The holidays are blowing in fast, and we’re sure that lots of you–like us–are starting to think about your holiday meals.  Here’s another thing to think about when you make your menu: Do you need to take special dietary needs into consideration?

Oftentimes, those with gluten sensitivities, food allergies, dairy sensitivities and other dietary restrictions can be forgotten in the hustle and bustle, and sometimes even just the “tradition” of foods that are always served.  Sadly, the needs of these same well-loved friends and family members are sometimes just ignored. But here’s the thing: Meeting the dietary needs of people you love doesn’t have to be a chore.  It can be an adventure!  If you love to cook, like we do, exploring new ways to create old favorites to meet the needs of the people we feed is actually kind of fun.  For instance: We posted a recipe for “Almost 5-Ingredient Pizza Spaghetti Pie” last week, and what we found when we made it ourselves is that we like squash even more than we knew, and spaghetti squash actually does give the feeling of eating pasta that’s not actually pasta.  It’s gluten-free, guilt-free pasta, and what could be better than that?!  We wouldn’t have discovered this new squash secret had we not been open to trying some recipes that are gluten-free/dairy free.  So, open up!

When you’re faced with holidays where tradition demands old favorites like stuffing and pumpkin pie, what do you do for your gluten-free loved ones?  You consult Google!  You can take a recipe right from a site and give it a try, or do what we sometimes do and look at several recipes, weigh the pros and con, consider multiple options and create your own!

First, make a list of the needs of your guests.  Say you have a gluten-free guest, a dairy-free guest and a guest with a peanut allergy.  Put all three into the search engine and see what you get, but search each one individually, as well, then see what can be substituted in each recipe to meet the needs of your guests.  Got a substitution question in one recipe?  Keep looking at other recipes, and we bet you’ll answer it.  It’s really amazing how many options are available now for gluten-free and dairy-free diets–and they don’t sacrifice flavor, either!  Say, you want to make a pumpkin pie with no gluten and no dairy.  You can buy a gluten-free flour blend or create your own with combinations of all sorts of flours like rice flour, potato flour, potato starch flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour…the list is kind of endless, really.  You can add ground nuts to pie crusts, as well, or use gluten-free cookies to get a great cookie crust.  When it comes to the pie, you can substitute coconut milk or almond milk for your old-standby dairy.  Don’t forget about your friend with the peanut allergy, though!  Read labels for all of your ingredients (we think you’ll be surprised at the places peanuts hide that you never thought of), and consult your friend if you’re unsure.

Speaking of hidden triggers, gluten is hiding all over the place!  Did you know that LOTS of pre-made broths contain gluten?  Other common culprits: marinades, soy sauce, bouillon and gravy and spice mixtures.  Occasionally, even your beloved turkey will contain gluten!  Our best advice: read labels and ask questions.  Call your friend(s) or family member(s) if you’re unsure about something; they’d much rather answer a million questions (and know you care) than deal with the inevitable sickness that will ensue if they consume something they shouldn’t.

Also, don’t be afraid to include things on the table that your more sensitive guests can’t eat–they understand–but do make sure that you’ve included them in your overall meal preparation and planning.  They’ll be just as hungry as everyone else, and eating a plate full of turkey while everyone else feasts is frustrating and lonely.  As a food-sensitive friend once said, “I’ll have that salad with a side of resentment.”  Don’t serve resentment at your Thanksgiving dinner, just love.:)

Sometimes eating healthy–and responsibly–can be confusing.  That organic kids’ cereal must be healthier than it’s generic counterpart, right?  “Natural” means I’m getting only the good stuff, yeah?  And how about that salmon?  It’s wild-caught and that’s best for me and the environment, correct?  There are a lot of questions to ask and even more answers, some of which you might even regret hearing.  Being a good steward of the planet and watching what go into your body can seem like a full-time job!  Luckily, there are some great apps to guide you through the grocery store (and your pantry and refrigerator!)!

