Family Gluten Free

A Blog for Gluten Free Families Who Want to Eat Better

TwitterFacebookPinterestEmail
TwitterFacebookPinterestEmail
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Our Story
  • Recipes
    • Beauty
    • Breakfast
    • Condiments
    • Main Dish
    • School Lunch
    • Side Dish
    • Smoothies and Drinks
    • Soup and Salad
    • Sweet Treats
  • Products I Love
  • My Kitchen Tips
  • Eating Locally
January 9, 2015
familyglutenfree
Our Story
gluten-free, paleo, vegan, whole food

What Do I Eat?

January 9, 2015 Our Story
Unglamorous Selfie

I’ve been meaning to write this post for some time, but I think it’s even more appropriate to use it to start off the New Year. Some much needed time off and time spent with family have inspired thoughts about eating mindfully, especially during this time of restarting and resolutions. It has been 2 years since my family has started our gluten-free journey. Two years ago, I discovered how gluten affected my son, but it also propelled my interest in nutrition and where our food comes from. Going gluten-free was a blessing beyond its impact on my son’s health. It also changed my mindset about food.

Prior to going gluten-free, I ate “pretty good” relative to what is the normal American diet. I regularly ate fruits and vegetables, I didn’t drink soda, I stayed away from fast/fried food, and I tried to eat a balanced diet. I also had some extra baby weight that would not budge, no matter how much I exercised or limited my calories. After going gluten-free, initially only to support my son, I felt great. I easily lost a few pounds without trying and I felt more energized and less bloated/foggy. This was the spark I needed to reevaluate what I was eating and why.

This journey has taught me many lessons, but one immensely important one is that everyone is different and everyone responds differently to food. That should be obvious if you are already interested in a gluten-free blog! However, it goes beyond gluten. I think we all have our own personal profiles regarding food. Whether you are interested in following a vegan, vegetarian, paleo, or grain-free lifestyle, what works for me will not necessarily work for you. However, what works for everyone is eating whole, unprocessed food. Nobody feels good eating processed, adulterated, chemical-ridden food.

I’m not sure why I feel compelled to share my diet with you. I guess I always find reading about what people eat to be fascinating. I think it is a very personal and almost intimate way to get to know somebody. I mean, we are talking about food!!! We eat or think about eating for a large part of the day. This is my personal blueprint of what works for my body now. This is subject to change and may evolve as time goes on as I learn more about food and more about my body.

I like to consider myself a veg-aleo. I fit in between a vegan and Paleo lifestyle. That sounds conflicting since one is mostly plant-based and the other is somewhat animal based, but this is why I like them both:

  1. I can go without dairy. My body has a hard time tolerating most dairy products, so this was an easy food group to avoid. I do tend to do ok with butter and hard cheeses (usually unpasteurized cheese). I also have a hard time eating dairy from a personally ethical standpoint. After breastfeeding my two babies for 2 years, I have a whole new perspective on cow’s milk. For me, it is not a food that humans should consume. However, it is delicious, so I make exceptions on rare occasions or if the alternative is not as healthy (a good example is butter).
  1. I need to eat a little meat during the day to feel good, but not much. I was never a big meat eater and going a day or several days without meat doesn’t bother me. However, I do feel better if I eat a serving of meat or seafood each day.
  1. I love a variety of fruit and vegetables. They are never boring, raw and cooked.
  1. I am ok with grain substitutes (nut flours, coconut flour, veggie noodles, etc.). Sometimes I just need bread, rice or spaghetti, but I feel better if I limit grains and substitute with healthy alternatives when possible.
  1. I like beans and legumes, especially chickpeas and peanuts. These are a big “no no” on the Paleo diet, but I can’t live without them. I also enjoy soy products (miso, edamame, tofu) occasionally.

So here is how I break it down:

  1. Fruits and Vegetables – Yes! As much as possible (Vegan/Paleo)
  2. Nuts/Seeds/Coconut – Yes! Healthy fats (Vegan/Paleo)
  3. Beans/Legumes – Yes! (Vegan)
  4. Eggs – Yes! (Paleo)
  5. Soy Products – Occasionally (Vegan)
  6. Meat/Seafood – 1 Serving Daily (Paleo)
  7. Grains – 1 Serving Daily (Vegan)
  8. Dairy – Avoid (Vegan/Paleo)

In general I also avoid artificial sweeteners and processed vegetable oils (canola, safflower, etc.).

Finally, just for the record, I do cheat every once in a while. So, if you see me out to dinner with my husband on a Saturday night, with no kids, you may see me scarfing down a Crème brûlée. It will be so worth it…

« Van’s Simply Delicious Cereal
Coco-Choco-Banana Smoothie »

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Categories

  • Recipes
    (35)
    • Smoothies and Drinks
      (8)
    • Side Dish
      (3)
    • Condiments
      (2)
    • Main Dish
      (5)
    • Sweet Treats
      (6)
    • Breakfast
      (2)
    • Soup and Salad
      (5)
    • School Lunch
      (3)
    • Beauty
      (1)
  • My Kitchen Tips
    (3)
  • Eating Locally
    (2)
  • Products I Love
    (8)

Browse Our Story

  • My Son's StoryMy Son's Story
  • Unglamorous SelfieWhat Do I Eat?
  • AnniversaryHappy 1 Year Anniversary!

