Breakfast
My allergies have been a bit more aggravated lately, so I've been really watching my cheese and wheat intake. Hence, no sprouted bread today...
...my mornings have been filled with lots of fresh fruit, namely apples, pears, and oranges. I've also been trying to start off my morning with a glass of warm lemon water (unpictured) in hopes that my liver will work better throughout the day.
Snack
A bit later in the morning, I tested out a batch of black bean cookies! I used rice flour, as rice is the food that is most agreeable during times like this. These were so good, and I hope to share the recipe soon!
Lunch
For lunch, I cooked some various vegetables and spices in a pot of water and pureed them once they were soft...
...broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onion, garlic, celery, salt, pepper, and some fresh basil at the end. My kids will even eat this soup! It made for a delicious, warming meal.
Snack
I've made this before, and it was very delightful! I just grate a couple of apples and add a bit of lemon juice, raw honey, cinnamon, and raisins. It makes a great raw applesauce type of 'treat'!
Dinner
Keeping with the vegetable theme, I had a nice, big salad for dinner...
....green leaf lettuce, red cabbage, red onion, cucumbers, green pepper, pumpkin seeds, and (of course) raisins. I topped it with a creamy Dijon balsamic vinegar dressing.
Dessert
I closed out the day with a couple of Thin Mints. I love to keep these in the freezer for a cold, crunchy treat!
What have you been eating this week?
Shared with: What I Ate Wednesday
Sarah & Arkadi
Great looking salad for dinner!
Sheelagh
Hey Lauren! You mentioned your allergies have been "more aggravated lately". I too notice that sometimes I'll have a lot of tummy troubles and skin issues which I think could be attributed to what I'm eating but I have a hard time telling which foods might be the culprits (since I'm strictly avoiding the ones I know I'm allergic to). How do you go about figuring out which foods are aggravating you and how do you keep that aggravation to a minimum? Sorry, I know that's probably a big question to answer. But any insights you could share would be amazing! You seem to have such a good handle on your allergies. Mine are fairly new to me and any wisdom I can get from you would be amazing!
Lauren
Hi Sheelagh!
It's easy for me when it's an immediate reaction (itching, bloating, or fatigue), but when I react idiopathically (when I haven't eaten anything for a few hours, in the morning, or in the middle of the night) I find it difficult to know for sure. I usually have to resort back to the basics of what I know I tolerate well (brown rice, beans, apples, cucumbers...really bland food), and then work from there. I've had quite a bit of testing over the years, so I know what I have trouble with, but my sensitivities are constantly changing. Varying my diet each day helps a lot. There's a premise that if you rotate your diet every four days, your allergies will be kept at a minimum, so I try to adhere to that to some extent. It's all very frustrating, isn't it? I hope this helps you a little though! 🙂
Sheelagh
Hey Lauren!
That's very interesting! So do you only eat the same thing for four days and then switch it? Or is it that once you eat something you don't eat it again for four days? I think in the new year (when all the holiday feasting is over haha) I may try an elimination diet to get a better sense of what's bothering me. Your blog really helps me though! 🙂 Thanks so much for your suggestions!
Sheelagh
Lauren
The best way is to eat something on day one and not eat it again until day five. Ideally, this is what I should be doing, but I find it really hard, as I am very routine and would eat some of my favorites every day. I hope you figure out what's bothering you girl! Allergies are such a pain!
Sheelagh
Yes, I too love the comfort and simplicity of getting into an eating pattern. 🙂 But I'll try just about anything if it could help with my extreme bloating and other allergy symptoms! Thank you so much for your help Lauren!!
jodye @ whole pure recipes
The black bean cookies sound just delightful, (as do the thin mints!) I'll have to give those a try tomorrow. I love your "applesauce," too. I have a bounty of apples in my kitchen and this looks like a wonderful way to use them up!
Shel@PeachyPalate
Love frozen chocolate!!! Especially dark chocolate! Yum!
Gina
Hi Lauren, I'm curious as to where you are getting your protein with these meals. I'd love to eat like this daily but find that after a day or so without enough protein I feel too weak.
Lauren
Hi Gina,
I still eat protein in the form of eggs, organic chicken or beef 2-3 times a week and find that that's really all I personally need. Some days I post happen to be days when I don't eat any of those things, like this particular day. I still received protein in the form of beans, pumpkin seeds, and even vegetables though. 🙂 I find that I kind of got used to eating this way over a period of time. Whenever I would think of having protein, I'd want to use those calories to eat more vegetables or something plant-based because I felt I was getting more 'bang for my buck', so to speak. The book Eat to Live was really eye-opening for me, so perhaps it might help you too?
Karen
I love easy, creamy soups. I think I'll try this in my slow cooker!