What I Eat: Meals & Snacks & My Favorite Products
Last week I discussed how gluten can affect the body and the various symptoms that may appear if you have a gluten sensitivity; I also differentiated between celiac disease and a gluten intolerance.
To read the last two week's posts:
To read the last two week's posts:
This week is the 3rd week in my Gluten Free Lifestyle Series and I'm going to share what my food philosophies are, how I structure my diet, and what I eat. I'll provide some examples of meals and snack ideas as well as a list of some of our favorite products.
I’m blessed to be able to say that in the past
5 years of my life (I am 24 now), I have completely transformed my diet and
body. I have so much more knowledge now than I’ve ever had - part due to the
fact that I went through nursing school, and partly because when I am
interested in making a lifestyle change, I read and read and read until I can
understand why I am doing it, how it will benefit me, and how I can live it
out/accomplish it.
When I use the word DIET, I am referring to the food I eat everyday; the food that makes up my life. The good news? My diet is very simple. These are the same
principles we are applying to Olivia's diet and they can easily be applied to your life too.
First, a few of
my “food philosophies:”
I LOVE food and I don’t ever want to feel
deprived. And I believe I shouldn’t have to feel deprived, EVEN if I am
eating/living gluten free. Everything about food should be fun - thinking about
it, grocery shopping for it, preparing it, planning meals, baking + cooking as
an individual or a family, entertaining, trying new recipes, etc.
Take it
DAY by DAY.
Set realistic goals and be flexible. Some days will be better than
others. Remember, adopting a gluten free lifestyle takes TIME, ENERGY,
MOTIVATION and DEDICATION! Stay positive and remember that it is a marathon, not a
sprint!
Forgive
yourself. Give yourself some grace. Cut yourself some slack. Don’t slack off
and consciously make poor choices, but if you slip up and somehow a cupcake
ends up in your mouth, forgive yourself and move on. Nothing great was ever
accomplished by beating yourself down. Every day is an opportunity to start
fresh.
I abide by the rule of thirds. One third of my
diet (or daily calories) is made up of protein, one third is complex carbohydrates
(vegetables) and one third is fat (healthy fats, such as omega 3’s found in
salmon). Obviously, I eat other carbs -- such as grains -- for energy. I also should say that the rule of thirds is a loose rule, every day - - esp. with a little one -- is a little different.
This is what a
typical breakfast looks like in our house:
½ cup Gluten free granola (Udi’s Au Naturel
is my favorite because you can add anything to it - any nuts, dried fruit,
fresh berries, etc.)
Unsweetened Original Almond Milk (Contains no carageenans)
Dynamic Fruits + Greens Drink
(Click here
to learn more about Dynamic Greens; As an RN, I am also a Nutri-Dyn rep, so if
anyone is interested in purchasing this, I sell it out of my home and can ship
it anywhere in the country with a significant savings)
Hard-boiled Egg (Free Range, Organic, Large
Brown Eggs) with some S+P
2-3 Egg Omelette with sliced turkey or veggies
This is what a
typical lunch looks like in our house:
1-2 Corn thins (Click here to learn more about Corn Thins; I swear by
these and love the satisfying crunch they provide, while still being light and
low calorie; you don’t feel like taking a nap after eating this lunch!)
On top of my corn thins I love any kind of
cheese (thinly sliced) and Boar’s Head Maple Glazed Turkey (all Boar’s head meats are gluten free, milk
free, sugar free, no MSG, nitrates, preservatives, etc.; they can be purchased
at Byerly’s, Lund’s, Kowalski’s, etc.)
That is my version of a “sandwich” - 1 Corn
thin + turkey & cheese
(And my husband, who loves meat, eats these every day! I tell him he can eat regular bread since he
doesn’t have an intolerance but he sticks to these because of how much better he
feels and how satisfying and light they are).
Any type of raw veggie: bell pepper, carrots, radishes, celery, etc.
Any type of raw fruit: blackberries, pear, grapes, kiwi, etc.
1 filet of FRESH WILD CAUGHT salmon (Atlantic
or Sockeye) - approximately 1/3 pound filet (**ALWAYS BE SURE IT IS WILD CAUGHT
AND NOT FARMED)
We eat salmon 1-2 times per week
OR 1 serving of grass-fed filet - we eat steak
about once every two weeks
OR 1 serving of free range antibiotic free
chicken, etc. - we eat A LOT of chicken!
OR 1 serving of fresh, free range turkey (our favorite, available HERE)
1 cup Steamed green beans + Grilled zucchini
squash (any raw veggie you like - steamed, baked, or grilled, seasoned with
coconut or olive oil & S+P)
½ cup organic brown rice or 1/2 cup quinoa or 1/2 cup lentils
(This is my FAVORITE brown rice of all time;
preparation below)
TJ’S ORGANIC BROWN RICE - Our
Way!
