Healthy, Low Gi, Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Foods

[CGally81]

Well, now that I dropped my previous brand of peanut butter due to it containing hydrogenated oils, and am getting nasty headaches and light-headedness from my new brand (possibly by different ingredients, and palm oil might be the one doing it), I am seeing how depressingly small the list of foods I eat is.

(EDIT: It's probably the fish oil, of which I've been taking WAY too much for 3 weeks, that's causing the headaches instead. 5.5g of fish oil a day is not a good idea if you're not sure how it will affect you!)

Here's what I currently have:

- popcorn (without any milk ingredients, gluten ingredients, etc.)

- bananas

- hamburger patties

- chicken breasts

- brown rice

- potatoes

- occasionally fish

What else could I have that's Gluten-free Casein-free, not at risk of cross-contamination, and is healthy and low GI (meaning it doesn't get processed so quickly that it causes a hunger spike, the way cereals do for instance)? I'm trying to maintain my current low weight. It wasn't easy getting to this point, but I intend to maintain my weight. But if peanut butter is going to mess with me, that's one less food I can have, unless I can find a brand that doesn't.

I was thinking of going to Whole Foods to see what they have. What types of foods would you recommend that would make good breakfasts or lunches? (I am of the "eat a large breakfast and large lunch so as to get nutrients early and reduce hunger later" school of thought, so I'd like something that could possibly fit into a 600-700 calorie breakfast or lunch)

EDIT: Possibilities to consider (from reading responses):

- baby carrots

- Larabars of some variety or another (that is both gluten and dairy free)

- sunflower butter

[sb2178]

Vegetables! There are lots out there to choose from, so hopefully you can tolerate some. Cooking and tossing with a vinaigrette has been my new thing of the summer. If you haven't tested things on a second rounds, maybe it's worth the effort and potential misery to try some easy to digest options again?

Beans? Don't know if there is a tolerance issue, but they are generally lower GI than grains. One fun breakfast would be to make a healthier yummier tex-mex bowl with beans, corn/rice, veg, avocado, maybe salsa.

Nuts? Again, there's a range of options.

I like doing leftovers for substantial breakfasts, so I basically eat the same thing for dinner one night and breakfast the next morning. Doing a bowl of mixed cooked whole grains (whole millet, quinoa, buckwheat groats rather than processed flakes or cereals) with substantial amounts of nuts and dried/fresh fruit might do it. But I generally also do dairy there... so it might not be enough protein.

[CGally81]

Do gluten-free, casein-free granola bars exist? Do they make a good breakfast or addition to lunch? (chicken breasts are a big part of my lunch)

Since my family uses the same bowls and plates I do, I'm afraid to put anything inside a bowl. I eat rice literally out of the container, though I've had it from a bowl and not gotten sick. Do you have anything I could just eat right out of the container? I've done that with gluten-free cereal (varieties of Chex, and learning the hard way from some that contain milk that I'm casein intolerant!). But cereal is not known for being low GI.

I'm not a big vegetable fan, I must say, though I can tolerate baby carrots. But they're not known for their calorie content! Maybe I'll buy a bunch and have them as part of lunch.

[sb2178]

I like Larabars, but they are made primarily from date paste, so it's not wonderfully low on the GI scale. Kind bars and Soyjoy are also options, but double check the soy joy before you eat them. Most of the "straight out of container" foods I can think of are pretty processed, so you're not going to get low GI options. Or, they are technically fine but probably processed on shared equipment.

The vegetables are really to expand your nutrient sources and food list-- yes, you need calories but you also need vitamins and fiber and antioxidents... Combining them with grains (depending on the grain and vegetable) can also temper the glycemic load of the total meal.

As long as you re-wash the bowl well with soap and hot water, you should be safe (avoid plastics, but normal dishes should be good). And if whoever washed it the first time did a good job, it wouldn't even need washed again.

