Meal planning / recipes for a family with sooo many sets of limitations
April 28, 2021 6:45 PM Subscribe
I've recently learned that I'm gluten- and lactose-intolerant, and I'm trying to eat more healthily (as aligned as possible with Harvard's Healthy Eating Plate)—so whole grains only, a ton of veggies, not protein-centered, and less processed is better. We are a tricky family to plan for: my husband is vegan and often can't eat acidic foods (he's canker-prone), my toddler and I eat lean animal proteins (like chicken, turkey, and eggs), I'm trying to get my toddler to eat more veggies, I don't tolerate beans or peanuts well, and my toddler is allergic to flax. Do you (a) know any recipes that work with this ridiculous list of limitations or (b) have tips for meal planning for a group with such varying needs?
With the gluten and dairy intolerance, most of my family's go-to recipes must be severely altered or axed entirely. So far, I've been planning meals by thinking of them in four components: (1) the neutral base, (2) the protein, (3) the sauce, and (4) the veg. That way, I can give my husband what he wants (standard noodles & rice, non-acidic sauces, and vegan proteins), myself what I want (more veg via zoodles & cauliflower rice, acidic sauces, and lean animal proteins), and my toddler what he wants (a mix of both—but with cow's cheese on most vegetables).
Preparing for this many sets of limitations is driving me mad. Each week, I meal prep by making and freezing the proteins, bases, and different sauces. This helps with mixing and matching for different meals, but (x) it's time-consuming and (y) I often lose track of what's in the freezer and end up making more than I need of one thing and running out of space for others. I also make separate veggies for my toddler (usually finely chopped veg mixed with cheese so he actually eats it), meal-prep for my toddler's snacks, and... meal prepping just takes up too much space in my brain.
This post is not about getting my husband to help more. He is already quite helpful and fends for himself for many meals, but the bulk of meal planning is up to me and that's the balance that works for our family.
To summarize the food limitations:
* Husband: Vegan but not a big veg lover, not too into eating healthy, and can't eat acidic foods 80% of the time
* Me: Gluten- and dairy-free, eats whole grains only, trying to eat way more veg, eats lean animal proteins in moderation, doesn't eat beans or peanuts
* Toddler: Loves cow's cheese, needs to eat more vegetables, allergic to flax (seed, oil, etc.), and needs 2-3 healthy snack options per day in addition to meals
I'm hoping you can point me to a saner, simpler food system that caters to families with a slew of different needs, but individual recipes are also very welcome. Thank you in advance!
With the gluten and dairy intolerance, most of my family's go-to recipes must be severely altered or axed entirely. So far, I've been planning meals by thinking of them in four components: (1) the neutral base, (2) the protein, (3) the sauce, and (4) the veg. That way, I can give my husband what he wants (standard noodles & rice, non-acidic sauces, and vegan proteins), myself what I want (more veg via zoodles & cauliflower rice, acidic sauces, and lean animal proteins), and my toddler what he wants (a mix of both—but with cow's cheese on most vegetables).
Preparing for this many sets of limitations is driving me mad. Each week, I meal prep by making and freezing the proteins, bases, and different sauces. This helps with mixing and matching for different meals, but (x) it's time-consuming and (y) I often lose track of what's in the freezer and end up making more than I need of one thing and running out of space for others. I also make separate veggies for my toddler (usually finely chopped veg mixed with cheese so he actually eats it), meal-prep for my toddler's snacks, and... meal prepping just takes up too much space in my brain.
This post is not about getting my husband to help more. He is already quite helpful and fends for himself for many meals, but the bulk of meal planning is up to me and that's the balance that works for our family.
To summarize the food limitations:
* Husband: Vegan but not a big veg lover, not too into eating healthy, and can't eat acidic foods 80% of the time
* Me: Gluten- and dairy-free, eats whole grains only, trying to eat way more veg, eats lean animal proteins in moderation, doesn't eat beans or peanuts
* Toddler: Loves cow's cheese, needs to eat more vegetables, allergic to flax (seed, oil, etc.), and needs 2-3 healthy snack options per day in addition to meals
I'm hoping you can point me to a saner, simpler food system that caters to families with a slew of different needs, but individual recipes are also very welcome. Thank you in advance!
This sounds very difficult and I only have an idea for the ‘proteins’ part of the problem - if the protein restrictions are vegan and no legumes, I would lean hard into soy. In particular tempeh is great - easy to cook, high protein, good neutral flavor on its own. I use it in bowls, sandwiches, sheet pan dinners, whatever. I’m not so into tofu but it’s another option, as are soy curls and soy based meat alternatives. It sounds like there are just too many different components happening at all times, so if you can come up with a few food options in each of your four categories that everyone can eat you can at least do just one thing for at least one of the categories every week.
posted by nevernines at 7:24 PM on April 28, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by nevernines at 7:24 PM on April 28, 2021 [1 favorite]
For your toddler’s snacks, you might consider taking one of these two approaches.
1. Pull out items as you prepare each meal for snacks. So when you put blueberries and raspberries on your oatmeal for breakfast, put blueberries on your toddler’s oatmeal and put the raspberries in a container for a snack, etc.
2. Rely as much as possible on premade and naturally single-serving foods as possible. It’s okay if your kid’s three snacks every day are a string cheese, a banana, and a handful of crackers with peanut butter.
posted by bananacabana at 7:32 PM on April 28, 2021
1. Pull out items as you prepare each meal for snacks. So when you put blueberries and raspberries on your oatmeal for breakfast, put blueberries on your toddler’s oatmeal and put the raspberries in a container for a snack, etc.
