I'm not monkey-ing around

GUESS what ingredient I get to test out now? Bananas! Although I'll eat them fresh in a pinch, my favorite way to consume bananas is in a smoothie. Years and years ago, I decided I just didn't like the texture of smoothies with fresh banana and ice - the ice was always just too crunchy (maybe it was a cheap blender?). I tried freezing the bananas and not using ice, and voila! The perfect smoothie texture. So needless to say, I'm super-excited to have my smoothies again. My goal, as with other foods at this point, is to mostly have bananas (read: smoothies) every other day.

Frozen banana, strawberry, and coconut milk smoothie,
along with homemade coconut cookies and organic pistachios from nuts.com

That smoothie hit the SPOT!

Confession time: Much of the time, I eat WAY more than pictured. For example, this lovely plate below...

Thrive Market turmeric coconut wrap with Edison Grainery's
red kidney beans and steamed green peas

...was followed by finishing off the skillet.

How else is a girl going to get full?

Also, one thing I've definitely been learning throughout this process is that breakfast does not mean we have to eat typical "breakfast foods." The above two pictures were my breakfast one day. Since I cannot eat wheat, oats, dairy, or eggs...I've basically wiped most "breakfast-y" foods off the list. It's actually kind of fun to get the skillet sizzling in the morning to caramelize brussels sprouts or steam peas. A change, but a good one.

Here is another savory breakfast I've enjoyed:

Steamed spinach and mushrooms with Edison Grainery's red kidney beans

Okay, here is one of my favorite nighttime snacks: sprouted quinoa, fresh organic fruit, and organic walnuts.

truRoots sprouted quinoa, nuts.com organic walnuts,
and organic strawberries and blueberries

This is what helps me sleep well at night. I used to eat 1-2 cups of oatmeal at night, along with a smoothie and a Quest bar, so my body is used to going to bed full. On the nights when I have quinoa, fruit, and nuts, I go to bed quite satisfied.

Last on the list for today is lemon basil zoodles and grass fed beef. No fancy sauces (since my ingredients are so limited), but these fresh, high-quality foods don't need much! Seriously, a little lemon juice goes a long way.

Happy eating and hopefully happy digestion!