Food Inspiration

Need a little lunchbox inspiration now that the kids have gone back to school?

Then head to our Pinterest page Healthy Snacks And Meals for some great ideas.
We might even have a few recipes you might like on our Recipes page too.

When you have food allergies it can sometimes be hard to get even a little inspired by food.  There have been many times where I would have been perfectly happy to skip the whole eating thing. My stomach on the other hand, does not agree.

One of the hardest things for me was finding alternatives for gluten, eggs and sugar.  That meant no more sandwiches, and good bye to favourite pasta dishes, crackers, desserts, and many of the day to day things you might typically use.
Did you know that some brands of salt actually have sugar added or that those frozen french fries can contain gluten and sugar?  If it's a condiment, like mayonnaise, ketchup or a sauce it almost always has sugar added to it. You learn quickly to read ingredient lists on a regular bases.

The following foods contain gluten:

Wheat & wheat germ
Rye, Barley, and  Bulgur
Couscous, Farina, and Graham flour
Kamut, Semolina, and Spelt


You can often find gluten in these foods too:

Soups & commercial bullion and broths

Mayonnaise, ketchup, salad dressings

Soy & Teriyaki sauce, marinades

Malt, malt flavouring and malt vinegar

Non-dairy creamers

Processed cheese, blue cheese

Cold cuts, imitation meats, sausage, meatballs, meat loaf, hot dogs, and gravy

Egg substitutes

Frozen french fries

Veggie burgers

Breaded foods, fried veggies/tempura

Canned baked beans

Cereals, trail mix, energy bars

Prepared chocolate milk, instant hot drinks, flavoured teas and coffees

Ice cream, pudding, fruit fillings

Root beer, beer, vodka, wine coolers
Syrups

Roasted nuts

Some oats & oat bran

You're most likely to find added sugar in these foods:

Soups, sauces, prepared foods
Baked goods and cereals
Pre-made drinks, juices, flavoured coffees and other hot drinks
Condiments, dips, jams, and some nut butters
Snack foods (chips, crackers, protein bars, etc..)
Yogurt
Non-dairy milks
Some canned fruits and vegetables
Alchohol mixers
Gum, cough drops, and most cold and cough remedies
Supplements, vitamins, and other medications

As far as finding replacements for old favourites, this is one of my go to meals that avoids both gluten and sugar.
In place of pizza crust try using soft corn tortillas, it works well and it's a super easy substitution.      (Tip: To create a sturdier crust double up on the corn tortillas.).  

I use a sugar free tomato and basil pasta sauce and then add whatever I have on hand for topping. Usually it's pineapple chunks, black olives and cheese.  I bake it in my little toaster oven, and since I'm just heating things up and melting all that yummy cheese the cook time is under 5 minutes. 

sources:
drperlmutter.com/eat/foods-that-contain-gluten

goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nnutrition/g4496/fast-food-meals-calories/
familydoctor.org/added-sugar-what-you-need-to-know/