2. Rely as much as possible on premade and naturally single-serving foods as possible. It’s okay if your kid’s three snacks every day are a string cheese, a banana, and a handful of crackers with peanut butter.
posted by bananacabana at 7:32 PM on April 28, 2021
Certain combinations of curry and stir fry might work.
You could also grill veggie/ turkey burgers, vegetables (e.g squash, eggplant), portabello mushrooms.
In the colder months, perhaps you go do some sort of soup (e.g. miso).
Maybe some sort of savory oatmeal or grits.
posted by oceano at 7:39 PM on April 28, 2021
You could also grill veggie/ turkey burgers, vegetables (e.g squash, eggplant), portabello mushrooms.
In the colder months, perhaps you go do some sort of soup (e.g. miso).
Maybe some sort of savory oatmeal or grits.
posted by oceano at 7:39 PM on April 28, 2021
You sound very informed, but just in case: is there a chance that probiotics could help you tolerate beans better?
posted by amtho at 7:42 PM on April 28, 2021
posted by amtho at 7:42 PM on April 28, 2021
Jackfruit may also be an suitable protein option.
Also maybe the occasional breakfast for dinner? In addition for you and kiddo... quiche.
Sesame seeds (and oil) may work for everyone as well.
posted by oceano at 8:02 PM on April 28, 2021
Also maybe the occasional breakfast for dinner? In addition for you and kiddo... quiche.
Sesame seeds (and oil) may work for everyone as well.
posted by oceano at 8:02 PM on April 28, 2021
Fruit bowls, lots of soups with alternative milks, (cashew or coconut are the best in my opinion), soy/tofu... I really like quinoa pasta and quinoa in general, which is gluten-free, maybe that's a good grain that you could all eat? There's also some really great mixed rice blends out there. Smoothies might work well too, you can add hemp hearts or other options for some protein.
In general though, I think just having lots of cooked and raw foods that can be easily mixed together in different ways for different people is the easiest thing, which sounds more or less what you're already doing. Everyone gets quinoa pasta, husband gets mushroom soup sauce, you and toddler get a tomato or other lactose free sauce, you fry up a bunch of veg and add those (husband can go light on the veg if he wants), throw some cheese on top for the toddler, Etc. We often have bits of things in our fridge that get added to one person's meal as a sub for something they can't (or won't) eat. It is kind of annoying to always be doing that though.
posted by DTMFA at 8:10 PM on April 28, 2021
In general though, I think just having lots of cooked and raw foods that can be easily mixed together in different ways for different people is the easiest thing, which sounds more or less what you're already doing. Everyone gets quinoa pasta, husband gets mushroom soup sauce, you and toddler get a tomato or other lactose free sauce, you fry up a bunch of veg and add those (husband can go light on the veg if he wants), throw some cheese on top for the toddler, Etc. We often have bits of things in our fridge that get added to one person's meal as a sub for something they can't (or won't) eat. It is kind of annoying to always be doing that though.
posted by DTMFA at 8:10 PM on April 28, 2021
Strategically, the kid's snack can be simple... fruit, veggies and dip, string cheese, apple sauce, hummus, yogurt, nuts.... etc.
Consider that sometimes precut vegetables and meat (fresh or frozen) are how stuff gets done. I think you might want to come up with a rotation of 6 or 7 meals (e.g. stir fry night Saturdays) that just work for your family so you don't have to think too hard about what combo of base/ protein/ veg/ sauce. At the same time, you may want to consider exploring and prioritizing components that work for at least 2/3 people. Yes, the meat eaters may prefer meat, but perhaps there are some meatless Mondays recipes that everyone would enjoy.
posted by oceano at 8:27 PM on April 28, 2021
Consider that sometimes precut vegetables and meat (fresh or frozen) are how stuff gets done. I think you might want to come up with a rotation of 6 or 7 meals (e.g. stir fry night Saturdays) that just work for your family so you don't have to think too hard about what combo of base/ protein/ veg/ sauce. At the same time, you may want to consider exploring and prioritizing components that work for at least 2/3 people. Yes, the meat eaters may prefer meat, but perhaps there are some meatless Mondays recipes that everyone would enjoy.
posted by oceano at 8:27 PM on April 28, 2021
Yikes, that is a lot to think of, at a time in life where there is plenty of other stuff to deal with.
A suggestion could be to turn the way you think about your food on its head. Now, you are working like a line cook, which is a full time job that no one should be doing at home. You are trying to fulfill everyones needs and desires in every meal, and that is too much work. No wonder you feel overwhelmed.
Instead, think of the healthy balance as something that needs to be fulfilled over a week, not at every meal. And think of your food planning as pantry-planning. That way, you will have a bunch of positive options instead of negative restrictions. You can do this more or less radically.
You could get rid of everything that someone in the family won't eat, or you can let everyone keep one or two items: your husband wheat noodles, your toddler cheese, you (and toddler) eggs. Replace the white rice with whole grain rice (and get a rice cooker if you don't have one already). Replace wheat noodles with rice noodles and gluten-free soba noodles for yourself. Now stock your pantry (and fridge and freezer) with things you can eat: seasonal vegetables and fruit, dried fruit, whole grains, seeds (not flax), maybe lentils? Maybe tofu? Frozen spinach, frozen peas. Tins of coconut milk. Tins of tomato and corn. Tins of chickpeas? (I'm not sure wether your intolerance of beans includes chickpeas and lentils and processed beans like tofu and miso). Jars of tahini, dried herbs, seasonings and condiments you can tolerate. Oat milk. several types of oil. Honey. Buckwheat and maybe rye flours, and gluten free crackers made from these grains. Have lemons ready for you to individually add spark to your meals.
