Wonder Diet

My diet has recently undergone a bit of a makeover. Earlier this summer I posted about having some GI issues; now, I'm officially gluten, sugar, and dairy-free, which makes eating somewhat difficult. However, I've learned to get by (with a lot of adjusting and a couple of bad indigestion days...) and I figured I'd share some of my recipes here on this blog, for anyone interested in making some healthy yet also yummy choices as far as the food they consume goes!

One of my all-time favorite salads as Sweetgreen's Guacamole Green salad. However, not only is the price tag a bit hefty, I also don't know what goes in to the chicken or dressing, so this afternoon I thought I'd be a bit crafty and make my own at home.

Verdict: homemade meals > mass produced food, no matter how "local" Sweetgreen claims to be.

Read on to see how you make my version of Sweetgreen's Guacamole Greens! I encourage everyone to try to buy organic and local, whenever possible. Food definitely tastes better!

Cilantro-Lime Dressing (modified version of this recipe)
Ingredients:

* 2 medium jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
* 2 cloves garlic
* 3/4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
* 1/2 cup lime juice
* 1/4 cup honey
* 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
* 1/2 teaspoon seal salt, or to taste
* 1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves
* 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

(Directions taken from the above recipe)

"Place the jalapeno pepper, garlic clove, and ginger into a food processor or blender; pulse until the jalapeno and garlic are finely chopped. Pour in the lime juice, honey, balsamic vinegar, and salt, add the cilantro leaves; pulse a few times to blend. Turn the food processor or blender on, and slowly drizzle in the olive oil until incorporated into the dressing. Season to taste with salt before serving."

I would suggest adding less of all ingredients and then adapting quantities to taste. Personally I found that 1/3 cup of honey was much too sweet for my tastes, and I also like my dressing to be extra tangy, so I added much more lime juice.
Makes 6 servings

Spring Mix Salad
Ingredients:

* 2 cups mesclun salad
* 1/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved
* 1/4 red onion, diced
* 1 avocado
* 1/2 cup gluten-free tortilla chips, lightly crushed
* (optional) 1/2 cup roasted chicken breast, cubed
* (optional) 1/2 lime

Mix all ingredients together.
Makes 2 servings

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Try making it at home and let me know how it goes! I promise it's actually scrumptious, and not at all healthy-tasting. This is coming from the girl who would choose a Five Guys burger over pretty much anything, at any occasion. I've never been a healthy, "granola" American, but I'm slowly learning that you don't always have to sacrifice taste for health!