Katrina lives a gluten-free vegan lifestyle in a picturesque little corner of Vermont with her husband, 6-year-old daughter, and their 16-year-old dog. Her blog is The Gluten-Free Vegetarian, where she shares recipes, as well as tools and resources for meal planning. Her recipes are primarily designed for busy parents who want to cook healthful meals that are also quick and simple to make. She became a vegetarian in 1992 and has dabbled with being vegan, ovo-lacto vegetarian and pescatarian. Katrina became very sick in 2018 and the general practitioner suggested she cut gluten from her diet. She has a severe sensitivity to gluten and it inspired her to learn new ways of cooking and enjoying food. She is grateful to feel healthy again.

Katrina, I want to know a little bit about the vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian lifestyle?

A vegan diet eliminates all animal products, including meat, dairy, eggs, and other items such as a gelatin or honey. An ovo-lacto vegetarian diet omits meat but includes dairy and eggs. An ovo-lacto pescatarian diet includes dairy, eggs, and seafood, but no other types of meat.

I first went vegetarian in 1992. Since that time, I’ve been vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian during different periods of my life, so on my blog, you’ll find different recipes that meet each of these dietary requirements. All my recipes are gluten-free.

From my perspective, the greatest thing about vegan and vegetarian diets is helping animals! In addition, there are wonderful environmental and health benefits of reducing your meat consumption.

You write a lot about a gluten-free vegan diet. Walk me through this diet?

Gluten is a protein found in foods including wheat, rye, and barley. Some popular foods that often contain gluten are bread, pasta, muffins, and pancakes. The great news is that a gluten-free diet is easier now than ever. Food manufacturers and restaurants are more aware of consumers who cannot eat gluten, whether due to a sensitivity or celiac disease (the autoimmune disease that causes an immune reaction to eating gluten). Therefore, we have more availability of gluten-free products and better product labeling than in the past.

In 2018, I became very sick for six months without understanding why. After much trial and error, I finally discovered that I have a severe sensitivity to gluten. At first, I saw this as a restriction on my diet, but over time it has inspired me to learn new ways of cooking and enjoying food. As I live a gluten-free lifestyle now, my health has vastly improved. My blog was born from my own journey of learning how to cook vegan and vegetarian food that is also gluten-free.

Talk to me about your favorite and the least favorite vegetables?

My least favorite vegetables are bell peppers and eggplant. It’s disappointing that I don’t like these vegetables, because they are staples in vegetarian cooking! Every once in a while, I try them again to see if my palette has changed, but so far it hasn’t. I hope that someday I will like them! Also, my husband has a deep dislike of mushrooms, so I only cook them when he is out of town.

I love a lot of veggies. For flavor, I love baby carrots when they are especially sweet, butter lettuce, heirloom tomatoes, and the special blend of cherry tomato varieties that my husband grows in our garden. Lately, I’ve been enjoying beets and leeks more than I used to, so it’s fun to experiment with those.

In terms of nutrient-dense vegetables, it’s hard to beat kale, so I use it a lot! I also love using fresh spinach and toss it into all kinds of recipes, from smoothies to pasta sauce and salads.

Give me one of your favorite smoothies, snacks, lunch, and dinner recipes?

I really love all of these!

Smoothie: https://gf-veg.com/chocolate-grapefruit-protein-shake/

Lunch: https://gf-veg.com/beyond-burger-with-quinoa-salad-and-hummus/

Snack: https://gf-veg.com/maple-pumpkin-overnight-oats/

Dinner: https://gf-veg.com/maple-veggie-sausage-skillet/

Vegans are known to be healthy. What is one of your weaknesses? I love chocolate.

Chocolate is absolutely my weakness! Fortunately, it can be good for us too, at least in moderation, so I can enjoy it without guilt in many recipes. Protein smoothie bowls are one of my latest obsessions, and I almost always have a chocolate-flavored bowl. These make a wonderful meal because they’re quick and simple to make, and you can pack them full of nutritious ingredients. For my last smoothie bowl, I blended together vegan protein powder, vanilla soy yogurt, and some mixed berries, then poured the mixture into a bowl. I topped the bowl with banana slices, almond butter, fresh blueberries, coconut flakes, and chia seeds. It was delicious. As an added bonus, smoothie bowls also look beautiful and satisfy your sweet tooth.

How has marriage changed you? Did anything surprise you about it?

One of the most surprising turning points in marriage for me happened several years ago when I did a year-long exercise recommended by a pastor in a sermon I heard. Every day for a year, I wrote down one wonderful thing that my husband did or said. No matter how happy or how difficult the day was, without fail, I recorded one great thing my husband did. When I first started the project, my intention was that the journal I created would be Valentine’s Day present for my husband. It wasn’t long before I realized that the gift was actually for me. The exercise taught me to see my husband in a completely different light. It revealed how much he does for our family, how positive his intentions are, and how hard he works. It helped me to stop nagging (or at least do it much less often!) and to appreciate how much effort he makes. Honestly, I don’t think our marriage has ever been the same, and I don’t think I’ve ever been the same as a wife, in very good ways.

