New To Gluten-free...whats Your Typical Diet?

[Metoo]

I am new to eating gluten free this is only the beginning of week 2...and I am really struggling with what to eat, since I always do not always have time to cook.

At this point I feel like I am eating too many fruits, ice cream and crackers. For lunch and dinner I always try to have some meat..but my breakfast and snacks constitute fruit/crackers/ some cheese...and when I am starving I turn to ice cream.

I just need some ideas for some easy breakfast and snack ideas.

[MagpieWrites]

I am new to eating gluten free this is only the beginning of week 2...and I am really struggling with what to eat, since I always do not always have time to cook.

At this point I feel like I am eating too many fruits, ice cream and crackers. For lunch and dinner I always try to have some meat..but my breakfast and snacks constitute fruit/crackers/ some cheese...and when I am starving I turn to ice cream.

I just need some ideas for some easy breakfast and snack ideas.

I took me awhile to get into the groove, but honestly, cooking/eating gluten-free does become 2nd nature after a bit!

Breakfast for me is, most days, either a smoothie (yogurt, fruit, whizzed in the food pro), some Chex (rice, corn, and chocolate are all Gluten free - and far far cheaper than the "specialty" gluten-free cereals.), or a muffin (homemade pumpkin or english. On the weekends, pancakes, bacon or sausage are a usual treat with my husband. (If you can get a copy of the Carol Fenster 1000 gluten-free recipes from the library, the first recipe in the book is for pancakes. They are AMAZING.)

Lunches - sandwiches on English muffins or corn tortillas. rice salads. lots of fruits. I also make fruit rolls with chopped fresh fruit wrapped up in spring roll wrappers. Pancakes rolled up with cashew butter (sometimes spiked with chocolate for a homemade version of Nutella!).

If it is snacks that are the hard thing - I really suggest going to the library and looking for books based on building kid's lunches and snacks. It may sound funny for an adult, but quick tasty items that are grab and go are what WE need too - not just kids! Substitute rice paper wrappers, corn tortillas, corn chips, gluten-free bread etc in the recipes - but find fillings and fixings that sound good to you.

It can be a bit overwhelming at first to get started gluten-free, but I promise it all smooths out.

[knittingmonkey]

I just need some ideas for some easy breakfast and snack ideas.

Breakfast for me is most often yogurt or cottage cheese with fruit, sometimes I throw in chopped, fresh basil or some powdered ginger. Boiled eggs and fruit is good too. Sundays breakfast is eggs over medium, bacon and fried, fresh potatoes or fruit.

Snacks are often nuts, but celery/carrot sticks with homemade buttermilk dressing are nice too.

I'm finding that I spend much more time in the kitchen nowadays, making stuff ahead of time so that it's all ready when I need to grab and go. I'll even admit I have plenty of anxieties about food preparation and sharing while away from home. I'm not so much into the gluten-free crackers/cookies and stuff; I really want fresh, wholesome food.

[Monklady123]

I'm really new to this myself, so I'll tell you what I've done so far. But I'm sure the more experienced people here will have a ton of good ideas.

Breakfast:

-- cold cereal -- I've had cinnamon chex, or this morning I had rice chex with blueberries (blueberries with cinnamon chex didn't appeal to me, lol).

-- yogurt -- usually I'll add some fruit -- blueberries, strawberries, or banana -- and maybe some slivered almonds.

-- smoothie -- yogurt, frozen fruit, maybe a bit of milk to thin it a bit.

-- corn torilla with cheese melted on it.

-- peanut butter on rice cakes.

-- eggs

Lunch:

-- leftovers from dinner the night before

-- big salad, with tuna or chicken for protein

-- corn tortilla with cheese melted on it (obviously not this if I had it for breakfast also.. lol)

-- soup -- I made my homemade lentil soup the other day an froze it in single-serving containers.

-- lunch meat and cheese wrapped in lettuce leaves

Snacks:

-- fruit

-- raw veggies and dip -- hummos is my favorite

-- potato chips (I know, I know... not good for me... but they taste yummy)

-- cheese stick

-- hard boiled eggs

-- bars -- granola, lara, luna (there's a gluten-free granola bar at my grocery store but I'm sorry, I can't remember the name)

After a truly awful loaf of gluten-free bread from Trader Joe's (their store brand) I haven't investigated any breads yet. People here have said to try Udi's but I haven't made it over to Whole Food's yet to buy any.

