We have completed one week of gluten free eating. Some meals went well and others didn’t. I found that everyone was hungrier without the “fillers” that they usually eat such as oatmeal and bread and coming up with snack ideas to stop the whining that ensued was a challenge! I found that breakfasts were fairly easy to come up with ideas for, as were lunches, but suppers were where I struggled. The corn spaghetti was a miss, the gluten free waffles we made were pretty gross, and the tapioca flour bread I bought was so expensive that we were rationing it! The week wasn’t off to a great start! Thankfully, it slowly got better, thanks mostly to the encouragement I got from friends online and in person!
Lunches this week were:
-lentil vegetable soup (my usual yummy recipe just without the barley)
-nachos
-grilled cheese thanks to my friend Michelle, who brought us over 2 loaves of gluten free bread, gluten free pretzels (which I used to make more Chex mix), and gluten free brownie mix!!!
-lettuce wrapped tuna salad or chicken salad (The Husband is not a tuna fan!)
-baked beans and baba ghanouj spread on rice cakes
-orange slices
-trail mix (gorilla munch, marshmallows, organic raisins, peanuts)
-lemon pudding -red pepper slices
-organic blue corn chips -salsa
-frozen grapes
-gluten free Chex mix
-rice crackers -hummus
-hard boiled egg -gf cookies
-cucumbers
-unsweetened applesauce
-cheese -gluten free sausage
-rice crackers -sweet pickles
My crustless quiche recipe is one we especially like because it stretches really far budget-wise and I can add in whatever vegetables I have on hand. I always make at least 2, with one being more to the kids’ liking (ie: less vegetables in theirs!). This time, I used zucchini, tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, and onions. I substituted gluten free biscuit mix for regular biscuit mix. The taste was pretty much identical. The quiche did stick to the pans more, so next time, I will line them with parchment paper or butter them more.
Our suppers this week were:
-crustless quiche
-basmati rice, ginger-lime chicken, stir fried zucchini and mushrooms
-corn macaroni with tomato sauce (the corn macaroni was enjoyed more than the corn spaghetti had been)
-shredded chicken tacos with all the fixings
-roast, gravy, root vegetables (rutabaga, turnips, parsnips, onions, carrots, sweet potatoes), roasted red baby potatoes
-gluten free pancakes (much better than the gluten free waffles I had made)
Later this week, I will post a list of snack ideas that I have been using. Entering into our second gluten free week, I am much less nervous, though admittedly, it has been a lot of extra work, as most “easy” meals are out!
As for what I know people are wondering about, yes, we have already seen some changes for some of our kids! Einstein (our son who has Aspergers) has commented several times that he is having a much easier time falling asleep and that he isn’t feeling the urge to give up on things (as an example, at gymnastics, it took him forever to master the hula hoop, but he continued trying). Fred has not seen any changes and has continued to get headaches. Miss Optimism, Snuggle Puppy, and Dancing Queen have noticed no change to how they feel, but Granola Girl has not had one stomachache since we started our gluten free challenge! She usually complains of stomachaches almost every night.
I am going to pm you a couple recipes today. I am a supe tight/strict budgeter and my hubby has gone completely grain free since about 10days ago. And, I have made a coule of keepers (grain and budget wise!).
Nap or bedtime…dedicated to your recipe box.
A
That would be great Ashleigh! Now that we are seeing some dramatic changes in two of the kids, I am realizing that even after the three weeks are over, this will be a permanent change for at least two members of our family so I need to get an arsenal of recipes ready!
Have you heard of the LooneySpoons Collection cookbook? I just got it from costco, and it seems like there are a lot of family-friendly recipes, with a ton of gluten-free options.
Great ideas. Love the variety.
Will you share your recipes too? I’ve made a really yummy lemon poppyseed loaf this week from a quinoa recipe book and I’ve made several things that won’t be repeated. Tues is 3 weeks for me but that includes 2 days where I ate injera with a wheat based starter and a bowl of soup a friend made that I later realized had barley in it… Snacks that are filling and enjoyed by all are tough, and with the added cost of flours, I decided not to take my whole family with me on the gf journey until I figure it out better for myself. My cravings for a gooey white cinnamon bun have subsided and I’m realizing which foods I am feeding my family made me feel sick after and I no longer even want any of them. Keep going my friend. If its good for you or them it is worth the struggles…or so I am repeating over here!
