It can be so difficult to eat a clean diet let alone factoring in the individual allergy needs of a family. Add on top of that our helter-skelter schedule, and you’ve got a perfect recipe- for failure. Today I’m gonna share some of my favorite tried and true allergen friendly recipes that I always have cooked up ready in the freezer or prepared in bulk one a week, in order to keep our health a top priority. All of these recipes I’ve tried many times, with great success and they are relatively quick and easy. Here we go!
Breakfast:
Granola
This might be tooting my own horn a bit, but I heavily rely on my homemade granola for a easy breakfast item. The best thing about this recipe is that is not loaded with sugar and PUFAs. It can be easily be altered to accommodate all types of allergies.
https://abbybrock.com/?m=202012
Bagels
This is my favorite bagel recipe. It is easily adaptable for add in’s as well. I let the dough sit overnight as suggested, then once shaped I’ve let them sit for as long as another 12 hrs in the fridge before cooking them. I always long ferment anything with wheat and gluten.
https://everydayfull.com/sourdough-bagels/
Hash
I’m a firm believer in the concept of “whatchyagot stew” , basically, being creative and throwing complementary ingredients together to make something yummy, and easy. Our recent favorite is diced sweet potatoes with diced bacon, tossed together an roasted on a sheet pan. That’s it. Literally, just play it by preference on ratios, and skip oils and seasonings. It’s a family favorite.
Lunch/Dinner:
Our lunch is frequently left overs from the night before, so I’ve combined these two categories.
Vegan Soups
Who doesn’t love soup? Maybe I’m on an extra soup kick because of the season, but these are usually in our meal rotation chilly weather or warm!
https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/italian-lentil-soup-recipe/
https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/creamy-vegetable-soup/
https://againstallgrain.com/2011/11/01/paleo-and-scd-pumpkin-soup/ this one is also good with added Italian sausage if you want to make it with a meat option . Also, just buy her cookbook Celebrations. It is worth every penny.
Meat Based
We buy our grass fed beef in bulk from the nicest small time farmer on the Eastern side of our state (if you want a reference hit me up!). If you are going to invest in your food, make it the MEAT. Here are some recipes we use and we all love.
https://wonkywonderful.com/garlic-rosemary-whole-30-meatballs/ highly recommend pairing with brown rice that has been soaked for 12+ hrs.
https://natashaskitchen.com/beef-stew-recipe/ this stew is delish, just make sure to leave out the flour. You don’t really need it in my option anyways.
http://www.oursmallhours.com/grain-free-meatloaf/?epik=dj0yJnU9X2JuXzVxbTkxaVhFUm96dDB4N3dvMVlrZWdrUWhrZEkmcD0wJm49WG9TUnd5ZVl1V0NQTGthdXZwdVpUdyZ0PUFBQUFBR0ZUekRF Sub the butter for olive oil and leave off the cheese for a dairy free option.
Side note: Don’t be afraid of cooking steak for kiddos, once I finally figure how to cook one properly (hint: less cook time than you think!) my kids loved it!
Sides
As you know I am a big believer in freezer meals which tend to be one stop shop type of things. Sometimes I add a soaked grain side, or a salad, or bread. Usually it is whatever I had time to make or had the ingredients handy for. In the summer my salad garden helps out there, or in winter I’ve usually canned some veggies to rely on, have some frozen, or will try and eat only the seasonal veggies available in the stores. If I’m gonna be fancy and cook something though, here are some I might choose:
https://www.rockrecipes.com/lemon-herb-roasted-potatoes/
https://mamashire.com/the-best-gluten-free-cornbread-recipe/ use egg replacer and only coconut milk to make this vegan and almond/cashew free. Pair with stew, yum!
Pizza
It’s taken me YEARS to find a sourdough pizza recipe that works and is fool proof (honestly, I need 90% of my recipes to be brain dead, this momma is spinning fifty plates all at once, all the time). This.is.the.one. Once you get a rhythm down it’s a piece of cake. I can shape and cook 8 of these in 30 minutes. Just leave off the cheese to make it dairy free!
https://littlespoonfarm.com/sourdough-pizza-crust-recipe/
Dessert
I’m going to be honest with you. Allergy friendly baking is even more of a challenge than cooking. However, with training, even my littles now look for recipes that are allergen friendly if they want to make cookies, or to plan for birthday cakes. My son is a whiz at cookie making and helps me read labels the stores all the time. It has become such a bonding experience, and I’m really proud of him. Here are some of our favorite cookies, crisps, and mixes!
With this recipe, make sure to use avocado oil instead of canola, and I use coconut milk instead of rice milk.
https://allergyawesomeness.com/christmas-chocolate-peppermint-crinkle-cookies-gf-vegan-peanuttree-nut-free/
I’ve successfully used coconut flour instead of oat flour, egg replacer instead of flax, and left out the walnuts and yet this recipe still worked great. These are some of my all time faves!https://beamingbaker.com/my-favorite-vegan-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies-gluten-free-dairy-free/
It is so simple to make a crisp allergen friendly, I highly recommend it to anyone struggling to fix a dessert for a friend with allergies, or as a starting point for themselves. Here is a mind-blowingly good one: https://beamingbaker.com/paleo-apple-pecan-coconut-crisp-vegan-gluten-free-dairy-free-refined-sugar-free/#tasty-recipes-21436-jump-target
Full disclosure: I cannot make a “birthday cake” type cake from scratch without real eggs. It just doesn’t work well for me. So, I highly recommend using a mix if you have to go the vegan and gluten free route. We love the brand Pamelas for just about everything; brownies, cake, cornbread, you name it. The down side is that it is expensive. So, we usually only buy those for special occasions.
If you CAN eat eggs and dairy, try this recipe out. I’ve made it a couple times for parties and it was a huge hit. Dead easy, and looks totally gourmet. https://www.girlgonegourmet.com/flourless-chocolate-cake/
That’s a wrap!
I’ve spent years baking and cooking around diets without eggs, gluten, dairy, wheat, soy, PUFAS, nuts, and beans. I’ve cooked and baked for the GAPS diet and the Auto Immune Protocol. While I am not perfect at always getting every recipe right, or slip up in ingredients from time to time, I’d like to let any and all knowledge I have be known and *hopefully* helpful to anyone searching for answers. It has been a very long and very hard road for me and my family to travel, but it is SO WORTH IT. If you are starting on your journey or stuck in the middle, chin up! You can do hard things!