Jessica Beacom - The Real Food Dietitians : 100 Easy & Delicious Mostly Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, and Dairy-Free Recipes for Every Day (A Cookbook)

100 Easy & Delicious Mostly Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, and Dairy-Free Recipes for Every Day

The Real Food Dietitians: The Real Food Table

Jessica Beacom, RDN, and Stacie Hassing, RDN, LD

To our Real Food community:

This cookbook would have not been made possible without your continuous support and dedication to the brand. We couldnt be more excited to have an even bigger role in your kitchen for years to come, whether youre cooking from this book, finding new recipes on the website, or engaging with us and fellow community members on social media. Thank you for believing in us, and a big welcome to our Real Food Table, where theres something delicious for everyone!

We met in New York City in June 2014 at an online business conference that neither of us really wanted to attend. We were already registered dietitians at the timeJessica in Colorado and Stacie in Minnesota. What began as a plan to stay in touch with weekly phone calls and emails to help hold each other accountable to our individual business goals turned into an online meal-planning membership program that we started together. We quickly realized that wasnt for us, but we ultimately turned that business into a website to share recipes with our private practice nutrition clients and clinic patients. Today the website is our full-time job, with millions visiting the site each month looking for healthier versions of comfort foods or delicious recipes that fit their dietary needs or preferences.

This book is the result of what started as our little passion project and our way of giving back to our community of readers, friends, and family who have gathered at our virtual table over the years. The Real Food Table is a collection of recipes developed by us, focusing on whole and minimally processed foods. We believe that food is about more than calories and nutrients; its about connection and creating lasting memories that nourish you long after the dishes are cleared.

We know you want to eat well and without a lot of fuss. We hope that this collection of recipes will become family favorites and weeknight staples that you come back to again and again. Whether its a busy weeknight, a relaxed weekend, or a holiday gathering that has you wondering what to cook, weve got a deliciously healthy, veggie-filled recipe for that.

Everyone is welcome at our table. We believe that food is the ingredient that binds us together, so we seek to create meals that everyone can enjoyno matter your budget, your dietary restrictions, or your taste buds. Throughout this book, you will find recipes that fit (or can be modified to fit) several different styles of eating, whether that be gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, or vegan. Buying organic is never a requirement, but if its in your budget and important to you, then please, by all means choose organic ingredients. Organic agriculture is good for the health of humans, animals, and the environment, but if cost is an issue, do your best, keeping in mind that conventional produce is better than no produce at all when it comes to healthy eating. Additionally, we know that not everyone has easy access to specialty stores and foodslike Stacie, who lives in a rural location. For that reason, weve created these recipes using common ingredients that you can find anyplace, whether you live in the heart of the city or the middle of anywhere.

When it comes to diet and nutrition, our approach is anything but dogmatic. In fact, we believe that no one diet fits all and that all foods can fit into a healthy lifestyle. We both understand the challenges of balancing work and family life, and the difficulties that come with putting a nutritious meal on the table on busy weeknights. Thats why the recipes in this book are not only healthy and delicious but simple to prepare. We give you shortcuts whenever possible, and if we can save you from washing extra bowls or pans, then we definitely will, because we know you have better things to do than spend the evening cleaning up.

While we do include nutrition information for every recipe, we dont promote calorie counting or restriction but rather using food for nourishment and enjoyment. Our goal has always been to help others eat mindfully and simply enjoy the food that they eat; to nourish their bodies in a sustainable way that makes them feel their best and ultimately enjoy life to the absolute fullest.

The following icons, found at the top of each recipe, will help you quickly identify whether or not a recipe fits your particular dietary style or needs or can be adapted to do so.

• Gluten-Free
• Grain-Free
• Dairy-Free
• Dairy-Free Option
• Egg-Free
• Egg-Free Option
• Vegetarian
• Vegan
• Vegan Option
• Nut-Free
• Nut-Free Option
• No Added Sugar

Youll notice ingredients we frequently use in our recipes throughout this book. These are the workhorse items that we like to have in our kitchens at all times. Having them on hand will make it easier to cook your way through the book and enjoy all thats to come in the pages ahead.

BEANS (CANNED): In all our recipes that call for canned beans, we use ones with no added salt. We always drain and rinse them beforehand to remove the starchy liquid.