Wheat Belly Meals

It's been a week since we began our grain free/sugar free diet. Jesse and I are fully committed to eating this way for 30 days. If Jesse's blood work shows improvements with cholesterol and blood sugar, our goal would be to continue this diet indefinitely. We're just taking it one day at a time right now.

Many people think Wheat Belly is simply eating gluten-free, but that is not the recommendation. Most packaged gluten-free items are full of potato starch, rice starch, and many unpronounceable ingredients. The whole idea of Wheat Belly is to eat foods that are lower on the glycemic index so you can avoid the constant spike and crash in blood sugar. The diet is similar to Paleo, with the addition of dairy.  The goal is to eliminate processed foods and use as much fresh foods as possible. I love to cook and experiment with recipes, so that's not too challenging. Our greatest obstacle is to create a variety of meals within a strict budget.

To clarify-

• When I say "we" I am only referring to Jesse and I. The kids are still eating mac-n-cheese, graham crackers, PB&J, quesadillas, etc. They also eat plenty of produce and meat. I don't know when we will fully eliminate sugar and grains for the kids. Of course, I think "If it's not good for me, why would it be acceptable for my children?" If we decide this is the best way to eat forever, I will stop purchasing processed foods for them. For now, I will continue to buy processed foods because of the convenience and low cost. 
• We are eating anything that contains natural sugars, including fruit, honey, Stevia, etc. We are not eating or drinking anything that contains artificial sweeteners. 
• We are purchasing regular meat and butter since we cannot afford grass-fed, free range, hormone free, etc. 
• We are avoiding all wheat and corn syrup, including modified food starch. That eliminates most dressings, sauces, creamy soups, and other surprising items.
• For the first few weeks at least, we will be abstaining from rice, quinoa, oats, etc. I imagine we'll reintroduce those carbohydrates occasionally, but I'd like to get a solid foundation on our new way of eating first.

Here are some of the meals we've eaten this week:

scrambled eggs with green peppers and cheese, strawberries

Paleo cereal: strawberries and pecans in almond milk

Turkey and tomato wraps using romaine lettuce rather than bread

Banana nut pancakes (made with only egg, banana, and walnuts)

Lemon-pepper roasted chicken with veggies

pan-seared salmon, roasted broccoli, baked sweet potato fries

Fajita melt (onions, peppers, beef on a WB tortilla covered in cheese), avocado, salsa

I'm in love with this new gadget!

chicken, honey glazed carrots, sauteed onions and zucchini

Eating those meals is easy. They are satisfying and tasty. The challenge is avoiding grazing on chips, crackers, cookies, etc.

I am so, so proud to share that I have baked a good bit this week but not indulged in a single lick of batter or icing. Here's what I baked and did NOT eat:

two dozen dark chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese icing

Marble cake with vanilla buttercream icing and candy melts