Elimination Diet: Day Four

So I've made it through day four without any slip ups! I was so cranky this evening that I very nearly threw the whole thing under the bus and took a pizza to the face, but I stayed strong and restocked my quinoa and avocados instead.

I keep having to defend the elimination diet to people, and so I'm trying to be creative with my meals to prove that doing this diet does not mean eating bad, boring, or tasteless food. Last night, for example, I had chicken and sweet potato hash with a quinoa and pea shoot salad for dinner. Not excited? Check out the colors!

For the chicken and sweet potato hash, I modified Barbara Kafka's chicken parsnip hash recipe to fit the restrictions of the elimination diet. I swapped out butter for olive oil, the sage for fresh ginger, etc. Parsnips are fine to eat on the diet, of course, but I had sweet potatoes and decided to try them instead. It turned out great, and the leftovers reheated really well for lunch today.

The quinoa salad was simple: leftover quinoa, pea shoots, chopped cucumber, dill, and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. One thing I've discovered is how many hidden sugars I consume without realizing it--I had to go out and hunt for balsamic that didn't contain anything but balsamic vinegar.

Off to grade everything in the world. Tomorrow I go into a phase where I start having a protein shake both in the morning and at night. Should be interesting, and I'll be sure to post my fantastic and delicious smoothie recipes here.