[CGally81]

Hmm... GI is pretty controversial. Potatoes make me feel satisfied, as does popcorn, and both are high GI! So there's something wrong there.

However, foods that aren't too processed. I'll look into Larabars. They're confirmed both gluten-free and milk-free, right? They appear to have some healthy flavors.

[Looking for answers]

I'm on the same diet, but I can't have eggs or nuts either, so I've gotten really creative. Here's some ideas:

Spaghetti squash used as "noodles" with sauce and meat of choice. So good!!

Pea protein smoothie in the morning. I mix one scoop (25 grams of protein with complete amino acid profile and only 100 calories!!!), one half or one whole avocado, and cocao to taste. Sometimes I mix in honey and flax or chia seeds. So indulgent, yet so healthy!

Pizza made from egg plant. The secret is to grill egg plant first, then I toss it in the toaster oven after adding sauce, toppings, etc. I do mine cheese free, of course.

Seaweed noodles (taste like chinese noodles when stir fried, no fishy or funky taste, I promise!!!) woked with chicken, veggies and sauce of choice.

Raw mineral crusts (get from whole foods). I use these to make "opened-faced" sandwhiches. Yummy and really healthy. I like to use hummus as my condiment of choice.

I don't eat grains often, and I avoid sugar at all costs. If I use honey, I use it in small amounts and always with protein- helps to keep blood sugar stable.

[Monklady123]

You mentioned the peanut butter so I'm wondering if you've tried the all-natural peanut butter? Just nuts. That's it. Most stores like Whole Foods and lots of grocery stores have a grinder somewhere in the store and they have peanut butter right there that's been ground, or you can do your own peanuts. I'm pretty sure you can also buy pb already-packaged that's just peanuts (and maybe water). But of course since it's already in the jar I suppose it could be CC. Could you make your own? (not that I'd know how, but it can't be too hard if you have the right grinder.) I would hate to try to get by without peanut butter!

[tarnalberry]

Even at the regular grocery store, you can often find Adams - they have a variety that doesn't have any added oil.

But yeah - I would add veggies to that list. You could make a stir fry with them, or a salad. Avocados are good too (trader joe's has frozen ones!). Hot cereal (like millet or buckwheat, not so much rice) with flax meal and almonds? Nature's Valley now has a gluten free "granola" bar (it's nuts), but if you're worried about clean bowls in your house being contaminated, I can't imagine that you'd eat anything manufactured on shared lines...

[julandjo]

You definitely need some veggies in there. Carrots are awesome dipped in sunbutter (I can't have PB). Sliced bell peppers are sweet and crunchy and packed with vitamins. Cucumber is refreshing. Peas have a lot of protein and fiber. If you like potatoes, try jicama. You cut it up raw - it's crunchy, slightly sweet and loaded with fiber. I like to sprinkle it with lime juice and salt. There's a whole sector of foods waiting for you to enjoy!

[RiceGuy]

Yes, do add veggies! Some fruit is ok, as long as you don't have blood sugar issues or something like that. It's the processed sugars which are to be avoided, especially when out of natural balance (loads of sugar and little else). Whole fruits have fiber and other stuff, which is in a natural balance with the sugars they contain. But those with blood sugar issues often find most fruits are a no-no.

I also agree with the suggestions of things like buckwheat, millet, beans, nuts, seeds, etc. Teff is very healthy - lots of protein and fiber, minerals, and more. But do be careful about the source of buckwheat you choose. Many are subject to CC. Wolff's brand is pretty good, though a bit pricey. So far I've had no CC trouble from the grains I've purchased from Open Original Shared Link.

As for peanut butter; yes, the all-natural stuff is the way to go there. Many chain stores have their own brand, or you can usually find Smucker's in most supermarkets. Making your own requires a food processor or behemoth blender - something which specifically says it can do it.