Featuring Top 3/3 of Our Story

Family Gluten Free

My Taste

myTaste.com

Posts

  • Melon Matcha Smoothie

    Melon Matcha Smoothie

  • Mini Strawberry Rhubarb Crisps

    Mini Strawberry Rhubarb Crisps

  • Crab Bisque

    Crab Bisque

  • Rao’s Homemade Sauces

    Rao's Homemade Sauces

  • Slow Cooker Chicken Stock

    Slow Cooker Chicken Stock

  • Happy 1 Year Anniversary!

    Anniversary

  • Simple Mushrooms and Greens

    Simple Mushrooms and Greens

  • Homemade Deodorant

    Homemade Deodorant

  • Coco-Choco-Banana Smoothie

    Coco-Choco-Banana Smoothie

  • What Do I Eat?

    Unglamorous Selfie

  • Van’s Simply Delicious Cereal

    Van's Cereal

  • Honey Lemon Chia Pudding

    Honey Lemon Chia Pudding

  • School Lunch 3

  • Dairy-Free Raw Pesto

    Dairy-free Raw Pesto

  • Frozen Grape Spirulina Smoothie

    Frozen Grape Spirulina Smoothie

  • Quinoa Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

    Quinoa Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

  • School Lunch 2

  • Cashew Chocolate Chip Dairy-Free Ice Cream

    Cashew Chocolate Chip Dairy-Free Ice Cream

  • School Lunch 1 and Introduction

    Going to School

  • Grilled Pepper Salad

    Grilled Pepper Salad

  • Raw Revolution Bars

    Raw Revolution Bars

  • Summer Vegetables Three Ways

    Fresh Green Beans

  • Mint Chocolate Green Smoothie

    Mint Chocolate Green Smoothie

  • My Homemade Kombucha Experience

    Homemade Kombucha

  • Fresh Herbed Quinoa

    Fresh Herbed Quinoa

  • Spinach, Strawberry and Pecan Salad with Balsamic Dressing

    Spinach, Strawberry and Pecan Salad with Balsamic Dressing

  • Dairy-free Healthy Chocolate Cream Popsicles

    Dairy-free Healthy Chocolate Cream Popsicles

  • Spring – Garlic Scapes

    Outdoors

  • Grain-free Crab Cakes

    Grain-free Crab Cakes

  • Easy Mint Infused Water

    Mint Infused Water

  • How to get the Most out of Your Avocados

    How to get the Most out of Your Avocados

  • Lotus Food Rice Ramen Review and Bonus Miso Soup Recipe

    Miso Soup with Lotus Foods Rice Ramen

  • Portuguese Kale and Potato Soup (Caldo Verde)

    Caldo Verde

  • My Son’s Story

    My Son's Story

  • Strawberry Coconut Cashew Smoothie

    Strawberry Coconut Cashew Smoothie

  • Kielbasa with Peppers and Coco-Buttery Basmati Rice

    Kielbasa Peppers Basmati Rice

  • Grain-free Cinnamon Sugar Fun-Dough Cookies

    Grain-free Cinnamon Sugar Fun-Dough Cookies

  • Guide to Building a Better Smoothie

    Smoothie Guide

  • Jovial Pasta

    Jovial Pasta

  • Baked Meatballs

    Baked Meatballs

  • Easy Strawberry Pecan Breakfast Quinoa

    Easy Strawberry Pecan Breakfast Quinoa

  • Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix

    Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix

  • Chocolate Coconut Balls

    Chocolate Coconut Balls

  • US Wellness Meats

    US Wellness Meats

  • Cherry Chocolate Almond Smoothie

    Cherry Chocolate Almond Smoothie

  • Omission Beer

    Omission Beer

  • Fried Turkey Cutlets

    Fried Turkey Cutlets

  • Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

    Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

  • Whole Grain Mustard and Apple Cider Vinegar Salad Dressing

    Whole Grain Mustard and Apple Cider Vinegar Salad Dressing

  • Quinoa with Zucchini and Portobello Mushrooms

    Quinoa with Zucchini and Portobello Mushrooms

  • Orange Cream Smoothie

    Orange Cream Smoothie

  • Introduction – Welcome

    IMG_7853

Foodie Blogroll

Pages

  • About Me

Archives

  • September 2015
  • July 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014

Categories

  • Eating Locally (2)
  • My Kitchen Tips (3)
  • Our Story (3)
  • Products I Love (8)
  • Recipes (35)
    • Beauty (1)
    • Breakfast (2)
    • Condiments (2)
    • Main Dish (5)
    • School Lunch (3)
    • Side Dish (3)
    • Smoothies and Drinks (8)
    • Soup and Salad (5)
    • Sweet Treats (6)
  • Uncategorized (3)

WordPress

  • Log in
  • WordPress
© Family Gluten Free