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"What do you eat then?" It's a question I've been asked about a million times since we've taken grains and dairy out of our daily diet. The look in the eye of the person asking is similar to the panic you see before a snow storm when people flock to the store to stock up on bread and milk. BREAD AND MILK!!! GOTTA GET THE BREAD AND MILK!! They just can't fathom a world where those two "essentials" don't exist. I don't blame them. It was a big adjustment to ditch two groups on the food pyramid. It went against everything that I had been taught.
What made us even consider such a "radical" change? In all honesty, I turned 40 and had a baby. I simply wanted my pants to fit again. And after 8 months of walking, doing yoga almost daily and watching my diet, I couldn't lose any weight. My doctor suggested eliminating grains and dairy. So, we did.
The easy answer to what we eat is lots of fruits and veggies and lean meats. We use coconut milk instead of cow's milk and my newest infatuation, ground flax, we use to make pancakes and breads. I've experimented with all sorts of things that don't include grains. Some have been awesome. Some, well...we won't speak of those.
Many have commented that we are gluten free when in fact, that is not completely accurate. Gluten in found in so much more than breads and pasta. It can be in seasonings, snack foods, salad dressings and lunch meats to name a few. We are grain free which means we don't eat breads and pastas, but might consume, mayonnaise, for example which does contain gluten. You probably won't find us eating lunch meat or many prepared snack foods either. Not because of their gluten or grain content. I just don't feel they are healthy food options.
The next thing every one wants to know is what does Arden eat? The same things as we do. I figure if she can swallow, gum or chew it with her six (almost seven) tiny teeth, she can eat it. If those aren't options, I will often puree it (spinach for example) and add it to something that makes it possible.
We don't do foods aimed at kids. Life is so much better when it's not filled with puffs, cheerios, frozen pizza, hot dogs and chicken nuggets. We've replaced all of those things with healthy "quick meals". Chicken cooked and ready to top salads or be served with a side of veggies. Turkey burgers seasoned to perfection that can be used as a breakfast or lunch option. Soups and chili that can be thawed and enjoyed before your Hot Pocket is cooled and ready to eat. My infamous spinach pancakes and apple cranberry bread (grain less, of course) pack my freezer.
Yes. I cook A LOT, but not as often as you might think. I make fresh meals most nights. I simply make extra. The extra then gets put into single serve portions and placed into the freezer. It's just as easy to make 6 chicken breasts as it is 4. This also saves me on those days where I get distracted and "forget" to start dinner. With my freezer stash I can have a healthy dinner ready in under 15 minutes. I love that!
I prep a lot too. I wash, chop and put into single serve portions all of our fresh fruits and veggies. This keeps "grab and go" healthy. No longer am I reaching for a Swiss cake roll and a diet Pepsi. (flashbacks to 7th grade lunch....geez, its a wonder we're still alive). Carrots, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, melon, grapes, berries...the list goes on and on. I may single handedly be responsible for the death of our planet, but at least we we're eating well.
Here's an example of our daily menu
Breakfast Spinach pancake, banana and 1/2 c coconut milk or cottage cheese
Lunch Turkey burger (no bun) , roasted carrots and broccoli, 1/2 c raspberries
Dinner Italian seasoned chicken with asparagus and baked potato (sweet or red)
Snacks (2 per day) Celery and peanut butter 100 Calorie Smoothie
Disclaimers
There is some debate whether cottage cheese and yogurt are true dairy products. I'm not going to debate. I just like cottage cheese. I'm not a fan of eggs or nuts, so I let this one slide. The other two people living in my house also enjoy yogurt. We use Greek vs. the other types for three reasons 1. less sugar 2. The other types do not come in sizes big enough to satisfy the one year olds appetite. 3. No artificial sweeteners
Potatoes can also be debated. We don't eat them often enough to join in that debate either. Sometimes I just feel like a potato.
Smoothies I make myself. I add coconut milk, frozen fruit, pineapple juice and baby spinach. It's enough to serve 2. I do my best to put veggies in everything we consume. That way I eat my veggies without eating veggies.
THE RECIPES
FLAX PANCAKES
2 eggs 1/2 c ground flax meal 1 tsp baking powder 3 tbsp. coconut oil 3 tbsp. milk
Mix well and add fresh berries, fruit or your choice of seasonings to make it more like a pita type bread for lunch.
APPLE CRANBERRY BREAD
1 1/4 c ground flax meal 2 tsp baking powder 1 Tbsp. cinnamon 1/3 c honey (or sweetener of your choice) 4 eggs 1/2 c melted coconut oil 1/2 c applesauce 1 tsp vanilla 1 large apple, chopped 1/2 c cranberries
I've done a variation of this adding banana and blueberry and substituting applesauce for yogurt. I prefer it without the yogurt. But overall, it was yummy.
