Happy Friday, everyone! Atlanta feels a little more like San Francisco right about now, and I’m not complaining. Windows in the house are open, which is unheard of in mid-June, and I’m looking forward to some gorgeous pool time over the weekend . . . with some of my new favorite dairy-gluten-soy-peanut-free snacks. LOL. But really . . . I know I touched on a couple snacks that have saved me in my last (epic) post about starting to combat my chronic fatigue and get better, but wanted to really share about a few of them here.
When the doctor first told me what she wanted me to do for four whole weeks, I thought it was going to be impossible. But in the past (now) five weeks, I’ve rekindled a healthier relationship with vegetables and fruits than I’ve had in a long time and I’ve found some new substitutes for old favorites that are surprisingly delicious!
Califa Farms Almond Milk Creamer
Spy likes to call my coffee a milkshake. I maintain that he’s a psychopath for liking his black. Just another real-life example of opposites attracting.
That said, black coffee is just not an option for me. I’m usually a half-and-half kinda girl, but have dabbled with bulletproof and coconut milk and love both, but they’re both just so much fat and calories. Oh, and sweetner? Yuck, never.
So I was thrilled to find this almond milk creamer that has coconut milk added, which makes it creamier than almond milk alone and gives it just a hint of the coconut flavor I like. It also comes in vanilla and hazlenut flavors, but I like the plain, unsweetened kind so much I will probably stick with this even if my labs come back with no dairy issues!
Dr. Praeger’s All-American Veggie Burgers
Don’t get me wrong. I have absolutely nothing against meat. But grilling up a cheeseburger for breakfast isn’t exactly convenient, so veggie burgers have for a while been one of my go-to high-protein breakfasts. Unfortunately, the brand I was eating when I started this journey was packed with soy protein. Womp, womp. This replacement uses pea protein as its base, is gluten free and packs a whopping 28g of protein. Instead of microwaving, as I’d typically done with others, I actually follow the instructions to pan fry these (literally, six minutes), and they get this amazing little crispy outer layer on them. They are so good, I have to ration myself, since they only come two to a box and I don’t want to be that crazy lady buying four at a time.
Daiya Cheeze Lovers Pizza
Okay, let’s get real. Being able to eat pizza is absolutely non-negotiable. Last weekend, it was really all I wanted on Saturday night. I knew I could track down a gluten-free crust and, after a good experience with Daiya cheddar “cheese,” I figured their mozzarella shreds would be just as good. So my plan was to make my own pizza. Wrong. I could not find a gluten-free crust at my Publix and was nearly devastated — until I continued to peruse the frozen pizza aisle and found this little gem already made for me! There was also meatless “pepperoni” version, but I figured I could only ask Spy to be so adventurous. I brought it home, topped it with onions, peppers and smoked sausage, poured myself a glass of rosé (after the official four weeks, all bets are off on this portion of the eating plan) and was in absolute heaven. Seriously. The cheeze was melty and good, the crust crispy, what’s not to like? And Spy didn’t have any idea he was eating “fake” food. Shhh!
Larabar Truffles
I swear, I’m not even that much of a sweets person, but every now and then, you just need a little something. Spy and Miss Girl are all over bakery items and ice cream and there’s usually way too much sugar in this house. So getting my occasional bite of something is never a problem . . . until I can’t eat dairy or gluten. Enter my stepmom, who visited early into my four weeks with a bag of these babies in the chocolate mint flavor. Are you even kidding me?? Done. Spy brought home chocolates from Belgium and I honestly would almost rather eat these. Almost. (Note: they seem to have been removed from the Larabar site, so I’m deeply concerned that they have been discontinued. I’d stock up now, if I were y’all!)
So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt
Not really a yogurt person, either. But every once in a while it’s the perfect thing for breakfast with a couple handfuls of blueberries and some salted almonds (yes, salted). During our recent trip to London, I’d gotten hooked on this really amazing, thick plain greek yogurt at the hotel, which I dressed with a bit of honey, currants and a mix of seeds and nuts. So yum. Unfortunately, I had just bought a giant tub of plain Chobani before the doctor’s appointment that would render it utterly useless. Sigh.
Luckily, I remembered I’d tried this at some point in the past year and thought it was creamy and delicious. I think I had actually had a coconut flavor, which I need to track down again, but the vanilla totally hits the spot.
Have a delicious weekend, whatever you’re eating!