Going grain free for 30 days was surprisingly not as hard as I'd expected.

I am already 95% gluten free (the odd a slice of bread of portion of pasta creeps in occasionally- usually in social situations) In terms of other grains, I knew the biggest change for me would be giving up my beloved porridge oats! Particularly now the winter is here and I love the warmth of hot porridge.

I mentioned in the original post that I would still be allowing quinoa and buckwheat and so I knew that porridge-like options would still be on the cards. Plus I was trying out these quinoa flakes from Real Food Source which are fun! However I didn't want to rely solely on those options since not everyone can tolerate them, even though they are technically 'seeds' some see them as a grey area when it comes to a grain free diet.

So what did I change?

It was only really breakfast that required a little extra thought. I gave quite a few ideas in the original post. It was easy to make little snacks in advance (such as dehydrated nut crackers or quinoa cookies, plus my peanut butter fudge which I have been crazy obsessed with!!) My main meals didn't change much anyway... typically veggie noodles, soups, bean chilli etc

When I wasn't craving warmth, I often drank green smoothies as breakfast instead of a snack later in in the day which I otherwise tend to do...

I made SLA porridge with ground sunflower seeds, linseed and almonds. It is surprisingly moreish and thickens up with a great texture.

I made the cauli-coconut porridge that I posted a few days back...

I also made a grain free 'cereal' with coconut, seeds and banana. (recipe below)

I will hold up my hands and admit to the odd slip up... can you guess my downfall? Granola!! Always granola!

Ahhh, my mum has some in the cupboard at home (store bought but unrefined)... and about three times in moments of stress or weakness or self sabotage of sorts (i'm not really sure why to be honest) I grabbed a handful of the stuff. I know it wansn't because I needed it, or even really wanted it but it happened and i'm being honest about it.

I also didn't notice any change to my digestion, however I now have more of an understanding of what's happening there... just waiting for some test results so will fill you in on that in a couple of weeks. It could well explain why my various dietary tweaks over the last few months (grain free, intermittent fasting, low carb. high fat, low fat etc) have made virtually no difference.

Recipe: Paleo breakfast cereal

Serves approx 4 (will keep in the fridge)

Ingredients:

1 large mashed banana
1 cup desiccated coconut
couple of handfuls seeds (I used pumpkin and sunflower)
1/4 cup linseed
spices to taste i.e vanilla and cinnamon
Add toppings such as berries, banana or non dairy yoghurt as desired.

Method:

Mix together well until firm and sticky. Form clumpy pieces with fingers as desired and serve with non dairy milk. Store any extra 'cereal' in a airtight obtainer in the fridge for up to a week.

You can also press the mix into a loaf tin, bake for approx 15 minutes until golden on top and then slice to form breakfast bars. Also best kept in the fridge.

The cereal pressed into bars... one recipe two ways! — The cereal pressed into bars... one recipe two ways!

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