I am thrilled Heather from Gluten-Free Cat is guest-blogging a lunchbox today. You might remember Heather guest-blogged here before (also with a scrumptious lunchbox then). Heather and I connected a few months ago through our blogs and I love her great recipes and comprehensive reviews of gluten-free products. I hope Heather and I can share a lunchbox lunch at some time in the future, but in the meantime I now have two lunchboxes of hers to put together for me, and also adopted her recently. Her recipes are all delicious.
It’s not uncommon for me to wake up in the morning thinking about food. I love food, and it’s on my mind a lot of the day. But in the morning I’m thinking about questions like these: What should I have for breakfast? Should I start my day with a smoothie or a grain? What kind of leftovers do I have to throw in my lunchbox? How many fitness classes am I teaching today, and do I have enough calories to support it? How can I get an extra dose of protein without dairy or meat? What sweetness am I going to enjoy today to keep that Cravings Beast at bay?
Obsession or good planning? It’s a fine line.
But last week I woke up thinking about a lunchbox for Valerie. Valerie has been such an inspiration to me as my diet has become more vegan and raw over the past few months. One of my fears about transitioning to a vegan diet is that I won’t be getting enough protein to fuel my very physical day. When I expressed my concerns to Valerie she made this lunchbox for me, which was a perfect example of a nutrient-dense and energy-packed meal.
So today I’m giving Valerie a lunchbox with the same goal in mind.
- Quinoa with Walnuts, Mushrooms and Raisins by Iris of The Daily Dietribe. I adopted Iris this month for Adopt A Gluten-Free Blogger and fell in love with this sweet, earthy salad. Not only is quinoa high in protein, but it’s also a complete protein, which means that it includes all nine essential amino acids.
- Raw Veggie Sandwich – I am head over heels for raw sandwiches since I got my dehydrator. This one is made on my Raw Carrot and Apple Bread, spread with Almond Cheese from The Art of Raw Living Food, and stuffed with raw tomato, basil, zucchini, and yellow peppers.
- High Protein Hemp Hummus – Since Valerie considers hummus to be one of the food groups, I had to include Gena’s hummus from Choosing Raw. It’s high in protein and makes such a delicious, satisfying snack with organic baby carrots.
- Cherries – Cherry season makes me giddy! And while I could have made her an almond flour cherry crumble for dessert, I think a handful of raw cherries in-season finishes off the meal simply and with a sweet note.
I wish I could jump into this lunchbox and enjoy a mid-day meal with Valerie. Maybe someday we can cross the miles and pull that off!
Heather is a gluten-free blogger by night and a Kindergarten teacher and fitness instructor by day. She writes about healthy, gluten-free living and shares gluten-free recipes, product reviews, and restaurant reviews on her blog Gluten-Free Cat. You can follow her on Twitter, chat with her on Facebook, and keep up to date by subscribing to Gluten-Free Cat.
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