Hope that helps a little bit. So far I haven't had too much trouble. Had one sad moment in the store the other day as I passed the bakery section and saw the freshly-baked crusty loaves. But, the thought of how awful I was feeling before I was diagnosed -- and how awful I felt the other day after eating two regular shell noodles (a dumb experiment ) got me over that sadness really fast.

[i-geek]

My breakfasts usually include a combination of some of the following (this morning was eggs with dill and feta and a side of fresh strawberries):

Eggs (scrambled or fried) with dill and feta or in omelet form with sauteed veggies (usually leftovers) and cheese

Bacon (we like Boars Head brand- definitely gluten-free)

Raw almonds

Peanut butter on Lundberg rice cakes

Corn tortilla tacos with scrambled eggs, beans, cheese and salsa

Leftover quinoa or millet pilaf

Yogurt (I like the full-fat Greek-style stuff with fruit or honey)

String cheese

Fresh fruit

Once in a great while- usually in winter- I will have oatmeal (Bob's Red Mill certified gluten-free oats). On weekends sometimes I'll make pancakes or waffles (I like Pamela's pancake mix). I'm not a fan of cold cereal because I tend to hypoglycemia. If I don't eat a lot of protein and fat at breakfast I'll have the shakes by 10:30 AM. This is how I ate breakfast before going gluten-free, though so it wasn't a big transition.

Lunch is usually one or two of the following:

Leftovers from dinner

Big salad

Yogurt

Fresh fruit or veggies

A can of Progresso lentil soup

Snacks:

Fruit

Raw almonds

String cheese

Corn chips and salsa

Larabars or Kind bars

[GlutenFreeManna]

My most common meal is grilled chicken or grilled steak with steamed veggies. I get the frozen veggies in the steamer bags (the plain ones without sauce), so it's as easy as throwing the meat on the grill and the veggies in the microwave. I also eat a lot of meals from my crockpot. I really like this blog: Open Original Shared Link Everything she makes is gluten free and it is mostly "normal" food that doesn't require special bread or special mixes.

Some meals I've made recently: tacos, chili con carne, stuffed bell peppers, cabbage rolls, Egyptian lentils and rice, meatloaf, Rotisserie-style baked whole chicken, bison burger patties (I just eat without a bun, but you can either get gluten-free buns or use lettuce) with homemade sweet potato fries, chicken burgers with homemade fries, swiss steak, chicken tortilla soup, lemon pepper chicken, Chicken fried rice with stir-fried veggies, London Broil with potatoes carrots, onions and garlic cloves in the slow cooker. Some side dishes I like to have with whatever meat I'm having: Roasted red potatoes with rosemary and garlic, green beans with almonds and butter, honey glazed carrots, Roasted Asparagus with lemon, garlic and black pepper, Caramelized onions (great to put onto of a burger patty), Roasted red peppers (also great on top of a burger), broccoli with garlic butter sauce (I eat a lot of garlic in case you can't tell).

I try to have salad at least once a week with homemade dressing. I can't take a lot of raw veggies (they seem to be okay for snacks, but when I have them for more than two meals in a row I have problems).

For breakfast I try to eat something with protein: eggs, yogurt with berries mixed in, a banana with a spoonful of peanut butter. Sometimes I have gluten-free cereal with almond milk, but not very often. I will also sometimes eat non-breakfast food for breakfast. This morning I had a bowl of rice left over from last night's meal.

For snacks: Carrot sticks, cucumber slices, celery sticks, bell pepper slices. I like to dip raw veggies in hummus. Corn chips with salsa or guacamole is another thing that's easy to do (although not good for the waistline of you eat it too frequently grab a handful of nuts like Almonds if you can have them. Popcorn made on the stove with olive oil is a another thing I do sometimes.

As you can see I have not listed many gluten-free replacement items. I am slowly trying gluten-free products and dabbling in gluten-free baking, but I'm not depending on them for the bulk of my diet. Not only does my body not respond well to a steady diet of gluten-free grains, but I think I would go broke if I bought gluten-free breads, pastas, crackers, etc for everyday consumption.

[lilbit]

-- lunch meat and cheese wrapped in lettuce leaves

I'm so new to this stuff that I haven't stopped gluten-ing myself accidently on purpose... but I read that lunch meat has gluten unless it says gluten free... Is that correct?

[Fey]

I'm so new to this stuff that I haven't stopped gluten-ing myself accidently on purpose... but I read that lunch meat has gluten unless it says gluten free... Is that correct?

I heard the same, not sure about it. Boar's Head states all of their lunchmeat is free of gluten and MSG, so I'm buying their stuff.

