Say goodbye to grains and hello to greens because today is Feb. 21. This means it is National Grain-Free Day. It is time to gather with your friends and family to celebrate a day full of entirely grain-free meals \u2014 a holiday set aside to recognize our loved ones who cope with dietary limitations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
National Grain-Free Day was created by Siete Family Foods just last year to support those with dietary restrictions that require them to be grain-free. By raising awareness, they hope to promote inclusiveness, allowing anyone to sit at the table and enjoy a meal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I know what you are thinking: Why would I devote an entire day to this? I like my grains and want to keep them in my routine. However, not everyone has that luxury. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sarah Oropeza, director of the Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics, said although there is not a large population of students at Harding who deal with dietary restrictions, it is still a reality for some, and we need to be mindful of them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot all students can partake and sit down for dinner and enjoy everything,\u201d Oropeza said. \u201cStudents who have already lived with it know how to navigate it. But especially [for] someone who was just diagnosed, that\u2019s hard to make that adjustment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It may be hard to believe, but some people cannot just walk into the student center after chapel and grab that delicious chicken biscuit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Freshman Michael Dewald, who has celiac disease and Crohn’s disease, said it can be hard whenever everyone is eating something he cannot have. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI will say it is super hard,\u201d Dewald said. \u201cI got diagnosed at a young age, so I have grown up doing it. It\u2019s all I have known.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This day is all about including our friends and family who are forced to make the extra effort every day to eat only what they can. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI feel like I celebrate Grain-Free Day every day,\u201d freshman Mary Hendrix, who has a gluten allergy said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This holiday gives us an excuse to celebrate with each other. So try something new, create a festive atmosphere, get together with friends and cook a delicious grain-free meal everyone can enjoy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oropeza advises to try adding quinoa to your dish. It is a seed that will add substance and texture to the meal of your choosing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Get creative and post your meal on your social media using hashtag #NationalGrainFreeDay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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