Ideally, you should always be able to throw together a meal from that pantry. In my experience, a cold soba noodle salad with cucumbers, sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds is a delicious quick lunch (also for bringing to work/school) that most children and adults will eat.
A hearty vegetable stew can be eaten with whole rice on the side or nothing, don't fear the potato as a starchy filling, specially during summer is a lot healthier than its reputation and works well in stews made of seasonal vegetables. Have a stew for dinner, and leftovers for lunch.
Make the oatmeal more interesting by adding other grains and seeds. chunks of apple, dried fruit and a drizzle of honey.
For you and toddler, a Spanish tortilla is an easy protein-rich meal that goes well with a big salad.
Shakshuka is delicious. You can make a big pan of the sauce, and divide a part out for your husband and toddler to have with pasta, while you get to have the real deal with an egg or two. (there are many recipes online, more or less spicy and/or acidic).
Buckwheat pancakes (galettes) with a filling of spinach and roasted mushrooms, if your husband eats mushrooms. Add grated cheese on top for toddler.
Sheet pan roasted mixed vegetables with whole grain rice. Maybe serve with a salsa of tomatoes and chopped shallots.
These ideas were just at the top of my mind. But what I often do is look at what is in the fridge/pantry and google the ingredients, like right now in my pantry: cauliflower, tomato, onions, coconut milk, and then I have a ton of inspiration. Maybe I need to go to the store for an extra ingredient, og maybe I can substitute something.
If you add "macrobiotic" to the search, the recipes might suit your diets even better.
For toddler snacks, fruit, dried fruit, vegetable sticks with hummus to dip in, and crackers with cheese are fine. And you don't need to change them alle the time. But try goats' cream cheese. My kids loved that.
posted by mumimor at 9:37 PM on April 28, 2021 [4 favorites]
A suggestion could be to turn the way you think about your food on its head. Now, you are working like a line cook, which is a full time job that no one should be doing at home. You are trying to fulfill everyones needs and desires in every meal, and that is too much work. No wonder you feel overwhelmed.
Instead, think of the healthy balance as something that needs to be fulfilled over a week, not at every meal. And think of your food planning as pantry-planning. That way, you will have a bunch of positive options instead of negative restrictions. You can do this more or less radically.
You could get rid of everything that someone in the family won't eat, or you can let everyone keep one or two items: your husband wheat noodles, your toddler cheese, you (and toddler) eggs. Replace the white rice with whole grain rice (and get a rice cooker if you don't have one already). Replace wheat noodles with rice noodles and gluten-free soba noodles for yourself. Now stock your pantry (and fridge and freezer) with things you can eat: seasonal vegetables and fruit, dried fruit, whole grains, seeds (not flax), maybe lentils? Maybe tofu? Frozen spinach, frozen peas. Tins of coconut milk. Tins of tomato and corn. Tins of chickpeas? (I'm not sure wether your intolerance of beans includes chickpeas and lentils and processed beans like tofu and miso). Jars of tahini, dried herbs, seasonings and condiments you can tolerate. Oat milk. several types of oil. Honey. Buckwheat and maybe rye flours, and gluten free crackers made from these grains. Have lemons ready for you to individually add spark to your meals.
Ideally, you should always be able to throw together a meal from that pantry. In my experience, a cold soba noodle salad with cucumbers, sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds is a delicious quick lunch (also for bringing to work/school) that most children and adults will eat.
A hearty vegetable stew can be eaten with whole rice on the side or nothing, don't fear the potato as a starchy filling, specially during summer is a lot healthier than its reputation and works well in stews made of seasonal vegetables. Have a stew for dinner, and leftovers for lunch.
Make the oatmeal more interesting by adding other grains and seeds. chunks of apple, dried fruit and a drizzle of honey.
For you and toddler, a Spanish tortilla is an easy protein-rich meal that goes well with a big salad.
Shakshuka is delicious. You can make a big pan of the sauce, and divide a part out for your husband and toddler to have with pasta, while you get to have the real deal with an egg or two. (there are many recipes online, more or less spicy and/or acidic).
Buckwheat pancakes (galettes) with a filling of spinach and roasted mushrooms, if your husband eats mushrooms. Add grated cheese on top for toddler.
Sheet pan roasted mixed vegetables with whole grain rice. Maybe serve with a salsa of tomatoes and chopped shallots.
These ideas were just at the top of my mind. But what I often do is look at what is in the fridge/pantry and google the ingredients, like right now in my pantry: cauliflower, tomato, onions, coconut milk, and then I have a ton of inspiration. Maybe I need to go to the store for an extra ingredient, og maybe I can substitute something.
If you add "macrobiotic" to the search, the recipes might suit your diets even better.
For toddler snacks, fruit, dried fruit, vegetable sticks with hummus to dip in, and crackers with cheese are fine. And you don't need to change them alle the time. But try goats' cream cheese. My kids loved that.
posted by mumimor at 9:37 PM on April 28, 2021 [4 favorites]
Similar to the tact mumimor was taking, I think you may need to step back and look for assumptions you’re making about food/meal prep. Re-examine “rules” you’re taking for granted (everyone’s plate looking similar, meals being cohesive, whether a sandwich is a meal, etc), figure out what your values really are, and maybe make a few compromises that will help save your sanity in the long term.
