-paleo lovers. The recipe asks for gluten-free products, fresh pumpkin puree, coconut oil, coconut sugar, and a pinch of salt. You can even switch the coconut sugar with maple syrup for added sweetness, while the vanilla essence can provide a touch of flavor to the dessert.
Paleo Chocolate Pudding
If you think a nondairy chocolate pudding is impossible to make, think again. You can have your own version of paleo-friendly chocolate pudding with just a few ingredients. Moreover, chocolate pudding can be a classic dessert for a paleo-friendly wedding menu that helps you savor your health on your special day. Just combine fresh coconut milk with gelatin, unsweetened cocoa powder, honey or maple syrup, vanilla extract, and dark chocolate shaving for your own version of paleo-friendly chocolate jell-o substitute that’s healthy and delicious.
Mango Sago
Mango sago is a famous cantonese dessert that combines creamy coconut pearl tapioca pudding with fresh and sweet mango chunks, is chilled for a few hours, and served with fresh coconut savings, or even a mix of different berries and kosher salt. The mango sago is a refreshing, simple, paleo-friendly dessert option that you can add to your wedding menu for a delightful end to your special day.
Final Thoughts
Adding paleo-friendly dishes to your wedding menu can be a fun way to savor your health on your special day. While there are immense benefits to the paleo-friendly diet, when cooked properly, it can also be extremely delicious. Whether you’re thinking of the main course options, some scrumptious appetizers, or even caveman dessert options, this simple guide of paleo-friendly wedding menu ideas has something for everyone.
Feel free to experiment with and pick unique dishes that match you and your partner’s personal preferences, and have a delicious wedding day!
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