Archive for the ‘Blog Posts/News’ Category
Oct 10
Wet Noodle Poll
Inquiring minds want to know…
What is your favorite kind of Paleo noodle?
Click here to take the Wet Noodle Poll!
1.Can an Oreo eaten with pleasure be healthier than broccoli eaten with disgust (stress)?
2.How much does stress and lifestyle play into our health?
3.Can we actually have too much of a good thing in the same way that having too much of bad things have adverse affects on our health?
Okay, lets start here and I am sure more questions will pop as up as we are talking. We all know that Oreos are not a health food. They are, however super delicious, especially their creamy filling. I personally like the filling more than the cookie, I definitely fall into that camp. If you know me, you will know that I do not like chocolate, I am that guy. But I LOVE Oreo. I do not think they are made of chocolate, just yummy, crack-like goodness. So can an Oreos be healthy? If I eat one Oreo is that bad for me? Will that have detrimental effects on my health? I would have to say no. I think that me loving Oreos the way I do, and with the pleasure that I get from Oreos, I cannot think that one Oreo will do me harm. Much in the same way, what if I do not like broccoli? (I do, but let’s say for conversation sake that I do not.) Does one piece of broccoli will do me good. Will I get health benefits from one piece of broccoli? I doubt it. I think we can all agree that broccoli is more healthy than Oreos, so why will one piece of broccoli not make me healthier and conversely one Oreo will not do me harm, and may actually be healthy? I think this is because of lifestyle (stress).
Stress plays a large factor in our health. Someone said that health is 80% diet, 10% lifestyle (stress, sleep) and 10% exercise. Now I think that may be a little off (especially if you ask a trainer), but I think we can get a general idea. If stress plays as important (or close) of a role as exercise, then even if you were eating perfectly and working out like you should, you still cannot hit optimal health. And I think we all know that deep down. So how does that relate to broccoli and Oreos? If our goal is 90% health, then you have a 10% room for error in your food category, but only a 1% room for error in your stress category. So what does this mean? My thinking, as long as you are living a happy, exercise filled life you can afford an Oreo, as long as you are not having any stress about it. Once you start to stress about the Oreo and its adverse effects on you, then you probably should not be eating it.
Now, this is not a license to eat Oreos all day as long as you are happy about it. After all, too much of a good thing is still too much. Take water for example. Water is absolutely essential to a healthy lifestyle. You need water, and while you can surely dehydrate, you also can over hydrate. I saw this a lot in basic training. It was summer in Fort Sill, Oklahoma - pretty much the arm pit of the US. While there were a lot of Soldiers dehydrating, there were just as many over hydrating and that is just as bad. Too many “happy Oreos” are just as bad too much sleep, too much exercise, too much water.
So go out, live stress free and have a cookie. In fact, if you ordered food this week, we made cookies! And these are not as bad for you as Oreos!
-Caleb
So, for those that do not know me well you probably didn’t know (or maybe you did) that I work like 80 hours a week. I am what the world likes to call a workaholic. Much to the dismay of Jason, may partner, who by the way is a what I like an “advanced workaholic” meaning he works much smarter than I do. He can get his weekly task list done and still have three days leftover to do whatever he wants to. I have not figured out how to do that, largely because I am unorganized. If it were not for the last minute, I wouldn’t get anything done. I think he has every bit of work to do, but seems to organize it much better thus getting it done faster. Anyway, I digress; Even though I am a workaholic I understand the need for an unwinding time; a stress-free segment of my week. It is my Sabbath. Sunday is that time. Work starts at 8am for the staff and Sunday is the one day I do not work with them until 10-11am. I like to have my woo-saw moment before I see all the clients, I feel it makes for a better interaction. I get up and I leave the house and usually go to Starbucks, there is one about two blocks away (actually there are 2 within a few blocks), its one of the reasons we moved into our house (sad?).
On my two hour hiatus from the world, I get to read, or surf the web or just sit with this blank look on my face. I’m pretty sure some folks are a little weirded out by the blank two-hour stare. My favorite thing to do is read novels, usually John Grisham novels. I think he is brilliant and the books are typically fast moving, which is my style.
Today on the other hand, I brought my computer because I wanted to answer a thought I have had for some time. We started Evolve as a hobby ( I think even a year ago my hobby didn’t even have a name). We started from our house and in the first year it has exploded to what it is today. At the time I worked at a steakhouse and was pretty ok with my job (pay was a little low for J and I, but it worked fine.) We started with the goal of just being able to cook for a few people, to help them see that there is a much better way to eat than what they currently were. Our first clients all came to us with one goal in mind, to lose some weight. It was this goal that made the Paleo diet so attractive to us and our small client lists. Most of the clients in the beginning did not know what the Paleo diet even was. But what they did know is that they were losing weight with the food. It was exciting and fascinating all at the same time. I knew I did really well on it, but it was cool to see before our eyes everyone else’s success.
