On Life As A Picky Foodie

What’s In Your Food? (part 2)

The first time I visited my grandmother after discovering that I could no longer eat gluten or dairy, she made me one of her wonderful chicken noodle soups.  Unfortunately, I had to tell her that I could not have it because the pasta was made out of wheat flour.

“But it’s just a little,” she sighed. 

Unfortunately for me, even a bite is too much.

Too often, despite the best of intentions we can end up consuming foods that make us ill without knowing it.  Because ingredients listed on packaging aren’t as clear as one would hope.  There are many places to hide allergens like dairy and gluten without having to declare them.  The best way to ensure that you are not ingesting a specific food is to stick to those marked “Free From” whatever it is you are trying to avoid. If this is not possible, for whatever reason, it’s important to be aware of where to look for hidden offenders. And remember, “Wheat free” does not mean “Gluten free.”

Here are a few helpful tips to help in the navigation of food labels, etc.:

Gluten:

Where it hides:

Wheat comes in many shapes and sizes – couscous, bulgur, semolina, durum, even the famous Passover Matsoh is wheat.  But wheat isn’t the only ingredient containing gluten.  Other grains are spelt, kamut, triticale, barley, rye and oats.  Though oats don’t usually contain gluten in and of themselves, they are often grown and processed in close proximity to wheat and so contamination is almost guaranteed – if you can’t see yourself giving up your morning porridge, however, gluten-free oats are available at most health food stores. 

But here’s where it gets tricky:  Gluten can hide out in sweeteners like glucose, malt and maltodextrin (often made from barley), vitamins and supplements often contain gluten, as do flavouring agents including MSG and soy sauce as well as food colourings.  Even vinegar, when made from malt, can contain gluten. 

What is Gluten-free then?

If you’re naturally curious or have been told you need to stay away from the G-word, consider immersing yourself in the wonderful word of alternative grains.  Quinoa, with its high protein content; millet, which is an alkaline grain and makes for a wonderful breakfast; corn – tortillas, need I say more? – are only a few examples of gluten-free treasures waiting to be discovered.  And if you’re tired of brown rice, how about checking out black or red rice or switching from long grain to short grain or vice versa?

But what about baking?  Well, flours too are a-plenty.  Gram or chickpea flour, tapioca flour, sorghum flour.  It’s a real art to get the ratios right, and really fun to experiment and play, but if what you’re looking for is a ready-made solution, check out the myriad of pre-mixed versions available.  In the US, I use Bob’s Red Mill; in the UK, Dove’s. 

Dairy:

Obviously milk, yoghurt, butter and cream are out.  But dairy can come under different names: whey, casein and caseinate are the most commonly used terms. 

Did you know that some margarines contain milk derivatives?  What about homeopathic remedies?   Or over the counter medications?  My personal favourites are the lactose-free milks that still list milk protein as one of their ingredients.  Even something as innocent-sounding as “flavourings” can contain dairy.

Instead, try rice or soy milk.  And for the more adventurous: try making your own nut milks – you will find a recipe on my Friday Night Dinner Blog – it takes five minutes and can last for a few days – just like the cows’ version. 

Many people feel overwhelmed when they start to make these changes.  They wonder what they are going to eat and how they will fit all of these new challenges into days that are already jam-packed.  The irony is that oftentimes the foods that we eat most frequently are the ones to which we are most sensitive.  But whether you have been diagnosed with an allergy or intolerance or you would simply like to try and incorporate new whole foods into your everyday, thankfully, the options are many and support is no further than thepickyfoodie.com J.  

As for sugar, well, I think it deserves an entry all to itself – stay tuned for next week’s sweet, sweet edition of On Life As A Picky Foodie.

Be well and enjoy,

Gabriela

P.S.  Speaking of dairy- and gluten-free, this week I tackle an old favourite: tzatziki.  Never though that one would be doable, did you?  Check it out at The Friday Night Dinner Blog.

P.P.S.  For all you lovely women living in London: in March I will be starting an 8-week workshop all about nourishing ourselves through the senses.  Check it out, email me with any questions and sign up to reserve your place sooner rather than later.  It’s going to be delicious -- see you there!

One seemingly simple recipe that alludes me constantly is hummus.  It sounds so easy: chickpeas, some Middle Eastern spices, olive oil, tahini, lemon – blend, season and presto.  But no.  Somehow my hummus is always in need of something or other, forever missing that je ne sais quoi that takes food from decent to decadent.  And for a hummus-lover like myself, this is pretty upsetting.

