Dancing With Fireflies -Gluten Free At Disneyworld

So I’ve been Gluten Free and Dairy Free for just about a month. The first couple of weeks were HARD. I won’t lie and say that it’s fun or I found great food. Because I have really struggled.

Anyone who has ever had gluten free bread knows that it’s like eating thick cardboard. It is dense, tasteless, and really no fun. But I’m learning how to navigate my way through being gluten AND dairy free.

gluten free pancakes.png

What makes my diet even more difficult is that I’m also a pescatarian – a vegetarian who occasionally eats sustainable fish. Thank fully I can still have eggs!

Anyways, here’s the cool part.

Since I’ve started, I’ve lost over 10 pounds. I’ve only had one bad tummy day. And I haven’t had the same gross after meal bloating that has plagued me for years. It had gotten so bad that I hated eating a large meal in tight clothes because I’d be miserable for hours.

Now my meals are small, light, and often. I have a lot of little snacks like nuts, fruit, and protein bars. As a friend of mine said.. I’m living on salmon, nuts and berries. I’m a bear!

When we were in Orlando, Florida I was very surprised at the gluten free menus available at most restaurants and even a little disappointed at the places like the Waldorf Astoria where we were staying because after breakfast, the options were few. However, they were willing to make me gluten-free waffles and pancakes every morning at Oscar’s. 🙂

The Disney ran restaurants and places on the Disney property – Disney Springs however were FABULOUS and when the chefs would personally come out and talk to me, I felt so honored and even like a princess myself. They asked questions, smiled and gave suggestions, and I had the best meals with them.

disney2016 Crysta and Michael — After a long flight, food was needed. But we were exhausted!

One of my favorite meals was one I didn’t expect. At Epcot, my daughter wanted to go to a nice French dinner for her birthday. My husband’s family is French, and she wanted to go to a nice French place while at Epcot.

However, I went in thinking that there couldn’t possibly be anything gluten free or dairy free. I was WRONG. The chef came out, talked about what he thought I might like based on my favorite foods. And when it came, I was stunned.

It was a lovely traditional bouillabaisse but filled with shrimp, crab, a white fish, muscles, and clams. It was incredible and I’ve been craving it since we left. disney dinner.png

Gluten free is hard. And I don’t know anyone who actually enjoys having to eliminate this staple food from their diets. But it isn’t the end of the world, it is just and adjustment.

Here are a few Gluten & Dairy Free recipes that I’ve found online that I’ll be trying out this week.