For Portland-based blogger Kelly Bejelly of A Girl Worth Saving, the paleo diet was love at first bite.

"Portland has such a vibrant real food community that it's a breeze to follow the Paleo lifestyle here," shares Bejelly. "I've found so many like-minded souls that have found the path to vibrant health through this this diet." 

After 6 months of eliminating gluten, grains, processed foods, and dairy (and prioritizing quality meats, veggies, and good fats) her health issues were under control for the first time in her life and she'd lost sixty-five pounds, so it was a no-brainer that she chose stay on the paleo bandwagon...only to get bored, fast.

Like any food blogger worth her stripes, Bejelly set out to recreate her favorite foods with Paleo-friendly ingredients and compiled them into her new cookbook, Paleo Eats: 111 Comforting Gluten-Free, Grain-Free and Dairy-Free Recipes for the Foodie in You, out January 6 from Victory Belt Publishing ($23.58, 304 pages).

Inside the book, hungry paleo devotees and skeptics alike will find paleo-on-a-budget tips, staples for the paleo pantry, and new recipes for breakfast, lunch dinner, drinks, and dessert. Think sweet potato biscuits, Southern fried chicken, chicken enchiladas, cherry toaster pastries, clam chowder, hamburgers (with real buns!), caramel apple cinnamon rolls, carrot cake, chocolate chip cookies, and one thing many clean-eating veterans miss dearly: breakfast cereal. 

Kelly Bejelly's Coconut Cinnamon Cereal from Paleo Eats
Makes 6 servings

• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• ½ cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 large egg
• ½ teaspoon melted coconut oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the coconut shreds and sunflower seeds in a food processor and grind for 30 seconds. Add the cinnamon, salt, maple syrup, egg, and coconut oil and pulse until combined, about 2 minutes. Scoop the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Cover with a second piece of parchment paper and with a rolling pin, roll to ¼-inch thick. Remove and discard the top piece of parchment paper. With a wet knife, score the dough into 1-inch squares. Place in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let sit on the pan for 15 minutes to allow it to crisp up. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Want a copy of the new cookbook? We're giving away one big book (valued at $23.58) to a lucky reader. To enter to win, simply sign up for updates from our new health and wellness blog, The Balance by January 1. Contest is now closed.