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THE BLOG |
I am sad to actually admit it once and for all, no doubts about it: eating bread and pasta makes me sick. Bread is my soulmate, so it makes me die a little bit inside to admit it, but if I'm totally honest, eating gluten free food has made me feel 10 times better. I'm gearing up for a lot of summer trips and a vacay, so I am packing my bags and making a list of my favorite snacks and dinners I like to munch on at home and on the road: Carb-a-liciousPasta and bread eating are the hardest to give up, so I've found some go-to faves that satisfy my carb-cravings. The best part is that you can find all of these pastas at Walmart without breaking the bank! I'm packing a bunch of the little Annie's mac and cheese to-go packs on my next trip because all you need is a microwave and water to make a gluten-free friendly snack. Canyon Bakehouse bread is the best, next-to-real gf bread I've ever tried. I use it for everythinggggg. Dairy - FreeNot only have I been working on gluten-free eating, but I've jumped into some dairy-free munches and seen another huge difference in how I feel. Dairy free can either taste really great or, if you miss the mark, it can really be a mistake that will leave you running back to cows in a second. The tricky thing is soy makes me break out in hives, like actual hives, all over my face. So to avoid looking like my 9th - grade yearbook photo, I use no soy non-dairy only. I love the Go-Veggie American slices of cheese, they're so good melted on pizza, toast, or burgers. Ripple pea-protein milk is probably the best non-dairy milk I've tried out there on the plant-based market [I get the vanilla flavor]. The Daiya and the almond based mozzarella are good for recipes and every-day munching. My favorite ice-cream in the world is Halo-Top. It's super low-calorie, filled with protein, and they just came out with a dairy free line! So. Good. These are some dairy-free friendly and yummy products I use on the daily: SnacksI'm the kind of person that needs to throughout the day, so if I don't have good, gf snacks, I will reach for whatever is on the shelf. I LOVE these Bombay Spice chickpea snacks! I think they have some yellow-curry flavors, which is so my thing, and they are great for protein. For junk food cravings, I reach for Lance version of Cheez-its, Skinnypop white cheddar popcorn cake4s, and Schar Hazelnut Wafer cookies. Perfect road trip snaking. To keep on track, I stock up on a few of these goodies. DinnerWhen I'm at a loss for dinner or lunch ideas, I reach for these:
After spending some time in the Middle-East, I fell in love with Falafel. I could marry a falafel. The bummer is falafel is ridiculously hard to make on your own, so the Trader Joe's mix makes it super quick and easy to whip up for a side dish, and it's totally gluten free. Even though I'm not a vegan and I love a real burger, I also am a fan of veggie burgers, especially the Morning Star garden veggie burger that is packed with protein. Another really easy and yummy dinner to take on the road for a hotel dinner is Amy's veggie soup. Easy breezy! Disney World is the happiest place with the tastiest bites. If you're on the Disney Dining Plan when you take your trip, bring pants that are 3 sizes too big because you have no other way to prepare for what's coming. If you're worried that you won't get your money's worth of food on the trip, you can put your mind at ease. You will eat so much, you won't even believe it. You'll also have some serious Disney Dining Plan withdraws when you get back to the real world. It's a hard transition. But it's so worth it, and it makes you feel even more at ease and stress less. Here are my favorite Disney Dining Plan spots that will help you use all of your points and get the most! Quick MealsQuick meals are great to use for lunch, especially if you're saving your table services for a nice sit down dinner. Here are my fave:
Snack PointsMy crew found that because with most meals we got a drink, entree, and dessert, we hardly ever used our snack points because we were so full, but the snack points can be used for pre-packaged snacks like candy, Micky Mouse rice-krispy treats, packaged cookies, and an assortment of little treats that make fantastic gifts. My advice is use snack points when you are hungry, but at the end of the trip when you have an abundance of extras, stock up and give them as gifts to friends. On the last day of our trip, we had 26 snack points. 26, people. So I took home 26 gifts for my friends! I got stopped 3 times on my way through security in the airport on the way home because of my enormous and suspicious package of Mickey-shaped snacks, but it was worth it. Table Service
Los Angeles truly has any food you could be looking for! I spent a few days last week at the Christian Community Development Conference in LA, and was so fortunate to eat at some really great restaurants. Pez Cantina401 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071 Whatever you order, order it with the horchata Syrup Desserts611 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90014 They have a huge menu and a really cute loft to sit in upstairs. KoreatownJust the whole town. We went to a delicious Korean barbecue restaurant [but only managed to get a picture of dessert]. Grand Central Market[Homer Laughlin Building]This is seriously the coolest place to visit in LA. It's right across the street from the Angel's Flight Railway, which is a super classic Los Angeles landmark, and you won't leave without finding something you like. The Grand Central Market has been its own landmark since 1917, but it's been re-vamped over the years. There's 38 different vendors, market stands, and restaurants inside. DTLA Cheese is so far my favorite. And what goes well with spiritual conviction during a Christian conference? Melted Cheese. The Grand Central Market is packed and busy, but super worth it. Los Angeles, CAJust another lil' cultural food bomb drop. Viva Chicken. It's Peruvian Barbecue. It's super cost friendly but also way amazing. Viva Chicken1183 E 100 S, St George, UT 84790 Out of all the food at Disney, giant corn dogs, Dole whip and all, these are thee best. By far my favorite ever eats from Disney. These fancy little doughnuts are from the Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney Anaheim. Amazing.
Favorite Eats List ✓ Throwing back to the Southern Utah portion of this month: Swig. Soda, smoothies, famous sugar cookies and duck lips guy logo, they do it all. Stop by at one of their locations next time you're heading through SoUt and get a dirty, wild Dr. Pepper, you'll thank me later.
Pack your swimsuits and your sun hats. This beautiful desert has one of the best Main Streets and downtown areas. It's toasty, but it's one of the best to satisfy your boutique and hipster restaurant cravings. Birba is a great little outdoor restaurant with super trendy gormet meals. The twinkly lights and live music set the tone for their delicious food. Next time you're in Palm Springs, check it out.
If you're hanging out in UT this summer, head over to the Waffle Love truck. Get the grilled cheese waffle and you'll understand the hype. You can find their location, anytime, on their Instagram page. Get on over there and get some waffles! St. George UT
If your in SoUt then SnoKaps is a stop you need to make. Just 25 minutes minutes from Zion National Park ✓ Its a perfect little dive snow shack with some good ol' Southern UT character and shaved ice to die for. Local Reccomended: Pina Coloda with Cream [trust me, you won't regret it...] SnoKaps, Hurricane UT
This is the super-trendiest, most adorable place in southern Utah. It's a perfect little date/friend date/I really just want a crêpe crêpe restaurant. Cue delicious food and hipster origami art. The Crêpery
1091 N Bluff St #311, St George, UT |