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November 16, 2016

Why We’ve Switched to Gluten Free Dinners (for now)

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Hey guys! I’m so glad some of you liked the look of my Paleo Pumpkin Muffin recipe from yesterday – I hope you will give it a shot and let me know how you like them!

Speaking of paleo/gluten free, some of you have noticed that we’ve been having a lot more gluten free dinners over here lately, and that I haven’t mentioned Blue Apron in awhile. I wanted to share what’s been going on.

gluten free easy dinner

So, a few months ago we found out that Matt has Lyme disease. He’s working with a doctor now who specializes in Lyme and works with a blended approach of traditional (antibiotics) and more holistic (supplements, herbal regimen). She suggested Matt go gluten free for awhile, too, basically because anything that can help reduce inflammation/stress on his body is going to be helpful here – we want him to be as healthy as possible so his body can fight the Lyme! She said he doesn’t need to stress out about being 100% perfect, which I appreciated from my intuitive eating standpoint – so if there’s been something super worth it that he really wants, he’ll eat it, but we’re making an effort to do gluten free at home and he’s doing it for the most part when eating out, too.

I love gluten free meals/recipes (I have nearly 140 gluten free recipes on my blog, in fact!) and make them often, so it hasn’t been a huge change in terms of our meals at home with the exception of taking a break from Blue Apron. You guys know we LOVE Blue Apron and have been doing it for years now so we were bummed, but they don’t offer a 100% gluten free plan, so we had to make the switch for now. (Cancelling entirely was not an option because clearly I can’t handle dinner without a Blue Apron-esque ingredient/recipe delivery type situation. Makes our lives a million times easier because I hate meal planning. Yes, I’m a dietitian and I hate meal planning. No shame.)

sun basket review coupon code

So – we have spent the past couple months trying out similar services that do offer gluten free options and Sun Basket has come out on top! It delivers to our area on Monday, which is awesome because we almost always cook at home on Mondays, it includes a lot of organic ingredients and environment-friendly packaging, and they have a TON of gluten free options every week. I also really love that all the meals are the same price (and it’s not outrageously expensive either like a couple of the others we tried) so you can mix and match as much as you like, getting some regular, some gluten free, some paleo, some vegetarian – whatever looks good to you that week. We’ve been sticking with their gluten free and paleo stuff (sometimes I have to add extra carbs like rice or crackers to the paleo ones, though, because we are still hungry after otherwise) and the meals have been creative, fresh, and healthy. Two thumbs up. This is not sponsored and we’ve paid for all the meals on our own, but here is my affiliate link for 3 free meals if you want to try them yourself: Sun Basket.

I also wrote a post comparing the services if you’re interested in reading more about how SunBasket compares with Blue Apron and also HelloFresh, which we’ve tried as well. Here’s the post: Sunbasket review and pricing vs. Blue Apron vs. HelloFresh. 

Last night we had a really good Sun Basket seared cod with roasted purple potatoes, fennel, and orange. So creative and delicious! The cod was coated in almond flour – it reminded me a lot of my Almond Crusted Tilapia!

sun basket review coupon code

Here’s another good one from them we had a few weeks ago – Salmon with sauteed greens and a citrus salad.

sun basket review coupon code

This stir fry with cauliflower “rice” I mentioned in October was also a Sun Basket meal – so good!

sun basket review

So, anyway – I wanted to let you guys know why you’ll be seeing exclusively gluten free dinners over here for awhile, and a lack of Blue Apron for awhile, too! If you have any advice/experience with Lyme disease, we’d love to hear it.

I’ll be back tomorrow with some more eats and exercise from the week. Have a nice day, guys, and thank you for reading and for your support, as always! xo