Cindy Hoedel at the Kansas City Star published a great piece recently about apps that make healthy, responsible eating easier at the grocery store. After giving about two dozen apps the old college try, Cindy narrowed down her favorites to five–and we think they are great choices!  Without further ado, here are the best free apps to help you shop for food!

1.  Oh how we love the Dirty Dozen!  We’ve been singing the praises of this list, created annually by the Environmental Working Group, for ages.  They make it easy to make well-informed decisions about buying organically-grown produce or opting for conventionally-grown produce by laying out information about the number and concentration of pesticides found in 48 different fruits and vegetables.  They also have a list of the Clean Fifteen–fifteen fruits and veggies that are relatively safe to eat even if they haven’t been grown organically–and they update these lists every year!  In the olden days, you’d have to go to their website for such information, but not anymore.  Now, you can get the app for free and have it ready when you shop.

2.  Good Guide–it just sounds helpful, doesn’t it?  This little app works two ways: You can scan the product you want to buy and find a rating based on health, environmental and social impact; or you can type in a product type, like baby food, and it will compare the ratings between brands that have been tested and rated.  You can filter out brands, traits and ingredients or sort things by the three factors rated: health, environment or society.  Ms. Hoedel has a tip: She got more results when she searched for something like “apple juice” than she did by scanning specific products because many products hadn’t been tested yet.

3.  Love Food Hate Waste–it’s not just a question, it’s an app!  This little app gives you info on how much to buy (portion-wise) for a specific number of people, as well as recipes for using leftovers and reminders about “Use By” dates on the food you’ve already purchased.  Waste not with this app, folks.

4.  If you’re wary of GMOs, get the app for the Non-GMO Project.  It’s like the best friend of the Dirty Dozen app; just search by a category or brand name and find out which foods are verified to be GMO free.  Like the Dirty Dozen app, it’s easy to use and straightforward.

5.  Seafood Watch–How much do you want to know?  This app by the Monterey  Bay Aquarium is your own personal guide to sustainable seafood, but we’ll warn you: It’s not as easy as you’d think to eat seafood sustainably, and sometimes it makes us sad.

Here are a couple that we also love that Cindy didn’t mention:

Locavore:  Helps you find local, in-season produce at farmers markets, food stands and grocery stores.*

Substitutions:  This little gem offers alternatives for foods you’re looking to give the cold shoulder to, as well as things to substitute in recipes if you’re missing an ingredient.  It’s handy dandy.*

Allergy Guard:  Type in your allergy data, and search the ingredients of more than 2,000 common foods! This one could literally be a lifesaver.*

Got some good food apps that you recommend?  We’d love to hear about them!  Feel free to post any of your personal favorites to our Facebook or Twitter  pages!

*Note:  Not all of these apps are free.

Last week, we introduced you to a few eating habits healthy people have developed; habits that most of us could stand to adopt.  They’re not hard to do, and if you stick with them, you might just find that some positive changes start to take root in your life.  So, take note!  Make some changes!  Eat healthy!  And let us help!

6.  Size does matter, especially when it comes to portion size, so summon your inner control freak and get a handle on yours.  It’s no sin to have a little dessert, but things can wrong when you have a super-sized slice or you double down.  How about a sliver or just a bite or two?  You’d be amazed at how little it takes to satisfy that desire for sugar.  Another thing to remember: It’s not all about sweets and treats.  Watch your portion sizes all day long–if you’re over-indulging in general, that’s not good.

7.  Don’t demonize carbs.  Carbs are not the enemy, portion sizes and unbalanced eating are.  Carbs are an important part of a balanced diet.  Aren’t vegetables carbohydrates?  Maybe when you’re talking about carbs, you’re really talking about breads and pastas, and that’s fine, but don’t throw them in a dark corner of your basement either.  Everyone needs whole grains and the carbs they provide.  Your diet should be a healthy combination of simple and complex carbs (45%), protein (30%), and fats (25%).

