After much procrastinating, I decided to start cooking using the GAPS diet. GAPS stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome. I really do believe that if we had been able to faithfully follow this diet it could have really helped Bubba (read "helped", not "cured"), but it was almost impossible to follow this strict diet. I did learn a lot about cooking while attempting this. We also experimented with the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, which is similar to GAPS but easier. It was still very difficult. And finally we spent some time cooking Paleo-style. All of this experimentation in the kitchen got me used to making everything from scratch. And when I say everything, I mean it. Ketchup, taco seasoning, spaghetti sauce, dressings, etc. Right now we have settled into a gluten-free diet for Bubba, with almost everything from scratch. And can you believe the menu planning is no longer an issue?
I love it because we always have what we need in our pantry. And because of the restrictions on some of the diets, we got used to eating the same meals over and over. I have to admit that there was some mom guilt there, like my children are going to suffer as adults because I'm not giving them a different menu all the time. But you know what? It works! The family is happy, I'm no longer stressed, and we're eating at home 99% of the time. Win-win. :)
