Even though I’ve been on a gluten-free, refined sugar-free diet for almost 10 years, when Nate and I both had to go dairy-free it threw me for a HUGE loop. Not only was I trying to feed myself, but I had to feed Nate nutritious food he would happily eat. Couple that with the fact that he’s a nosher, and it was enough to make my eyes cross.

I had to rethink how I did things. I had to look for other solutions. I had to really slow down and plan how we ate differently.

It’s gotten much easier, and the learning curve for this dietary change was so much smaller than the first time.

I’ve found some go-to snacks that always work from him. Some are more portable than others, but they’re all nutritious, whole foods. Here are the six I always keep on hand:

1. Avocado

Did you know that toddlers should get 40 – 50% of their calories from fat? Avocados are the perfect food for them. They’re filled with healthy fats, and fiber, too. Firmer avocados are better as finger foods, but softer avocados are delicious mashed and dipped in steamed veggies or in green smoothies.

2. Beans

Yes, beans! They’re filled with fiber and help with digestion. Nate loves beans. Plus, they’re the perfect size for picking up and eating. At first, I smashed each bean with my fingers before letting him eat it just in case he tried to swallow it whole. Now, he can chew whole beans by himself. We pack them in a little cooler and he snacks on them while we’re out and about. Sometimes people look at me like I have three heads but their kids are eating Goldfish and Rainbow Sprinkle Chocolate Chip Cookies.
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© Amy Green for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2013. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us

Aren’t these naturally colored eggs brilliantly gorgeous?

I remember how exciting it was to draw on hard-boiled eggs with a crayon, drop them into a mug full of colored water, and pull them out ten minutes later to find my artwork intact and the egg bright with color.

I think all the food coloring gave my mom’s nerves a run for their money. She always had us change into old clothes and layered our kitchen counter tops with newspaper. I can’t blame her.

Years and years later (I won’t admit to how long…) we don’t look at food color the same way. When I was a kid, there wasn’t any talk about Red Food Dye #40 and links to behavioral problems. Nor was there talk of artificial food dye being harmful to our health.

Thankfully there is a solution!

Today there are healthier options for coloring food. There is a trend toward using natural ingredients to create color. I did it with my Green Eggs & Ham.

And, today you can find quality natural food coloring.
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© Amy Green for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2013. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us

CONTEST CLOSED 1/28/13

This is a guest post from my friend, Katie, at Kitchen Stewardship. She has an FABULOUS give-away for you so keep reading!

I made a lot of food from scratch even before our family went (mostly) gluten-free, including regularly baking sourdough bread, homemade rolls, and biscuits.

With or without gluten, the homemade life can be mightily time-consuming.

The busier my family gets, and the more we change our eating habits to reduce processed foods, the more I find myself looking for corners to cut without compromising nutrition.

Here are 3 simple hacks that save time in the kitchen, get dinner on the table faster, and make it possible to eat the way we want without Mom losing her sanity:

1. Serve the casserole over rice.

Since going gluten-free, this has been my quickest and easiest way to make a casserole not only GF, but faster too. Rather than figure out a new biscuit recipe to top Easy Chicken and Biscuits or make corn tortillas for chicken enchiladas, I just make a pot of rice. I whip up the sauce portion of the casseroles, both of which use a homemade white sauce, which is easy to adjust to be gluten-free, and then simply serve it over rice.

I don’t have to mix up biscuit dough, transfer hot soupy stuff to a casserole dish, make tortillas, fill and roll tortillas, or even turn on the oven. This is great in the summer especially.

And my husband is happier not only because he has a less-stressed-out wife, but also because he doesn’t have to wash a nasty casserole dish coated in baked-on cheese. Everybody wins with over rice!
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© Amy Green for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2013. | Permalink | 26 comments | Add to del.icio.us

Yes! You can add immune boosting foods and still have an off-the-charts delicious holiday meal. Being healthy for the holidays is a must! And, you might be surprised how many of these foods already grace your holiday table.

1. Beans: The humble bean is full of soluble fiber, which has been shown to help mice recover from illness twice as fast as compared to those mice who ate a fiber blend. Legumes are also a rich source of vitamin B6, which helps create white blood cells – the infection fighters.
   Recipes to Try: Black Bean Brownies, White Bean Gratin, Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas, and make sure to check out this free ebook by Carol Fenster, Pulses and the Gluten-Free Diet (This is a Canadian ebook and they call beans pulses.)
2. Flax Seed Oil: Make a dressing out of this nutty oil and drizzle it on your salad! This is another food that helps support white blood cells and also helps the body not over-react to infection. Because flax seed oil can be bitter, make sure to use it with another oil.
   Recipes to Try: Lemon Vinaigrette or Almost Raw Liquid Gold Salad Dressing
3. Cinnamon: This antiviral, anti-fungal, antibacterial immune booster is the perfect addition to your holiday desserts, hot chocolate, and Egg Nog. Make sure to add some to your daily green smoothie, too.
   Recipes to Try: Gingerbread Cupcakes, Egg Nog, Pumpkin Pie Smoothie, and Gingerbread Cookie Dough Protein Bars
4. Oats: A simple food that contains beta-glucan, which helps fight disease. It’s a soluble fiber which has antioxidant and antimicrobrial properties. Since the body doesn’t make beta-glucan it’s important to get it from food. Make sure your oats are certified gluten-free.
   Recipes to Try: Thanksgiving Meatless Loaf, Cinnamon Oat Snowdrops, Cinnamon Vanilla Granola, or  Blueberry Crumble
5.  Sweet Potatoes: Packed with beta-cartoene, which is converted to Vitamin A, sweet potatoes help keep your skin healthy. Since your skin is the largest organ in your body and covers nearly every inch of our body, it’s the first place to ward off germs. Other orange foods, like pumpkin and some winter squash, are great additions to your holiday meal too.
   Recipes to Try: Sweet Potato and Kale Hash, Sweet Potato Quinoa Cookies, or Curried Acorn Squash, Sweet Potato, & Apple Soup

How do you use food to give your health a boost?

Sources:

AARP, Eating Well, Dr. Sears, Everyday Health, Organic Gardening, Prevention, LiveStrong.com, Life Extension, Glamour, Health Guidance

© Amy Green for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2012. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us

Making your own homemade sugar-free, alcohol-free vanilla is simple with this recipe. And, it’s a frugal solution to spending $12 for 2 ounces of vanilla at the store.

Don’t hate me for not sharing this sooner. I’ve been using my homemade vanilla extract my kitchen for a long time now and I love how it flavors my recipes. I love how it saves me money. And, I love that I always have a supply of vanilla on-hand. I go through small bottles of vanilla quickly.

If you make some now, it’ll be ready in time for your holiday baking.

You’ll never go back to store-bought vanilla. Never.

I have seen so many recipes that use a bottle of vodka to make vanilla.

I DON’T want alcohol in my vanilla. Without any sugar to cover up the alcohol, you’re left with vodka undertones that are present in recipes like puddings, custards, and frosting. And, I prefer my vanilla to be sugar-free. Of course!

Instead, I use food-grade vegetable glycerine. It’s the same ingredient used in sugar-free vanilla from the store. I was having trouble finding the food-grade type. Ricki told me I could use the NOW Foods brand, which I found on iHerb.com.
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© Amy Green for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2012. | Permalink | 42 comments | Add to del.icio.us