Gluten. Foods with gluten have been a loaded topic for me since about 2016. I grew up a typical child of the 90’s. While my family did eat much better than most of my peers (my mom fed us from her garden, canned lots of home grown produce and we often had meat, eggs and other whole foods) I was not a stranger to the chips, soda and processed crackers, snacks and bread that are typical of the American diet.
All was going totally fine for me though until the year after I got married. I noticed most times I ate I would get heartburn. I wasn’t overweight, I was generally healthy and I ate a lot of fruits and vegetables. It was really weird. In hindsight I’m so thankful that I didn’t just take the advice from the internet and start popping antacids every time I ate. I knew that there had to be something else going on. There had to be a trigger. So, I started being more mindful of what I was eating and exactly what I had eaten before the heartburn would pop up.
It only took about a week for me to figure out that it was always a bread, pasta or other wheat product that was the main culprit. I remember the realization hit me one day when I had just gotten home from work and was starving. I quickly just grabbed a tortilla out of the refrigerator and within 5 minutes of eating it (and only it) I had raging heartburn.
A little bit of googling made me realize: I must need to go gluten free.
So, I did!
And I never got heartburn again (until the end of pregnancies, but that’s a whole different thing.)
I thought that I had it completely figured out, and that I just needed to eat gluten free for the rest of my life.
I had a whole other myriad of other health things change up for me too. I had stubborn cystic acne that would pop up occasionally and it went away. I had blood sugar spikes and drops… I would have to sit on the ground while out shopping to keep from passing out. I had crazy inflammatory knee pain that would get aggravated when I did huge amounts of running or walking. All of it went away.
All that I did was eliminate foods with wheat. If I was craving a “treat” (actually a piece of processed food garbage) I would buy the gluten free version and go on about my life. I didn’t really change my way of eating, just modified it to keep out the gluten and it worked for me.
I continued to eat this way–typical gluten free–for about 8 years. Through pregnancies, postpartum and everything in between!
Then came another health situation in our family.
My husband started having really weird health symptoms just before the birth of our fourth child. He was tested and prescribed a ton of things and nothing was working and no one was willing to get the bottom of things.
He was willing to try anything to feel better. So, we put him on just about the most extreme diet I’ve heard of the carnivore diet.
What is the carnivore diet?
The carnivore diet is an extreme form of low-carb eating that consists entirely of animal-based foods. That means:
- Yes to: meat (beef, lamb, pork, poultry), fish, eggs, animal fats, and sometimes dairy (if tolerated).
- No to: fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, or anything plant-based.
Core Principles
- Zero carbs – The goal is total elimination of carbohydrates.
- Nutrient density – Advocates believe animal foods provide all essential nutrients.
- Simplicity – One-ingredient meals, no recipes needed.
- Elimination – Removing all plants can help identify food sensitivities or reduce inflammation.
He ate this way for about 60 days. He also RAPIDLY lost weight. He didn’t feel better immediately but things did get a little bit better so we kept going in that directly.
This led our family to a whole foods approach to eating.
What Is a Whole Foods Diet?
A whole foods diet focuses on eating foods in their most natural, unprocessed state—or as close to it as possible. It emphasizes minimally refined, nutrient-dense ingredients that support overall health, energy, and longevity.
Core Principles
- Eat foods with few or no added ingredients
- Avoid ultra-processed foods, additives, and artificial flavors
- Cook from scratch using real, whole ingredients
- Focus on quality (organic, pasture-raised, wild-caught when possible)
Slowly, he would add in one or two foods and see his reaction to it. Avocado, nope doesn’t work. Potatoes, yes!
He continued on this path for about 2 months until he was in a totally sustainable way of eating for our whole family.
The beautiful thing about this is that even though I feel that I have healed my gut and can tolerate some gluten, I am naturally eating gluten free (and a lot more nutrient dense) by eating this way.
I feel confident feeding my kids a whole foods diet.
My children aren’t picky eaters. They’ll eat just about anything and when they do get a “treat” that’s exactly what they view it as…a one time thing that isn’t good for you but is fun in the moment like a cupcake! Not something that they eat every single day after dinner.
That is how I want them to go into adulthood. Without all of the hang ups and cravings around processed foods.
We want the best for our kids (or so we say). One of the first ways we can show them that we love and care for them is by feeding them whole, nutritious ingredients (and feeding that to ourselves so that we can be the best we can be!)
A whole foods diet—centered on foods that are minimally processed and close to their natural state—offers several powerful benefits for children as they grow and develop. Here are the main advantages:
1. Better Nutrition
Whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, lean meats, and legumes provide essential nutrients in the right balance—vitamins, minerals, fiber, and healthy fats—without added sugars, artificial ingredients, or preservatives.
2. Stronger Immune System
Nutrients like vitamin C (from citrus fruits), zinc (from legumes and seeds), and antioxidants (from berries and leafy greens) support the immune system, helping kids fight off colds and infections more effectively.
3. Improved Energy and Mood
Whole foods release energy more steadily than processed snacks, helping to stabilize blood sugar and avoid crashes that lead to irritability, mood swings, or fatigue.
4. Better Focus and Learning
A nutrient-dense diet supports brain development and cognitive function. Omega-3s (from fish or flax), iron (from leafy greens and meats), and B vitamins (from whole grains) are key for concentration and memory.
5. Healthy Growth and Development
Whole foods provide the protein, calcium, and other building blocks kids need to develop strong bones, muscles, and tissues. They’re also less likely to interfere with hormones and growth patterns.
6. Lower Risk of Chronic Disease
Eating whole foods helps prevent childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes, and even future heart disease. It encourages a healthy weight and better metabolic health long term.
7. Lifelong Healthy Habits
Early exposure to whole foods builds healthy taste preferences and cooking habits. Kids learn to enjoy real food, which can lead to better food choices in adulthood.
We are experimenting with different things in our family and paying close attention to how we are responding to things. I just bought a grain mill and am trying out making foods with freshly milled grains. So far, so good!
We are also doing all of this in a budget conscious way. Eating in-season foods, and buying in bulk when possible are the best ways we’ve been able to do that.
Honestly, at first it was a HUGE shock to my penny-pinching ways to spend more on food for our family. I struggled with the up front cost but when I really thought about it, it is one the best ways we could possibly spend our money. Our health, our kids health and the future generations of our family will be directly impacted by the quality of food we put into our bodies today.
Preventing health problems through nutritious foods is MUCH cheaper (monetarily, emotionally and physically) than treating an autoimmune disease that could develop through the over consumption of processed foods later on.
I’m going to share some more information on what our family is eating and how we’re doing it in a budget savvy way. Eating nutritiously IS more expensive but it doesn’t have mean you break the bank. I can’t wait to share more of our journey with you!