, ,

How to Plan for Multiple Diets at Mealtime

, ,
How to Plan for Multiple Diets at Mealtime

Is anyone else dealing with a multiple "diet" household and struggling to find meals that please everyone? How about multiple food allergies? I'm convinced pleasing everyone is impossible anyway then you throw in the "I don't eat that" or "I can't have that" and it's a whole different ballgame. Maybe it's food allergies, auto-immune disease, against animal cruelty, or maybe for other reasons. Ok, so it's not totally impossible but it takes a little more time and effort as well as a little bit of I don't give AF (if everyone is 100% excited about the meal) to make it happen with less stress. The problem is that I give too many Fs when it comes to what we eat so I need to work on that last part. Also, I am in NO way recommending anyone adhere to any particular diet, just offering ideas if needed.

In my house, we are working with a generally picky 9 y/o who hates change, a vegetarian that just moved back in, and I'm gluten-free and mostly dairy-free due to my thyroid health. My husband just doesn't like cilantro or snap peas, weirdo! I'm also really working toward more real food when possible. Like, gasp, real butter! Who's with me on that? I'm trying to keep it simple with decent ingredients and keeping in mind everyone's preferences. I have a few staple meals that we make when we are all going to be around for dinner. Here are some ideas on how we make it work:

,

Real Talk, Take 2

,
Real Talk, Take 2

I went to a local event this week called Food Yeah! put on by Indulge, which hosts wellness events in KC. They had a panel of 5 experts in their own realm of the food world. This included a dietitian, 2 health coaches, a doctor and an organic farmer. They had wine! and we tried The Unbakery and Juicery's juice and protein balls. It was a lot of fun and I even won a giveaway.

This event was a great way to bring together like-minded people to discuss food. Topics included food priorities, diets, fats, where we get our food and why it's ok to not be perfect. The overall messages were great and definitely topics to build conversations on. They agreed that dieting doesn't work. High fives on that! Nutrition is very individual and it's important to find what works best for you when it comes to feeling your best. They agreed that we should be eating fat, in different varieties. They agreed that we should enjoy our food and enjoy the experience that food brings. Yes, yes and yes!

What I'm Currently Loving

What I'm Currently Loving

Hey friends! I am back after what feels like weeks off of writing. My husband and I went on our 10 year anniversary trip to Belize last week. It was so relaxing and wonderful and just what we needed! We left our little guy with my Mom so I was spending time prepping food, grocery shopping and writing out daily itineraries for them to get by while we were gone. Then, of course, there was more grocery shopping and lots of laundry when we got back. And honestly, I've been unmotivated to write lately. So I'm back at it and bringing you the things I am currently loving, mostly food because I love food!

The Best Healthy Banana Bread

The Best Healthy Banana Bread

Oh banana bread, I love you so much! It is the quintessential recipe to use up ripe, mushy bananas. The gooey, sorta sweet, comforting bread that can be served for breakfast, snacks, or dessert. Who doesn't love that? I mean it is fruit, right?

I have been making this recipe since I was an intern back in 2000 and something up in Minnesota. That long, cold winter definitely deserved something warm and comforting. I was into cooking and baking and discovering new recipes. Especially if the recipe included some good healthy ingredients in place of some ingredients that were less desirable. And bonus points for being a cheap recipe because interns don't get paid. Zero, zilch, nada! But lucky for me it was at one of the greatest hospitals and it was worth it!

I wrote this recipe on a half notecard, which is now stained as it has been through some baking with me.

Carrot Fennel Soup

Carrot Fennel Soup

Last, but certainly not least, is most definitely my favorite of the 3 soups. I made this the other night to take some pictures for this post so my husband and I ate it for dinner. We both kept commenting on how good it really is, almost as if it's crazy that these ingredients make this much awesomeness!

For those of you asking, "what is fennel", I will give you the low down. Fennel is a whitish bulb with greenish stalks coming from it, as seen in the picture below. It is crunchy and a little sweet and smells like licorice. It is in the same family as carrots, parsley, dill and coriander. Fennel is a good source of vitamin C, fiber, potassium, phosphorus and folate. It also contributes some iron, magnesium, calcium and niacin.

I first had this soup at a dinner party with some great friends. Our friend, Annie, said she was going to bring a carrot soup to have with dinner that night. Seriously? Carrot soup? Cue eye roll. Let's just say I was less than excited to try, let alone eat, carrot soup with dinner. I admit wholeheartedly that I was way too quick to judge the soup by its title. I should also never doubt her taste in food (or wine!). It was delicious and I knew it was a recipe I needed. So, I found a similar recipe and have adapted it a bit, which is what I'll give you today. Trust me, don't judge this soup by the title!