As of this year, I have been following a wheat-free diet with a limit on dairy and chicken. Why is this? Well it’s not that I’m hopping on the gluten-free bandwagon because I want to be “hip”, but I actually got tested for food allergies and I am allergic to wheat and chicken and am sensitive to dairy. So what’s the difference between a food allergy and sensitivity? Great question y’all 😉 A food allergy means that your body’s immune response responds to a certain food as something harmful, similar to seasonal allergies. An allergy is something that’s a part of your DNA, it might not manifest symptoms your whole life but it is always there. Food sensitivity on the other hand isn’t necessarily something in your genes but can be something that’s developed overtime and can be caused by numerous things.
Food allergies and sensitivities affect many people in the world and if you have one, know you are not alone! Most of y’all I am sure have heard about a “gluten-free” diet or “gluten-free” food products but there is a lot of misinformation out there of what it really is. A “gluten-free” diet is only for those that have been tested as having Celiac disease which is a genetic disease in which these individuals are highly allergic to gluten – a protein found in wheat. Following a “gluten-free” diet isn’t more healthy and following it doesn’t cause you to automatically loose weight. Also, if you aren’t careful, you can miss out on essential nutrients your body needs by eliminating foods that contain gluten.
Eating wheat-free, while limiting dairy and chicken, isn’t as hard as you might think because I can eat all of the wonderful grains of oats, quinoa, rice, and many more. Hard, aged cheeses have less lactose and fat so you can get away with eating less cheese, with less lactose, but it still packs a punch of flavor! Chicken has always been a lifelong favorite for me but turkey is a great substitute in most recipes and other protein sources like vegetable source proteins, legumes and seafood are so flexible to cook with or simply add to a salad. But there are some foods that I just am not willing to live without… dietitians are humans too! So here is my list of foods that are my “cheat foods” that, even knowing the not so fun consequences, are totally worth it…
- Cupcakes! Let’s be real, cupcakes are like a big deal in my life.
- Mint chocolate chip ice cream
- The bread served at Texas Roadhouse
- Dubliner Cheese, if you haven’t tried it you need to!
Cream in my coffee:
I won’t ever be able to live without coffee so the cream is just part of the bargain- And last but not least… Garlic breadsticks
Much love and be well!
Sarah Elijah Scherer
Sarah Elijah Scherer, RDN 