8.  Fasting and starving are not good meal plans.  The hungrier you let yourself get, the more likely you are to overeat when you do actually eat again.  Don’t start that cycle.  Most nutritionists recommend eating 4 to 6 small meals a day, rather than 3 large meals.  Eating every 3 to 4 hours may seem like a lot, but not if what you’re eating is healthy, low-fat and half the size of one of your usual meals.  If you eat more small meals more often, you’ll keep your hunger under control, and that beast will be more easily soothed by your healthy snack than a 1000-calorie meal.

9.  Don’t skimp on the protein.  All of us need protein to maintain good health.  Most of us get that protein from nuts, dairy products, fish and red meats; if you’re a vegetarian, you may be gathering your proteins through legumes and other sources, as well–just make sure you’re getting them.  Proteins burn more slowly are essential to a healthy, happy body.

10.  Keep an eye to the sugar.  There are hidden sugars in so many foods–especially packaged and processed foods.  You’d be surprised at how much sugar hides in places you wouldn’t expect, like canned tomatoes!  The American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 teaspoons of sugar a day for women, and 8 for men.  Both women and men can blow that (and more!) in one glass of orange juice!  Take a look-see at the labels on your packaged and processed foods and try to rein in your sugar consumption.  You’ll be surprised the difference it can make in your weight and your overall health.

Eating healthy and the demands of a full life don’t always go together.  Often, people find themselves eating whatever is fast and available just so that they can keep moving through their hectic days.  We aim to give you fresh, homemade food–fast! That’s why we call it “cuisine on the fly”!  We know how fast your life moves, and we think that you shouldn’t have to compromise a healthy diet to move with it.  So, stay the healthy course, folks, and Brown Bag will be here to help!

Habits are hard to break, right?  So, maybe it’s time you made some new ones!  If you’re thinking it’s about time you started eating healthier or you just want to stay the healthy path but feel like you’re struggling, how about developing a few good habits that will keep you on the low-fat and healthy?  Give these a try!

1.  Surround yourself with healthy-eating role models.  It’s not easy to be the lone green-bean eater at a table full of French fries, so how about taking lunch with someone else who’s trying to eat on the straight and narrow?  If there’s really no one around who prefers a great salad or homemade sandwich packed with fresh-food goodness to a burger and milkshake, then go it alone.  Take lunchtime to unwind and enjoy a peaceful break!

2.  Focus on your meal.  Slow down, turn off the TV, and focus, people.  If you sit and do nothing but eat your meal–no TV, internet, Twitter or phone–you may just find that, as you slow down, you eat less and feel more calm and satisfied after your meal.  Pay attention to each bite–the taste, the texture, the smell, etc.

3.  In the vernacular of the 80’s–take a chill pill.  When people are stressed, their bodies produce more of the stress hormone cortisol, and studies have shown links between cortisol and fat retention.  Try to think of those worries as pounds, and let them fall away.

4.  Take baby steps, one after another.  Too often, when people make drastic changes in the way they eat (or go on “diets”), they give up and fail, but if you ease into things and make small lifestyle changes over time, you’ll be surprised at how those small things can build to bigger and lasting changes.  For instance, cut out fast food, give up soda, etc.

5.  Don’t be afraid to take a snack break.  Just because you’re trying to be healthier or to lose weight, doesn’t mean that snacks have to be on a no-fly list.  Starving yourself is never good!  Just keep your snacks healthy–a protein and a carb make tasty friends!  How about an apple with peanut or almond butter?  Cheese with crackers or on whole grain toast and a fresh fruit smoothie with protein powder are good examples.

Check out Brown Bag’s breakfast and lunch menus for balanced, homemade meals with fresh ingredients; and if you want to build your own meal, go right ahead.  That’s what the brown bag is for!  Let us know exactly what you want on your sandwich, in your salad or making up your noodle, rice or quinoa bowl.  Need some snacks to take back to the office?  We always have fresh fruit available, as well as yogurt and other healthy snacks.  Feel free to stock up and stay on the right path during that late afternoon snack time.