THE GRAIN BRAIN PANTRY
IF YOU’RE FAMILIAR WITH my book Grain Brain, you know what lies ahead. No more bread, pasta, pastry, soy, or sugars. Even most products labeled “gluten-free” or “sugar-free” are banished. But don’t panic: that’s where this cookbook is here to help. I’m going to show you how you can conquer your cravings for sugar, wheat, and addictive carbs while still eating with enormous satisfaction and achieving optimal health. You’ll quickly discover that it is worth the effort as you spend your days with clearer thoughts, better sleep, and renewed energy.
As you begin your new way of life in the kitchen, I suggest that you learn to grocery shop when you are not hungry, and with a shopping list in hand. This prevents spur-of-the-moment purchases, which usually fall into the not-good-for-you category. You’ll find that most healthy foods (fresh produce, meats, and dairy products) are located around the perimeter of the grocery store, while the “bad guys” (prepackaged, processed foods) are usually in the middle aisles, so steer clear of those toxic areas. “Health food” stores are often just as much at fault in terms of the prepared foods and packaged foods that they offer. To me, your best bet is your local farmers’ market, where you are almost always assured that the vegetables are grown free of pesticides and other potentially harmful growth aids, and the meat, poultry, and fish come as nature intended. Of course, I do understand that shopping in this way can be expensive, but I think spending a little extra money to splurge on brain-friendly nutrition is worth it. The old adage “pay me now or pay me later” is extremely relevant here, for if you don’t spend money on good nutrition today, you’ll be spending money on expensive treatments later for ailments that you could have avoided altogether.
All of the recipes in this book were tested using organic produce, pasture-raised or grass-fed poultry and meats, wild-caught fish and shellfish, and farm-fresh eggs. Unsalted butter, extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, unsweetened nut milks, and unadulterated herbs and spices are also part and parcel of putting the recipes together. It is important that you use the same high-quality ingredients when cooking on your own. If you don’t have a local farmers’ market, you will find that many of these high-quality products are available at large supermarkets, chain stores, and specialty food shops, as well as online.
The eggs (remember, these are nature’s perfect food) used in all of these recipes were direct-from-the-farm, but I realize that this is not always possible. You should, however, be aware of the different terminology used in commercial egg distribution, since eggs are so important in this diet. Following is a little tutorial so you will know which eggs to buy.
Organic eggs designate the feed and land on which the hens were raised rather than how they were raised. The hens may be held in cages or in open space but, in most instances, they are cage-free. USDA organic certification requires that the feed used must have been produced on land that has had no toxins, chemical fertilizers, or pesticides applied for a minimum of three years. The hens cannot receive any antibiotics, hormones, invasive drugs, growth aids, or vaccines and must be given only organic, non–genetically engineered feed.
Free-range eggs are those gathered from hens that have indoor quarters but are allowed free roam in the outdoors (though often in an enclosed or fenced area). There is no stipulation about feed or drug use in their maintenance.
Cage-free eggs simply imply that the hens are not raised in cages, but in some type of floor arrangement with nest crates in which they can lay their eggs. Again, there is no stipulation about feed or drug use in their maintenance.
But before you stock your pantry with all of these good foods, you’ll have to sweep your kitchen clean of any items not allowed on this diet. The following list is long, so get some big boxes and pack up all of these banned foods and food products:
Avoid these grains and starches:
Barley, bulgur, couscous, farina, graham flour, Kamut, matzo meal, rye, semolina, spelt, triticale, wheat, wheat germ
All foods containing these grains and starches, including baked goods, bread, breaded food items, breadcrumbs, cakes, cereals, cookies, crackers, doughnuts, muffins, pasta, pastries, pretzels
Avoid these general foods:
Agave, canned baked beans, beer, blue cheeses, candy, chips, commercially prepared chocolate milk, chutneys, cold cuts, communion wafers, cooking oils (soybean, corn, cottonseed, canola, peanut, safflower, grape seed, sunflower, rice bran), corn products, dried fruits, egg substitutes, energy bars, flavored coffees and teas, frozen yogurt, fruit fillings, gravies, honey, hot dogs, ice cream, instant hot drinks, jams (and jellies and preserves), juices, ketchup, malt vinegar, maple syrup, margarine, marinades, commercially prepared mayonnaise, non-dairy creamer, oats and oat bran (unless certified gluten-free), pizza, potatoes, processed cheeses (such as Velveeta) and cheese spreads, puddings, roasted nuts, salad dressings, sausages, seitan, sherbets, sodas, commercially prepared soups (and bouillons and broths), soy sauce, sports/energy drinks, sugar (all types), sweet potatoes/yams, teriyaki sauce, trail mix, vegetable shortening, vodka, wheatgrass, wine coolers
Avoid all packaged foods labeled “fat-free” or “low-fat” unless they are authentically “fat-free” or “low-fat,” such as vinegars, mustards, water, etc.
Avoid all unfermented soy products (such as tofu, bean curd, and soy milk) and processed foods made with soy. Always check for “soy protein isolate” in the list of ingredients in any processed food. Eliminate all soy burgers, soy cheese, soy hot dogs, soy nuggets, soy ice cream, and soy milk yogurt. Although some naturally brewed soy sauces are technically gluten-free, many commercial brands have trace amounts of gluten.
Avoid packaged products that contain these ingredients, which are “code words” for gluten: Amino peptide complex, Avena sativa, brown rice syrup, caramel color (frequently made from barley), cyclodextrin, dextrin, fermented grain extract, Hordeum distichon, Hordeum vulgare, hydrolysate, hydrolyzed malt extract, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, maltodextrin, modified food starch, natural flavoring, phytosphingosine extract, Secale cereale, soy protein, Triticum aestivum, Triticum vulgare, hydrolized vegetable protein (HVP), yeast extract.
