I find myself less and less preaching a paleo-ONLY gospel these days. Truth is, there are a lot of healthy people* operating well on vegan, vegetarian, paleo, dairy-free, pegan, AIP, and Mediterranean diets. This  is why I ended up calling this blog, and my business, The Clean Plate. There are many roads to health, and they all traverse a very VERY similar path. Just check out this post for a little more info.

*I will note my observation that women tend to suffer more adverse health consequences on a completely vegan diet, but generally there’s much more gray area in the “healthy diet” world than we tend to believe. 

I would admonish everyone to really pay attention to cravings, appetite, digestion, activity level and athletic performance to figure out what kinds of foods your body loves (which isn’t necessarily the same thing as what your mind loves. Example: I would LOVE a hot fudge sundae! vs. My body would love a raw cacao superfood drink!)

Here’s one for the meat-less friends among us. You, of course, could add some chopped chicken or bacon (i got you).

It may be fall, but that doesn’t mean salads are off the table. This recipe is a fantastic combination of summer fruit and autumn roots. Just make sure you’re roasting the roots on a cool day!

Beet and Butternut Quinoa Salad

3 medium beets, peeled and cubed small
2 c. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed small
3 c. cooked quinoa
2 green onion tops, sliced thinly
1/4 c. parsley, chopped
1/4 c. goat cheese (optional)
1/4 c. pumpkin seeds (optional)
1/4 – 1/2 c. onion fig chutney (SEE BELOW AND MAKE FIRST!)
olive oil for baking
salt and pepper to taste

2 c. arugula or spinach

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Toss beets and butternut in a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Lay flat on a cookie sheet and bake for 20-30 mins until tender.
3. Toss quinoa with roasted veggies, chutney, parsley, green onion.
4. Top a handful of greens with a generous scoop of quinoa salad. Garnish with goat cheese and parsley sprig.

Onion Fig Chutney (MAKE FIRST!)

4-5 c. fresh (or frozen) figs, stems removed and diced small
1/2 red onion, diced small
drizzle of honey
drizzle of balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sea salt

1. Add all ingredients to a small saucepan and heat over low and simmer while stirring occasionally until gooey.