So I thought this Paleo thing is amazing. We abruptly started demonizing all grains, pulling the reigns on corn and potatoes, instituted prohibition again, and turned up our nose at all things dairy (dairy for good reason, I became lactose intolerant.) We have operated like this, albeit with limited success for a year. The company has grown, we have gotten more followers and everyone seems happy.
*side note, some van just parked in the handicap spot outside of Starbucks, and a woman leaped forth. Pet peeve of mine, if you are not handicapped, don’t park there**
But what if food is more than nutritional, what if food is emotional or communal? What if it is MORE important who we have food with or the mental state at which time we eat than the ACTUAL food we eat. Does it do any good to eat nutritious food if we are in a stressed state? It is better to eat lower nutritious food in a calmer, stress free state or higher nutritious food in frazzled, workaholic, see-how-fast-we-can-live-life state?
The reason this line of questions pops up in this. Jason is a much less stressed person than I am (or if he isn’t, he controls it better.) But he doesn’t gain any weight by eating less than stellar food. Where if I eat less than Paleo, I balloon up like an “I love you” balloon at Valentines Day. We have always blamed it on metabolism, but that may not be true. Because when he has had boards or exams, this will be the only time he gains.
I just read a book by Jim Collins and he said this about questions. Don’t try to come up with all the right answers, just ask the right questions. What if food is is more about our surroundings and less about the nutrition content? Is it better to eat good or get all the required sleep. Should I stay up all night and make my food for all week or go to sleep and grab a Chipotle burrito? Food for thought…
It’s what is on the side that matters.
Who knew we would be in the condiment business?
So as I sit at Starbucks drinking my morning coffee (yes, black coffee is Paleo), I am thinking what can I write about? Last week I wrote about alot of changes happening at Evolve. I wrote about how there are some things that won’t change. I remember back to the old days (1 year ago) when we started Evolve, how we were just making our way through the ins and outs of Paleo cuisine. We have learned SO much this year.
As a chef, my goal is to make delicious food, to push the boundary of what we can do, find new ingredients to do it with and to put together the world’s best Paleo food. One of the things I am most proud of, in this year, is our side items. Did you know we have more side items than every other meal service in KC, and they are ALL Paleo. We have developed the very first (that I know of) Paleo Ranch, Paleo Sour Cream, the first (good) Paleo Ketchup, we have Honey Mustard, Caesar, Mayonnaise, BBQ Sauce, and Avocado dressing.. Also, let’s not forget Paleo Balls and trail mix.
It is crazy to think that in one year we have broke so many molds, we are plowing forward in the hopes of becoming the country’s premier Paleo food company. We love our clients, and are so grateful for everything they have allowed us to do. We are looking forward to many more great years!
If you have not tried any of our dressings or sides, this is a great way to eat Paleo when you’re creating your own meals. Check them out. In addition to our normal pantry items, we will be bottling some BBQ sauce. If you want some, just order ketchup and write in the modification section that you want BBQ sauce.
Have you seen us Change?
Evolve Paleo in Kansas City is constantly changing.
Good Morning. I have had a week. As many of you know, I had surgery last week to remove my appendix. It was super fun. But it has thrown my schedule into a tail spin. Not to mention we are in a constant state of upgrade. I am pretty sure we are running evolve 2.5.3 version. Let me fill you in on a few changes that you may have already noticed, or you will soon notice. Hopefully they are all good!
As you probably noticed we changed up the a la carte section of ordering. I think this is huge step forward. You can now order in less time, get the menu description without toggling back and forth to the menu and see common allergies. I really do love this new system. COMING SOON: You will notice that coming soon the weekly meal plan ordering guide will get this same face-lift. It will take a little time, but Adam at Lifted Logic is doing a great job keeping our up-to-date and looking good.
This last month we did our first Dinner with the Chef. It was a good experience, we had 25 people come out and sample some fresh food, meet our staff, and have a great time. We did a five course dinner with a little NorCal Margaritas. It was a great time. COMING SOON: A new Dinner with the Chef will be announced in the beginning of September. Stay tuned to our Facebook page!
