The Beginning... Please Don't Take Away My Pasta!

Let me introduce myself since this being my very first post! Hi! I'm Natalie. I am 29, I live in the very middle of Indiana and I feel terrible after I eat! My stomach just constantly feels uneasy. So in a drastic effort to get rid of this 6 yr ailment that I have been living with, I decided to go gluten free and vegan. See what happens. Learn a bit more about the current epidemic and craze that is gluten free. Yes, I said craze. Gluten free lifestyles are starting to prove healthier all around for people, and they are jumping all over it. I should know.. I work at Whole Foods. One of the most popular destinations for people with food allergies and people who love experimenting with healthy eating trends.

The biggest problem I saw with adding gluten free to my diet, and my very first assignment to myself. Pasta. I am italian. Take away my pasta and you take away a part of my soul. I told people once upon a time that I would die if I was diagnosed with celiac disease.. I can't fathom living without my pasta. OH, we should really talk about what gluten is! Let's ask wikipedia!

Gluten (from Latin gluten, "glue") is a protein composite found in foods processed from wheat and related grain species, including barley and rye. Gluten gives elasticity to dough, helping it rise and keep its shape and often gives the final product a chewy texture. Gluten may also be found in some cosmetics, hair products, and other dermatological preparations.

So now you know! Many people think gluten is wheat when in fact, its just a protein composite found in various grains. 

But back to my pasta dilemma! I stood in Aisle 3 of Whole Foods for a half hour, looking at every single gluten free vegan pasta option. To my surprise, there were many! DeBoles and Quinoa were the other two I was highly considering.. but wasn't too excited about. Something about the coloring just seemed.. not normal to me. Then I found this..

Bionaturae Organic Gluten Free Spaghetti

It had the right color, the texture was there, it was a winner. For pasta, it was a bit on the pricey side at 4.39, but it has 6 servings in it so for me, it will stretch 6 meals. Worth it. The tagline on the front quoted, "Tastes like traditional pasta with no need to rinse." I had no idea gluten free pastas needed rinsing. So I paired it up with one of my favorite sauces, and I have many which we will most definitely cover in the future, this.. 

Emerils Kicked Up Tomato

So after cooking the pasta to a slight al dente and adding this sauce.. I sat down.. I prayed.. please let this be good. And guess what folks. It was damn delicious. I almost don't even want to try other pastas for fear they wont taste as good and as "normal" as this pasta does! For first time gluten free eaters.. I give this the NATALIE STAMP OF APPROVAL. Don't worry, there will be a Natalie Stamp of Disapproval too. :)

So dessert is also an issue. I decided ice cream in the middle of winter was the way to go! So I picked up this.. something I sampled from work long ago remembering liking it. 

Luna & Larry's Organic Coconut Bliss Mint Galactica

If you haven't tried this stuff, its AWESOME!!! It comes in a bunch of equally awesome flavors especially for those that LOVE chocolate and complex flavors. 

One that I am particularly excited to try is this... Chocolate Walnut Brownie. We just need to get it in our store now ;)

So day one was actually pretty good. Tomorrow I start my 3 day detox so I will talk about my lunch and snacks I did and plan on doing in the future. 

I hope to start posting recipes that work and regular reviews of gluten free vegan foods. So subscribe! 

Natalie