I see you have a beautiful daughter. How has motherhood made you look at life differently?

Thank you so much! Motherhood made me prioritize my faith. For years before I became a mother, I considered myself just a spiritual person without a particular faith. I thought I would figure out exactly what I believed in terms of God and my faith “later.” When my husband and I decided that we might become parents, I realized that “later” had come. I wanted to know what I believed before bringing a child into the world. I dug deep into a Bible study and asked myself the hard questions. I left no stone unturned and didn’t take any shortcuts or easy ways out. I found that my true faith is Christianity, and my belief and relationship with God have continued to deepen and grow over the years. My daughter is six years old now, and she’s starting to ask me questions of her own about faith and God. It’s fun, challenging, and engaging to try to answer them and explore them with her!

I have never heard about Proverbs 31 ministry. What is it all about and what was your role there?

Proverbs 31 Ministries is a wonderful organization. It is a non-denominational, non-profit Christian ministry that seeks to lead women into a personal relationship with Christ with Proverbs 31:10-31 as a guide. There are many facets to the organization, but I was involved with their Online Bible Studies. I volunteered with the ministry for almost three years. I served as a small group leader to work with online groups of around 20 women as they went through each Bible study. I also transcribed Bible study videos for hard of hearing and deaf study participants. I did the transcription work in honor and memory of my Gram, who was deaf and a woman of strong faith. I loved working with this organization and still benefit from their programs, including daily email devotionals and the First 5 app. The First 5 app is designed to help you spend the first five minutes of the day in God’s Word.

I want you to choose three women of your choice to have a meal with. What would you cook for each of them and you can ask only one question what would that be?

I would choose to have a meal with my mom and my two grandmothers. One of my grandmas (my “Gram”) is in heaven, and I live thousands of miles away from my other grandma and my mom, so I don’t see them very often. It would be amazing to have the four of us together for a meal. The one question I would ask them is this: how do they each pray for our family? I know our family has many blessings because of the faithfulness of each of these women. I would learn a lot from hearing about what their prayer lives look like and what they pray for.

Both of my grandmothers loved cooking and were excellent cooks, so I would be a bit nervous about preparing food for them! For the main course, I might make a gluten-free pasta dish with roasted vegetables, since it would be warm, hearty, and comforting. For dessert, I’d make a gluten-free, vegetarian lemon meringue pie. Lemon meringue pie was one of my favorite desserts my Gram made. Her meringue was a labor of love, and it was flawless. I’ve seen vegan versions online and would love to try one.

You made it to the pearly gates and you run into Deborah, Phoebe, Mary, and Martha. They ask you to prepare a 4-course vegan meal. Tell me about it?

What a great question, and what a great dinner party this would be! For fun, I’ve tried to come up with a meal using mostly ingredients that my guests would have been familiar with while they were here.

The first course would be a bread service with several types of gluten-free bread: unleavened, flatbread, and herb-crusted. I’d serve the bread with fresh olives, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.

The second course would be figs with tahini sauce, drizzled with agave (a vegan substitute for honey).

The third course would be our main course: bowls with red lentils, quinoa, cooked apples, walnuts, and garlic.

The fourth course would be a grape sorbet for dessert.

Being in the company of these women would be an extraordinary opportunity to learn. I would ask Deborah what it’s like to hear directly from the Lord as a prophetess; I’d ask Mary and Martha to share what it was like to host Jesus; I’d ask Phoebe to tell some stories about Paul. Then at the end of our meal, I would encourage Martha to leave all the dishes to me.

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Introduction

We have heard about the Mediterranean, DASH, Flexitarian, Mayo, Atkins, vegan, vegetarian, South Beach and the Paleo diet. Who is the new kid on the block? The diet that is the promised land and has taken America by storm. A survey of registered dietitians named the keto diet as the most popular diet in the United States. Whitney Linsenmeyer, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics commented that “America is in a state of carbophobia”.

What is the keto diet

The keto diet consists of high fat, low carb diet that depends on the body’s action of ketosis which is processing stored and dietary fat for energy. It can result in faster weight loss. There is a better sense of gratification and filling of the stomach when consuming fat as compared to processed carbohydrates. The keto diet has multiple forms. The common denominator is that people get their calories from protein and fat. The aim is to use ketosis and use energy from ketones rather than glucose. The low amount of glucose results in ketones being produced in the kidneys and liver.

What is Ketosis

The cells of the body under normal conditions use glucose for energy.  Glucose comes from grains, vegetables, and fruits. When there is a shortage of glucose to provide energy, the body then looks somewhere else to produce energy. It uses the fat stored in the body. Ketones are produced as a result. It is an acid build-up and is flushed out in the urine. The process of converting fat into energy and releasing ketones is called ketosis.

The challenging part is getting the kidneys to produce ketones. A person has to consume between 20 to 50 grams of carbs and it takes a while for ketosis to take place. If you are looking at consuming 2,000 calories a day, then you must consume 165 grams of fat, 40 grams of carbs, and 75 grams of protein.

