When I first started eliminating foods and introducing more wholesome, nutritious meals into my diet, I struggled with the constant questioning. “Oh, why aren’t you eating?” “Can’t you have that?” “Oh come on, it’s so good. Just one bite.” For people who don’t struggle with food intolerances and/or autoimmune diseases, slight slip-ups are totally normal and okay. However, for others, it’s a struggle communicating just how much I may want a bite of your delicious gluten-filled chocolate chunk cookie, but I can’t.
Even when your friends understand, it can still be difficult, munching away on your own “special” snacks. The communal aspects of eating are lost and you’re left feeling as if you should hide your “paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free snack bars” from your friends.
“Oh, what are you eating?”
“That’s cool…that looks so weird, but cool!”
“I don’t know how you do that…”
Here’s the thing. I don’t expect people to understand. When you’re not consumed with meal-planning and nutrition-label reading, it’s hard to wrap your mind around it. But I’m slowly but surely gaining confidence, chomping on my carrot sticks, dousing my sweet potatoes in sunflower seed butter/cinnamon and literally eating granola out of the bag. I may not grab a taste of your Doritos, but I can assure you, I’m well-fed. 😉
Lately, I’ve been devouring bowls filled with healthy, complex carbs and delicious butters! Top it off with some berries and grain-free granola and you’re good to go! 🙂
My FAVORITE granolas of all time:
Purely Elizabeth’s cashew grain-free granola
Wildway‘s coconut cashew granola
Paleonola‘s original grain-free granola.
Seriously, if you ever find these in the stores, grab them!
My FAVORITE nut butters:
BARNEY butter (blanched almond butters, all kinds)
Sunbutter (organic, sunflower seed butter)
Maisie’s (creamy, delicious, cashew butter)
Wild friends (organic maple sunflower butter)
Once Again (organic, lightly sweentened sunflower butter)
A bowl of roasted sweet potatoes, Sunbutter, strawberries, Purely Elizabeth grain-free granola, and a homemade pumpkin spice cookie!
A “fork-full” of roasted sweet potato slices and BARNEY almond butter + some homemade raspberry jam!
A plate FILLED with roasted kombucha squash, sweet potatoes and pan-fried bananas in coconut oil + a heavy sprinkle of cinnamon!