[sb2178]

I've eaten a lot of lunch/dinner type food for breakfast. Leftovers mainly, but I also just like soup/stew for breakfast. Any kind of soup, with protein in it. It means I go through leftovers faster, which is nice. Also, I like buckwheat pancakes (with added stuff like chopped apple, nuts, etc).

Snack ideas:

refried beans/salsa/tortilla chips

larabars, I repeat because I enjoy them (always in my bag)

carrots/celery stick/cut cucumbers with PB or mixed nuts or bean dip

chocolate, dark (lower in sugar)... yeah, combine it with some fruit ;-)

olives (w/ sliced veg: healthier but more work)

mochi (Japanese glutinous rice ball, usually with yummy sweet fillings)

onigiri (normal Japanese rice balls, often with savory fillings and seaweed)

roasted vegetables

cold steamed veg, usually with some kind of dip (white bean artichoke is my current fav)

leftover pancakes

homemade cookies

cheese! part skim mozzi is a good lower cal option, esp combined with fruit/veg

hot chocolate (Starbucks is not too sweet if you have them leave out the vanilla syrup and safe, as are all the other coffee shops I've read the labels of) or a latte made with milk

[i-geek]

I'm so new to this stuff that I haven't stopped gluten-ing myself accidently on purpose... but I read that lunch meat has gluten unless it says gluten free... Is that correct?

I think it's safe to assume that it could be used as a filler. Stick with companies like Boars Head, Applegate Farms or Hormel, all of which will clearly label any potential gluten. Also, watch out for deli counters- you might select gluten-free meat or cheese but if everyone before you didn't, there's potential for cross-contamination. I prefer to buy pre-packaged deli meat for that reason. I also know people who buy whole turkey breasts and roast them at home then slice them for sandwich meat.

[i-geek]

chocolate, dark (lower in sugar)... yeah, combine it with some fruit ;-)

Or coffee. I had a piece of Vosges Barcelona bar last night with a cup of coffee. HEAVEN. (Vosges is pricey but oh so good for a treat, and they clearly label gluten and have a large gluten-free selection.)

[Skylark]

Most of the time I've checked manufacturer websites lunch meats were OK. For the most part they are naturally gluten-free. Here is a year-old list to get you started with research. Please check the manufacturer websites or labels again and don't rely on this year-old info. Open Original Shared Link

Breakfast:

gluten-free bagel or toast with peanut butter or a hard-boiled egg

Banana and a Larabar

Chex cereal and milk

Corn tortillas rolled up with ham (A little weird but it's something I like and it's fast)

On weekends I'll make an omelette with gluten-free toast or huevos rancheros with corn tortillas

Snacks:

Fruit or cut veggies (with dip if I'm home, plain at work), nuts, dried fruit or trail mix, Larabar, tortilla chips, cheese and gluten-free rice crackers

[knittingmonkey]

I'm so new to this stuff that I haven't stopped gluten-ing myself accidently on purpose... but I read that lunch meat has gluten unless it says gluten free... Is that correct?

Labelling products "Gluten-free" is voluntary at this point (in the U.S.A.) So many lunch meats are gluten-free but aren't labelled that way. Get familiar with the names of additives in which gluten is found, and read the labels, or buy a fresh piece of meat and cut your own lunch meat.

[Almendra]

Our most common staple (for quick, easy eating) since my diagnosis is rice made in a rice cooker (brown and wild rice mixture with a few cubes of gluten-free bouillon for flavor when we have it) and beans (mostly made in a crockpot). I got a beans recipe from a bag of Goya beans several years ago before my diagnosis and it was already a favorite.

We melt cheese on top of the mixture and add some salsa or gluten-free taco sauce for extra flavor sometimes.

Sometimes we mix the beans with some hamburger meat to make chili.

Sometimes we just melt some cheese on the rice to make a risotto-type mixture.

I sometimes like to have a cut-up regular Johnsonville Brat (not beer, of course) with my rice.

Having some rice and beans available is relatively easy cooking that can turn into several different dishes according to your preference of the day.

It has worked with our busy schedules. Good luck!

[chilligirl]

I am new to eating gluten free this is only the beginning of week 2...and I am really struggling with what to eat, since I always do not always have time to cook.

At this point I feel like I am eating too many fruits, ice cream and crackers. For lunch and dinner I always try to have some meat..but my breakfast and snacks constitute fruit/crackers/ some cheese...and when I am starving I turn to ice cream.

I just need some ideas for some easy breakfast and snack ideas.