Also, try to remember that kitchen management is a big project, and also a set of habits. Don’t forget yourself to solve the whole thing at once—keep iterating on the system and finding ways to relieve pressure on yourself. It sounds like you’re overwhelmed right now, so give yourself permission to declare kitchen bankruptcy, lower your standards for a couple weeks (not for medical restrictions, obviously, but maybe for the more taxing ‘optimal health’ ones) so you can devote more energy to improving the system.
Think about things like how much routine/repetition your family can take. Could you set up a 14–day meal rotation where every other Wednesday you have the exact same dinner? A 14 day cycle would reduce how much brainpower you have to put into deciding any given day, plus with a couple extra bonus pantry meals that you can go to if the scheduled meal doesn’t sound great, could help ease the burden. This might shift from big weekend mealprep to a little more time each weeknight, but ease up on the feeling of eating leftovers all week.
I use Trello to keep track of my grocery list, pantry supplies, meal ideas, and also leftovers, because I have the same “out of sight, out of mind” issues with my freezer.
posted by itesser at 12:12 AM on April 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
Also, try to remember that kitchen management is a big project, and also a set of habits. Don’t forget yourself to solve the whole thing at once—keep iterating on the system and finding ways to relieve pressure on yourself. It sounds like you’re overwhelmed right now, so give yourself permission to declare kitchen bankruptcy, lower your standards for a couple weeks (not for medical restrictions, obviously, but maybe for the more taxing ‘optimal health’ ones) so you can devote more energy to improving the system.
Think about things like how much routine/repetition your family can take. Could you set up a 14–day meal rotation where every other Wednesday you have the exact same dinner? A 14 day cycle would reduce how much brainpower you have to put into deciding any given day, plus with a couple extra bonus pantry meals that you can go to if the scheduled meal doesn’t sound great, could help ease the burden. This might shift from big weekend mealprep to a little more time each weeknight, but ease up on the feeling of eating leftovers all week.
I use Trello to keep track of my grocery list, pantry supplies, meal ideas, and also leftovers, because I have the same “out of sight, out of mind” issues with my freezer.
posted by itesser at 12:12 AM on April 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
My favorite meal planning strategy follows the buddha bowl idea. Basically, a cooked grain topped with a mix of roasted and raw veggies, with some kind of sauce on top. My current favorite mix is barley, frozen corn, roasted sweet potato, chopped raw red pepper, avocado, and chipotle Yumm! sauce.
So you could have on hand a cooked grain (barley, brown or wild rice, quinoa, etc), maybe a roasted sweet potato or red potatoes, maybe black beans or chickpeas (protein for your husband), maybe boiled eggs or whatever meat you like (protein for you and kid), then maybe roasted cauliflower or broccoli or green beans or zucchini, and then chopped peppers or shredded carrots or tomatoes or avocado for toppings. Then any kind of sauce or dressing - nutritional yeast based, pesto, tahini, maybe even hummus or marinara sauce. Maybe roasted sunflower seeds or cheese on top?
Not that you'd have all of those prepped ingredients at once! A small variety that your family likes, then build each bowl to specific tastes. I aim for one grain, one potatoey veg, another 2-3ish cooked or raw veg, and a sauce. There are tons of veg/protein combination suggestions and sauce recipes online if you look for buddha bowls.
posted by dorey_oh at 1:20 AM on April 29, 2021 [3 favorites]
So you could have on hand a cooked grain (barley, brown or wild rice, quinoa, etc), maybe a roasted sweet potato or red potatoes, maybe black beans or chickpeas (protein for your husband), maybe boiled eggs or whatever meat you like (protein for you and kid), then maybe roasted cauliflower or broccoli or green beans or zucchini, and then chopped peppers or shredded carrots or tomatoes or avocado for toppings. Then any kind of sauce or dressing - nutritional yeast based, pesto, tahini, maybe even hummus or marinara sauce. Maybe roasted sunflower seeds or cheese on top?
Not that you'd have all of those prepped ingredients at once! A small variety that your family likes, then build each bowl to specific tastes. I aim for one grain, one potatoey veg, another 2-3ish cooked or raw veg, and a sauce. There are tons of veg/protein combination suggestions and sauce recipes online if you look for buddha bowls.
posted by dorey_oh at 1:20 AM on April 29, 2021 [3 favorites]
I have similar restrictions in my house, and what works for me is:
- a pretty set rotation of foods on about a 3 week rotation so that I could get to “easy” with them
- agree 100% with “bowls” - we do barley, quinoa, rice bowls/salad base too
- we have low carbbers here but before we did “jacket potatoes” (baked potatoes with toppings) were really popular
- we also do “taco night” (fish tacos etc.) - I’m less familiar with gluten free options for that but maybe it could work? I do cold rolls with rice paper too.
- soups with different sides (squash soup/bean dish/turkey meatballs as an example here) also work really well. I am the more legume eater and lately I’m just made a big batch of beans for my main
- frittatas fit into our eating matrix and are really kid friendly here
- I feed my kids their carbs at lunch sometimes to take temptation off the table other night - not all, see above — you could do the same with meat
posted by warriorqueen at 3:45 AM on April 29, 2021 [1 favorite]
- a pretty set rotation of foods on about a 3 week rotation so that I could get to “easy” with them
- agree 100% with “bowls” - we do barley, quinoa, rice bowls/salad base too
- we have low carbbers here but before we did “jacket potatoes” (baked potatoes with toppings) were really popular
- we also do “taco night” (fish tacos etc.) - I’m less familiar with gluten free options for that but maybe it could work? I do cold rolls with rice paper too.
