Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Breaking Free Of Groundhog's Day Diet

How do you get a foodie to change her diet? Make her extraordinarily sick with gall for a week. Being ill and to be honest-  scared  last week.It's time for a change - not the constant Bill Murray "Groundhog's Day"  rote of bad foods.

There are a few meats and types of shellfish that sadly I will have to give up in order to have a healthier, sickness free life. As anyone who reads Foodie Pantry knows I love hot dogs, in particular, Target's. They are juicy and beefy, sheer heaven in a bite. They also are a memory now as are those butter and cheesy croque  Monsieurs that I enjoy frying up. Also on the extinction list Bahr's steamed lobster  which is a summer staple for me. Luckily I can tolerate clam (even though it's not bad foods for gallbladder disease) so I can still have Bahr's famed Manhattan style one. Yet my selection of protein will be deeply narrowed. There will be a lot more of grilled chicken breast which is fine by me Grilled chicken breast is wonderful, if done right and works well with any assortment of vegetables.I can also continue to enjoy my beloved turkey however I can only have the breast and none of that deliciously crispy skin. Gravy and bread are also out.The fat and gluten will kill me Any tofu product is encouraged and I have been using Morningstar Farms for years and am a big fan of their burgers and chik'n nuggets.

Dairy has to be rethought. I was never a big ice cream fan , favoring the more water based gelati instead.As with anything there is a craving. I used to head to Skinny Cow for their tasty cones with the surprise ,blob of chocolate at the bottom. Now I have to eat low fat yogurt , both the cup and the frozen kind. Greek yogurt has the least amount of fat, being made with ewe's milk (the same used for feta) . I found the sinfully tasty but low calorie Yasso yogurt pops. Their chocolate chip coffee ( I know I know I should not have opted for this since both on on the GD do not eat list) is creamy and flavorful. This is definitely going to be on my summer menu,and I'm looking forward to their vanilla and coconut flavors.Thankfully I can still have the Italian and shaved ice, so there's no giving up the Jersey shore's Lighthouse ices at Monmouth Beach, I do have to give up the creamy cappuccinos from Starbucks along with Dunkin Donuts frozen lattes. Both coffee and dairy are off the table but luckily I can still have Starbucks' chilled passionfruit tea.. Cookies are going to be few and far between as well but I returned  the milk and dairy free Barry's Bakery French puffs. These a crunchy multi layered baked puffs that have a lovely maple flavor. They're full of taste and crunch.

Slowly but surely I'm accepting this diet.I honestly don't miss the heavy, bad for me diet or the rut they created. I like rediscovering the healthier foods. They're a change from the usual fat , salt and sugar bombs.

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