Paleo Treats FAQ


Holy smokes you guys have a lot of questions!  They seem to center around the following things:

THE TREATS

How long do these last?

Paleo Treats® last 10 days at room temp, 60 days in the fridge, and and 6+ months in the freezer. Hell, once you freeze anything it's in suspended animation, so you could probably freeze these, rocket 'em out into space on a boomerang track and pick 'em up in a few thousand years with no more harm done than some freezer burn, but we're getting off topic.

How should I eat them?

We LOVE Paleo Treats about a minute out of the freezer; they have the best mouth feel and taste then. Some people like to (shudder) microwave them. Since they're mostly fat and not water they don't freeze hard enough to crack your teeth unless you pull 'em off dry ice and crush down with the pressure of a pissed off Alsatian. If you do that, you're an idiot and there's not much we can do for you.

OK, what's in 'em?

Whew, finally an easy question; click here for our ingredient list.

The box says PROTECT FROM HEAT but the delivery guy left them in full sun outside my house in Vegas in August and they melted, are they still OK to eat?

Yes. They will not look like perfect little Oreo cookies (which can withstand damn near anything and still look the same), but that's life without preservatives and stabilizers. Get 'em right side up, pop 'em in the freezer overnight and try a bite just after breakfast. If you don't like 'em, remember, we've got a 100% satisfaction guarantee. 

It is likely that if we packed them dry ice and a gel pack that the dry ice will be gone and the gel pack will be at or close to room temp.  That is totally normal; they did their job keeping your Treats cold for most of the transit time.  As soon as you receive your Treats, put 'em in the freezer and let them chill out.  Trust me, they're fine.

If you don't like what you bought, call me (Nik 619-795-2203) and we'll either re-ship them or refund your money. Life's too short for pissed off customers and we aim to keep you stoked.  Making Paleo Treats awesome is our job, enjoying the heck out of 'em is yours.  Make it so, Paleo warriors.

Why are they so expensive?

Actually, they're not.  The short explanation is that we use fine ingredients, we don't take shortcuts, and we care about our workers.  The longer version:  Almond flour is $4.97 a pound and wheat flour hovers around $.29/lb.  I'll do the math for you, that's a 1700% increase, so really, our cookies should cost closer to $30/cookie (I didn't do the math on the per cookie price, but trust me, you're getting a smokin' hot deal.)  

We understand that for the most part people have no clue what goes into making fine things and think that everything in a wrapper should cost less than a Starbucks coffee.  That works well when you're buying cheap stuff, but not when you're getting high quality stabilizer and preservative-free food shipped to you.  As my buddy Franny says, "That's just the way the ball bounces."

Once the war for water starts, prices will adjust real quick and you'll stop worrying about where you get Paleo cookies and start wondering why you never learned how to shoot off-hand, but until then, enjoy these fine morsels while they're cheap and easy to get.  

Are they really gluten free?

Yes. While we share our facility with products that are NOT gluten free, there is a very strict process to avoid cross contamination.  In over a decade in business, we have had zero incidences of any gluten issues reported by customers.  

My boyfriend/girlfriend/best friend/Mom/etc is Celiac, can they eat these?

We have had hundreds (if not thousands) of Celiac customers enjoy Paleo Treats over the years.  

What is your policy on animal products in your Treats?

Paleo Treats is committed to animal welfare in our products. All of our animal product ingredients bear animal welfare certifications approved by the the ASPCA's Shop With Your Heart program.

THE PALEO DIET

Oh come on!  Haven't you scoured the internet yet?  OK, I've been told the average internet user has the attention span of a flea and the free time of a Chicago exchange buyer on a high volume day, so here you go:  

Paleo eating is based on the idea that we evolved for over 2.5 million years to eat a certain way (meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds) and it’s only in the last 10,000 years that we’ve started eating processed and cultivated food (wheat, corn, gluten, sugar, and the wide assortment of chemicals in most supermarket food aisles.)

Modern Paleo is a diet of ingredients vs a diet of proportions, so there’s a lot of freedom to blend and mix many different foods that cavemen normally wouldn’t have had sustained and/or combined access to (i.e. eating almonds, which are harvested only in the fall with cacao which is harvested year-round) not to mention geographical constraints such as different foods growing in different climates.

Truly strict Paleo eaters hunt and gather their own food, and we dig that. At certain times of year we go out and enjoy practicing those skills in the mountains and on the sea. However, we also live in modern times with computers and cars and rifles and we really dig enjoying modern conveniences like balanced weight bars and bumper plates, so for Paleo Treats® stuff we go with Modern Paleo rules.

Are your Treats really “Paleo”?

Yes and no. Cavemen didn’t have access to ovens (we bake our Mac Attacks instead of putting them on hot rocks) and they didn’t pound out cacao beans and then mix ‘em with cacao butter and nuts and honey, so in the purist’s sense, no, they’re not Paleo.