- soups with different sides (squash soup/bean dish/turkey meatballs as an example here) also work really well. I am the more legume eater and lately I’m just made a big batch of beans for my main
- frittatas fit into our eating matrix and are really kid friendly here
- I feed my kids their carbs at lunch sometimes to take temptation off the table other night - not all, see above — you could do the same with meat
posted by warriorqueen at 3:45 AM on April 29, 2021 [1 favorite]
An easy vegan thing for your husband if you decide to do frittata for you & your toddler is socca (you can cut the old in the recipe down to a tbs and it still works great, though it obviously tastes richer with more). It takes about a minute to prep and should cook in about the same time as a frittata. Great served with a salad and feels kind of festive despite being super easy.
This isn't a big picture idea, but, one easy way to get more vegetables into the reluctant veggie eaters is to pack them into things like tuna/"tuna" or chicken salad. You pulse the veggies in the food processor to make them tiny, so you use like 75% veg by volume but it collapses down to be not super noticeable in the final product. There are vegan "chickpea tuna" recipes that are great (carrots, celery, onion, sunflower seeds, apple cider vinegar, vegan mayo + chickpeas, add a little nori if you want it to be "fishy") and I'm sure the same concept would work with meat-based salads too. That could easily go on a leafy salad or in lettuce wraps for you and onto bread for your husband. They're also super quick, maybe 5 minutes or so.
posted by snaw at 4:17 AM on April 29, 2021
This isn't a big picture idea, but, one easy way to get more vegetables into the reluctant veggie eaters is to pack them into things like tuna/"tuna" or chicken salad. You pulse the veggies in the food processor to make them tiny, so you use like 75% veg by volume but it collapses down to be not super noticeable in the final product. There are vegan "chickpea tuna" recipes that are great (carrots, celery, onion, sunflower seeds, apple cider vinegar, vegan mayo + chickpeas, add a little nori if you want it to be "fishy") and I'm sure the same concept would work with meat-based salads too. That could easily go on a leafy salad or in lettuce wraps for you and onto bread for your husband. They're also super quick, maybe 5 minutes or so.
posted by snaw at 4:17 AM on April 29, 2021
When I mentioned a stew above, I was thinking of something like this: Easy Moroccan Vegetable Tagine Recipe. It is very easy to make, and the leftovers are almost better. Freezes just fine. I serve the harissa spice paste on the side, mixed up with a bit of liquid from the stew so it can be poured, in that way every one can serve themselves. You could do the same with the lemon. I also leave out the apricots because my kids didn't like dried fruit in savory food. Now they do, but they want the vegan stew of their childhood to remain the same. You can vary the ingredients through the season.
Serve with any grain instead of couscous. Or you eat it as it is, and your husband and toddler get pita breads. Have fruit for dessert.
Now I did see that your toddler is wary of vegetables. On of my kids was wary of everything, except crackers with butter and apple juice. And I just let her have it, but I always offered her a tiny taste of what we were having at the family table but never pressured her to eat it. And eventually she changed her mind. It felt like years, but was probably just less than one year. This is actually one reason I strongly recommend that you find a way to serve a family meal rather than individual meals. If everyone is sharing, eventually the kids will be curious about what they are missing. That and the fact that you are doing a professional cook's job when you shouldn't.
The stew contains potatoes, which is a good thing. I was curious about the Harvard plate recommendation against potatoes, because we have nothing of the sort here. Potatoes are grouped with the carbs, but as good carbs. At the top of this page, you can see the Danish version of the Harvard plate. So I looked up Harvard's own explanation. It turns out they are basing their research on the fact that in the US, a lot of people eat their potatoes as mashed potatoes or fries, which are not healthy foods. But in Morocco, and here in Denmark, we eat most of our potatoes boiled (or in stews), with their skins on, and preferably new potatoes when they are available. This way potatoes have a different nutritional profile. I am digging a bit into this, because when you have to avoid gluten, you need to have good alternative sources of carbs, and potatoes is something all three of you can safely eat. They do well in simple stews and oven-roasted in sheet pan dinners. Maybe it's just me, but I need some happiness in my food and a rotation of whole grains excluding wheat wouldn't do it for me, even though I like whole grains.
Also, cold boiled potatoes contain less digestable starch but are very good for your gut microbiome and can be used in healthy salads in the style of a salade nicoise, with eggs and tuna as extras for you and your toddler.
A plate with new potatoes, green asparagus and green peas is a seasonal feast right now, and they can all be cooked in the same pot (put the potatoes in the cold water, with a generous amount of salt, bring to the boil, after 5 minutes, add the asparagus, when the potatoes are ready add the frozen or fresh peas, bring back to the boil and serve with a drizzle of olive oil for husband and toddler, perhaps a mustard vinaigrette for you. Toddler can graze using their fingers, which sometimes makes veggies much more attractive. If you can get ripe tomatoes, you can garnish with those, for even more color. This is a 12 minute meal and it is both healthy and a treat. It can be eaten hot or cold.
posted by mumimor at 4:39 AM on April 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
Serve with any grain instead of couscous. Or you eat it as it is, and your husband and toddler get pita breads. Have fruit for dessert.
