Going Grainless: Where to Start

There are many reasons to go on a grain-free diet, but the transition can be difficult for those who have always enjoyed their pizza, pasta, breads and other grain-based foods.

So if you’ve made the decision to embark on this journey to potentially better health and perhaps to a lose a few pounds in the process, where do you begin?

There are numerous cookbooks and online recipes that can help you get started, but here is a look at some of the best tried and true ideas for meals as well as snacks.

Snacks

Organic raw fruits and vegetables are some of the easiest and most convenient snack foods to have on hand. Try to stock up on fresh produce so that you always have something available when those hunger pangs strike. If you want to dress them up a bit and add a little protein, consider something like apple slices with almond butter or a banana with peanut butter. Yum!

Kale chips can be found in some health food stores, but it’s less expensive and fairly simple to make them at home. All you need to do is remove the ribs from a bunch of kale, about 10 leaves.

Toss with 2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Spread them out onto a baking sheet and place in a 275 degree oven. Bake for about 30 minutes or until crisp and still slightly green.

Make your own trail mix by combining a variety of nuts with raisins and other dried fruits. Hard-boiled eggs are also a good tried and true snack, and there are nearly endless versions for delicious smoothies without grains.

Breakfast Ideas

Smoothies are fabulous for breakfast, and a Strawberry Coconut Almond smoothie is a wonderful way to start your day out right. Just toss 8-10 frozen strawberries, 1 cup of coconut milk, 1 teaspoon of almond butter and 1 teaspoon of raw, organic honey into your blender and blend until smooth. If you want to make it fancy, garnish with a few coconut shavings and fresh strawberries. Throw in some spinach to add your morning leafy greens.

Didn’t think you could have pancakes? Banana-egg pancakes are simply amazing! Combine two eggs with a banana in your blender, or just mash well in a bowl until smooth. Add about one tablespoon of almond butter, a dash of cinnamon and a little organic pure vanilla extract and blend well. Now, melt a little coconut oil in your pan and make them as you would standard pancakes. Add some fresh fruit on top for extra flavor and nutrition.

You can also scramble up eggs with spinach leaves and mushrooms, or just about any of your favorite vegetables. Add some garlic for flavor as well as potent anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral benefits.

Lunch and Dinner Ideas

Coconut wraps can be purchased at many health food stores or online. These tasty wraps can be used in place of bread to make grain-free sandwiches, burritos and more. You can also wrap organic, grass-fed roast beef around raw, sliced crunchy veggies like carrots and celery. Or, experiment by wrapping turkey slices around avocado, chicken around apple slices – the possibilities are practically endless!

Gluten Nuts or seeds and fresh fruit added to plain, organic yogurt without any additives also makes a delicious and convenient meal.

It’s fairly easy to come up with grain-free dinner ideas. Baked wild-caught salmon on a bed of fresh, baby spinach leaves drizzled with lemon juice instead of standard salad dressing takes just minutes to put together.

Using a variety of fresh greens paired with seeds, and optionally a little cooked chicken or hard-boiled egg, makes a wide variety of salads that can provide a different dinner for every night of the week, or even the month.

You can even have burgers and fries if you’re craving them. Use organic, grass-fed beef and wrap in lettuce. For the fries, thinly slice sweet potatoes and heat them in about a half-inch of coconut oil in a cast iron skillet.

Let’s be creative and get healthy together!

-The Alternative Daily

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