What foods can you actually eat 

Meat and poultry

The predominant and essential food in the keto diet is poultry and meat. Grass-fed fresh meat and poultry do not have carbs and contain minerals, vitamins and are rich in zinc, selenium, and potassium. The proteins help keep muscle mass. Grass-fed animal meat has more antioxidants, omega-3 fats, and conjugated linoleic acid than animals who are grain-fed.

Fish, shrimps and crab

Salmon is keto-friendly and rich in omega-3 fats, selenium, potassium, and Vitamin B and has no carbs. Shrimp and crab have no carbs. If you want to try squid, oysters, octopus, mussels, or clams, just remember that per 100 gram (3.5oz) servings the carbs can vary from 3 grams to 7 grams.

 Vegetables that are low in carb

Vegetables are high in nutrients and have fiber. The best vegetables are non-starchy which are low in carbs and calories. A cup of raw spinach contains 1 gram of carb compared to a cup of cooked Brussel sprouts that contain 8 grams. Cauliflower, zucchini, broccoli, and Kale are amazing vegetables to consume and contain antioxidants.

Avocados

Avocados are extraordinary among fruits as they contain healthy fats, a variety of nutrients, minerals and vitamins K, C, B5, E, B1, B2, B3, B6 and contain more potassium than bananas. Potassium reduces the blood pressure in the body, which is linked to kidney failure, strokes and heart attacks. The fiber in avocados is good for metabolic health, fighting cancer and keep eyes healthy. Half an avocado is approximately 3.5 ounces (100 grams) and contains 9 grams of carbs.

Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate has copper, magnesium, iron, fiber, manganese, and cocoa and cocoa which are good for mood, skin, brain and cardiovascular health.

Flavanols in cocoa are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory and help protect the skin from the sun. The bromine improves your mood, functioning of the brain and helps with mental clarity. Anandamide creates a positive mood and a feeling of bliss while Phenethylamine helps with the release of dopamine. Serotonin helps with fatigue and getting better sleep.

Eggs

Chicken eggs are the Jack of all trades in terms of having every nutrient you need. I like the omega-3 eggs. Eggs have a positive influence on HDL, the good cholesterol.

Eggs contain choline which helps the brain function better. As we age, our eyesight gets worse. The lutein and zeaxanthin are antioxidants that help the retina become stronger. The proteins and amino acids in eggs help the body function better. One large egg contains less than 1 gram of carbs and fewer than 6 grams of protein.

Olives

Olives contain oleuropein which is an antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory properties. Olives decrease blood pressure and prevent bone loss. A one-ounce (28-gram) serving of olives contains 2 grams of total carbs and 1 gram of fiber.

Coffee and tea with no sugar

Tea and coffee are carb-free and contain caffeine which is good for your metabolism.

Strawberries

If you have a craving for sugar candy or some other sweets, give strawberry a try.

Strawberries contain anthocyanins, phenol, ellagitannin and a whole bunch of phytonutrients. Anthocyanins protect the cells; phenol protects the heart and ellagitannin protects you from developing certain kinds of cancers.

Blue Berries

Blueberries are delicious, loaded with manganese, vitamin K, Vitamin C, fiber and has low calories and carbohydrates. Blueberries have high anti-oxidant levels. Blueberries reduce the DNA damage in our body as we grow older and can also cause cancer. Blueberries are good for the heart, reduces blood pressure, improves memory, fight urinary tract infections, minimizes soreness after a workout and improves muscle performance.

Cheese

Cheese is nourishing and delightful, low in carbs and high in fat. Research has shown that cheese protects against heart disease. One ounce (28 grams) of cheddar cheese provides 1 gram of carbs and 7 grams of protein.

Coconut oil

Try cooking with coconut oil. The medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) in the liver are converted directly into ketones. The lauric acid in coconut oil along with MCT promotes and sustains ketosis.

Plain Greek Yogurt

Plain Greek yogurt makes you feel full, is healthy, high-protein food. A portion of 5 ounces (150 grams) provides 5 grams of carbs and 11 grams of protein.

Nuts

Nuts are high in fiber, low in net carbs, high-fat and healthy for you. Nuts reduce the risk of depression, chronic disease, certain cancers and heart diseases. Cashews, macadamia, pecans, pistachios, walnuts and almonds are great to consume on the keto diet.

The keto diet can be followed for a short, medium, long term or indefinitely. If you want to go on this diet, do some research on carbs and fats. Head off to your grocery store and look at all the products and get familiar with the food labels. All research shows that sugar cravings do not go right away. People on the keto diet have experienced hunger, mental clarity, fatigue, headaches, and muscle problems.

The keto diet has advantages and disadvantages

The keto diet is high in saturated fat. If you have a liver condition, it could be a challenge to process that fat. You need to eat an array of fruits, vegetables, and grains. If you do not consume an array of fruits, vegetables, and grain then you run a risk getting constipated, mood swings and deficient in minerals and vitamins.

People who are on the keto diet have lost weight when the body is in ketosis. Ketosis has an influence on hunger hormones which results in a reduction of appetite. Ketosis also sustains the blood sugar and insulin levels hence you have more energy.

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