Today: Stocked up and bagged up.

[tweetmeme source=”elizabethev” only_single=false]Laundry’s folded, the Frenchie’s been bathed, and the fridge is stocked.  I’m ready to take on the rest of the week.  Mostly.  After taking a wild cab ride to Southie (lots of honking, not much signaling), snuggling Clark, and tossing my bags in the hallways Sunday afternoon, Nick and I headed back to Cambridge to restock at Whole Foods River Street.  We usually split up as soon as we get in the door: I head to produce, he heads to the fish and meat.  I get distracted at the cheese counter, we find each other at the almond milk.  It’s a beautiful system.

My favorite part of MTV Cribs was always the sneak peek inside stars’ refrigerators.  We’re not famous, but we do go through an inordinate amount of non-dairy milk.  If had half a brain a whole non-exhausted brain, I would have dug into my HLS swag stash for those Almond Breeze coupons.  Next time.

Other staples that always end up in our cart:

• Bananas and grapes
• Berries galore (blueberries, strawberries and raspberries)
• Basil and other fresh herbs
• Spinach and spring mix with herbs, and veggies for salad
• Avocados (and occasionally WF guacamole– so, so good)
• Gluten free cereal (Erewhon crispy brown rice is my favorite)
• Yogurt
• Olives
• Beans and a wee bit o’ cheese for me, meat for Nick
• Nuts and nut butter

I met with my dietitian late last week to review six weeks of “challenge” dieting (using a restrictive, low FODMAP diet as the baseline and “challenging” every few days with potential allergens… interesting at its best, awful at its worst).  We’re “revisiting” gluten, lactose, casein and fructans again, but fortunately, it seems like I can eat many of the foods that were originally on the no no list (i.e. the foods that scored a 2 or 3 on my ELISA food allergy panel) in moderation.  I am so grateful to have access to such a great health care team.  Especially when they tell me I can eat tomatoes again.

I loaded up my new Chobani lunch bag with all kinds of good stuff yesterday, including a handful of those little heirloom cuties.

I’m working to continue to build the good habits that have helped me lessen my symptoms lately.  Keeping a food log has been, well, annoying… but it’s been a great way to identify patterns and linking symptoms to potential triggers.  Making meals at home has been, by far, the most effective tactic.  It seems like the only way to know for certain what’s in my food, and to ensure that I will have something healthy and safe on hand when hunger strikes.  I’m giving myself a gold star for brown canvas bagging it on a Monday.

Also On Tap for Today:

• The “no excuses take your lunch to work” guide
• Getting a run in 🙂
• Planning a late summer picnic?

What’s your favorite on-the-go lunch?