Now I did see that your toddler is wary of vegetables. On of my kids was wary of everything, except crackers with butter and apple juice. And I just let her have it, but I always offered her a tiny taste of what we were having at the family table but never pressured her to eat it. And eventually she changed her mind. It felt like years, but was probably just less than one year. This is actually one reason I strongly recommend that you find a way to serve a family meal rather than individual meals. If everyone is sharing, eventually the kids will be curious about what they are missing. That and the fact that you are doing a professional cook's job when you shouldn't.
The stew contains potatoes, which is a good thing. I was curious about the Harvard plate recommendation against potatoes, because we have nothing of the sort here. Potatoes are grouped with the carbs, but as good carbs. At the top of this page, you can see the Danish version of the Harvard plate. So I looked up Harvard's own explanation. It turns out they are basing their research on the fact that in the US, a lot of people eat their potatoes as mashed potatoes or fries, which are not healthy foods. But in Morocco, and here in Denmark, we eat most of our potatoes boiled (or in stews), with their skins on, and preferably new potatoes when they are available. This way potatoes have a different nutritional profile. I am digging a bit into this, because when you have to avoid gluten, you need to have good alternative sources of carbs, and potatoes is something all three of you can safely eat. They do well in simple stews and oven-roasted in sheet pan dinners. Maybe it's just me, but I need some happiness in my food and a rotation of whole grains excluding wheat wouldn't do it for me, even though I like whole grains.
Also, cold boiled potatoes contain less digestable starch but are very good for your gut microbiome and can be used in healthy salads in the style of a salade nicoise, with eggs and tuna as extras for you and your toddler.
A plate with new potatoes, green asparagus and green peas is a seasonal feast right now, and they can all be cooked in the same pot (put the potatoes in the cold water, with a generous amount of salt, bring to the boil, after 5 minutes, add the asparagus, when the potatoes are ready add the frozen or fresh peas, bring back to the boil and serve with a drizzle of olive oil for husband and toddler, perhaps a mustard vinaigrette for you. Toddler can graze using their fingers, which sometimes makes veggies much more attractive. If you can get ripe tomatoes, you can garnish with those, for even more color. This is a 12 minute meal and it is both healthy and a treat. It can be eaten hot or cold.
posted by mumimor at 4:39 AM on April 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
How much food variety do you need in your life? I've had times in my life when I ate pretty much the same thing for lunch and another thing for dinner every day for a week before switching. If you cook up big batches of 1-2 meals catering to each of you, that cuts down on a lot of work. (Or you could instead use this concept to develop a whole system of freezer meals, if you want more variety in a given week, but instead of freezing them as individual components as you have been, make them complete meals.)
Or, if you want to eat something different every day but don't mind having that repeated week after week, developing a menu and shopping list for that means you never have to think about it once you've done it once.
You may be able to reduce some of your work by relying on more foods that are closer to ready-to-eat. Precooked chicken cubes, premarinated tofu, etc. Grocery store salad bars can also be good for things like that, even if you don't want to pay that premium for all the vegetables (since you'll be eating a lot of them).
Another addition to others' suggestions of mix-and-match meals is nachos (chips and veggies; salsa cheese and optional meat for you; canned refried beans for your husband; all of it deconstructed for toddler).
Random suggestion for increasing vegetable intake: I've started eating a large serving with breakfast every morning; usually roasted carrots or broccoli. I make them in a big batch so they're ready to go, and they go all right taste-wise with my eggs-and-whole-wheat-toast typical breakfast.
posted by metasarah at 8:17 AM on April 29, 2021
Or, if you want to eat something different every day but don't mind having that repeated week after week, developing a menu and shopping list for that means you never have to think about it once you've done it once.
You may be able to reduce some of your work by relying on more foods that are closer to ready-to-eat. Precooked chicken cubes, premarinated tofu, etc. Grocery store salad bars can also be good for things like that, even if you don't want to pay that premium for all the vegetables (since you'll be eating a lot of them).
Another addition to others' suggestions of mix-and-match meals is nachos (chips and veggies; salsa cheese and optional meat for you; canned refried beans for your husband; all of it deconstructed for toddler).
Random suggestion for increasing vegetable intake: I've started eating a large serving with breakfast every morning; usually roasted carrots or broccoli. I make them in a big batch so they're ready to go, and they go all right taste-wise with my eggs-and-whole-wheat-toast typical breakfast.
posted by metasarah at 8:17 AM on April 29, 2021
I'm not sure if this is appropriate, or at all helpful, but I have personally been dealing with many of your family's food restrictions (including avoiding tomatoes, but increasing veggies, and recently needing to limit dairy, grains, and cholesterol) and I have a number of active Pinterest boards for the recipes I have hunted up.
Please MeMail me if you would like a link to my Pinterest boards.
posted by See you tomorrow, saguaro at 9:25 AM on April 29, 2021
Please MeMail me if you would like a link to my Pinterest boards.
posted by See you tomorrow, saguaro at 9:25 AM on April 29, 2021
This sounds like a really stressful and difficult situation! Meal prep is soooo difficult even in circumstances way easier than yours.
Looking at your restrictions, I wonder if there is room for even a smidge of compromise that might make things a lot easier, particularly from the adults.
You say your husband is vegan but also not a big veg-lover, and I wonder what this means his preferred diet is? If he were to gently expand the number of vegetables he will eat (possibly by experimenting with different preparations—I’ll eat a lot of veggies sautéed in oil & chili sauce that I’d never eat steamed, boiled, or roasted) then you all three could share the same “half plate of veg.” Or, if he just can’t, would he tolerate eating a double portion of the carb base, or more protein, so that instead of having a whole separate meal component for himself he just gets more of something else? (That seems a lot easier to manage.)
