The Starvation Diet and Brown Rice Tacos

I am on a diet.

Not by choice, but I am choosing to do this.

Does that make sense?

It's this or a baby that cries after each feeding.

I don't want my baby to be in pain.

So I started with no dairy.

I've done dairy-free before.

I was dairy-free for an entire year when William was a baby.

It was hard at first, but once the chocolate craving subsided, I got used to it.

It turned out to be a fabulous weight loss plan.

And he outgrew it by age 1.

By the end of Davy's first day, I guessed he was having the same kind of stomach issues as William.

I held out for a month, hoping it was just his still-maturing digestive system.

No such luck.

So out went the dairy.

No half and half in my coffee, no buttered toast, no salami on my pizza, oh wait, no cheese on my pizza either, no ice cream or pancakes. 

It was hard to give those things up, especially since all I was wanting was coffee and chocolate.

But now?

Well, I long for the simple days of just being dairy-free.

Because now I am not just dairy-free, I am also, gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free, soy-free and for good measure, avocado free.

I am also giving up anything spicy, like salsa, or very acidic, like orange juice.

So what, exactly, do I eat?

Practically nothing.

I call it the starvation diet.

I lost 5 pounds the first week.

Fruit, vegetables, rice and meat.

At first it was mostly fruit, veggies and rice because I am not much of a meat eater.  

I am a "mostly" vegetarian.

However, I am making milk with the calories I consume, and my milk factory needed more calories.

Baby was getting hungry.

So I bought streak.

How lucky is Aaron?  His wife goes on a diet and he gets steak.

I never buy steak.

I don't really like it that much.

But I am trying.

Still, after a steak dinner and 2 days of steak salad for lunch I've had enough red meat to last me a bit.

It's time for vegetarian again.

More specifically, one of my favorite vegetarian means of all time: 

Brown Rice Tacos.

What? you say. Sounds gross.

Oh, but they're not.  They are so very, very good.

I posted about these once before, but maybe you missed it.

Or you didn't believe me.

Please, believe me this time.

Go out on a limb and try these.

You won't be sorry.

Here's what went into the tacos I had for lunch yesterday.

You must, must use brown rice.
White rice will not do.  The nuttiness of the brown rice lends itself perfectly to these tacos.

Grated carrot is essential to these tacos.
They add a sweet crunch that just works.  Don't leave them out.
As is fresh tomato and chopped lettuce, or in my case, arugula.
That was all I could add to my tacos, but some grated cheese, salsa and especially some guacamole are really wonderful additions.
Unfortunately I can not partake in those delicious tastes.

Use corn tortillas, and fry them.
I fry very little but this meal demands fried tortilla shells.
Again, trust me on this.

Once all your ingredients are prepped, assemble your tacos.

I like to sprinkle them with a bit of kosher salt.  It brings out the flavor of the corn tortilla.

Thank goodness for rice tacos.  

I think I'll be eating a lot of them the next few weeks.

If you want a more detailed recipe, go to my last post on rice tacos here.

I promise, they are wonderful.  Even when you're not on the starvation diet.

I'll be on this diet a while longer. 

I still have 5 days left of the "cleanse" part and then, week by week, I'll be trying out 1 new item and see how it affects the baby.

I admit, I am already over it.

Food has become quite a bit of work for me.

If I could find a recipe for gluten, dairy, egg, soy and nut free sweet bread, like zucchini or banana, I would be a happier lady.

A slice of warm banana,  or some other kind, bread with my tea for breakfast would be marvelous.

Any of you have a recipe for me?

Or am I the only one on the starvation diet?

Come back tomorrow for a peek at the cutest bird books ever--got them for my birthday.

Love from,

Greta