Over the past couple of years, I’ve changed my diet to mostly gluten and dairy-free. Admittedly, I have enjoyed some bread, cheese and dairy-forward desserts from time to time. Regulating my hormonal imbalance and newly gained food sensitivities/intolerance while satisfying my foodie heart has been challenging. I love food and all of its many facets. This blog is mostly comprised of recipes and my food experiences of the past decade. And so shifting my diet, in the beginning, felt like pieces of this relationship I had with food were getting compromised. But it doesn’t have to feel that way. Gluten and dairy-free meals are flavourful, creative and vibrant. It doesn’t have to be a deprivation of some sort, unlike what it may seem like right off the bat. In fact, many cuisines outside of the West are filled with gluten and dairy-free delicacies. For me, the challenge is eating enough food to sustain a physically active lifestyle. In not so many words – I eat often. 

Seeing that I couldn’t remember the last time I actually posted a recipe on here, I’m going to make a more conscious effort to share some of my tasty gluten and dairy-free creations/discoveries with you all. In the meantime, below are some meal/snacking ideas for meal planning gluten and dairy-free meals.

Breakfast:

1. Peanut butter-banana almond flour pancakes, celery sticks, fresh fruits
2. Chia seed pudding (you choice milk alternative, I like using coconut milk), unsweetened shredded coconuts or coconut chips, fresh fruits, unsalted raw seeds and cinnamon
3. Savoury buckwheat crepes, eggs (over easy), smoked salmon, clementines, celery sticks
4. Toasted or fried gluten-free bread, sunnyside up eggs with chives, avocado slices, sprouts, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, nuts

Lunch:

1. Vietnamese fresh rolls using rice paper, choice of protein and greens with hoisin sauce with fresh fruits on the side and kombucha 
2. Rice and canned tuna (in oil, not water) mixed with soy sauce, sambal, grated garlic, green onions, lemon juice and seaweed (or furikake), and steamed bok choy with balsamic glaze and crispy garlic or onions on the side
3. Corn cob salad, your choice of protein, avocado slices
4. Lettuce wraps (your choice protein, green onion, butter lettuce, pickled radish, thinly sliced red onions and peanut teriyaki sauce) and apple slices

Dinner: 

1. Ramen with soba noodles, your choice of broth, blanched bok choy, lotus root, enoki mushrooms, chili oil
2. Corn tortilla tacos, your choice protein, pickled onions, cilantro, pico de gallo
3. Roasted sunchokes and red bell peppers, your choice protein, sauteed greens or salad
4. Savoy cabbage slaw with carrots and fermented beets, your choice BBQ protein, celery sticks

Snacks:

1. Guacamole (avocadoes, cilantro, garlic, S&P), corn tortilla chips or green plantain chips or cassava chips 
2. Chia seed pudding with fruits 
3. Apples with nut butter and cinnamon
4. Roasted chickpeas with spices (smoked paprika, garlic powder, S&P, dash or sugar for balance)

Desserts:

1. Coconut rice pudding with cacao nibs and coconut chips
2. Frozen banana dipped in dark chocolate, your choice of toppings
3. Japanese mochi
4. Flourless souffle (this does have butter and some recipes have milk but substitutions are available!)

There are many more food ideas, these are only some I’ve recently enjoyed. I’m working on a few recipes from this list and will definitely start sharing them soon! It’s been amazing to rediscover food and get introduced to new ones in this part of my food and health journey. Thanks for sticking around and being part of this blog community over the years! It’s definitely become my personal time capsule in some ways. 

Always,

K