Well, guys, I’ve done it.

I’ve completely emptied my cupboard of EVERYTHING grain.

And I do mean EVERYTHING.

Well, ok… I’ll be honest.

I made one small, one tiny little exception.

I kept my baking powder. Until I can fin a way to sub this, it HAS to stay. Besides, I don’t think that the infinitesimal quantity that ends up in a serving of whatever it’s being used in can really qualify as being “grain presence”. I certainly cannot see it affecting my body. And I don’t think that I’ll ever get the urge to binge on baking powder… 😉

But everything else went… even my precious Miso had to go!

And my Shredded Wheat, of course…

Oh, my beloved cereal! Notice how it jumps out in every picture? I just LOVE my Shredded Wheat. Oh, how I shall miss it!

My comforting rolled oats, my beautiful, so pretty, so tiny amaranth…

All my pasta, my wild rice…

Hey, I even found an old bad of Egg Noodles. That must have been there for quite a while… I’m sure not gonna miss that one.

Also found a brand new bag of Forbidden Rice, which I had completely forgotten about and didn’t even get to try…

Oh well… it’s not like I’m going off grains forever, now, is it?

Still, I came that close to crying. I swear. It was a sad moment for your Grain Addicted Healthy Foodie.

Somehow, I get the feeling that this is more than a “see you later grains” challenge. This is the beginning of yet another profound change in my life. I mean, it’s not even been a week and I already see and feel an incredible difference, a major change in my body.

I feel so much lighter. So much tighter. So much better.

Now I can’t say that my energy level has increased yet. In fact, I think I might even say that it dropped some. My workout on Saturday has been particularly tough. Had a hard time carrying it through. Still… I made it!

But really, I feel grrrrrrrreat. And you know what? So far, I don’t miss my grains AT ALL! In fact, I hardly feel as though Lent has even begun. It’s only just starting, though, so this may very well change in a few days… or weeks!

We’ll see, I guess!

So anyway, I’m not saying that I will be giving up grains for good, but I’m certainly hoping to cut down quite a bit, permanently.

Yikes, I can’t believe I just said that. All of a sudden, I feel scared.

But hey, I need to take this one day at a time.

Now tonight, instead of giving you a recipe, I thought I’d share the list that I’ve put together to help me get through Lent without eating grains by mistake. 😉

I got a lot of that information on Grain Free Living, which is a great site that, I sort of get the feeling, I’ll be visiting often from now on!

Alright, so let’s take a look at what constitutes a grain, what doesn’t, and places where you might find grains and least expect it.

Like soy sauce, for instance… 😉 

Oh, and of course, if you have any additions and or corrections that you think should be made to this list, please let me know, by all means!

GRAINS

  • Barley
  • Bran
  • Kamut
  • Montina
  • Rye
  • Wheat, also known as:
  • Bulgur
  • Couscous
  • Durum
  • Farro
  • Graham (flour)
  • Kamut
  • Seitan
  • Semolina
  • Spelt
  • Triticale

GLUTEN FREE GRAINS (BUT STILL GRAINS!)

  • Corn
  • Cornflour
  • Cornmeal (Polenta)
  • Cornstarch
  • Millet
  • Oats (must be labeled as such)
  • Rice
  • Sorghum
  • Teff
  • Wild Rice

NON GRAINS

  • Amaranth
  • Buckwheat (Kasha)
  • Chia seeds
  • Flaxseed
  • Sesame
  • Quinoa
  • Soy
  • Tapioca

NON GRAIN FLOURS / STARCHES
(Of course, all the non grains listed above can also be made into flour)

  • Almond
  • Arrowroot
  • Cassava (aka manioc or tapioca)
  • Chickpea or gram flour
  • Coconut flour
  • Dal flour
  • Fava bean
  • Gram flour (chickpea)
  • Lentils
  • Manioc
  • Mesquite flour
  • Plantain flour (can get at African grocers)
  • Potato Starch/Flour
  • Sago
  • Taro flour
  • Yam (iyan) flour

GRAINS WHERE YOU MIGHT LEAST EXPECT THEM

  • Alcohol made from grains (i.e. Vodka, Gin, Sake)
  • Baking powder (contains cornstarch)
  • Beer
  • Glucose (made from wheat)
  • Soy sauce / Tamari (unless it’s gluten free)
  • Rice vinegar
  • Mirin
  • Chicken and beef broth (cans and bouillon cubes)
  • Condiments, salad dressings, and sauces
  • And of course, many, many prepared food items… read your labels!