Eat. Tri. Venture.

So if I am not eating grains, potatoes, sugar, etc., what exactly am I eating?  A lot, actually.

• Vegetables.  Lots and lots of vegetables.  When I was in high school, I went through a phase of being a "vegetarian."  In all actuality I was much closer to the name my parents gave me, "pastatarian."  I lived on spaghetti, cereal and bread and occasionally ate iceberg lettuce.  But the days of the pastatarian are long gone.  Today I enjoy pretty much all vegetables.  Joining a local CSA (http://freshforkmarket.com/) has forced me to expand my vegetable horizon.  I eat a salad as a large portion of most lunches and dinners with whatever vegetables we have around as a side dish.  

• Protein.  I gave up conventional, factory-farmed meat a couple of years ago after reading Michael Pollan's life changing book, In Defense of Food (http://michaelpollan.com/books/in-defense-of-food/).  Instead, I turned to locally-raised, preferably organic meat.  Living in northeast Ohio, there are many sources for responsibly-raised chicken, beef and pork.  (Check out the year round farmer's market brought to you by The Countryside Conservancy http://www.cvcountryside.org/ for vendors).  Whole Foods and Trader Joe's also offer some options for organic meat.  However, loose food labeling laws allow for liberal use of the terms "grass fed" and "pasture raised."  Do your own research.  All of this being said, soy and legumes are significant sources of protein for me as well.  

• Fruit, in moderation.  Sometime between being a pastatarian in high school and whatever I am these days (there has to be a term better than NSNG'er), I became a fruitarian.  Not really, but I did eat a lot of fruit.  I love fruit, nature's candy.  These days I try to limit myself to one to two servings of lower glycemic fruits per day, as my sweet treat.

• Seeds, nuts and nut butters.  Right now I am digging on roasted almonds, raw walnuts, nut butters, sunflower and chia seeds.  Check out the huge selection at Trader Joe's for inspiration.  

• Dairy, in moderation.  Mmmm...Snowville Creamery products--grass-grazed and Ohio local.  Snowville's plain yogurt (full fat) with berries makes for a yummy dessert.  I avoid milk and reduced fat cheeses and yogurts and stick with full fat cottage cheese, plain yogurt and other artisan cheeses as my go to "fast food" when I need a quick snack.

• Other:

• Olives
• Coconut butter
• Raw coconut
• Eggs, local and pasture raised

For baking:

• Flax seed, almond and cashew meal (available through Bob's Red Mill, Trader Joe's or Whole Foods.  Or make your own if you have a powerful food processor or Vitamix).

For cooking:

Olive oil, coconut oil, butter and ghee.

Herbs and spices.