- anne
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58 comments
  • Susan November 16, 2016 · 10:13AM:
    I'm very sorry to hear that Matt has Lyme disease and wish him the very best in his recovery. I don't know anything about the disease, but I'm impressed that he is using a combination of traditional and natural treatments. My supervisor was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer almost five years ago. Following surgery and chemo, she began using a holistic approach to surviving. She eats no sugar and carefully reads food labels and checks with the wait staff in restaurants to ask about sugar in meals before ordering. She also takes mistletoe injections. Although the surgery left her with diabetes, she does not need to take diabetes medication, because of the healthy approach she is taking to fighting the cancer. She does yoga and goes on daily walks. She is strong and coming up on her five-year survival of one of the most deadly cancers. I hope that Matt will experience the same type of successful recovery from using both traditional and holistic approaches in his treatment. The very best of luck to you both!
    Reply
    • Anne
      November 16, 2016 · 12:05PM:
      Thank you! So glad to hear your supervisor has found what works for her - that's wonderful!
      Reply
  • Fiona
    November 16, 2016 · 11:06AM:
    Thoughts and prayers with you and Matt! Thank you for being so open and candid. Gluten free has so many awesome options these days, I love cauliflower rice! Excited to see what other awesome recipes come up with
    Reply
    • Anne
      November 16, 2016 · 12:04PM:
      Thank you Fiona!
      Reply
  • Melissa November 16, 2016 · 11:07AM:
    So sorry to hear that Matt has Lymes. Kristin from www.iowagirleats.com has celiac and has some AWESOME gluten free recipes on her blog.
    Reply
    • Josie November 16, 2016 · 11:53AM:
      Sorry to hear about Matt's health struggles...I second the recommendation to Iowa Girl Eats! I've followed her for years, even before she had celiac and her recipes are my go-to. They're so simple, made with every day ingredients, and healthy, too! :)
      Reply
      • Anne
        November 16, 2016 · 12:04PM:
        Cool, thank you!
        Reply
    • Anne
      November 16, 2016 · 12:04PM:
      Great, I'll check her out!
      Reply
  • Nicole (Cuckoolemon)
    November 16, 2016 · 11:39AM:
    that is SO interesting. i am very curious to hear if the gluten-free diet helps Matt. Hope he gets better soon.
    Reply
  • Erin M. November 16, 2016 · 11:52AM:
    Sorry to hear about Matt's diagnosis. Sending him well wishes!
    Reply
  • Alicia @ Cattail Blooms
    November 16, 2016 · 12:05PM:
    Oh man, I have several friends who have been diagnosed with Lyme disease (#parkrangerproblems), but they've been able to lead happy, active lives despite it. One of them is even a long distance runner, too! There will always been good days and bad days, but that's really kind of life, isn't it? I was recently diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, and one of the biggest recommendations for my treatment is reducing my gluten intake or going gluten free all together. I'm working on filtering out my diet (I really don't eat that much to begin with), so this is encouraging! My main problem is that I'm allergic to coconut (just mildly, but it seems all forms of it trigger the response which can get super uncomfortable), so things with coconut flour/oil are out for me. I'll have to look into this delivery system!
    Reply
    • Anne
      November 16, 2016 · 12:06PM:
      I'm so sorry to hear about your diagnosis! I'd definitely check out Sun Basket - they are awesome.
      Reply
  • Rebecca November 16, 2016 · 12:49PM:
    Oh dear. Wishing Matt a good recovery. This is a perfectly timed review for me, thank you! I've been studying meal/ingredient delivery services and Sun Basket seems like a great match for us. Like you, we're an active two person household that loves leftovers.... Do you get the 2 or 4 person plan (and how's that working for you)? Any thoughts are much appreciated!
    Reply
    • Anne
      November 16, 2016 · 2:09PM:
      We do the two person plan! We don't usually have much leftover, but that's fine for us - Matt doesn't like leftovers. :)
      Reply
  • Kelly November 16, 2016 · 12:56PM:
    From a medical standpoint there is no such thing as chronic Lyme disease. Please don't take antibiotics unnecessarily and do your research
    Reply
    • Anne
      November 16, 2016 · 2:25PM:
      As I said in the post, Matt is under the care of a doctor. We are most certainly not doing antibiotics unnecessarily or to excess. Thanks for your concern.
      Reply
      • Brigette November 17, 2016 · 2:28PM:
        To expand on what Kelly said- there are two schools of thought about "chronic Lyme disease." The Infectious Disease Society of America (and the majority of infectious disease doctors) do not recognize it as a diagnosis and wouldn't give antibiotics for it. There are many other medical doctors out there (the majority of them are not infectious disease specialists) that would treat "chronic lyme disease" with antibiotics even though it's not something that's supported by medical literature. You didn't say he was being treated for CHRONIC lyme in your post but I just wanted to clarify what she meant. The accepted treatment duration of acute lyme disease with antibiotics is no more than 2-4 weeks (8 weeks if he has lyme arthritis). Go nuts with the holistic medicine but don't let them give him antibiotics for longer than that because they do MUCH more harm than good. People tend to feel better on them because doxycycline has anti-inflammatory effects. It's a very controversial topic in the medicine world and people tend to get passionate about it. I know you probably trust your doctor, I just want to make sure you are aware of the controversy surrounding it (Again, I know you didn't say he was being treated for chronic lyme but it's a common misdiagnosis). Side note: Lyme disease is associated with post-lyme disease syndrome which can give someone symptoms for months after being treated but does not benefit from antibiotics. If you want to research the two sides you can look up lyme disease on the Infectious Disease Society of America website. The organization that supports the diagnosis of CHRONIC lyme disease is ILADS and they also have a website. That way you can do you own research instead of listening to/k some random medical provider on the internet :) Best of luck and I hope Matt feels better soon!
        Reply
        • Anne
          November 17, 2016 · 2:38PM:
          Thank you Brigette! Appreciate the additional input - and the kind manner in which you shared it. :)
          Reply
          • Brigette November 17, 2016 · 3:32PM:
            No problem! And on the topic of gluten free- I just listened to an episode of the podcast The Model Health Show about gluten free diets. He said there are other grains that are considered gluten free but still cause the same leaky gut/inflammation as wheat does. The two I can remember that he named were brown rice flour and oats but there were others too. It was episode #27 if you're interested! It was for people who are going gluten free for general health reasons and not Lyme disease so it may not apply but you might find it interesting anyway!
            Reply
            • Anne
              November 18, 2016 · 9:29AM:
              Interesting - I'll check it out. Thanks!
              Reply
  • Liz K November 16, 2016 · 1:09PM:
    Hi Anne, I had Lymes disease over 10 years ago and as you know from Matt's experience, it is not fun! I like to think that mine was caught just in time as for the most part I didn't have any long term effects. I have been reading more and more about people who suffer from chronic Lymes and I feel for them. It is good you have found both holistic and traditional practioners to help as I've also read that some doctors don't even believe lymes disease is a real disease. I wish Matt all the best in healing!
    Reply
    • Anne
      November 16, 2016 · 2:11PM:
      Yep, we had no idea it's such a political/charged issue until a couple months ago. Thank you!
      Reply
  • Jennifer Henshall
    November 16, 2016 · 2:48PM:
    Hi Anne! I'm sorry to hear about Matt's condition and hope he's feeling better soon. I am very excited, though, that you're going to be featuring more gluten-free dinners, as these are usually the hardest recipes to find. Back in February, I was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease (I'm currently being treated for Lupus) and have been doing a lot of reading about cutting out gluten to reduce inflammation. I also feel that your intuitive eating approach to the situation is extremely important. I've been doing my best to eat gluten-free at home, but it's a lot harder with social gatherings and such. I've been listening to my body, as well, and when I feel the need to eat something with gluten, I do give in. It's all about balance and I'm happy that you're block will be helping me maintain mine! Also, I live in the DC-area and would be happy to learn of any gluten-friendly restaurants where you and Matt dine. Please do post reviews of restaurant gluten-free meals if you discover any faves!
    Reply
    • Anne
      November 16, 2016 · 3:49PM:
      I'm sorry to hear of your diagnosis, but happy to hear you've been taking action while also honoring your cravings. I'll definitely share any great gluten-free DC area findings with you guys! It hasn't been hard for Matt dining out actually because gluten free is so trendy right now it's noted on most menus, so that's made it easier for him. We also discovered some of our favorite pizza places (like Lost Dog in Arlington) have gluten free crust options! :)
      Reply
  • Erica November 16, 2016 · 2:54PM:
    I also love Sun Basket. Everything is good quality, fresh and organic. I also like that you can pick exactly what they send you which is not the case with some delivery services.
    Reply
  • Halley November 16, 2016 · 3:02PM:
    So sorry about the Lyme disease! I am in the same boat as you: I am an RD and hate meal planning! I'm glad to know there's more people out there ?
    Reply
    • Anne
      November 16, 2016 · 3:19PM:
      Love it! :)
      Reply
  • Melissa November 16, 2016 · 3:04PM:
    I'm sorry to hear that Matt has Lyme disease. While it's not going to be easy, it is a disease that can be beaten. A tennis friend of mine got Lyme disease and she was really pretty sick and tired for awhile. But after a few months, she is back on the courts with as much energy as she ever had. She's also older - don't know exactly, but certainly 50+, so I'm sure Matt will be able to beat it eventually! Best wishes that he gets better quickly!
    Reply
  • Mel November 16, 2016 · 3:07PM:
    Hope Matt feels better soon! I have to share I was amazed at what just changing your diet can do for your body. Over 5 years ago I read that going gluten free can improve the symptoms of psoriasis and help relieve joint pain. As a life long psoriasis sufferer and a sufferer of chronic join pain as well I decided to give it a try. The results were nothing short of miraculous.....lesions on my hands, elbows and knees that I had for over 30 years started to disappear within days of stopping gluten and to this day I have only two tiny patches that flare up if I don't stay very clean. Nothing I tried previously (medications, creams, lights etc.) worked but just changing my diet did. I also gained the added benefit of reduced joint pain, the headaches I had stopped as well as the diagnosed "irritable bowel syndrome" also stopped. Today, I have to be very clean about gluten..in the beginning not so much but now years later if I eat it I become very sick within 2 hours (stomach issues) and the next day my two remaining psoriasis patches will be itching and bleeding. The hardest thing to find is a good bread....the best I think is Schar Artisan white or multigrain. Best of luck to you and Matt in the new GF world!!
    Reply
    • Anne
      November 16, 2016 · 3:28PM:
      Wow - so glad you have found what works for you! That's wonderful!
      Reply
  • Kim (Mead) Vollono
    November 16, 2016 · 3:21PM:
    Hello! I'm interested in your take nutritionally on Blue Apron. My husband and I were huge fans, until they started including nutritional info and we saw how much fat, cholesterol, etc. was in the dishes! Do you modify your recipes to counteract this? Thanks!
    Reply
    • Anne
      November 16, 2016 · 3:27PM:
      I believe in intuitive eating, so I don't pay attention to fat, calories, etc. - I just listen to my body and how much it needs. :) I just focus on eating mostly whole, real food - and Blue Apron was definitely that! We used them for about 2 years almost every week so clearly we were fans. :)
      Reply
  • Kelli @ Hungry Hobby
    November 16, 2016 · 4:25PM:
    We had to switch to gluten free for my hubby too! It's weird as a Dietitian that gluten is such a personal thing and amounts etc! Thanks for sharing his story and sending prayers for him!
    Reply
    • Anne
      November 16, 2016 · 4:28PM:
      Thank you so much Kelli!
      Reply
  • masala girl
    November 16, 2016 · 4:51PM:
    so sorry to hear the new about Matt, but glad you guys have found some slutions that seem to be working. best of luck to him healing!
    Reply
  • Amy @ Thoroughly Nourished Life
    November 16, 2016 · 6:25PM:
    I hope Matt has a speedy and thorough recovery, and I'm glad you've found a doctor who looks at health from a holistic angle. My blog is full of gluten free meal ideas if you're ever stuck for a new recipe :) Looking forward to seeing what you create with your new style of eating.
    Reply
    • Anne
      November 16, 2016 · 6:26PM:
      Thanks Amy! :)
      Reply
  • Sam @ Grapefruit & Granola
    November 16, 2016 · 7:35PM:
    Anne- so sorry to hear that Matt has Lyme. He is lucky to have an RD wife to help him with the gluten-free aspect! I hope he gets to feeling better soon.
    Reply
  • Katryn
    November 16, 2016 · 8:05PM:
    Oh man! So sorry to read about Matt's Lymes disease...I have a couple family members that have had it is not fun to say the least! I hope he has a speedy recovery! My husband and I have been doing blue apron for several months now but have thought of trying out some other meal services...how would you compare SunBasket and Blue Apron taste wise?
    Reply
    • Anne
      November 17, 2016 · 9:08AM:
      They are similar! If you like Blue Apron you'd like Sun Basket too. The meals are a bit healthier overall (less burgers and stuff), but it's a bit more expensive (due to many organic ingredients, and the gluten free/paleo options), though, just FYI. Depends what you're looking for. :)
      Reply
  • Nikki November 17, 2016 · 7:12AM:
    Did he have a tick on him he didn't notice? I am so afraid of ticks now that we moved and our backyard is practically a forest.
    Reply
    • Anne
      November 17, 2016 · 9:10AM:
      We aren't exactly sure when he got it - he had a tick on him about a year or a year and a half ago but never got a rash, although it could have been that. Another time he had a rash but we never saw a tick, so who knows. Either way, now we always douse ourselves in organic tick repellent before hiking.
      Reply
  • Heather @ Polyglot Jot
    November 17, 2016 · 8:58AM:
    I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope this new dietary change helps! For years I struggled with digestive issues, acne, migraines, vertigo, pains, aches, fatigue and they didnt know what it was. After switching drs multiple times I met with a GI specialist who suggested removing gluten for 6-8 weeks. Guess what? all my symptoms went away! Ive been gluten free since March and feeling 10000 times better! I hope that he finds the same success!
    Reply
    • Anne
      November 17, 2016 · 9:11AM:
      Wow! I'm so glad you found what works for you - that's awesome!
      Reply
  • Abigail T November 18, 2016 · 2:30AM:
    I have a friend who has lyme disease and she said that (in her experience) going without meat has been better than going without gluten. Hope his body heals quickly!
    Reply
    • Anne
      November 18, 2016 · 9:27AM:
      Hm, interesting! I think we'll stick with the current plan, but thank you for sharing!
      Reply
      • Abigail T November 18, 2016 · 2:34PM:
        Everyone is different. Hope GF works out!
        Reply
  • Brighid November 21, 2016 · 1:13AM:
    I live in a state that's got a lot of Lyme disease in it overall. This year wasn't too bad because we were in a drought too which isn't conducive to ticks thriving. I know probably at least half a dozen people who have had it with varying degrees of recovery. Some of the teens I've worked with have cut out sugar in addition to gluten during their recovery period. With so many people in the area who have had it, I've heard accounts of every treatment plan ranging from standard short course antibiotics to a multi-week stay in the South American rainforest. That said, I will use an organic bug spray if I'm not going to be in a tick likely place. I use the Badger Balm products (badgerbalm.com) because they're local, organic and a B Company. But if you're going to be in an area where / time of year where ticks are prevalent, I'd strongly urge you to either use permethrin embedded clothing or bug spray with fairly high levels of DEET. I'm sure that you'd pay attention to the "tuck your socks over your pants" rule if you were hiking but I can imagine that's pretty much not possible if you're trail running. There's a lot of information there about types of habit change that people are creating that lead to increased numbers of infected ticks, modifications you can take on an individual level, etc. Best of luck to you and Matt!
    Reply
    • Anne
      November 21, 2016 · 9:25AM:
      Thank you very much Brighid!
      Reply
  • Linda December 31, 2016 · 1:37PM:
    What type of doctor did r husband go to to get his diagnosis of Lyme disease? Grew up in North Hills area, not far from Sewickley at all. Cannot get my BF to go to a dr, but sick every day of his life. Can't get him to record his food and reactions to it. He just doesn't want to take another breath, he is so depressed about how sick he is. What type of Dr did your husbands diagnosis? We live in Maryland and have access to great options, but need some advise on where to start pls. Thank u. Hope your husband starts to feel better soon. He is blessed to have you help him.
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 2, 2017 · 10:06AM:
      Any doctor would be able to give a lyme disease test, but you can look for an infectious disease specialist. I hope your boyfriend feels better soon!
      Reply
  • Pamela January 4, 2017 · 5:19PM:
    I rarely comment but wanted to extend my healing wishes. While I don't have Lyme, I have two autoimmune diseases and the information overload can be as stressful as a chronic illness. I've learned that what works for others may not work for me. For example, garlic for otherwise healthy people can act as an antibacterial and anti fungal but for me it actually revs-up my immune system and exacerbates my symptoms. Acupuncture has given me relief from joint pain and highly recommend it. Having a supportive spouse and a meditative practice helps the most and are what I'm most thankful for. Sending healing wishes. P.S. I'm a long time reader of your blog and I really appreciate your lifestyle approach. Yours is the only blog I read these days-keep up the awesome "realness."
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 4, 2017 · 5:25PM:
      Thank you for these kind comments, Pamela, and for reading my blog! I'm sorry to hear you are struggling with autoimmune disease - but happy to hear that you are learning what works for you. It's so true how individual it all is!
      Reply
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anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, I’m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes – stay for the fun!
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