In the sense of Paleo as a diet of ingredients then yes, they are Paleo.  If a caveman or woman could have found and eaten an ingredient more than 10,000 years ago, then it’s Paleo. You can find quite a few internet Einsteins who will debate this endlessly, but that’s our take on it.

What about all the (insert “fat” or “carbs” etc) in your Treats? That CAN’T be Paleo!

If you start with the idea that these are cookies, not meals (Pete's Paleo makes great meals) or snacks (PaleoKits make great snacks) the idea of having a Paleo dessert that's actually dessert and not a health-food fakeout makes sense.

Paleo Treats® are designed for modern Paleo people who want something sweet but don’t want to spoon up a cup of coconut sugar or wolf down a pack of Nutter-Butters and feel like crap the next day because of all the processed ingredients, excess sugar, and/or artificial garbage that’s in those products.

Well, what about the cookies? I mean, they seem really expensive!

Part of the Paleo diet is eating the cleanest ingredients you can find, not the factory farmed processed and cheap plastic fake-a-zoid "food" that you can get in any chain grocery store. As a company, we think it’s important to provide the highest quality ingredients possible at a reasonable price point (um, no, we don't buy goji berries harvested by Himalayan monks on the 3rd moon of every alternate year of the Tiger).  

All our ingredients are natural and most of them are certified organic, and that quality costs more to make. Each cookie is hand poured or formed, we don’t have a huge processing plant cranking out 400,000 cookies an hour, and we pay our workers more than sweatshop wages.

All that translates into a cookie that costs more than a Chip’s Ahoy, but if that’s what you want then eat the hell out of ‘em and don’t look in the mirror when you get out of the shower!  

Are Paleo Treats® bird friendly/shade grown/organic/free range/grass fed/fair trade/GMO free and cuddled by puppies & kittens?

No, don't be an idiot, who would want cookies cuddled by puppies and kittens?  Wait, I've actually seen that video and the product is (was) pretty good.  What about the rest of it? 

The short version is:  We have two main things we care about.  First, all of our ingredients are gluten free.  We used to hold a Gluten Free certification, but it stopped making sense to pay for a certification when nothing we use has gluten in it. 

Second, all of our cacao products (cacao powder, cacao butter, cacao nibs) are sourced via the Rainforest Alliance and are Fair Trade certified.   The long version is that there are a ton of variables that go into answering those questions. 

For example, should we buy organic coconut from the Philippines and ship it on a massive ocean going freighter to San Diego, or get conventional coconut from Mexico and have them truck it in from the next country over?  Does organic coconut even matter?  If going totally organic doubles the price would you still buy it?  Does organic even matter (again)? 

Those are tough questions, and we've answered them for each ingredient as best we can, with an eye to quality & taste.  What's the one thing we DO promise about all our Treats?  We constantly eat them ourselves (usually 1 every day for Nik & Lee) and taste test them in the office daily.  We're quality fanatics, and if they're good enough for us, they're probably good enough for you.

Hey, it says on your package that you manufacture in a facility that isn't Paleo, is this safe?

The short version:  Calm down, we are super careful about what goes into our products.  We've sold over a million cookies with zero complaints about any kind of allergic issues.  We're responsible citizens and business owners who follow the packaging and labeling laws, so we have to add that disclaimer.  If you'd like to know way more about this, I made a page just for you, right here.

SHIPPING

How long does shipping take?

Depends on where you live.  When it's warm (over 65F in the daytime) where you live, we make sure that your package is in transit 3 days or less.

When it's cold (64F or less) where you live, we'll allow the transit time to increase to 5 days at the max. 

Remember, Paleo Treats are good for 10 days at room temp, 60 days in the fridge, and 6 months in the freezer.

If you're East of Yuma or North of Los Angeles, you can expect your Paleo Treats by Thursday or Friday of each week as long as your order is in by Wednesday morning Pacific time. 

My box got lost/derailed/delayed/stolen, what do I do?

You should immediately contact the carrier and file a claim with them.  Once the box leaves our office there is basically nothing we can do.  

Who do you use to ship?

We ship with FedEx throughout the 50 States. We've found they've done the best job at getting Paleo Treats to your door on time and in great condition.  Occasionally they make a mistake.  Immediately file a claim with them, we've found that despite being an enormous business they're pretty reasonable to deal with if you're patient.

Do you ship to Alaska & Hawaii?

Sure do!  Your order will usually take 3-5 days in transit and will only ship Mondays. 

Do you ship to APO/FPO?

Absolutely! Make sure you enter "United States" as the country in the shipping address, then choose what part of the world you're in (Armed Forces Africa/Middle East etc) for "state".  If you choose a country other than "United States" you will fall under international shipping, which is significantly more expensive. 

Do you have a military or LEO discount?

