In A Food Rut

[GlutenGalAZ]

I seem to be in a food rut right now.

I make/cook my meals and am wanting to make new things that are easy but healthy.

Main flours I have are White and Brown Rice Flour, Sorghum (sp), Corn and Potato Starch, Baking Soda and Powder and Flaxseed. I have Rice Bran but haven't used it yet.

I can't have tomatoes and stay away from herbs since they make my pulse rise.

Any input on some easy healthy snacks/meals would be great!

I've been having corn tortilla wraps lately or brown rice with veggies for lunches.

Edit: Mainly looking for snack and lunch ideas to take to work.

Thank you

[emcmaster]

Lately I've been into greek yogurt mixed with splenda, blueberries, and walnuts. Super easily portable.

I also have been making big batches of soups and stews to take to work. I portion them into individual containers and freeze, then all I have to do is grab one from the freezer on my way to work each morning.

I also like cottage cheese mixed with peanut butter, cocoa powder, and sweetener. Sounds disgusting but it's actually very good - give it a try!

[HiDee]

You could make muffins with some of those flours and add a mashed banana or (unsweetened) applesauce instead of sugar to keep it on the healthier side. I would definitely use your rice bran and flax seed in place of some of the flour to beef up the fiber. Freeze the muffins and take one to work as a snack. I make a whole chicken (very simple in the crock pot) every few weeks and use the meat for salads and then use the bones to make broth for soups or stir fry or whatever. My husband loves taking a salad for lunch, it's really easy to throw some greens, pre-cooked chicken and a few other veggies on top and take along to work. Other good (healthy) snacks: nuts, apple of other fruit with peanut butter, cheese, veggie sticks with hummus, plain yogurt with fruit added (no sugar needed if you want it to be healthy), boiled eggs or lunch meat.

Good luck!

[GlutenGalAZ]

Thanks for the great suggestions

If anyone else has any simple/easy food ideas that are healthy please post.

Thanks again.

[JNBunnie1]

Thanks for the great suggestions

If anyone else has any simple/easy food ideas that are healthy please post.

Thanks again.

I'm currently eating 'spaghetti' which is spaghetti squash baked and mixed with browned ground beef n onions n garlic, I'm avoiding tomato right now. Spaghetti squash works good without sauce because it won't dry up like rice pasta does. I like it best with ground beef, my mum likes it best with bulk chicken sausage mixed in.

[GlutenGalAZ]

I'm currently eating 'spaghetti' which is spaghetti squash baked and mixed with browned ground beef n onions n garlic, I'm avoiding tomato right now. Spaghetti squash works good without sauce because it won't dry up like rice pasta does. I like it best with ground beef, my mum likes it best with bulk chicken sausage mixed in.

That sounds really good! I have seen how you bake the spaghetti squash and just use a fork to give it that noodle look.

Does the squash fall apart when you mix it with other things i.e. meat?

Do you mind posting how you bake the squash?

Thanks

[JNBunnie1]

That sounds really good! I have seen how you bake the spaghetti squash and just use a fork to give it that noodle look.

Does the squash fall apart when you mix it with other things i.e. meat?

Do you mind posting how you bake the squash?

Thanks

It stays together pretty good, not like long spaghetti noodles but certainly not like a mash. I cut in half and bake at 375 til a fork can shred it, then remove the seeds, it's easier than trying to take them out before. You can also cut it up and steam in a big pot, but I don't really like the texture of it that way.

I like to brown ground beef and onion and garlic and then I dont' drain the juice, I just pour it all over the shredded spaghetti squash. Mmmmm..... If you're not dairy free mozz cheese would be good too. Or a crumbled hard cheese, whatever fits yer fancy.

[knittygirl1014]

I am currently loving these date balls I recently rediscovered. My mom used to make something like them for our hiking trips.

I don't have exact measurements, I kind of just throw everything together.

Dried dates

almonds (or your favorite nut)

rice chex (I have also used Mesa Sunrise cereal)

honey

flax seeds, Enjoy Life chocolate chips, or dried berries

powdered gluten free oats, or one of the other flours you have on hand

I throw them in the food processor (it helps to do the nuts first) and squish them into balls. Roll them in the oat flour so they won't be too sticky when you pick them up the next day. Refrigerate so they hold their shape.