Also in this past month, as you may have noticed we have piked up some steam heading into back-to-school time and have grown quite a bit. This brings great challenges to our little staff. We will always provide the best food at the best prices possible and the best service. After all that is what separates us, and that is why you have chosen to spend your money with us. We will never let you down. As you may have noticed we have brought in more staff to help us with these changes. New staff from delivery drivers, to baggers to pick up personnel. What you may not have noticed is we hired on a new Executive Chef to help me in the kitchen. His name is Tim Melvin, he comes from Delish Catering and Dean and Deluca. He graduated from the California School of Culinary Arts and has over 20 years in the culinary field. We are thrilled to have him on board. When you see these new staff, introduce yourself and welcome them to the Evolve family. We are currently seeking a full-time administrative assistant to add to the family, if you or someone you know is interested, please email me at [email protected]
With all these changes, one thing that has not changed is my absolute drive for perfection in everything we do. Evolve is a company that constantly changes for the better, but there are a few things that are our foundation, our cornerstone that will never change.
1. You are priority. Without you, we do get to do what we love to do.
2. The food we prepare is perfect. We strive to have each dish perfect, every week. So you get a consistent product every time.
3. Our continued desire to learn. Learn about our business, our craft, learn about our customers and your needs.
4. Our commitment to the idea that quality food doesn’t have to cost alot of money. Our ability to be knowledgeable and efficient in everything we do, affords us the opportunity to bring a high quality product at a reasonable price.
These things will not change. I am proud to say these things we have built our company on, and will continue to build upon. Oh yeah, one more thing. THANK YOU!!!
Jun 18
Sugar is Killing Us
Paleo in Kansas City
Why Sugar is Killing Us
Apr 22
Choice beats no choice
Choice in Kansas City
Choices are good. I like choices. This week I ordered food from “the other guy” and I found a few things out. The most astonishing thing I found was the lack of choices. I ordered a 6-day plan. The choices I got was “chicken or no chicken”, “beef or no beef”, “pork or no pork”, and “seafood or no seafood”. After I made those decisions, they said great, your food will be here in 10 days…. that’s it. I don’t know what entrees I am going to get, I hope I like them. I will let you know.
But that got me to thinking, how can I offer more options. After all, I think choices are better, and I think you should know what you are getting. So, after listening to surveys, and working with our web developers we have brought you even more choices! When you order a meal plan, you can now split your soups, salads and desserts up ANY way you like. No more, 1 soup, 5 salads, 2 desserts. Get 8 desserts if you want! Get 4 soups 4 salads. It is your choice! Choices are good.
Apr 17
Paleo Eats in KC
Pork Chops!
Da Da Dang these chops look good. Dodge City Beef has hooked us up with some awesome 1″ thick pork chops! Check them out in Shawnee, and don’t forget to order this week by Thursday! (oh, we also have sh sh short ribs that will be amazing!) Check out Evolveppc.com to place your order.
Apr 10
Dairy Free in KC
Dairy Free In KC
I get this statement alot.
“Caleb, I have to drink milk because it has so much calcium.”
My response is always, no you don’t. You can get all your calcium needs in vegetables. Have you ever looked at just how much calcium is in milk vs vegetables, I have. And here is a handy chart I found to prove you don’t have to drink milk to get calcium.
So how much calcium do you need per day? For an adult it is recommended that everyone over the age of 18 get about 1000mg a day. As you can see, if you are eating your vegetables in their proper portions, you are all set as far as calcium goes.
But, what is the harm of drinking milk?
1. Your body was not designed to drink the milk of another animal. Chances are if you abstain from it and cleanse your body of it, you will realize that you actually are lactose intolerant. (Most people are)
2. There are casins in milk that your body cannot break down.
So lets recap… you don’t need it, it probably doesn’t like you, and it contains things you cannot digest. It truly DOESN’T do a body good.
Paleo in Kansas City
Good morning. Happy Tuesday, I hope everyone is enjoying their food this week. It is a warm and humid day, they think, and I think (because I believe I can predict weather just as well) that we could have a little weather up in Kansas City this evening.
I wanted to draw your attention to the menu this week. If you have never had Paleo Pot Roast, I encourage you to try some this week. It is pretty much my favorite Paleo meal. It is slow…and I mean sloooowww braised grass fed beef. Think your great grandmothers crock pot (now that is slow). We slow braise some roast, where it is so tender, you practically need a spoon to eat it. Then, and that is not the best part, then when it is almost done we add it carrots, rutabagas, celery, mushrooms and onions. We take the beef out and instead of boring gravy, we puree the vegetables to the most magnificent sauce you have ever tasted. After the pot roast is done we pair it with sweet potato casserole with a pecan topping. Gurl….you havn’t had pot roast like this before…
Also, don’t forget about our t-shirt competition. You can win free Paleo for a week and get a free t-shirt! This is much easier than running a 10k for a shirt. So put your creative energy to work…