Yes, please email us from your work address.  Go ahead and send it to me, Nik.  Follow my first name with @paleotreats.com and you'll be fine.  Feel free to add in any military jargonese (such as "Sarn't", "bulkhead", "hua" or even "CAC"), I'm fluent in most of those lingos. 

Do you ship to PO boxes?

No.  You would not believe how much of a PITA it is to get Paleo Treats to arrive in good condition at a PO box.  From what I can tell, the first point of entry is a "kicking machine", manned 24 hours a day by the backside of a line of 40 mules who are force-fed espresso and sugar cookies.  From there, all boxes appear to move on a conveyor belt through a 450F oven for approximately 2 days, and only then are they placed ever so gently in your PO box holding area.

If you enter a PO box as your shipping address, we reserve the right to send it into the black hole and not give a single frog about it, or (far more likely) we'll contact you and ask for a non-PO box address.  

Do you ship international?

Yes.  Now, let us clearly warn you:  For international shipping we do NOT guarantee any kind of delivery.  I'm sorry, it sucks, but there are just too many variables.  That means if your international box is delayed in customs, kicked to death by zebras, completely melted or torn open when it arrives, we won't replace it. Again, that sucks, but as a small business we have zero control in the world of international shipping.

Having said that, we've successfully shipped all over the world including a mining camp in Australia, LCLA runs in Afghanistan, bases in Iraq, and people in Switzerland, the UK, Ireland, and Brazil.  We've got one customer in New Zealand who has received multiple shipments with no problem and is a Paleo Treats® fanatic.  Mark N, that's you.  :)

What is the optimum way to store Paleo Treats®?

The best way to store Paleo Treats® is to keep in 'em in your freezer. Most people like the consistency best out of the freezer anyway, so although they can be kept in the fridge or for a short time at room temp, we strongly recommend the freezer.

What is the Paleo Treats® return policy?

If you're not happy with Paleo Treats® for any reason let us know and we'll either ship you another box or refund your money.

For digital products, you've got 7 days to return 'em for a full refund.  After 7 days we charge a $4 processing fee for digital download refunds. 

For printed products (like the All Star Cookbook) you've got 30 days to return the book to us for a full refund.  You'll need to pay the shipping costs to get the printed product back to us. 

We aim to keep everybody stoked with a fair policy.

If I have a suggestion how do I contact you?

You can contact us or call (619) 795-2203, or you can get old fashioned and send us snail mail (or visit us) at 3275 Adams Ave, Suite A, San Diego CA 92116.

What does Paleo Treats® do to reduce its environmental footprint?

Our insulated packaging is usually recyclable & compostable.  We use organic, natural, and local products as much as we can and we try and be mindful of our footprint on ol' planet Earth.

What days do you ship?

During the cooler months we ship Mon-Thurs.  During summer we restrict most shipping to Mondays so your Treats don't sit in a hot warehouse over the weekend.  We don't ship on Fridays or holidays (in order to prevent Paleo Treats® from sitting in a shipping facility any longer than they have to.)  If you have any questions about your shipment, don't hesitate to write or call (619) 795-2203

OUR COMPANY

Where is Paleo Treats Inc headquartered?

PTHQ is in San Diego, right on the main drag in Normal Heights.  Come on by the shop, it's at 3275 Adams Ave, Suite A, San Diego CA 92116.  We're open daily 10-6.

Who is your target market?

We started PT to cater to folks like us, people who eat Paleo and still enjoy the occasional dessert, and we haven't changed.  As the benefits of the Paleo diet come to light we're seeing more and more folks find us who are eating gluten-free or who have celiac's disease or who just want something other than the sugar and preservative loaded "food" that passes for dessert these days.

What is the Paleo Treats® Mission statement?

Our mission is to make the best tasting Paleo desserts possible while providing superb customer service.  We've got a sign hanging up in our office to remind everyone why we're in business, and in order, it is:  1. Add Quality, Beauty, and Joy to the world.  2. Have fun.  3. Make money.

And vision?

The PT vision is to express our mission guided by the twin lights of strength and creativity.  We really dig the many variations of strength, from a strong runner to a strong powerlifter to a mentally strong athlete.  Strength alone isn't enough though, for us to thrive as a company and as people we feel it's super important to be creative as well.  Whether that's as straightforward as being creative in the kitchen or as free-form as creating art out of scrap metal and cut-up magazines, that creativity is an essential part of what we see as the essence of Paleo Treats.

How did you start your company?

Three of us (Dave, Nik, and Lee) were sitting around our kitchen after a delicious Paleo dinner and thought, "Man, wouldn't it be awesome to be able to have a Paleo Treat right now?"  We immediately bought the website www.paleotreats.com, and then thought for a few days about what it might entail to actually build a company based on Paleo desserts.

