For some, going gluten free is trendy. I, on the other hand, had to give it up for my health just a few months ago. Non–celiac gluten sensitivity, gluten allergy, whatever you want to call it—I can’t eat it, and I’m still adjusting to the extensive thought process before every meal.
10:15 a.m.: I wake up starving, because food is the first thing I think of when I wake up and what I dream about when I go to sleep.
10:22 a.m.: Toast a gluten–free frozen waffle and make coffee.
10:42 a.m.: I (once again) forgot to make a lunch. Hastily pack a bag of trail mix and plan to wing it for lunch and dinner.
10:43 a.m.: Mental note (for the hundredth time): buy mini Tupperware so I can pack hummus and carrots. Buy plastic spoons so I can pack a yogurt. Remember to make lunch in the first place.
11:50 a.m.: Check email. A board meeting later this week will have food from some new company. Send reply: “Can you double check if anything is gluten free?”
1:16 p.m.: Stop by Joe’s Cafe after class for sushi (hold the soy sauce). I stare longingly at the chocolate chip scones, the pasta of the day, and even the meh–looking sandwiches. Oh, ciabatta...
4:06 p.m.: Start thinking about dinner tonight, squeezed in between meetings at 5:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
4:28 p.m.: Still weighing dinner options. I had Sweetgreen yesterday, Honest Tom’s is too far and I had sushi for lunch.
4:32 p.m.: Houston? No, aside from a (delightful) selection of snack products, none of the dining options are really gluten–free–friendly.
5:36 p.m.: Definitively settle on cooking.
6:40 p.m.: Walk home, notice a sign on the door Saxby’s—they sell gluten free bagels now.
6:55 p.m.: Make some rice, saute some vegetables and grill chicken (with chili garlic sauce for a nice kick).
7:25 p.m.: Stuffed and very pleased with my decision.
7:40 p.m.: Ugh, Huntsman is far and home is cozy.
8:02 p.m.: Arrive at club meeting. Someone brought homemade red velvet cupcakes. This is a joke, right?
8:03 p.m.: “No thanks, I just ate a huge dinner!”
8:08 p.m.: Friend: “You didn’t take one? What, are you on a diet?”
8:07 p.m.: Shrug it off. I’ll get a gluten free brownie at Metro tomorrow.
A go–to recipe for breakfast, lunch or dinner: Tacos.
Ingredients:
Corn tortilla
For breakfast: Eggs / For lunch or dinner: Chicken breast
Any desired toppings: black beans, cheddar cheese, bell pepper, onion and/or avocado, if you can find decent avocado in Philly.
Salsa
Lightly toast tortilla. Scramble eggs or saute chicken in a little olive oil. Saute veggies. Put it all together on top of the tortilla and pile on the cheese (shredded), beans and salsa.
