Back to basics

People ask me what can I eat rather incredulously when they learn I don't consume foods with gluten, soy, corn, peanuts, dairy and processed sugars.  I just smile and answer most anything I want, the closer to the earth it is the better.  Whole foods are prevalent; many of us are so quick to chose processed items for convenience we don't even see the great foods around us. 

Trust me when I say changing my eating habits was not easy and the most difficult part was my own mindset.  I learned rather quickly what little I knew about the foods I purchased and prepared for my family.  It's not like we ate poorly; growing up I was taught how to prepare a plate with meat and potatoes and a vegetable on the side - if it was a colorful presentation it was good.

A huge shift came to our family's menu when my dad was diagnosed with MS and diabetes at the age of 48.  We could predict based on the day of the week what would be for dinner - pizza on Saturday, fried chicken on Tuesday, grilled cheese sandwiches with soup on Sunday, mac n cheese on Thursday...or something like that.  This changed quickly as my dad strictly followed the dietary recommendation of his doctors.  I can remember him exploding in frustration at the dinner table once when I mentioned he could have just a little of the creamed corn mom served that night,  he angrily replied it would be like playing Russian roulette with food; it hurt then but now I get what he was saying.

Dad taught me how to experiment with ingredients and we modified several recipes over the years and ate everything we made - even the mistakes.   I learned to be bold in the kitchen and not afraid of the little extra time it takes to prepare a meal from scratch.  Today that is such a blessing as I know exactly what is in the meals I serve my family.

All that to say, I found I really had to set my mind to changing habits and not be afraid to ask for help, (I am recalling a melt down in the middle of the local Trader Joe's), when I have trouble locating items without the ta bu ingredients - do you really know how much corn and soy are used in gluten free items?!  It took time, but now I know what to grab and what to stay away from and I am getting real skilled at label reading as well as more and more willing to try new ingredients.

Here's to exploring new flavors and looking forward to sharing ideas and hints.

Sunny