For you, the Harvard Healthy Eating Plate seems very focused on blood sugar, which is helpful for people with diabetes or insulin resistance but not super relevant if you don’t have that specific health issue. Since you don’t mention being, for example, pre-diabetic, would it be possible to add more potatoes and white rice to your diet while still maintaining the veg-heavy and lean protein focus? It’s important to watch blood sugar, but the stress of managing an elaborate diet is extremely real and also not good for your hormone levels and blood pressure. If you all three can share the carb-base, that also cuts down significantly on prep. (Quinoa, barley, millet, and farro might be other carb bases to look into, as well.)
For non-acidic sauces for all three of you, how about: black bean sauce (tamari instead of soy sauce), hoisin-ginger sauce (you can get gluten-free hoisin), tahini-based sauces, coconut-based sauces/curries, vegan yogurt sauce, oil & chili sauce, or just plain olive oil & salt/pepper & maybe some herbs. Some of these sauces typically call for a little acid in the prep, but generally I think you could leave it out, or reduce it enough that it wouldn’t aggravate the skin. (They maybe won’t taste quite as punchy, but that seems like a trade-off worth making for your time and well-being!)
I can’t really see a way for you all to share the protein—except maybe tofu/tempeh or lentils/split peas, depending on what beans aren’t good for you?—but would simplifying or streamlining the different varieties of meat you keep on hand help? If you and your toddler only ate two kinds of protein that you could prep and freeze in large quantities, and used the “all three” veg/carb as your source of variety, that might ease some strain. Also, you don’t mention your husband’s preferred protein source, but lots of vegan protein can be essentially no-prep/warm-only, like canned beans, packaged seitan, tofurkey deli slices, frozen vegan sausages/patties, etc.
So, if your husband compromised on veggies, you compromised on white rice, and everyone ate the same sauce, that would leave only prepping two different but streamlined proteins. Still not perfect, but maybe an improvement?
(Edited to remove Japanese curry blocks which aren’t gluten-free, sorry!)
posted by CtrlAltDelete at 9:51 AM on April 29, 2021
Looking at your restrictions, I wonder if there is room for even a smidge of compromise that might make things a lot easier, particularly from the adults.
You say your husband is vegan but also not a big veg-lover, and I wonder what this means his preferred diet is? If he were to gently expand the number of vegetables he will eat (possibly by experimenting with different preparations—I’ll eat a lot of veggies sautéed in oil & chili sauce that I’d never eat steamed, boiled, or roasted) then you all three could share the same “half plate of veg.” Or, if he just can’t, would he tolerate eating a double portion of the carb base, or more protein, so that instead of having a whole separate meal component for himself he just gets more of something else? (That seems a lot easier to manage.)
For you, the Harvard Healthy Eating Plate seems very focused on blood sugar, which is helpful for people with diabetes or insulin resistance but not super relevant if you don’t have that specific health issue. Since you don’t mention being, for example, pre-diabetic, would it be possible to add more potatoes and white rice to your diet while still maintaining the veg-heavy and lean protein focus? It’s important to watch blood sugar, but the stress of managing an elaborate diet is extremely real and also not good for your hormone levels and blood pressure. If you all three can share the carb-base, that also cuts down significantly on prep. (Quinoa, barley, millet, and farro might be other carb bases to look into, as well.)
For non-acidic sauces for all three of you, how about: black bean sauce (tamari instead of soy sauce), hoisin-ginger sauce (you can get gluten-free hoisin), tahini-based sauces, coconut-based sauces/curries, vegan yogurt sauce, oil & chili sauce, or just plain olive oil & salt/pepper & maybe some herbs. Some of these sauces typically call for a little acid in the prep, but generally I think you could leave it out, or reduce it enough that it wouldn’t aggravate the skin. (They maybe won’t taste quite as punchy, but that seems like a trade-off worth making for your time and well-being!)
I can’t really see a way for you all to share the protein—except maybe tofu/tempeh or lentils/split peas, depending on what beans aren’t good for you?—but would simplifying or streamlining the different varieties of meat you keep on hand help? If you and your toddler only ate two kinds of protein that you could prep and freeze in large quantities, and used the “all three” veg/carb as your source of variety, that might ease some strain. Also, you don’t mention your husband’s preferred protein source, but lots of vegan protein can be essentially no-prep/warm-only, like canned beans, packaged seitan, tofurkey deli slices, frozen vegan sausages/patties, etc.
So, if your husband compromised on veggies, you compromised on white rice, and everyone ate the same sauce, that would leave only prepping two different but streamlined proteins. Still not perfect, but maybe an improvement?
(Edited to remove Japanese curry blocks which aren’t gluten-free, sorry!)
posted by CtrlAltDelete at 9:51 AM on April 29, 2021
In your situation, I’d probably make a bunch of brown-rice bowls like this California bibimbap bowl but change out the veggies all the time and sometimes sauté some ground turkey as a topping occasionally. Substitute tamari for soy sauce to make it gluten free; swap out the sauce with ginger scallion sauce sometimes. A rice cooker makes rice prep way easier. For veg ideas, pick 2 of: kale, bell peppers, sliced cucumber, sautéed asparagus, julienned or ribboned carrots, blanched spinach, kim chi, mushrooms, bean sprouts, avocado, halved cherry tomatoes
posted by A Blue Moon at 6:57 PM on April 29, 2021
posted by A Blue Moon at 6:57 PM on April 29, 2021
Just one idea, but you could try to nail down a really top notch roasted vegetable soup base that you could add a bunch of different toppings to or use as a base to cook whole grains or steam lean proteins.