These are kind of high in calories, but they are an excellent treat. For a lower calorie snack, I usually keep a piece of fruit around.

I also have trouble with breakfasts since I am always on the go and don't eat eggs or dairy. I found these Jones natural breakfast sausages that are gluten free and have no preservatives. They only take 2 minutes in the microwave and then I am out the door!

[FMcGee]

For the spaghetti squash, you can also cut it in half and microwave it for about 15 minutes. I'm actually having that for dinner! I don't eat red meat, so I'm going to cook some other veggies and toss it all together to make primavera. I'm going to put tomato sauce on it but one certainly wouldn't have to.

I have a snack I'm hooked on right now: coconut tapioca. Coconut milk is about the only fat my system can handle (it's broken down like a carbohydrate, so it's good for people whose guts don't do well with fat or oil). I bought some pearl tapioca from the Asian market, and I soak half a cup of it in a bowl with about 2 cups of lukewarm water for 20 minutes. Then, I drain the excess water, and put the tapioca in a pot with 2 more cups of water. Bring it to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Then I transfer it to a bowl, chill it, and pour coconut milk on it. It's delicious with honey and strawberries, and in that quantity it lasts awhile, too. No gluten, no dairy, no soy, no eggs!!

Also, you can use Pamela's baking mix to bake tons of things. I made cookies with them with great success. I even substituted the applesauce for oil because of my aforementioned oil digestion issues, and it was awesome.

[shirleyujest]

Edit: Mainly looking for snack and lunch ideas to take to work.

Thank you

I got some gluten-free brown rice "wraps" at Whole Foods, and they make great substitute for sandwiches. They have to be fridged so I nuke them for 30 sec to make them loose enough to fold, and put lunch meat & cheese, plus salad type veggies like chopped red bell pepper, black olives, spanish olives, and a tspn or so olive oil. That and small fruit and corn or pot. chips.

Snacks are nuts, dried apricots, carrot sticks, celery sticks, slice toast w/almond butter (I'm coming to prefer that to peanut butter). Then there's my daily vitamin, a 3 muskateers bar.

PS love your dog

[daphniela]

I seem to be in a food rut right now.

I make/cook my meals and am wanting to make new things that are easy but healthy.

Main flours I have are White and Brown Rice Flour, Sorghum (sp), Corn and Potato Starch, Baking Soda and Powder and Flaxseed. I have Rice Bran but haven't used it yet.

I can't have tomatoes and stay away from herbs since they make my pulse rise.

Any input on some easy healthy snacks/meals would be great!

I've been having corn tortilla wraps lately or brown rice with veggies for lunches.

Edit: Mainly looking for snack and lunch ideas to take to work.

Thank you

Spring rolls, tuna wraps (wrapped in a lettuce leaf), pad thai, and rice cakes with shredded chicken, bbq sauce, and cheese for lunches. Frozen chocolate covered bananas, fudgcycles, jello, pudding, chex mix, popcorn, marinated fruit kebabs on grille, banana mousse, and peach crisp for snacks or desserts.

[Wenmin]

My latest binge is taco salad. Make taco meat and freeze in small containers (l pound of meat (turkey, beef, chicken) will divide into 4 servings) Chop lettuce and tomatoes the night before. Place in large covered container. 100 calorie Fritos, Amy's salsa, and 1 teaspoon of Daisy sour cream. Grab a taco meat out of the freezer and nuke it for a few minutes, pour over salad, top with corn chips, salsa and sour cream. You could add cheese, but I prefer to watch the calories.

Enjoy!

[Wenmin]

Sorry, I said tomatoes, but this ingredient could be left out....

Wenmin

[TrillumHunter]

Frozen grapes. Really, they're a different from unfrozen. They're so yummy as they thaw a bit.

[GlutenGalAZ]

Thank you for all of the new great ideas. I am definately printing off this topic to keep in my food idea folder and to try out

Thanks for posting how to bake/cook the spaghetti squash, looking forward to trying that hopfully soon.

Thanks again everyone!