For those of you who are interested in gluten free diets or you are new to the blog, check out my Q and A with Central Restaurant Products.
My son and I are both gluten and dairy free. I discuss my own diet in the Q and A, but I don’t mention my son. Charlie has been dairy free since September 2010 and gluten free since October 2010. Why did I do that? Well, Charlie had chronic ear infections, which cleared up after going dairy free, but he was then diagnosed with asthma in September. I didn’t want to have to give him two daily medications per day. At the same time I didn’t know how I would toilet train a child with chronic diarrhea. So I changed his diet and there went his breathing problems and his GI issues. I regret that I didn’t get him tested for Celiac disease prior to taking him off of gluten, but the dairy test had been negative and the allergist thought I was crazy. I tried a gluten free diet only on a whim and I didn’t expect it to work at all. Instead, it changed everything pretty much right away.
Charlie’s lunches
Mandarin oranges; bacon; carrots from our garden; spiced rice; sliced pears (farmer’s market)
We were at Trader Joe’s and my son saw the bags of mandarin oranges and he was sold. So they aren’t local, but they are a favorite. I grew those carrots though! Child care menu: Chicken Alfredo, Elbow Pasta, Winter Blend, Pineapple Chunks, Mini Wheat Hamburger Bun
Homemade pizza; sliced pears (farmer’s market); spinach (CSA), shredded carrots, mandarin oranges; applesauce,; crackers
I had a craving for pizza so I made a gluten and dairy free one. This one has beef on it, but I bought the beef at a farmer’s market. I have to say that the beef tasted like nothing I have ever tasted before. The beef had almost a “gamey” taste to it — is that true beef should taste like? This was straight from a farm in Wisconsin. My husband didn’t notice a difference, but to me it was apparent right away. I also used goat cheese and spinach from our CSA. Child care menu: Cheesy Chicken, Diced Parsley Potatoes, Broccoli, Fresh Pear, Wheat Dinner Roll
Mandarin oranges, sliced apples (farmer’s market); spinach (CSA) and carrots (my garden); hard boiled eggs; crunchy green beans; crackers
My son helped me pull the little carrots out of the ground and he was so stoked. Child care menu: BBQ Turkey, Steamed Rice, Oregon Blend, Banana, Rye Bread
Pasta with meat sauce (beef from farmer’s market); mandarin oranges; spinach (CSA), carrots (farmer’s market), yellow green beans (farmer’s market); pear sauce; breadsticks
I split the yellow green beans in half because my son likes to eat the little beans inside. Also I tried Trader Joe’s “pear sauce” but my son was not a fan. Guess you’ll be seeing those in my lunches. Child care menu: Penne Pasta & Meat Sauce, 3 Way Blend, Cinnamon Sliced Pears, Wheat Bread
Bagel with smoked salmon; sliced apples (farmer’s market), spinach (CSA), shredded carrots, golden raisins; pretzels; apple/strawberry sauce
I was running low on ideas so the kid got apples two different ways! Child care menu: BBQ Meatballs, Augratin Potatoes, Peas, Tropical Fruit, Rye Bread
My lunches
Spiced rice with bacon and pistachios; plums; pepitas; roasted golden beets
I don’t mind eating bacon fat. I’ve decided that fat doesn’t make me fat, but instead keeps me feeling full so I don’t binge on my favorite trigger foods (i.e. cookies). Also the golden beets all turned black after I roasted them! Any hints on how to avoid that next time? I also sauteed the beets’ greens and they were better than spinach or kale prepared that same way (don’t get me wrong, I love my spinach and kale, just not sauteed in a pan).
Homemade pizza; plums; spinach with shredded carrots
I used daiya cheese on one pizza and goat cheese on the other. I know a lot of you think that the daiya cheese is a weird non-food. When you are looking for a cheese replacement, you’ll try anything. And guess what? I left this lunch on the counter at home. I realized this on the way to work so I was able to call my husband and have him put it in the fridge for the next day. I left my water bottles at home too so I was really devastated. I could have bought school lunch that day, but I just didn’t want to go through that again. Instead I ate a lunch of almonds and rice cakes. The next day I finally ate my lunch.
Tuna salad sandwich with spinach, apple (farmer’s market); carrot and yellow green beans (farmer’s market); KIND bars
I love tuna salad!
Bagel, spinach, golden raisins; smoked salmon; pretzels; KIND bar
I’ve always been a bagel and lox fan. Love salmon.