In the 2000s, I had been having a number of health issues that became problematic enough that I knew something had to change. In 2008, I began to make major changes to my diet, and I ended up completely cutting out dairy, gluten, and sugar. Back then, there wasn’t a lot at the store that didn’t contain any of these ingredients, so I started a long journey of learning how to prepare foods differently than I had my whole life up until that point. 

 

It was challenging and often discouraging. I frequently felt deprived of good things to eat. I love good food and I love to cook good food, but now everything was new and so different and restricted. I didn’t have any resources. I didn’t know anyone else who was eating like me. Some things I simply cut out of my diet (goodbye, chocolate), but I missed them.

 

Over time, fortunately, I did start finding resources (check out my “Resources” tab) that helped me realize I COULD eat some of the things I’d been missing (hello again, chocolate!). I experimented a lot. My husband and kids became my (usually willing) guinea pigs as I tried out various recipes. I also started learning more about ingredient substitutions—what worked for me, what didn’t, and how I could use various substitutions to create truly delicious foods. My health challenges drastically improved, and I was eating in a way that felt good.

 

When people found out about my diet changes, they had questions. I started sharing a few of the things I had learned with family and friends as well. So many of them said things like “I’m glad that worked for you, but it sounds too hard. I could never do that” and “Changing my diet sounds so overwhelming. I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

 

And that’s why I started Mama Marneen’s. It was such a challenge for me to learn how to substitute and find recipes that would work and that tasted good, and I want to make it easier for you. I am not a nutritionist, so I don’t focus on calories or glycemic index or vitamins. My job is to teach you how to make the changes that you want in your diet and help you know that you can enjoy eating food without feeling like you are being either deprived or unhealthy. There are so many delicious foods in the world (including, thank goodness, chocolate), and I want to help you enjoy them.