Once you get used to it, you'll find there are a lot of foods out there that are already gluten free.

For breakfast, I usually eat cold cereal (I love Nature's Path Honeyed Corn Flakes), yogurt, or a smoothie. Really it's usually cereal though. Sometimes I'll make some yummy gluten-free banana pancakes.

Snacks? Tortilla chips with salsa, gluten free cookies, cheese, nuts, fruit, popcorn, gluten-free candy, ice cream, salad, gluten-free salami (I looooove salami), pamela's chocolate cake (it's a mix, super easy, and tastes divine!), potato chips. I'm actually not much of a snacker anymore.

I eat a lot of omelettes - I love making an omelette with asparagus, onion, tomato, spinach, and cheese in it. Super easy to make, only takes a couple minutes and YUMMY.

Lunches, if not an omelette, are usually a wrap (corn or rice tortilla), left overs from dinner, or some gluten-free soup.

Dinner is pretty much the same as before I went gluten-free. Only difference is I substitute gluten-free pastas, soy sauce, etc., and thicken things with cornstarch instead of flour. Our whole family eats gluten-free for dinner, and nobody notices the difference.

[summerteeth]

Breakfasts:

-- big bowl of fruit (I have this most days)

-- stir fried veggies & a piece of meat

-- yogurt with bloobs & Enjoy Life granola

-- canned pumpkin with a banana mashed in (sometimes with another fruit, like bluberries or black berries) with cinnamon on top

Lunches:

-- leftovers (most days)

-- big salad with Walden Farms dressing, or lemon juice

-- veggies and homemade hummus

-- "taco wraps" (ground meat, seasonings like cumin & red pepper, refried beans, tomatoes, and chiles on a wrap with lettuce)

Dinners:

-- chicken & veggies & risotto

-- spaghetti squash with fresh tomatoes, garlic, spinach

-- polish sausage and sauerkraut

-- hamburgers without the bun, sweet potato fries

-- meat + veggies usually...

Snacks:

-- fruit

-- veggies

-- Larabars (I love the Coconut Creme & PB and jelly sandwich ones)

-- Enjoy Life bars (the chocolate is tasty)

-- toast (only if I am at home and can use my uncontaminated toaster, though)

-- Oskri quinoa/sesame bars (these are SO good)

[Nor-TX]

I have been gluten free since October and have the added complication of also being dairy free, having colitis, taking remicade and sensitive to garlic and peanut butter.

I began the gluten free diet by using prepared items requiring as little creativity as possible because I was so sick. As my health has gotten better I have become more creative.

For breakfast I find I can't eat before I go to work. I have tummy issues in the morning and can't eat, so I take it to work and eat at around 8 - 9 am. I have wonderful Udi gluten free bagels and my own toaster. So I toast them and top with dairy free margarine and some almond butter. Since I can't have dairy, I buy the So Delicious coconut milk yogurt. It is very yummy mixed with some canned fruit (in their own juice or pear juice). The yogure it gluten and dairy free and delicious. The chocolate flavor is guaranteed to quell your stronges chocolate craving. I can't do eggs so that is out of my equation. If I am at home and feeling very hungry I have a wonderfully delicious bread product called Katz Gluten Free challah. This bread is soft and moist and has a sweet nutty flavor. I order the bread and their baked goods online to make sure I always have this bread. It is soooo good that often I just take some bread and my dairy free margarine and a cup for breakfast. The texture is sort of like banana bread so it tastes like a real treat.

For lunch I use my Katz gluten free bread and Daiya dairy cheese shreds and make a grilled cheese sandwich. Before I found this bread and cheese, I haven't had a grilled cheese in probably 10 years. I also have the Thai Kitchen Original Pad Thai noodles with any leftovers like some shrimp or chicken. This company makes a single serving package that you make in the microwave and it even comes with it's own little fork. Annie Chun's makes Rice Express which is a sticky rice steamed in it's own bowl. Add a little dairy free margarine and stir in some shrimp and it is delicious.

I am a teacher so there are always food being brought into school by parents. They provide us with donuts, cakes, cookies, pita and spinach dip, brownies and lots of crackers with cheese. I get out my Glutino pretzels (even my husband loves these) and my almond butter, or my chocolate container of So Delicious coconut milk yogurt. I was baking my own cookies, but decided I didn't need those. The Katz Gluten free company has some delicious chocolate or cinnamon rugalach (little mini cinnimon buns) and cookies that are delicious. When we have game night I serve my pretzels, gluten-free lays stax, shrimp, gluten-free Betty Crocker brownies.

