Looking For Some Substitute Food Suggestions....

I've improved my diet over the last 4 years for similar reasons. How do I get my fruits and vegetables in when eating them raw bothers me? I make a large fruit and vegetable smoothie almost every day. For example today it included, frozen blueberries and strawberries, a carrot, some kale, half an apple, a banana, coconut water and unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Almond milk has twice the calcium as regular milk plus is lower in calories etc.

The plant based protein mix I use has the following ingredients:

PlantFusion Amino Acid Infused Protein Blend: (Pea Protein Isolate, Artichoke Protein, Organic Sprouted Amaranth Powder and Organic Sprouted Quinoa Powder) Providing 4,500 mg BCAAs (L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine and L-Valine) and 3,350 mg L-Glutamine.

Plus 4 g of fructose included in the other ingredients as follows:

Other Ingredients: Fructose, natural vanilla flavor, stevia, glycine, and silica.

I know there are a few ingrediants that aren't perfect but this is what works for me and every alernative I tried an/or look at had more of that "bad" stuff.

We are empty nesters so we don't have family dinners to plan with our children. It's a good thing no one is waiting for me to cook these days as my sense of taste and smell of food changed. I don't get enjoyment out of eating anything other than my smoothies.

I second the smoothie idea but just cook my normal foods for hubby & family and just use the hand blender on anything that is troublesome for me.
I have blended some interesting salads into cold soups...you never know what it will turn into but it is always good.
I use a lot of cucumbers, avocados, tomatoes & simple salads (we have tons of choices for greens here and I have found a few different salads that seem to digest nicely most of the time (succrine lettuce)).
I don't usually eat carbs (unless faced with an insurmountable craving) so the salad bar is a challenge (especially at pizza hut!) but stick to my favorite veggies and that is it.
Tuna and sardines are my emergency foods...add a cucumber or tomato and you have a meal.
I 'chew & spit' all citrus now as well as pineapple and certain other culprits (I do this very discretely, I think...) so I no longer deprive myself of the pleasure (hubby no longer notices this but I avoid doing it in public)...
As for the rest, when out I only eat protiens (meat, fish, chicke, hard cheeses and soft nuts) and very little of anything else...No choice but take lettuce wraps for lunch. I add a baggie of cherry tomatoes on the side and am a happy camper.
Nothing spectacular but it works for me.
Sharon
ps. I never get tired of sweet potatoes!

I like quinoa, farro, and millet as sides. You can fix these as salads, pilafs, or just plain with broth - many ideas out there on the 'net. I make a big batch at the beginning of the week and use it for a couple meals later in the week as a side. My jpouch seems to have no problems with these.

I do a lot of roasted vegees as well - butternut squash with red peppers, eg., with a little oil and whatever spices I can handle. If I plan on having something that I have had any problems with in the past, I take digestive enzymes to help out.

Snacks are indeed a problem. My go-to is hummus with gluten-free crackers. I never get tired of this! I've found it also creates just enough gas to create a more "satisfying" BM.

Quinoa balled up on me and I could barely pass it. My advice to those with issues is to go slow with it, to see how your body fares with it.

Thanks everyone. Reading your posts has sparked some other questions I've had about some things.

Quinoa doesn't go through well at all. It's very similar to brown rice with the grainy shell. Finding sides at dinner has been a huge challenge. I tried spaghetti squash once and it was terrible. It could very well have been how it was made. I see the Veggie Noodle thing is a huge hit. Anyone have experience with that, as far as its journey out?

I also have issues with protein shakes. It goes right though me and doesn't agree with me. I've tried cheap, expensive, different types. No luck.

TE Marie, the protein you take agrees with you? I would like to try it and see, thanks for that tip!

Anyone else have protein powder suggestions? I wanted to ask that on here as well but came to this topic first because I can't have another side of rice or pasta, I'm so over it!

It's too bad that you are having a difficult time with food. I feel bad for you. I use to take prescription Imodium, Loperamide, several times a day to slow down my system. If I didn't take it the shakes and anything else would go straight through me. I could eat something that didn't agree with me, like a taco, and the lettuce shoots right through me and the rest of it digests in the normal time!

The protein powder I use is hypoallergenic and recommended by my nutritionist. There are single use ones that I've taken on vacation with me. They are really expensive though. For what they cost you can get at least a 1 lb size. I buy 2 pound sizes in chocolate and vanilla varieties and there are a few more as well. I buy it off of Amazon or some other site like Lucky Vitamin - depending on the price. Here's a link and they also have a FaceBook page.

http://www.plantfusion.net/products/plantfusion

I don't use the stuff often but when preparing Chinese food I use rice noodles instead of wheat...also rice papers etc for ravioli etc...Me and wheat don't mix well so this is a nice alternative...They also have noodles made out of other starches...I used to use whea (sp?) proteins or soya...the soya tended to get sticky/slimy and I didn't like the texture going out...the whea was in the form of chewable tablets and got me through university without too much trouble (no time for bathroom breaks).
I still vote for the natural stuff like a can of sardines or tuna (salmon, chicken etc) or a grilled chicken breast made into wraps (works with peanut butter too)...In case I had not cooked the night before I took Swiss cheese slices (the real stuff not the processed cheese which disagrees with me to no end) and slathered them with peanut butter and wrapped them in lettuce...makes for a quick, high protein snack that is very satisfying...
Sharon