Each box contains 3 bags; 1 bag
is a perfect portion for 2 people.
Because the rice is all precooked,
it is SO easy to heat up!
First, I heat coconut oil in a pan; once hot,
empty bag of rice into pan.
Then I add a few squirts of LIQUID AMINOS (the
ONLY soy sauce we use and tastes amazing with NO MSG!), and lower the heat.
Heat rice through, stirring occasionally,
approximately 8-10 minutes.
All I pretty much drink is water or tea and the only
condiment I really use is ketchup (something I could cut
out, but I use such a minimal amount that I don’t sweat it).
Some
ideas for healthy snacks:
Peanut
butter or almond butter on celery or apple slices
Dried
fruit and/or nuts
A sliced
pear or kiwi
Banana
slices with peanut butter
GF
Pretzel sticks with peanut butter or any nut butter
A slice
of turkey rolled with a slice of cheese
Smoothie
with fruit and veggies
Roasted rainbow
carrots with olive oil, salt and pepper (we roast these for my daughter and
they come out so juicy and sweet, they taste like a dessert!)
Lentils or brown rice with veggies & curry powder
a few of our favorite
products.
B R E A K F A S T S
Udi’s
Granola
·
Gluten
Free Chex Cereal (I watch how much I eat of this because some flavors contain
high sugar, but sometimes I’m craving a bowl and it just hits the spot!)
PureSilk Almond Milk - This brand DOES NOT CONTAIN carrageenans
(read more about them here)
·
King Arthur’s Gluten Free Pancake Mix - these are the lightest, most fluffy
pancakes I’ve ever eaten…mix in fresh berries or chocolate chips for a decadent treat!
L U N C H E S
Real Food Brand Corn Thins (I like Original flavor)
Boar’s Head Meats + Cheeses -
msg-free/gf/nitrate&nitrite free/no preservatives/dairyfree
Any raw veggies/raw fruits
D I N N E R S
Trader Joe’s Organic Brown Rice
Trader Joe’s (Or any brand) Organic White or
Tri-Colored Quinoa
TJ’s Split Red Lentils
Gluten Free Lasagna Noodles
Rice Noodles (for homemade pad thai)
San-J Gluten Free Thai Peanut Sauce (great for stir-frys! We love chicken, pea
pods and carrots; we marinate the chicken in the thai peanut sauce, then stir
fry it in a wok with veggies and peanuts; serve over brown rice)
Organic Sweet Potatoes - low in carbs, bake
these for half an hour at 375 and slice them open; add a little coconut oil or
real butter or add some brown sugar or maple syrup; these are so filling and so
tasty (and definitely my daughter’s favorite food!)
Alexia’s Sweet Potato Waffle Fries - we bake these and serve them alongside fish
with some sea salt sprinkled on top; the perfect side to satisfy your “fry”
craving without it being too unhealthy!
B A K I N G & O T H E R
William’s Sonoma Cup4Cup Gluten Free Flour - I will not use any other flour to bake
with! I love this because you can sub it out for the flour in regular recipes
in a cup for cup ratio - this cuts out all the stress, measuring and converting
and it allows you to use your regular recipes and turn them gluten free.
Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil - This is the only oil I use other than olive
oil for baking and cooking; the health benefits of coconut oil are countless; I
mix it in with all the veggies I make for my daughter because it is so good for
babes and kiddos too!
Bragg’s Liquid Aminos Soy Sauce Alternative - No MSG and the perfect way to add a little
flavor to your brown rice or stir frys
Baking
Mixes from Brody’s 579 - I’ve
tried all of these and love them! They are a great thing to have on hand for
parties and entertaining. My husband eats the chocolate-chip-banana muffins
like they are going out of style! They also freeze extremely well. One bag
($10) makes 3-4 dozen muffins; we eat a few fresh and then I individually wrap
them in seran wrap and put them in a freezer bag. Take one out in the morning
and 15-20 minutes later, it has come to room temperature and tastes fresh and
moist like it was just baked.
Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Rolled
Oats: If you can tolerate
oats (sometimes they contain traces of gluten so be sure you are purchasing
those certified gluten free), they can be a great substitute in baking recipes.
I use them in monster cookies and don’t use flour at all; they make dishes
heartier and can be added to muffins or crumbles/crisps to add some texture and
interest.
ALSO -- ALL THE RECIPES ON MY BLOG ARE GLUTEN FREE, EITHER NATURALLY OR WITH A LITTLE MODIFICATION AND GF FLOUR. CHECK THEM OUT HERE.
Next week is my final week of this series and I will be sharing how to transition to a gluten free lifestyle with 3 different methods, as well as tips for living gluten free and some encouragement that has been helpful in my own life.
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