the enchantress's Profile

More options that are vegan AND gluten-free (not just one or the other).

Local products/movements: what's local where YOU are? Favourites? Ways to get more involved?

Also, more about cooking for one. For example: how to purchase ingredients so that you aren't left with a ton of something you'll likely never use - and how to use up stuff like that!; what other people ACTUALLY eat when they're alone; make-ahead recipes and/or ones that can be thrown together when you walk in the door STARVING; and INSPIRATION for cooking for yourself when you don't think you have the get-up-and-go to do so (but really you do if you just got started!).

Thanks!

I assembled a gluten-free sunflower seed butter and banana wrap on the bus ride home from work last week. Used my lap as a table/cutting board. Awkward and messy, but I was STARVING and there was a LOT of traffic. Good thing I had brought extra food with me that day!

Ah, yes...I spent several years banana-free and smoothie-heavy thanks to major food sensitivities, and therefore did a lot of experimenting! Pears, as was already mentioned, are the best substitute, or frozen mango; both have the same sweetness and thickening ability as bananas. Add some avocado for creaminess. Protein powders or ground flax or chia lend more "body" to the smoothie, especially if you let it sit for a few minutes.

Smoothies are a good option. They're quick and easy to whip up in the morning; you could even make a giant blender full to sip on all day. I know it's not "chewable," and might not seem as filling, but you can pack quite a lot of nutrition into them and can be surprising satisfying. At the very least, they'll tide you over until you get a chance to eat a proper meal.

Four words: IT DOES GET EASIER. I was restricted to only a handful of foods for a couple of years after being diagnosed with multiple food sensitivities. At first it was hard, but pretty soon, I started to feel (and look) so damn good that I actually came to *prefer* the foods I could eat rather than crave the ones I couldn't! While I feel best without wheat and dairy, everything else is fair game again. It was so worth it, if only for helping me become more friendly with my body ;).

My story and empathy aside, though, here are ten suggestions:

1. Consume sufficient amounts of fat and protein - they'll help you feel satisfied.
2. Eat regularly - don't let yourself get too hungry, because that's when you'll be tempted by "forbidden" foods.
3. Likewise, be prepared - I cannot stress this enough! Carry snacks with you at all times.
4. Quinoa is your friend!
5. So are amaranth and millet.
6. Find new ways of preparing simple foods (or simple ways of preparing new foods!) - cut your vegetables differently and/or roast them; make burgers out of gluten-free grains, vegetables, and eggs; create huge colourful salads; experiment with different non-gluten flours, etc.
7. Try smoothies. You can pack SO much goodness into them, plus, they're quick and portable! I used to eat them out of a bowl with chopped fruit mixed in, like a pudding!
8. Check out the following types of cookbooks/blogs (which often contain many allergy-friendly recipes): ethnic, vegan, raw, Paleo, and of course the rapidly-growing sector of gluten/dairy/soy/sugar-free resources.
9. Don't be afraid to try new foods and recipes! You may discover a new favourite :).
10. Last, but not least: embrace it! Have fun with the diet and see the possibilities rather than the restrictions. Don't think of how much you're missing out on - think of how good you feel!

Good luck! :)

Bull. I have been eating store-bought raw sprouts for years - heck, I don't even wash them beforehand - and not once have I gotten even the slightest hint of illness from them. I think it's more a question of how the establishments mentioned in the article have sourced, stored, and prepared the sprouts rather than sprouts themselves being the hazard. This whole "witch hunt" against traditional, raw, and enzyme-rich foods (kombucha recall, anyone?) is infuriating!

EKF99 - I subscribe to Clean Eating, and I find it can be hit or miss. Though there's enough to keep me coming back each year, I've gotta say it can be a bit redundant at times (enough with the Greek yogurt raves, already!), and Chef Jo bugs the bejeezus outta me.

My favourite is traditional fermented dosa - soak brown basmati rice and red lentils overnight, blend in the morning with enough water to create a pancake-batter consistency, let it sit at room temp or slightly warmer for another 8 hours or so, then cook in an oiled pan like pancakes! Sooooo tasty, especially when filled with curried potatoes and peas!

Kamut pasta is great, too. It has the nuttiness of whole wheat, but amped up! Lots of protein, too. Pairs well with mushrooms (I'm thinking mushrooms, Chard, and Parmesan...), tempeh, and probably squash (smoky butternut "cream" sauce with sage, anyone?).

First of all, I second niecelette's comment. This post obviously wasn't meant to encourage thoughts of death, but rather the comfort, joy and fulfillment that food can bring. Don't take it so seriously, people - just play the game!

My last meal...such a hard question! Honestly, some of the greatest gustatory pleasures are the simple ones, for me: a perfectly sweet-tart-crispy Honeycrisp apple, an heirloom tomato with sea salt, or a peanut butter sandwich on fresh bread. Hell, just fresh bread alone! Let me graze at a farmer's market for my last meal and I would die happy. Either that, or my mom's hamburger stew :).