Changing your diet can be overwhelming and seem like an impossible task. I’ve been there. I know it.

Reading about doing it and actually doing it are two completely different activities.

So when I was told to “ditch the grain”, I’ll be honest with you …. I had a panic attack. Even though I no longer ate wheat and gluten, I didn’t realise how reliant I was on grains, including rice, polenta, quinoa and corn, and not to forget quinoa flour, cornflour, sorghum and teff which I use in baking.

So I’m sharing with you some of my tips that helped (and are still helping) me to transition, and I hope they’re as helpful for you….

Use your freezer. On any given day, my freezer is bursting at the seams with slow cooked casserole and soups which I’ve cooked up on the weekends, or from the extra quantity I’ve made at dinnertime. Having nutrient-dense foods on hand is a lifesaver for those times when you can’t be bothered cooking and craving take-out.

Be prepared. Another lifesaver on those “lazy days” is to have pre-cook portions of meat in the fridge or freezer. What I mean is either some simple grilled chicken in a 1 portion sized zip lock bag. Or roast meat, cooked, sliced up and again, portioned into one meal zip lock bags. Nothing fancy. Normally in the past I would store this food in my freezer raw, but having it already cooked means I can grab out a portion each night, let it defrost overnight, and voila, I’ve got protein ready to go for lunch. No thinking required.

Eat fat. This was a habit I adopted from doing the I Quit Sugar program some years ago. It’s stuck because it works! Eating natural saturated fat with every meal will keep you so much satisfied for longer. It stops you overeating as it helps satiate you, and it helps your body absorb nutrients, they’re called “fat soluble” for a reason. Some of my favourites – coconut oil, butter, ghee, olive oil (not to cook with), avocado and nuts.

Green leaves. Using green veggie leaves as an alternative to wraps. Genius! The retro ice-burg lettuce (or any lettuce leaf for that matter) is a wonderful alternative to any bread, wrap or tortilla…and so many more nutrients on offer. Not as filling, I agree, but I just up the protein and fat content inside and I’m one satisfied girl.

Kelp Noodles. I’m a big noodle fan, and when I removed gluten from my diet, I switched over to brown rice noodles. Now having removed grains from my diet, I’ve been enjoying kelp noodles. Basically, a clear, thin noodle made from kelp (a brown seaweed with a high iodine content) sea salt and water. Neutral in taste (they don’t taste like seaweed) they’re yummy with pesto and bolognese, or in my home-made coconut laksa. Just make sure you rinse them or they can be a little on the salty side!

Websites and fellow bloggers. Finding grain-free loving websites and blogs is a great way to get motivated and stay inspired while transitioning.

Love to bake. I do! So start experimenting like I have with grain free ingredients, including almond meal, coconut flour and arrowroot flour.

And to give you a helping hand, here are 3 grain-free recipes to get you started.....

What have you found that’s helped you to “ditch the grain”?

Tips to Ditch the Grain