Food Restrictions

This post may contain affiliate links and I may earn a small commission when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. Read my full privacy policy here.

There is a lot to take into account cooking for just two people. First there are the things we must avoid, like allergies and migraine triggers. Next there are the things we want to avoid, diets and general pickiness. Then there is just how we like our food.

Please note that this post is personal and is just about my family. I am not any sort of health care professional (like a doctor or a nutritionist). You should take the recommendations of your own health professionals, for your own dietary requirements.

Allergies

The two biggies in my home are soy and avocado. I do my best to keep everything allergy free, because I believe that home should be a safe space. To be clear when I talk about allergies here, I mean I’m worrying about anaphylactic shock, EpiPens and ER visits. I know there are many types of allergies out in the world, but on this site when I say allergies, I’m referring to the anaphylactic kind.

Avocado is relatively easy to avoid. Avocado oil is becoming more common in foods and beauty products, but it doesn’t stress us out too much. Soy is very difficult. It’s in everything and makes trying new restaurants a nerve-racking experience. We are constantly reading and rereading food labels looking for changes. Like how Lay’s BBQ chips changed their oil, and now they contain soy.

Then everything gets exponentially more complicated when my mother comes to visit.

Migraine Triggers

I’ve struggled with migraines for years. They are nowhere near as bad as anaphylactic shock, but I still want to avoid them. Not all my triggers are food, but I can control what I eat.

The four that I am certain about are cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and kohlrabi. These are all members of the same species, brassica oleracea, but were domesticated differently. I’m also avoiding all their immediate relatives such as kale, Brussel sprouts, and collard greens.

I think there might be a few still lurking, but I’ll update my list as time goes on.

Avocado is relatively easy to avoid. Avocado oil is becoming more common in foods and beauty products, but it doesn’t stress us out too much. Soy is very difficult. It’s in everything and makes trying new restaurants a nerve-racking experience. We are constantly reading and rereading food labels looking for changes. Like how Lay’s BBQ chips changed their oil, and now they contain soy.

Then everything gets exponentially more complicated when my mother comes to visit.

Cholesterol

My cholesterol is elevated, but not so high that my doctor would consider medication. However, I know my family history, and high cholesterol is where I’m headed.

I’m not on a hardcore low cholesterol diet. But I try to limit foods that elevate my cholesterol. You will see this reflected in my meal planning with lots of poultry and red meat only once a week. When I have cheese, I try to limit it and have the reduced fat when I can. In my recipes, I try to have more olive oil and less butter. Even though I love butter.

When I have these sometimes foods, I try to make them really count. My husband loves burgers, so we have those about once a week. I really love cookies and buttercream frosting, so that’s where my butter will end up.

Diet

Like many people I have been dieting on and off since I can remember. My previous diet was Jenny Craig, and I lost 100 pounds in time for my wedding. But after two years and going through surgery, it was just too restrictive.

Now I’m on Noom. Basically, I count calories in an app and then estimate balanced nutrition for myself. I’m not claiming that I have a perfectly balanced diet and I recommend that you decide your own personal nutrition.

Pickiness

We are fairly picky people when it comes to food. There are many foods I will eat, but I don’t like, such as chicken alfredo. So, I’m not going to make them. I want us to actually enjoy the food I cook.

Here are a few examples. I hate soup and have a low tolerance for creamy things (except ice cream). My husband is not fond of non-starchy veggies. For my daily vegetables, I have to make them just for me as individual servings.

Differences in Taste

For many of the dishes we make, my husband and I like the same food different ways. I like things spicy, and my meat well done. He likes his meat medium and just a little spicy.

The trick is making two dishes at the same time to different spiciness and doneness levels that finish cooking at the same time. I now do this several times a week.

This is just an overview of the food restrictions I have to think about when I am meal planning. If you are struggling with anything list above, I want you to know that you are not alone. I would love to hear about any food challenges that you are currently dealing with in the comments below.