A typical day for our family starts with an egg scramble with coconut oil, lots of veggies and usually another protien source, meat, quinoa, rice or beans. (We aren't "true" paleo, we are really more wheat/dairy free) we usually drink almond milk with our meal. At snack we make a smoothie with a variety of frozen fruits, a couple scoops of a plant based protien powder and coconut yogurt. We use a vitamix and often throw an apple in, or a handful of spinach, which I wouldn't recommend in a regular blender. For lunch we like chiken salad most often wrapped in lettuce, or occasionally in those coconut flour wraps. I like to add a piece of fruit on the side, and my husband usually adds something carby like sweet potatoes or carrot, as he works out a lot more than the rest of us. At dinner I love roasted chicken and veggies, or zucchini noodles with meat sauce. For a general snack throughout the day we love our trail mix, with all the dried fruits and raw nuts we can find at costco, and beef jerky cut into bite size pieces.
I can see how people would see paleo as super restrictive, which is one of the reasons we don't follow it strictly. Plus, I am not fond of "fad" diets. Like you, we want to be healthier, and move away from processed foods, and for us, live with food allergies. This works the best for us, right now. I hope you can find a diet that meets your dietary needs and is still fun for you! I have really enjoyed learning to cooknew foods and finding recipes my wholefamily can enjoy!
I would say that my husband, who does personal training, does often find it difficult to get all the calories he needs, which does result in sports bars that he consumes in addition to our diet. I am always surprised by just how much food he truly needs!