I would love to hear the grain free recipes your friend shares with you. It sounds like you are off to a great start. My kids like buckwheat noodles and black bean noodles if you can find them. Most buckwheat noodles have wheat in them so you have to read the labels carefully. I am so happy you are seeing improvements already. Do you have a dehydrator? Dry fruit sticks to the bones a bit and you can make lots of fruit leather with little effort. Also, we are pretty much nut free but all of the nut butters sticks to the bones as well.
Blessings,
Dawn
Sharla,
My mom is celiac, and she can eat oatmeal. You just need to find one that’s not manufactured in a plant that also manufactures wheat products. Alternately, once you’ve established your gluten-free kiddos, you may be able to re-introduce certain foods that say they “may contain traces of wheat or wheat products.” It depends how sensitive each person is. (My mom can eat Quaker instant oatmeal with no problems, even though it “may…” But I know that some celiacs will feel sick from it.)
Also, lots of meals in separates. Like your roast/root veggies. These types of meals are crock pot friendly and can even be pre-made and frozen, freeing up all that prep time for planning new meals.
Praying for you.
Lots of good choices!
Costco is a great place to find some really tasty GF food. I love a product that is called Food should taste good. They have a multigrain cracker and a sweet potato cracker. Both are GF and both are really good. You can get a bag for less than 7 dollars. My daughter always tries to steal them from me.
Also I have an amazing pumpkin cookie recipe and a shirley temple cupcake recipe, if you would like them.
I am hoping to try a whole pile of new snack recipes this week as we are getting into our busy season and I know I will need some quick fixes and have no desire whatsoever to go back to eating gluten.
I am not sure if you follow me or not Sharla but I will most likely post about them after I try them. LOL
Wow! Such a variety of foods. I hadn’t thought about how many gluten free foods there are.
I’m so happy about the positive feedback from your kids’ health from this “experiment”! I was mostly interested in whether or not Fred would see any relief from his headaches, so I am sorry this has not been the case for him. I suffer from migraines, and have been on a “no flour, no sugar” type diet for about a month now. Still waiting to see how long before my next attack to decide if this change in my eating habits has made an effect on the frequency of the headaches or not….
I must say, your recipes sound delish! I might have to try the roast and root veggies – we are big roast eaters around here, but the extra vegetables you put in (rutabagas, turnips, and parsnips) really caught my attention. Have you ever made spaghetti squash? I just cook it up in some water in the microwave and then serve with some marinara sauce. Yum!
Thanks again for sharing!
It sounds like you had a good first week! SO happy that you’re already seeing improvements with some of the kiddos. I made two recipes this week that ALL of the kids liked (which doesn’t happen often!), Spaghetti Pie and Rotisserie Chicken. I can send the recipes, if you’d like.
If you want to make oatmeal, Bob’s Red Mill has GF rolled oats. Amazon carries them. I use Amazon’s Subscribe & Save (with Prime for free shipping) for so many things, and it really is cost effective.
I, too, would love to see your friend’s recipes. I’m the only one in the house who’s grain-free, and I’m always looking for ideas, especially frugal ones!
I’m going to try your lentil soup recipe. Your SIL’s spice lentil soup recipe sounds good, too!
You’re doing a great job! It can feel overwhelming in the beginning but definitely gets easier as time goes on.
Thanks Denise! I’d love to get your Spaghetti Pie and Rotisserie Chicken recipes. I haven’t been able to find the GF oats, so might have to resort to ordering them from Amazon. Thanks for the tip!
Gluten-Free Spaghetti Pie:
http://jugglingfa.blogspot.com/2012/03/gf-or-gfcf-spaghetti-pie.html
Rotisserie Chicken:
http://jugglingfa.blogspot.com/2012/03/rotisserie-style-chicken.html