For The Love of Bread

In an effort to eat "healthier" over the past couple of years, I have cut several items from my diet.

When I was pregnant with Travis (23 months old) I stopped drinking cow milk and went to strictly almond milk. It was a bit of a transition and an acquired taste, but now I can't live without it. I can't say that I have cut dairy out of my diet because cow milk really is the only thing I've been able to say "no" to 100% of the time.

Cheese, yogurt, ice cream and some of those snacks that come in boxes or a bag (that contain dairy) are the ones I am having a hard time with. And cookies, don't forget cookies. It IS getting easier though. What really opened my eyes was when I had given birth to Travis and he had an extremely sensitive tummy, gastritis and severe food protein allergies. I had to do a total elimination diet (which you can read about HERE or HERE) and really learned how many of the processed foods have dairy, soy, wheat, eggs and are manufactured near in factories with nuts! I was amazed! It truly is what started to open my eyes.

As of now, I have gone from eating yogurt and cheese daily to eating a yogurt *maybe* once a week and stealing pieces of cheese squares from Travis' lunch or dinner plate. It has been hard, and I miss my smoked gouda cheese on crackers with apple slices!

My efforts to change my diet don't solely surround weight. I do feel blessed in the body I was given and I thank my excellent genes that I haven't ever had to battle with weight issues that so many women my age do. I have a fast metabolism and always have. Has it slowed down? Yes, but it is still fast.

I am changing the way I eat because I am trying to get the crap out of my refrigerator and pantry. I don't want my children growing up on crappy sugary cereals (that we all love, including me) and I want them to eat real, natural, not made in factories food. I can't call myself a vegetarian, yet, nor can I call myself a vegan. I just have goals to eliminate certain foods, one at a time. None of this cold turkey crap in my house. (Yes, I am an addict and I AM addicted to ice cream)

Each week I am trying to make a few subtle changes.

This week, instead of purchasing Dryers Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream at the grocery store I replaced it with SoDelicious Almond Milk Mocha Almond Fudge ice cream and I am making every effort to not eat bread. No PB&J's, toast or bread and butter. I had the ice cream last night and it was just as good as "cow-milk" ice cream so that was an easy no brainer.

Today, after my workout at bootcamp, I was craving protein but did not want my usual chocolate or vanilla protein shake. Instead, I was craving (yes, craving) eggs. Egg salad to be exact, so I grabbed two hard boiled eggs, mashed them up and drizzled yellow mustard on top to mix it in. I used both egg whites, but only the yolk from one of them.

It was tasty. Since I am making every effort to cut out bread, I went to my hydroponics garden out back and picked some fresh butter-crunch lettuce leaves to substitute as bread. Who would have thought that egg salad lettuce wraps would be so good!? They were delicious and so easy to make. I added a few stalks of celery to my lunch to give me the crunch that I crave and I had the perfect healthy bread-free lunch I was hoping for. 

Easy Egg Salad Lettuce Wraps:

2 eggs (hardboiled, 2 whites, 1 yolk)

Yellow mustard, to taste

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Any leafy greens that can be used to sandwich the salad