Take a second and think about what you ate today. Maybe you had a bagel and cream cheese from Einstein’s Bagels, or maybe you have Celiac Disease so you made some eggs and gluten free bread, or maybe you’re a vegan and you had a fruit smoothie. Okay, now imagine you have digestive issues and can’t eat bagels, dairy, fruit, yogurt, eggs, or practically anything else.
I’ve had stomach issues on and off since I was fourteen, but things have gotten worse in the last year. I’ve had blood work done, multiple different tests for Celiacs, a colonoscopy, an endoscopy, tried antibiotics, tried probiotics, tried herbal teas, tried an elimination diet, tried the low FODMAP diet, cut out dairy, cut out gluten, and I’ve have gotten exactly zero answers.
After doing an elimination diet (eating extremely bland foods and slowly reintroducing new foods in order to pin point what is causing your symptoms), I found some foods that did not cause me to have issues. Disclaimer: This list makes no sense, is extremely boring, is difficult to stick to, and does not provide me with adequate nutrition. I would not recommend it to anyone.
1. Ezekiel Bread
This bread has only twelve ingredients, and no preservatives. This means it’s great for a sensitive stomach, but you have to freeze it within a day or two or it will get moldy. Slap a little Earth Balance vegan butter on it, some raspberry preserves, and baby, you’ve got a stew going!
2. Nu Go Bars
I’ve learned to love these bars; I eat at least one every day. At first, they were dry and a little hard to chew, but they’re vegan, gluten free, and they don’t bother my stomach! The chocolate pretzel with sea salt, and the peanut butter cup ones aren’t bad at all.
3. Bagel Bites
Sophisticated, I know. Bagel bites contain both gluten and dairy, yet I can eat them no problem. At first, they were a fun treat. Now, I gag as I’m eating them because I’m so sick of them.
4. Gardein Products
I love Gardein products. They have soy in them, and probably weird GMOs, but they’re a delicious meat substitute, and my stomach takes no issue with the Meatless Meatballs or the Seven Grain Crispy Tenders.
5. Morning Star Grillers Crumbles
Every time I cook this, someone says: “That smells so good. What is it?” It smells good because it IS good. The Grillers Crumbles taste and smell like meat, but I can’t pinpoint what meat it is exactly. Either way, I have at least two bags in the freezer at any given time, and I take the serving size as a light suggestion.
6. Quinoa
Simple, timeless, extremely boring after awhile. But, it’s a go-to safe food for me. Quinoa can be versatile (I’ve even tried cooking it with milk and putting cocoa powder in it), but I can only eat it with soy sauce right now.
7. Carrots
No matter how you spin it, carrots are just carrots. They’re a vegetable, though, so I take what I can get. I peel them and put them in my quinoa and Morning Star stir fry every night.
8. Vegetable Sushi
For some reason, I can eat sushi. I can’t eat vegetables in large amounts, but an avocado roll or a cucumber roll actually works for me, and it’s a fun treat.
A lot of people suffer from digestive issues, so I hope this article shows people they aren’t alone. I also hope it gives my friends a better explanation for why I never order food at restaurants, so I don’t have to keep explaining it.