Thursday, February 7, 2013

Cravings Changed Going Gluten-Free

I crave vegetables.
Since I went largely gluten-free my appetite has changed. Instead of wanting cinnamon buns and submarine sandwiches and pizza I want vegetables.
I always liked them, especially carrots and peas right from the pod, but this is different.
Zucchini and/or mushrooms and /or spinach are important to a scrambled egg. So are slices of bell pepper. I don't scramble them often, but when I do there are more veggies than egg.

Hunger changes as well.
It used to be I had to eat not now but right now. After punting spelt I can wait to eat.
The call for regular gluten baked goods left quickly. I believe it was less than a week.
Don't get me wrong, I'll still eat 'em, I just don't feel compelled to do so.
My need for sweets has altered. I still hear them, but it's no Siren call  leading to a shipwreck.
Full disclosure: I eat rolled oats almost every day as I discovered about four years ago it keeps my blood sugar even.  This took care of most of the craving for sweets, but not all. Avoiding gluten is what sent it away.

I rarely eat chocolate. Instead of the daily chocolate bar of old I have high-quality dark chocolate, and not too much of it. I don't need much for sweets anymore. I hardly use any maple syrup on my morning pancakes.
My eating has changed to the point I can do without potato chips. I still have them around a good lot of the time, but they are unsalted. In fact, I no longer care for foods that are very salty or very sweet. I honestly thought I would never see this day.

Why am I telling you this?
Because if you are contemplating punting gluten you should know what you're in for. I'm not going to guarantee my experiences will be yours, but from what I've read these are pretty common.

I may write about this again, but for right now, I really, really, wish I could go to the garden and eat some peas.

4 comments:

messymimi said...

When i changed my diet a few years back, my tastes changed, too.

It's amazing how much you can want Brussels sprouts.

Leah J. Utas said...

Aye, Messymimi. It really is an eye-opener to crave vegetables.

Hilary said...

I haven't excluded anything from my diet but I do crave veggiess.. they're a must have with meals for me.. and Frank just doesn't understand that.. or that ketchup is not a suitable veggie. Sigh. I do love my veggies.. but I also love all the other "stuff" you mentioned.

Leah J. Utas said...

Hilary, I've found a new love for veggies. I never thought I'd actually crave them, though.