But perhaps you're sensitive to peanuts? If so, or even if not, you might try sunflower butter. Roast them in a pan with oil, then grind them until smooth, adding enough oil to get the right consistency. It does still require an appropriate appliance, or a strong arm behind a manual masher! First time I tried it, I was very surprised to find it tastes nearly identical to peanut butter! I prefer adding a little salt too. Of course, there's nothing wrong with eating them whole, as a good, high protein/fiber snack.

[GFinDC]

I gots a little trick for the natural peanut butters.Most of the natural peanut butters I have seen will separate some after a while. The oil floats up to the top of the jar. You can fix that by adding a little molasses and stirring it in. The oil won't separate after this but it does make the peanut butter pretty stiff.

[CGally81]

I bought baby carrots today, then saw that 1/10 of the container contains a mere 35 calories! That's barely anything! I guess they'd make a nice little addition to a larger meal, but wow, that's disappointing. Vegetables are not big in the calorie department.

I changed peanut butter brands again - this time for a brand that contains literally only peanuts plus some salt.

Sunflower Butter sounds good. I'm going on vacation soon, but when I get back, I might look for some.

I'll look into Larabars. Gluten-free and most of them seem to be dairy-free, so I think they'll be well worth getting. Again, I'll check them out when I get back from vacation.

Thanks for the suggestions! As for the alternate grains, can they be eaten right out of the box? Do they have to be cooked? I want as little food as possible that needs cooking.

[RiceGuy]

As for the alternate grains, can they be eaten right out of the box? Do they have to be cooked? I want as little food as possible that needs cooking.

Seriously? Generally speaking, foods which are prepackaged tend to offer less nutritional value. Calories alone aren't going to satisfy your body's requirements. You'll still be hungry and malnourished if your diet has too high a portion of empty calories.

One easy way to quickly prepare some veggies is with a blender. Frozen green peas can be blended to make "instant" pea soup. Then just add your seasonings and heat it in the microwave. You can add a number of other veggies to it if you like. Peas offer a lot of protein and fiber.

Canned beans are essentially ready to eat right out of the can. Not my favorite way to have them, but if it helps you widen your food selections, it seems better than not having beans at all. Lentils cook faster than most other legumes, but will still require about 20 minutes or so (the red or yellow ones).

An unprepared and unprocessed grain is raw, thus would need to be cooked. Kasha is roasted buckwheat, and can be eaten as a cold cereal or plain as a snack. That's about the only one I'm aware of that would be in the ready-to-eat category. Teff cooks fairly quickly - about 15 minutes as I recall.

Another high protein snack food is fried green peas. I've never had them, but they seem popular in various places.

Really, I'd highly recommend finding some time to cook. Even if it's just on the weekends, you could cook a large pot of something, and freeze individual portions for during the week. Then you'd only have to heat them up in the microwave (it helps to take it out of the freezer and into the fridge the day before).

[Mizzo]

I bought baby carrots today, then saw that 1/10 of the container contains a mere 35 calories! That's barely anything! I guess they'd make a nice little addition to a larger meal, but wow, that's disappointing. Vegetables are not big in the calorie department.

I changed peanut butter brands again - this time for a brand that contains literally only peanuts plus some salt.

Sunflower Butter sounds good. I'm going on vacation soon, but when I get back, I might look for some.

I'll look into Larabars. Gluten-free and most of them seem to be dairy-free, so I think they'll be well worth getting. Again, I'll check them out when I get back from vacation.

Thanks for the suggestions! As for the alternate grains, can they be eaten right out of the box? Do they have to be cooked? I want as little food as possible that needs cooking.

Maybe you should consider investing in your own bowls , a few pans and maybe a mini fridge so that you can feel safe with your foods. I bought a mini fridge for traveling with my gluten-free girl and you can fit a lot in it and you wouldn't have to worry about cc. Just a thought.

[Roda]

Try quiona or buckwheat, both would be goods choices. I feel satisifed when I eat both. One of my favorite things is the red quinoa and I make quinoa and black beans (instead of rice and beans). Fills me up and is good too.