I don’t eat wheat, dairy, grains and sugar (most of the time) and occasionally a small amount of beans on an occasion. My body doesn’t seem to like these foods and blesses me with sinus problems, flues and colds if too many of these forbidden foods enter my body. So, like many others with food limitations, I have learned that it is much easier just to eat them occasionally or avoid them all together.
No Rocks and Tree Branches Thank You!
Dealing with food issues is relatively easy if you live in a cave, and don’t interact with others. So, if I never went anywhere to eat and made all my food at home, it would be relatively simple. The trouble starts when I head out the front door. My food restrictions are inconvenient for others too. At restaurants, careful scrutiny of the menu must me made and sometimes questions need to be answer by restaurant staff, sometimes involving cooks and a manager. Friends and relatives sometimes put on their thinking caps and may even scratch their heads deciding what works. No rocks and tree branches are not on my menu. Keep it simple-protein, seeds, nuts, vegetables and very little fruit.
Norbert, my friend of almost thirty years, knows this, and when he is in a good cooking mood, he creates a beautifully delicious and edible Norbert dish. Last week I visited him in his hometown, the peaceful and beautiful Port Townsend. When it was time for dinner, he asked me a few simple questions. “Would you like a veggie burritos? I have gluten-free burritos. Would you like a little sheep cheese?”
Almost Heard His Thoughts
Norbert was using his intuition. I know that only because I watched him as he looked in the refrigerator and cupboards before taking a pause. He was thinking. I could almost hear the thoughts “what do I have that is gluten-free that I feel like making?”
As simple as it sounds to do this, most people don’t consciously do this. Most of us don’t take the time to ask simple questions. What foods have I served this person before? What do I know about his/her eating habits? How do I, or do I, incorporate nutrition into the meal? Try it. You might just save time, energy and possibly money. Maybe, just maybe, you won’t have to leave your house to make your meal.
By the way, the burrito was delicious. It was a special treat! Burritos are not food that I make as I seldom use gluten-free products. Thanks Norbert!
No Comments