Almost 75% of the global population is dairy free. 10.8% experience some sort of food allergies. 30% of the population have allergies revolving around gluten. Although I may not be a part of that 30%, I am determined to experience how those individuals live their day-to-day lives eating gluten free. It’s difficult to find accommodations, snacks and meals that actually taste good in the GF community. My goal is to pinpoint quick and tasty meals while going gluten free for an entire week. While this may seem easy to some, it is most definitely a large task that some people have to uphold for the rest of their lives. Throughout this story, I will log the food and feelings I have while completing each day. I hope that by the end, you have more respect for the GF community and more motivation to complete the goals that you have set in mind even if it seems to be difficult. 

It was the summer before 6th grade and my older cousin was in town staying with us. She was going to school in California at the time so she was very in touch with her hip trendy side. In a conversation with her I mentioned how recently I was thinking about eating less meat because the idea of eating animals started bothering me more and more. I remember she looked at me and said she could picture me becoming a vegetarian, so I took that and ran. 

In the morning you probably wonder what you’ll have for lunch or dinner that day. Sometimes the possibilities can be endless. Or maybe you are into meal prepping and by Sunday night you know everything you’ll be eating throughout the week. Everyone's individual diets is something that has always fascinated me. People have their own and different priorities with the food they consume causing everyone to pick out food in their own unique way. 

The ingredients in our food affect all elements of our life, our brains, our energy, and can even influence your outward appearance in positive or negative ways. Some ingredients can help bring out nutrients that can cause clearer skin, mental clarity or higher energy, but others can cause acne, mental fog, and lower your natural energy. Sadly, in our country it is far more common to have the latter, many forms of chemicals are found in the meals and snacks we consume daily. I am passionate about the food I eat and have had an interest in what is on my plate for years. This has led me to research and keep up with studies and projects done to improve the ingredients/additives in American food.

There seems to be one candy you can always guarantee worldwide: chocolate. Everyone has a certain type of chocolate that they make. Whether it be super authentic chocolate or not, there’s always some type of chocolate bar nearby.

French fries: the iconic American side-dish, hamburger sidekick, and milkshake’s savory counterpart. There are a number of fast food places around our school that distribute well known fries, which are still commonly debated on which is better. We took it upon ourselves to spend an afternoon after practice to go around Jenks and rate these fries on a very scientific scale that we invented.