Baking and cooking are essential for nourishment, no matter how simple or complex your recipe or prep. They also offer ways for us to express creativity, connect with others or our memories. They’re essential to daily living in many forms.
For millions of Americans who are living with and managing a special diet, that adds a layer of complexity and challenge to those routines. Special diets are, simply, meal plans that control the intake of foods and ingredients for therapeutic and wellbeing purposes and, according to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), 60% of Americans follow one more special diets.
That means more than every other person you will encounter today will think about what is in their food.
Understanding the Reasons:
Some people make these changes to manage digestive issues, while others do it to manage chronic conditions like diabetes, heart conditions and immune related problems, to name a few. Then there are those who follow special diets to support weight loss.
Gluten-free, high-protein, high-fiber, pant-based, vegetarian, paleo, dairy-free. The reasons behind adopting special diets are as varied as the diets themselves.
Routine vs Inspiration:
Regardless of whether you or someone you bake or cook for follows a special diet, after you’ve made the adjustments you need to for safety, you likely fall into patterns and ruts. Reaching for what we know is understandable. Safety, predictability and reliability are all essential.
However:
Today I’m thinking about the importance finding inspiration to do something different: even if it’s small. Try a new food. Try a new flavor. Try a new recipe. Try a new technique. Try a new cookbook.
“Variety is the spice of life” and “inspiration comes in many forms”. Yes, these are original thoughts I thought up all by myself.
Thank you for taking time to check out my PSA.
Enjoy! And Happy Bendy Baking!