Now that your kitchen is low-carb and gluten-free, you can restock with products that will make cooking a brain-healthy diet a cinch. When shopping, take care when eyeing those products labeled and marketed as “gluten-free,” “low-carb,” “sugar-free,” and all of the other health claims. Some of these foods might be just fine if they did not contain gluten or a high dosage of carbohydrates to begin with. But generally these labels come about because the foods have been highly processed, and one unhealthy ingredient has been replaced with another that is equally worrisome. In addition, by law, trace amounts of gluten or sugars may remain in processed items even if the label says they are free of them. And although the FDA issued a regulation in August 2013 to define the term “gluten-free” (and variations like “free of gluten” and “no gluten”) for food labeling, it still leaves the burden on the manufacturers to comply and be accountable for using the claim truthfully. All of this confirms what I have already been saying: You’re better off preparing your own food than relying on packaged products sold at the grocery store. And when you do have to buy packaged products, you must be extremely well informed and prepared to carefully read the labels of all packaged items.
Now you are ready to shop.
The following items can be consumed liberally when you’re ridding yourself of grain brain. The preference is always fresh, local, and organic, but individually quick frozen (IQF) organic foods can also be used. IQF foods have been flash-frozen in individual pieces, such as a single shrimp or blueberry, thereby preventing the frozen items from massing together and forming a solid block of icy food; they should ideally be organically grown as well.
Healthy oils and fats
Almond butter
Avocado oil
Cashew butter
Coconut oil
Extra-virgin olive oil
Ghee
Organic or pasture-fed butter
Tahini
Walnut oil
Raw or cured fruit fats
Avocados
Coconuts
Olives
Nut milks
Unsweetened almond milk
Unsweetened coconut milk
Nuts
All raw or toasted nuts, except peanuts, which are a legume (Note: When buying commercially packaged roasted nuts, check the label, as they might have been processed with sugars or oils that should be avoided.)
Dairy products
All cheeses except blue or highly processed cheeses (such as Velveeta or American slices)
Herbs, seasonings, and condiments
All fresh and dried herbs, spices, and rhizomes
Many commercially packed condiments and seasonings, such as mustards, horseradish, salsas, tapenades, vinegars, and herb/spice mixtures can be used if they were made without the addition of wheat-derived vinegars or any sweetener other than natural stevia. Be aware that some packaged products are made at plants that process wheat and/or soy and thus may be contaminated.
Vegetables
Alfalfa sprouts
Artichokes
Asparagus
Beets
Bell peppers
Bok choy
Broccoli
Broccoli rabe
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Celery
Collards
Cucumbers
Eggplants
Fennel
Garlic
Green beans
Haricots verts
Jicama
Kale
Kohlrabi
Leafy lettuces and greens
Leeks
Mushrooms
Mustard greens
Onions
Plantains
Pumpkins
Radishes
Rutabaga
Sauerkraut
Scallions
Shallots
Spinach
Summer squashes and squash blossoms
Swiss chard
Tomatillos
Turnips
Water chestnuts
Watercress
Winter squashes
Yellow wax beans
Low-sugar fruits (Note: Those with an asterisk [*] are substantially higher in sugar, so consume these in moderation. There’s nothing wrong with adding a fresh grapefruit to your breakfast, but you wouldn’t want to then eat peaches and pears or other high-sugar fruits later that day.)
Avocados
Grapefruits*
Kiwis*
Lemons
Limes
Nectarines*
Orange zest
Peaches*
Pears*
Plums*
Tomatoes
Commercially packed pickles if no wheat-derived vinegar or sweeteners are used—check the label
Proteins
Whole eggs
Wild fish
Black cod
Halibut
Herring
Grouper
Mahimahi
Red snapper
Salmon
Sardines
Sea bass
Trout
Shellfish and mollusks
Calamari (squid)
Clams
Crab
Lobster
Mussels
Octopus
Oysters
Shrimp
Grass-fed or pasture-raised meats
Beef
Bison/buffalo
Lamb
Pork
Veal
Grass-fed organ meats
Brain
Heart
Liver
Kidneys
Sweetbreads
Tongue
Free-range, organic poultry and wild birds
Chicken
Duck
Goose
Guinea fowl
Ostrich
Quail
Turkey
The following foods can be used in moderation. Moderation means that you may eat small amounts (no more than 1 serving) of these ingredients once a day. Again, if you follow the recipes in this book, you’ll learn how to smartly consume these ingredients. I don’t intend for you to have to count carbs or weigh your food. The general principles outlined in this book will teach you how to make this new way of life effortless.
Nongluten grains
Amaranth
Buckwheat
Millet
Oats (Note: Although oats do not naturally contain gluten, if they are processed at mills that also handle wheat, they are frequently contaminated. Avoid oats unless they come with a guarantee that they are gluten-free.)
Quinoa
Rice (brown, white, wild)
Sorghum
Teff
Nongluten flours used in very small amounts for dusting, coating, or thickening sauces only:
Tapioca starch
Chestnut flour
Brown rice flour
Vegetables
Carrots
Parsnips
Full-fat dairy products (Use very sparingly in recipes or as a topping.)
Cottage cheese
Cream
Kefir
Milk
Yogurt
Whole sweet fruits (Note: Those with an asterisk [*] are substantially higher in sugar, so consume these only as a special treat, and then only in moderation.)
Apples
Apricots*
Bananas
Berries (best choice)
Cherries
Grapes
Mangos*
Melons*
Papayas*
Pineapples*
Pomegranates
Flavorings
Unsweetened dark cocoa powder
Alcohol
Wine, preferably red, but no more than one glass a day