100 CALORIE SMOOTHIES serves 2
1/2 cup coconut (almond) milk 2 c baby spinach 1/2 c fruit of your choice (add ice if you're not using frozen fruit) 6oz pineapple juice Blend and enjoy!
What made us even consider such a "radical" change? In all honesty, I turned 40 and had a baby. I simply wanted my pants to fit again. And after 8 months of walking, doing yoga almost daily and watching my diet, I couldn't lose any weight. My doctor suggested eliminating grains and dairy. So, we did.
The easy answer to what we eat is lots of fruits and veggies and lean meats. We use coconut milk instead of cow's milk and my newest infatuation, ground flax, we use to make pancakes and breads. I've experimented with all sorts of things that don't include grains. Some have been awesome. Some, well...we won't speak of those.
Many have commented that we are gluten free when in fact, that is not completely accurate. Gluten in found in so much more than breads and pasta. It can be in seasonings, snack foods, salad dressings and lunch meats to name a few. We are grain free which means we don't eat breads and pastas, but might consume, mayonnaise, for example which does contain gluten. You probably won't find us eating lunch meat or many prepared snack foods either. Not because of their gluten or grain content. I just don't feel they are healthy food options.
The next thing every one wants to know is what does Arden eat? The same things as we do. I figure if she can swallow, gum or chew it with her six (almost seven) tiny teeth, she can eat it. If those aren't options, I will often puree it (spinach for example) and add it to something that makes it possible.
We don't do foods aimed at kids. Life is so much better when it's not filled with puffs, cheerios, frozen pizza, hot dogs and chicken nuggets. We've replaced all of those things with healthy "quick meals". Chicken cooked and ready to top salads or be served with a side of veggies. Turkey burgers seasoned to perfection that can be used as a breakfast or lunch option. Soups and chili that can be thawed and enjoyed before your Hot Pocket is cooled and ready to eat. My infamous spinach pancakes and apple cranberry bread (grain less, of course) pack my freezer.
Yes. I cook A LOT, but not as often as you might think. I make fresh meals most nights. I simply make extra. The extra then gets put into single serve portions and placed into the freezer. It's just as easy to make 6 chicken breasts as it is 4. This also saves me on those days where I get distracted and "forget" to start dinner. With my freezer stash I can have a healthy dinner ready in under 15 minutes. I love that!
I prep a lot too. I wash, chop and put into single serve portions all of our fresh fruits and veggies. This keeps "grab and go" healthy. No longer am I reaching for a Swiss cake roll and a diet Pepsi. (flashbacks to 7th grade lunch....geez, its a wonder we're still alive). Carrots, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, melon, grapes, berries...the list goes on and on. I may single handedly be responsible for the death of our planet, but at least we we're eating well.
Here's an example of our daily menu
Breakfast Spinach pancake, banana and 1/2 c coconut milk or cottage cheese
Lunch Turkey burger (no bun) , roasted carrots and broccoli, 1/2 c raspberries
Dinner Italian seasoned chicken with asparagus and baked potato (sweet or red)
Snacks (2 per day) Celery and peanut butter 100 Calorie Smoothie
Disclaimers
There is some debate whether cottage cheese and yogurt are true dairy products. I'm not going to debate. I just like cottage cheese. I'm not a fan of eggs or nuts, so I let this one slide. The other two people living in my house also enjoy yogurt. We use Greek vs. the other types for three reasons 1. less sugar 2. The other types do not come in sizes big enough to satisfy the one year olds appetite. 3. No artificial sweeteners
Potatoes can also be debated. We don't eat them often enough to join in that debate either. Sometimes I just feel like a potato.
Smoothies I make myself. I add coconut milk, frozen fruit, pineapple juice and baby spinach. It's enough to serve 2. I do my best to put veggies in everything we consume. That way I eat my veggies without eating veggies.
THE RECIPES
FLAX PANCAKES
2 eggs 1/2 c ground flax meal 1 tsp baking powder 3 tbsp. coconut oil 3 tbsp. milk
Mix well and add fresh berries, fruit or your choice of seasonings to make it more like a pita type bread for lunch.
APPLE CRANBERRY BREAD
1 1/4 c ground flax meal 2 tsp baking powder 1 Tbsp. cinnamon 1/3 c honey (or sweetener of your choice) 4 eggs 1/2 c melted coconut oil 1/2 c applesauce 1 tsp vanilla 1 large apple, chopped 1/2 c cranberries
I've done a variation of this adding banana and blueberry and substituting applesauce for yogurt. I prefer it without the yogurt. But overall, it was yummy.
100 CALORIE SMOOTHIES serves 2
1/2 cup coconut (almond) milk 2 c baby spinach 1/2 c fruit of your choice (add ice if you're not using frozen fruit) 6oz pineapple juice Blend and enjoy!