I’m thinking roasted onions, mushrooms, carrots, celery, kombu, turnip or parsnip, garlic, whatever leftover bits and bobs need using up, maybe a little cabbage. Chop small and roast thoroughly in a big pan, pop that pan on the burner and add water to get all the brown bits up and then dump it in a pot to cook into incredible broth after it’s strained.
Then for a meal you could add cooked grains, vegan sausage bits, leafy greens, frozen peas, fresh herbs, and maybe a swirl of yogurt or extra virgin olive oil. Or you could do rice noodles, ginger, scallions, tofu and then some medium boiled eggs in your own bowl. Or you could add a salsa, frozen corn, ground turkey, and cheese or avocado. Basically, if you have a truly yummy veggie broth you will make simple things taste way better and be a great carrier for trying new vegetables or using up things that need eating.
posted by Mizu at 12:27 AM on April 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
I’m thinking roasted onions, mushrooms, carrots, celery, kombu, turnip or parsnip, garlic, whatever leftover bits and bobs need using up, maybe a little cabbage. Chop small and roast thoroughly in a big pan, pop that pan on the burner and add water to get all the brown bits up and then dump it in a pot to cook into incredible broth after it’s strained.
Then for a meal you could add cooked grains, vegan sausage bits, leafy greens, frozen peas, fresh herbs, and maybe a swirl of yogurt or extra virgin olive oil. Or you could do rice noodles, ginger, scallions, tofu and then some medium boiled eggs in your own bowl. Or you could add a salsa, frozen corn, ground turkey, and cheese or avocado. Basically, if you have a truly yummy veggie broth you will make simple things taste way better and be a great carrier for trying new vegetables or using up things that need eating.
posted by Mizu at 12:27 AM on April 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
I've found it helpful to make long lists of ingredients that meet all the requirements, including being tasty. And I make sure to have some convenience foods on hand that meet the requirements, too. That way, there is something I can snack on while I deal with the mental frustration of "what can I make from the ingredients on this list"? And as soon as a recipe made up of acceptable ingredients works, it goes in the notebook.
posted by Former Congressional Representative Lenny Lemming at 9:29 AM on April 30, 2021
posted by Former Congressional Representative Lenny Lemming at 9:29 AM on April 30, 2021
This thread is closed to new comments.
So one option would be to look for cookbooks/food blogs/etc. that cater to Top 8 allergy free cooking, since this will cover gluten/wheat-free, dairy-free, and peanut-free by default, plus they’ll be egg-free which helps for vegan cooking/baking. Two blogs I really like are Allergy Awesomeness and HeatherChristo.com. Both have cookbooks too. From there you’d still have to make modifications (avoid recipes with beans, sub vegan proteins for lean animal proteins for your husband, etc.), but at least you’re starting in a place where more of the recipes will be reasonable options for you.
A second idea would be to change how you think about meals (if applicable) from “something curated that all goes together” to more like the standard toddler meal - everyone gets a protein they can eat, a veggie they can eat, and a starch they can eat, and meal prep is less thinking about specific recipes and more just having a list of things each of you can eat and having them on hand.
I think that’s what you’re getting at with your four components but see if there are ways to simplify. Can the adults have a salad with protein on top and starch on the side *every night*? And if so, can you buy a couple of salad dressings that work for you and a separate couple of salad dressings that work for your husband, and your whatever fruit and veggie you’re cutting up for your toddler’s dinner goes on your salads too to keep it interesting/not exactly the same every night? So it might look like this one night:
You: big serving of salad (lettuce mix, cucumber, bell pepper, peach) with GF dressing with chicken on top and a small amount of zoodles on the side
Your husband: medium serving of salad (same ingredients) with vegan dressing with beans on top and a medium serving of rice on the side
Your toddler: plate of sliced peaches, sliced cucumbers, sliced bell peppers, something safe to dip in (ranch or hummus?), chicken chunks, and some rice with cheese on top
Then *as much as you want but not more than you care about* change it up with different fruit, veggies, proteins, and sauces. As long as you’re not sick of it yet, it’s fine to repeat, even for days in a row!
And then do the same thing but with like a “mezze platter” concept every day for lunch, and everyone eats oatmeal for breakfast made with a plant based milk that’s safe for everyone (switch out toppings as you need to). Or something like that.
Mezze platters might look totally different from each other:
You: tons of roasted veggies, hard boiled egg, some nuts
Your husband: hummus, crackers, apple slices
Your kid: string cheese, peanut butter, crackers, snap peas
A third suggestion is to find a few safe meals at a few safe restaurants you can order for delivery on days you just CAN’T anymore. That’s helped me a lot when I’m exhausted or bored or whatever. And even if you need to order from one restaurant and order for your husband from another and your child from a third - that’s totally fine if you know your order at each place and don’t have to decide what sounds good/what’s safe.
I don’t know if this is helpful, but if it is I’ve thought about this kind of constrained meal planning A LOT and am happy to chat more by MeMail. Also please give yourself all the credit - this is super hard to do, especially while parenting a toddler. You’re doing great even when it feels like you’re going nuts!
posted by bananacabana at 7:22 PM on April 28, 2021 [8 favorites]