Sugar Free Eats & WIAW

Here I am posting for What I Ate Wednesday again. These days lately inch and yet breeze by. For more on WIAW please visit Peas & Crayons.

I have made it into the sixth week of my Sugar-Free Adventure. To find out what got me started check here and for the my more recent thoughts try here, here, and here.




Don't worry - I didn't eat these little gems. My daughter and I made these mini doughnuts for her class. I think the sprinkles are so pretty. Temptation is everywhere, even in my kitchen, but truth be told, I just didn't want anything to do with them.

I should start this post by saying:

My name is Deirdre and I am a recovering sugar addict.

For reals. As I've stepped further away from eating sugar I see so clearly how in many ways I was beholden to the sweet stuff. Now without cravings for sugar I see how prominently longing for sugar-filled foods played into my daily life. I'd wonder when I would get to eat something sweet any given day- anticipating that sweet melting-hit on my tongue. My favorites- cranberry white chocolate cookies, blueberry scones, blondies... It was a kind of denial because I'd prepare the "healthy" version of muffins, cookies, cakes, but for my body sugar is sugar no matter how much or how little. It is fascinating to be free of the intensity of wanting something sweet almost all the time everyday.

My name is Deirdre and I am liberated. 

I want to be clear, I don't have anything against sugar necessarily. There is a lot of literature out there suggesting how bad it is for people's health. For me this is true, but I am not overtly critical if sugar is a-okay with your particular bio-chemistry. So if you're not off sugar or feeling like you need to be, you can take the info here that you like- and apply it to whatever you may be struggling with (soda, coffee, gambling, you name it- though I am not a doctor or anything like that so if you need help, please do get it appropriately) and leave the rest. That swinging door kinda thing.

I found myself in a salty conundrum as I transitioned away from sugar. I  pounded nuts, (yeah, that sounds weird) crackers, and corn chips for snacks. This is beginning to shift. After I eat those kinds of foods, I'm like, "Man, they're salty. Gah- my tongue. I'm shriveling up!" This made me wonder if I had just replaced sugar with salt, but there is no accompanying yearning, I can stop when I'm satisfied, so I guess I'm good. Yeah?

As I've moved further along, in this sugar free adventure I've begun to snack on: veggies and hummus, roasted veggies with olive oil, and kale chips just to name a few- it is after all Love Your Veggies Month. I will find more snacks soon that are less salty and in fact I can see myself adjusting my approach to meals- that is eating more substantial meals three times a day and fewer snacks.

Here is a day in my life of sugar-free food--

Breks obvi

Nom, nom, nom. I have a laissez faire approach to smoothie making- I just toss things in as I like, but have tried to be a bit more exact here.

For the second week I forgot to photo lunch- sorry! It was an apple and cheddar grilled cheese with sugar snap peas on the side.

 

Dinner was a lovely feast (okay, the truth is these are some of my eats for Valentine's Day- last Wednesday...but it was a fun meal, so I thought I'd share.

 

Fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil- balsamic vinegar optional.

So this was an awesome meal- drunken penne courtesy of one of my fave gals- Kris Carr. For a super fun vlog on how to prepare this meal- check it out here. Really you should check it out. It is easy peasy. FIY- I omitted the vodka, but it is still drunken penne deliciousness. I had a mixed greens salad with Goddess Dressing and garlic bread also.



Dessert! Recipe below!

 

(I) Cannoli Cream

 

 1/2 of ricotta cheese

1/4 cup of cream cheese

A few shakes of cinnamon

 

Using an immersion blender or mixer of your choice- blitz all the ingredients! Then after placing in a serving bowl, sprinkle some chopped pistachios on top and maybe another dash of cinnamon. Serve with strawberries or a sugar free chip/cracker/baked pita that you love. My family ate them with graham crackers. As in I can have a semi-sweet Valentine or anytime treat.

Live Sweet!

 

Please share any sugar-free tips, thoughts or successes below!

 

Sarah Wilson's book- I Quit Sugar was life altering...please see the icon to your right for more information.