How To Not Eat Bread: A Guided Tutorial

(I'm writing this article assuming that you already know that bread is the devil. If you don't know that bread is the devil, now you know. I'll explain why in a future article, but for now, I think it's more important that someone knows how to stop eating bread, than to know why they are doing so).

This is the first of a three-part series on bread/grains. This article will cover how to get through a day without bread. The second will explain why you don't "need" bread. And the third will explain why bread and grains are bad for you.

A lot of the time, well basically every time, I explain my diet to somebody they ask me the following:

"But, JO, how do you live without bread!?!?"

Most people know bread is bad for them, but don't really know how to get through a day without eating it.

The reason why is because bread is convenient. It doesn't go bad quickly, it's cheap, it allows you to make portable meals like sandwiches and wraps, and it's straight-up tasty.

The goal of this article is to provide some insight on how to get through a day without bread.

The first thing you need to is the easiest: don't buy bread (don't buy grains at all, of course). It's that simple. If you don't buy bread, when you feel tempted to eat it as a little snack or part of a meal, it's just not going to be there. Robb Wolf said it best, "Keeping refined carbohydrates in your house is like being a married man, going to the Playboy Mansion, getting drunk, and taking ecstasy: you think you can stay in a monogamous relationship, but you just can't."

We may think we have the willpower not to eat bread we keep in the house, but most of us don't (I definitely don't!). The reality is, we're only human. If we keep temping things in the house, it's hard not to eat them. Just do your best and be disciplined, don't buy them. For a little "inspiration," check out these pictures of my fridge and freezer:

(Freezer: Spinach, Mixed Veggies, Turkey Burgers, Buffalo Burgers)

(Fridge: Water, Defrosting Meat, Pineapple Salsa, Apples, Blueberries)

I keep almonds and sweet potatoes on the counter.

Now, I'm a 22 year old dude who lives alone and runs his own schedule/life. I realize if you have a family or a significant other it can be more difficult, but do your best: challenge each other, do it together. If you keep a clean house, that's the first step to kicking the habit all together.

Unfortunately, getting rid of bread at home is the easy part for most. The hard part is doing without it while you're out and about.

Now, I don't mean when you're out for dinner on a first date.

I don't mean when it's 3 o'clock in the morning and you're stumbling to the neighborhood pizza joint after a bender.

I mean getting rid of it on a day-to-day basis; for example, on your lunch break at work. I used to be "that guy" who would never, ever, "cheat" by eating grains, but you become not fun to be around if you do that, and it's really not entirely necessary. Keep it to a minimum, enjoy yourself when you go out, and you'll stay sane and happy (and healthy). Eventually, you'll find you just don't want it anymore, and it becomes even easier to go without grains.

Now we two options for lunch: pack your own, or grab one from somewhere. Let's go through them in order.

If you're going to pack your own lunch, it may seem difficult to do without bread at first. Sandwiches and wraps are so convenient and tasty, and if you're as lazy as I am, you're going to need something quick, easy, and palatable in order to replace a sandwich.

"But, JO... what do you pack if you don't pack a sandwich or wrap?"

I'll tell you what I pack:

Pictured above are three buffalo burgers, a bunch of almonds (24ish), one gala apple, and some water, all of which fit nicely into my Samsonite messenger bag.

"But, JO... that's disgusting. I'm not just going to eat plain buffalo burger meat wrapped in saran wrap at room temperature. Just... no... you're gross, give me my sandwich back."

And you don't have to. I've gotten pretty used to what I eat, I'm very lazy, and it works for me, but there are many other options. For example, you can replace the buffalo burgers with something like canned tuna, some deli meat, or jerkey (all of which you can buy ready to eat). Or if you want to spend a little more time and be creative, you can cook up anything: some chicken, steak, salmon, whatever you want (I'm just lazy!), and throw it in a container to bring to work.

Even making yourself a salad is easy. Go buy a bag of pre-chopped lettuce, throw a couple cups in a ziplock container along with your protein and maybe some other veggies, slap some dressing on there for fat and you're good to go.

EDIT::: Just watching Josh Everett's food log on journal.crossfit.com and he reminded me of the Paleokits. Have a look here.

You'll have your nice, bread-free lunch at work, and (hopefully) will come home to a pantry completely devoid of grains.

If you're too lazy to pack your own lunch, fear not. There are many things you can do.

Here's an example of what I got for lunch today, at a little deli around the corner from my work from the hot/cold buffet:

Pictured above is a selection of chicken, beef, broccoli, mushrooms, and red peppers. This cost exactly $6, and was the perfect lunch.

Now I realize I live in New York City and have more food options close to my work than many of you might, but you can be creative at your local spots. Anywhere that makes a sandwich clearly has deli meat: get the sandwich, but ask them to hold the bread! I know it sounds weird at first, but just get a little plate, throw the stuff on there and you're good to go with meat and veggies. For your daily fat intake, just bring some almonds with you, anybody can do that.

Voila, you've made it through the day without bread. Now pat yourself on the back and enjoy your meat.

JO out.