Question:

I am a 16-year-old female living off a diet that is free of dairy and wheat. I am starting to find that I am always hungry (especially after school) and I think that it is caused by my body not getting the nutrients that it needs. Are there any foods that can help which don't contain dairy or wheat?

Response:

The best way to beat hunger pangs is by grazing (eating smaller meals more regularly), eating protein with each meal, and choose fibre-rich complex carbohydrate foods over refined carbohydrates.

Protein:

Protein foods help to keep you feeling full longer, and balance out blood sugar levels. Try a trail mix to munch on, raw nuts, seeds and dried fruit. Hummus on sandwiches or with rice crackers or vegie sticks makes for a wholesome protein snack. Eggs are a good source of protein for breakfast, in salads on sandwiches or in a frittata for school lunches. Salmon, tuna or chicken in sandwiches, salads, pasta or patties. Smoothies are a great protein snack when you get home, made with almond or soy milk, banana, berries, LSA (ground linseed, sunflower seeds and almonds) and a little raw honey.

Complex carbohydrates:

Complex carbohydrate foods such as wholegrain wheat-free breads and cereals, root vegies, legumes and vegetables are rich in B vitamins, zinc, vitamin E and fibre, which helps to keep you feeling full for longer, and provides you a steady supply of energy throughout the day.

When blood sugar levels drop so do your energy levels, leaving you feeling tired and craving sugary carbohydrate foods like cakes, biscuits, sugar breakfast cereals and other sweets, which are usually low in fibre, high in sugar and low in nutrients. These foods give you a short burst of energy as they flood the blood stream with glucose, which causes a surge of insulin and a rebound drop in blood sugar levels again soon after.

It is much easier these days to eat wheat- and dairy-free, as there are a wide variety of these foods available in supermarkets and health food stores.

Wheat-free foods:

Grains such as quinoa, millet, amaranth, brown rice, whole oats and buckwheat are healthy wheat-free choices which can be bought as breads, breakfast cereals, flour to make baked goods, or to be used in salads and stir-fries. Try a wheat-free muesli or rice porridge with fruit for breakfast, wheat-free bread and wraps with lots of salad and chicken or tuna for lunch, homemade high-fibre millet fruit muffins or oat cookies for snacks, and salads with added brown rice, quinoa or buckwheat.

Dairy-free foods:

When you take dairy out of your diet you want to make sure you replace it with calcium-rich alternatives such as almond milk, calcium enriched rice milk or soy. You can try soy yoghurt and vegan cheese, and if you are lactose-intolerant there are lactose-free milks and yoghurts available.

Other good calcium sources are nuts and seeds (eg. almonds, sesame seeds), tahini, green leafy vegies, and soft crushed bones in canned fish.

For more information visit Lisa's website, Art of healing.