What to eat...

So avoiding all those things shouldn't be that hard, right? Wrong. Wheat alone is hidden in so many other forms. For example wheat can also be found in maltodextrin, food starch, soy sauce, natural flavoring, gum, ketchup, chips, barbecue sauce, vanilla, flavored coffee, most soups, all sodas, beer and most processed food etc. That is just wheat, then add on all the others and it is almost easier to tell you what I can eat, rather then what I cannot. Now, you can see why food allergies can be so overwhelming...at first.

However, working with a dietician, like I said before, was the best thing I ever did. It is also another reason why I decided to become a blogger. I want to share with others everything I have learned in the hopes it might help them too.

So for tonight, lets start with just breakfast. What is there to eat? Well, normal cereals, poptarts, instant oatmeal (what I use to eat everyday), english muffins, eggs are all out. Honestly, breakfast is the hardest meal for me and usually I just skip it and eat an early lunch. However, there are a few options I have discovered.

1. Tennessee Pride, Fully cooked turkey sausages. These are great because they give you the protein you need, only 100 calories and come in individual servings. These are available in normal grocery stores, like Kroger.

2. Hempmilk by Living Harvest: You can find this brand at Kroger, but at health food stores, like Georgetown Market they have a bigger selection. I prefer the unsweetened Vanilla flavor. And, if you want to make a smoothie they have a protein powder as well. Check out their website for great recipes, www.livingharvest.com Also, the protein powder provides a lot of fiber to help you stay feeling full longer. It is the healthiest protein powder on the market.

3. Bob's Red mill pancakes: This is my weekend option and even Eric loves them. You can find this mix at Kroger as well (www.bobsredmill.com). It calls for 1 egg, but I use the egg replacer by Ener-g (www.ener-g.com, I buy this at Whole Foods) and it works great. I also just use 1 cup of water instead of milk, then add 1-2 tablespoons of butter (earth balance soy butter, www.earthbalancenaturals.com, you can buy this at Whole Foods or sometimes Meijer) and 1-2 teaspoon of pure vanilla (vanilla extract is what contains wheat). Also, instead of syrup (contains wheat), I use Maple Syrup. These taste great!!

4. Lastly, but most important to me, is coffee. It is best to buy organic plain coffee. However, if you do want flavored coffee, The Coffee Bean claims all their coffees and teas are wheat free. I love their coffee, but usually just drink whatever Organic plain coffee is on sale. =) And instead of using sugar, I use honey to sweeten my coffee, but usually just take it black.

Well, I hope you are able to enjoy some of these healthy alternatives as well. Leave me a message if you have any questions or have any suggestions.