When I cook dinner, I try to make extra for lunch the next day. I stir fry some bean sprouts, mushrooms, shrimp or chicken and gluten-free soy sauce. Sometimes I wrap it in rice wrappers, or add in some sticky rice. My husband grills chicken and he makes an extra piece which I chop up with some mayo and a bit of celery to make chicken salad. I take it to work the next day on as a sandwich with the Katz bread or on a Udi bagel. I cook a piece of salmon or trout in dairy free margaine with salt and pepper and bake a potato. Cut the whole thing in half and you have lunch for the next day. I love spaghetti squash and make that. Again one squash is good for 2 or 3 meals. I love mushrooms so when we had a bbq recently my husband grilled a portabello mushroom and I had it on a lightly toasted bagel. Everyone else had burgers and buns and no one made a big deal.

I eat alot of chicken grilled with salt and pepper. I love salmon and steelhead trout fried simply with dairy free margarine. I cook some asparagus or even lightly fry thick slices of tomato beside the fish. I can easily peel the skin of the tomato off... they often exit like they entered... whole and intact.

My best advice is take it easy and one day at a time and keep a notebook of what works, recipes, combinations and what doesn't work. Very quickly you will have your own gluten free recommended list. Take advantage of packaged goods like the Pad Thai gluten-free noodes, or the sticky rice. I never got into baking my own bread - just didn't have the inclination but it might work for you. I eat simply and it is working for me. As I found foods I could tolerate, I figured out ways to change them up and keep them creative.

Going out to eat is my hardest challange because of cross contamination. We finally found a chinese buffet that had alot of fresh mussels, steamed clams, shrimp, grilled salmon, crab legs and sashimi (fresh raw fish), along with all the standard chinese fare which my husband loves (ss shrimp, teriyaki chicken, those little sugar buns, sesame chicken etc.) We have gone many times and I have not gotten sick, although I will admit to being stuffed. I can't eat salads so that is out. I do eat just a baked potato when having to go out for lunch at work. I keep my own dairy free margarine and gluten-free soy sauce at work for unexpected lunches.

Good luck to you. Explore this gluten-free site and there are lots of websites with suggested foods. For myself, for example I found that the cross contamination with Chex cereals made them off limits to me.

Take one day at a time...

[i-geek]

Nor_TX, I totally agree on the Glutino pretzels and So Delicious coconut milk yogurt! My non-gluten-free husband loves them both as much as I do. I'm back on dairy now (at least fermented dairy) but I ate the coconut milk yogurt daily for probiotics when I first went gluten-free and couldn't handle any dairy. They were so tasty and creamy and came in great flavors. Have you tried the coconut milk ice creams? I've only had the chocolate but loved it- so rich and creamy.

[Nor-TX]

Nor_TX, I totally agree on the Glutino pretzels and So Delicious coconut milk yogurt! My non-gluten-free husband loves them both as much as I do. I'm back on dairy now (at least fermented dairy) but I ate the coconut milk yogurt daily for probiotics when I first went gluten-free and couldn't handle any dairy. They were so tasty and creamy and came in great flavors. Have you tried the coconut milk ice creams? I've only had the chocolate but loved it- so rich and creamy.

Absolutely, but the only flavor that is dairy free and gluten free is the cookie dough.. Mmmmmm.... I know life it tough, but someone has to eat it!

[i-geek]

Absolutely, but the only flavor that is dairy free and gluten free is the cookie dough.. Mmmmmm.... I know life it tough, but someone has to eat it!

I don't think that's correct. From their website: Open Original Shared Link Only the Brownie ice cream and the sandwiches have gluten, and none of them have dairy.

[Nor-TX]

I don't think that's correct. From their website: Open Original Shared Link Only the Brownie ice cream and the sandwiches have gluten, and none of them have dairy.

I just checked and you are right. I wonder why the cookie dough says "gluten free" beside it and none of the others do. I am definitely going to check the ingredients on the packages. I wonder if the recipe changed? Thanks for pointing this out. I love some of the other flavors.

[i-geek]

I just checked and you are right. I wonder why the cookie dough says "gluten free" beside it and none of the others do. I am definitely going to check the ingredients on the packages. I wonder if the recipe changed? Thanks for pointing this out. I love some of the other flavors.

I'm guessing it was simply for advertising purposes. I know if I saw "cookie dough" I would automatically assume that it wasn't safe unless there was a big "Gluten Free" label on it.