It was in May of 2009, so the CrossFit Games (the 3rd ones) were two months away.  We spent a month or so putting together our first two recipes (the Mac Attack and the Cacao Now) and then baked up 2,000 cookies at home.  We will not do that again; with a 150 sq ft kitchen to work in it was tight!

We took those cookies (1,000 of each) up to the CrossFit Games in Aromas, thinking that we'd sell as many as we could, give away most of the rest, and whatever was left over we'd bring back to San Diego and hand out to local CrossFits. The Games are a three day event, Friday-Sun.  We attracted our first customers early Friday morning as soon as the coffee was set up, and we sold 99% of our Paleo Treats® by 10:00 o'clock Saturday morning. That's when we knew we had a good product.  If you want to know way more, check out our blog post about it, here.

How do you eat/live?

We eat Paleo 80-90% of the time, occasionally jumping right off the wagon and into some tiramisu made by Dave or we'll tear through a batch of our good friend Dennis' world famous chocolate chip cookies.  

Other than that we roll with the usual "protein the size of your palm" and the rest of the plate covered with salad.  Grass-fed, organic, free range, etc meat from the Farmer's Market.  We grow a vegetable garden and some fruit trees out front of our house and usually harvest something out of that for lunch or dinner. 

Normally we'll skip breakfast and just have our world famous coffee complete with an egg blended in.  We'll usually have something light between 1-4 pm, and then our big meal between 6-8 pm.  

Nik's been in and out of CrossFit since around '04, has dabbled in ultra running and is usually in the ocean once a week.  He's a paragliding fanatic as of 2016, so if he's not working on Paleo Treats it is very likely that he's out surfing the sky.  

Lee practices kali under the tutelage of Roy Harris.  She cycles through various yoga and workout programs, but is way more into natural movement than time in the gym; she takes the dogs on a 2 mile walk most days.

We spend time in the mountains and the ocean, occasionally hunt and fish, muck around in the garage and the garden, and generally have as good a time as possible in the time we've got here on Planet Earth.  We're usually up for dinner if you come through town, so don't hesitate to reach out.

Do you ever offer discounts?

Yes, but it's rare.  "Like" our Facebook fan page and sign up for our email newsletter to stay in the loop.  We try and hook our folks up as much as we can, and of course we take care of our mil/leo/ff communities.

How many gyms & stores are you in?

We're in a few stores and gyms and we're watching the demand grow rapidly.  Check 'em out here.  We're trying to keep our growth organic and sustainable, so if you're interested in carrying Paleo Treats®, write us.

Where do you make Paleo Treats®?

Our baking facility is in the south part of San Diego.

Who are the founders of Paleo Treats®?

Check out our whole story here.

What are Paleo Treats®' plans for the future?

We're working on connecting with every person who'd like a Paleo dessert, spreading the Paleo word as much as possible, and to continue enjoying hanging out with cool Paleo people.

Is Paleo Treats® really a registered trademark?

Yes it is, it took a lot of money and time to make that happen and we're pretty proactive about enforcing it.  I know, I know, you want to tell Grammy about your cookies you made and they're Paleo and they're Treats.  Just call 'em paleo cookies and we won't have to saddle up the PT Trademark posse.

How does Paleo Treats® give back to the community?

We donate part of our proceeds to various non-profits.  Most of our donating goes to The San Diego River Park Foundation.  We also support The Station Foundation. 

SPONSORSHIP

Does Paleo Treats® offer sponsorships for athletes or events?

We run a small program for folks we dig, and have strict requirements for sponsoring an event, learn more.   If you think you could help out and we just haven't found you, please apply here.  

Does Paleo Treats do giveaways? 

Absolutely, we LOVE to participate in giveaways.  Please read our Giveaway Requirements & Guidelines, here.

WHOLESALE

What wholesale opportunities are available with Paleo Treats®?

We're happy to partner with gyms and storefronts with a solid Paleo customer base and who meet our requirements, learn more about it here.

I have a great opportunity for Paleo Treats®, can you send me xxxx sample units?

Thanks a ton for thinking of us, please read this before contacting us.

Requesting Samples for Review

I have a really awesome blog and my readers would love to hear about Paleo Treats®, can I get some free samples for review?

Thanks a bunch for thinking of us, we LOVE it when people help us spread the word.  Now, we get a TON of requests for free samples for review, please fill out this form in order to be considered.

We've built some really great relationships with people who have sampled and reviewed our stuff, and we look forward to building another one with you! 

I own a grocery/health food/coffee/gym store or shop and I'd like to sell Paleo Treats®, would you send me out some samples?

We're really excited to work with you, and thanks for reaching out!  The best way to get a sample box of Paleo Treats® is to order them here.  If you like what you taste, hit up our wholesale program manager Lee Selman (LEE then the "at" symbol, then paleotreats.com) and we'll bring you into the fold.  Thanks again!