Disclaimer: Sarcastic tone ahead
Why did I choose a gluten-free lifestyle? Simply put, it brings me a certain joy to irritate those around me. I thrive on the little inconveniences I create for my friends and family. When invited to gatherings, I relish in making special dietary requests; it’s a great way to signal my challenging nature. But I don’t stop there—I also embrace the unnecessary complexities this choice adds to my own life.
Adopting a gluten-free diet has been a fulfilling endeavor. It allows me to forgo my favorite indulgences: warm, buttered bread, creamy pasta dishes, and (oh, the agony) freshly baked cinnamon rolls dripping with icing. Without this gluten-free commitment, how could I justify my self-imposed food restrictions?
There’s another perk to this gluten-free lifestyle: it often comes with a hefty price tag, sometimes quadrupling the cost of standard gluten-filled options. As a single parent working part-time, I find this particularly appealing. The price difference between a $4 pack of regular spaghetti and a $7 gluten-free alternative has definitely helped to ease my financial worries.
Speaking of parenting, my son is the primary catalyst for this significant lifestyle change (apart from, of course, my desire to annoy you). I believed it was essential to elevate the challenges of parenting. By the time he turned three, I had mastered the art of managing a spirited child. I stumbled upon the common realization that parenting can be quite straightforward. I craved a new hurdle to jump over—hence, gluten-free eating entered my life.
Children, it seems, have an innate need for snacks at all times. While this is a curious quirk, I’m grateful for it, as it allows me to further inconvenience others by requiring them to provide special snacks for my child. This creates a unique situation where my son stands out during snack time, giving him a sense of individual attention.
Moreover, I am notoriously disorganized. By mandating that I prepare snacks for every outing, I set myself up for inevitable failures—forgetting snacks at church or cakes at parties—leading to my son’s understandable disappointment. This struggle serves as a constant reminder of my need to improve my attention to detail, a journey I hope will ultimately lead to personal growth. #TotallyWorthIt
If I’m to be completely transparent, the underlying reason for my gluten-free choice is my susceptibility to trends. I jumped onto the Seattle Seahawks bandwagon as a kid and have stubbornly remained a fan ever since—such is my love for fads. When gluten-free living emerged as a trend, with the promise of added inconvenience, a spike in my grocery bills, and a new parenting challenge, I was immediately intrigued. And when I realized how this simple decision could be a source of annoyance for so many, the choice was crystal clear: I am gluten-free.
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In summary, my journey into gluten-free living is a blend of personal choice, a desire to challenge myself, and a touch of humor aimed at those around me. It’s a decision that has reshaped my relationship with food, parenting, and social interactions.