When my Israeli cousin recently offered to show me how it’s done, I couldn’t resist.  We were on a roll with the usual ingredients, his little tricks were already showing me the error of my ways.  Then he pulled out a wild card: a raw egg.  I did a double take before recovering enough to stop him with the fact that pregnant women like myself can’t eat raw eggs.  But, more importantly, I thought of my vegan friends who rely on hummus based on the well-known fact that it is completely free from animal products.

It appears, however, that this is not always the case.

Strange as this unexpected addition sounded but curious about the results, I agreed to give it a try.  We cooked the egg, threw it in and I have to admit that the hummus did benefit from an extra layer of richness.  However, I would like to keep my own homemade version vegan and so am still experimenting and trying to come up with a non-ovo solution in my quest for the perfect hummus.

It did get me thinking about all the ingredients that pop up in places we don’t expect.

Like eggs in hummus
Or wheat in soy sauce
Or casein (a component of milk) in “vegan” cheese
Or sugar in honey

These are just a few examples of why it’s so important to read the labels on absolutely everything -- you can never know what surprises you’ll find.  It reminds me of that game we used to play in pre-school when we were shown four items – let’s say a sheep, a horse, a cow and a lawnmower – and had to point to which one didn’t fit.   

When you’re trying to eat healthily a rule of thumb is: the simpler the better – so try to find foods with as few ingredients as possible, and definitely try to stay away from those foods that contain all sorts of things that don’t seem to “fit.”

Be well and enjoy,

Gabriela Garay User

P.S.  Interested in a new twist on an old mushroom cap?  Check out this week’s Friday Night Dinner Blog for a great and easy stuffed mushroom recipe.

P.P.S.  Thank you to the guys at Leon restaurants for featuring my Green Smoothie Recipe in their January newsletter.  Personally I tend to use almond butter rather than peanut butter, but both yield great results.

Hannukah is long gone, Christmas is now only a memory, there’s no longer a New Year’s Eve to look forward to – only January. January, which is the way winter used to be: with its long, dark weeks and no holidays to drink to.

Many people spend this first month of the year resolving to be someone else, to live a life different from their own, to change in every which way.

But…  I’d like to propose a resolution revolution.

How about instead of deciding you have to
lose four stone in three months
work out eighteen times a week while maintaining a full-time job
and
NEVER eat sugar again
we resolve to stop beating ourselves up and try to accept where we are instead?

How about instead of trying desperately to stick to that horrible diet that seemed to work for someone else, this time we resolve to figure out what works for us?

Rather than force ourselves into everything, why not try and see what we actually want, like, enjoy?

Somewhere, somehow, we lost trust in ourselves, our bodies, our desires, our feelings.  So many people like to throw themselves into the deep end because that is the only way they feel they will get anything done.  What if you eased yourself in and asked yourself with each step whether you still wanted to be there?  

Why not resolve to be kind to ourselves, as kind as we would be to others?

When you look in the mirror, speak to yourself as you would a loved one. 

When you accomplish something you’ve been working hard at, allow yourself to celebrate before crashing on to the next thing.

When you reread what you’ve written, don’t just dismiss it as a piece of crap.

And if it’s creative pursuits you’re after, how about allowing yourself to pursue them one step at a time.  Even the greatest masters had crappy first drafts!

One of my biggest challenges with my clients is to get them to like themselves, to encourage and reward themselves instead of constantly judging, criticising and putting themselves down.  How about resolving to do away with the constant put-downs this year?  How about taking the time to smell each flower life brandishes before us instead of hurrying and worrying about what’s next?  After all, the end of the line is the same for us all – so why not enjoy the now?

Starting in January, I will be offering group sessions.  If you’re interested in getting some inspiration in the kitchen and need some social time as well, why not book a great food-class with a friend?  We can chat about healthy choices, options and alternatives to your everyday routines.  Of course it works out a lot cheaper for everyone.  For more information, email me at Gabriela@thepickyfoodie.com

Be well, enjoy, and may 2010 be happy, healthy and full of great surprises.

Gabriela

P.S. Looking for some healthy, lighter meals to counter the heavy foods you’ve been eating lately?  Check out my Christmas and New Years recipes on The Friday Night Dinner Blog.