Meal ideas: Gluten and Dairy Free style

So, what exactly do we eat if our diets are so restricted? Well, I've been doing weekly meal planning for a while so I have a pretty good list of the foods we eat. I was actually surprised at the foods. Didn't seem all that restrictive to me. Of course I rely on my GFRF(gluten and rice free) flour mix, and milk substitutes so I feel that we can really make any dish. That's the thing...we can MAKE anything, but we can't just go to the store and buy it. But what freedom! :)
I put all the different meals into an Excel spreadsheet and set it up to randomize for those weeks when I just don't want to plan. Sounded good in theory, but really didn't work that well for me. LOL! :) Now I at least have a list of meals so it wasn't lost effort.

We have a little bit of a dillemma in our house. I LOVE carbs, and the rest of the family needs protein. I try to balance that by minimizing grains and maximizing proteins, especially at breakfast. I was able to find all natural breakfast sausage on sale for $2/lb so it was worth using. Smoothies are made with frozen fruit bought in a bulk bag (makes it cheaper than fresh fruit) and coconut milk (get those extra good fatty acids in too).

For pasta we use Quinoa Pasta, or Corn Spaghetti and they work pretty well. The rice free GF pasta options are limited but we are thankful for what we have.

I have listed breakfast and dinner options.  Lunches are a whole separate post.  Dinners can be grouped into several main groups. There are the meat/starch/veg based, starch based, breakfast based and soup based. I will divide them up accordingly. So, for example, if you wanted a meat/starch/veg dinner, then you could choose one from each category.  If you could have rice, this would greatly expand the possibilities in nearly every category. We also vary vegetables seasonally and according to what’s new or different.  These lists don't even include the endless dessert possibilities! :)

Again, all of these options can be made gluten and dairy free!  The master list.....

Breakfast:
A combination of GF cereal/coconut milk, cereal/coconut yogurt, GF Oatmeal, Quinoa, eggs, fruit, smoothies, sausage, bacon, tater tots, hash browns, muffins, fruit, waffles. Breakfast always includes fruit. Protein (sausage or eggs) is included in at least 4 breakfasts per week.

Dinner: (note, on Sunday night we have breakfast for dinner)
1. Meat/Starch/Vegetables
     ·Meat
       - Grilled Chicken
       - Roast Chicken
       - BBQ Chicken
       - BBQ Pork
       - Mustard Onion Pork Chops
       - Grilled Pork
       - Roasted Pork Loin
       - Meatloaf (made with GF breadcrumbs)
       - GF Corndogs
       - Hotdogs
       - Hamburgers
       - Pork with Pesto
       - Ham
       - Meatballs (made with GF breadcrumbs)
  · Starch
       - Quinoa Pasta
       - Scalloped Potatoes (thickened with starch or GF flour blend)
       - Mashed Potatoes
       - Parsley Buttered Potatoes
       - Tater Tots
       - Smiley Fries
       - Corn Spaghetti
       - Potato Salad
       - Pasta Salad (made with GF Pasta)
       - Pierogies (Homemade with GF flour, or storebought GF frozen)
       - Ravioli  (Homemade with GF flour, or storebought GF frozen)
  · Vegetable
       - Peas
       - Corn
       - Green Beans
       - Baked Beans
       - Mixed Vegetables
       - Tomatoes/Cucumbers
       - Carrot Raisin Salad 
       - Applesauce

2. Soups (serve with salad or GF bread of some sort) -made with no Gluten containing thickeners
       - Vegetable
       - Vegetable Beef
       - Beef Stew
       - Chili
       - Broccoli
       - Chicken Stew
       - Chicken Tortilla
       - Chicken Noodle (corn pasta)
       - Lentil Spinach Stew with Pork

3. Pasta/Starch or Casserole-type Based Dishes (add a vegetable/salad or baked bread product to round out the dish) made with Gluten Free ingredients
       · GF Pasta with Greens and Beans and Sausage
       · Shepherd’s Pie
       · Spaghetti Squash/Sausage Bake
       · Italian Loaf Rustica (Made with GF flour blend)
       · GF Quinoa Pasta with Sausage/Vegetables/Spag. Sauce
       · GF DF Pizza
       · Cuban Black Beans with Pork or Chicken

4. Breakfast dinners = baked product/protein/fruit(fruit or smoothie)
   · Protein
       - Egg Bake with Sausage/Onions/Peppers
       - Fried Eggs
       - Scrambled Eggs
       - Sausage
       - Bacon
   · Baked Product
       - GF Pancakes
       - GF Waffles
       - GF Muffins/Coffee Cake

5. Baked/bread dinner product all made with Gluten Free flour or mix
       - Cornbread
       - Bread
       - Breadsticks
       - Tortilla Chips
       - GF Crackers (expensive option unless homemade)

This is not an exhaustive list, and is merely here to give some examples of ways to fix GF/DF meals.