Gluten Free Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Plattsville Natural Health Clinic

Healthy Back to School Lunches

September 6, 2016 by elisha

Going back to school can be a stressful time of year for parents and children. Making healthy lunches that are school approved can often add to that stress. This article will provide some healthy options for lunches, but one of the best things you can do for your child is give them a choice. Giving a choice does not mean giving them free range, but it does mean allowing them to choose between two options. Options help empower your child and increase the likelihood that they will eat healthy. For more ways to encourage your child to make healthy choices, please see my previous article “How to help picky eaters pick healthy options” https://www.plattsvilledoctor.ca/how-to-help-picky-eaters-pick-healthy-options/.

Healthy Back to School Lunches:

Salads – salads can include Greek salads, lettuce based salads, taco salads, bean salads, etc. Salads do not have to be boring and can include quite the variety.
Rice Crackers – rice crackers with tuna, salmon, egg salad, or hummus with cut veggies. This lunch includes not only a protein and carb, but more importantly the veggies.
Meat and Veg – a meat such as chicken drum sticks, meat loaf, hard boiled eggs, etc.; and cut veggies. Simple, but can be a quick option especially if there are left-overs in the refrigerator.
Pasta – brown rice pasta or zoodles (Zucchini noodles) can add a fun addition to lunch with a bit of variety compared to your classic sandwich.
Pizza – pizza does not have to be an “unhealthy” choice. Cut down on the cheese or leave it out entirely, make substitutions such as cauliflower for wheat dough, and add extra veggies onto the base. All of these can make your pizza a wiser choice for lunches.
Kabobs – for some parents, this may not be an appropriate option due to the mechanism to make the kabob. Making substitutions such as pretzel sticks can aid with this.
Fresh Rolls – fresh spring rolls are a portable lunch that can once again add a dip-able, portable lunch packed full of veggies.
Wraps – making wraps from lettuce can add a fun lunch with increased vegetables. Adding a protein source on top can increase the nutritional value of this lunch.

Have you benefited from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Dr. Elisha Cook ND by calling 519-537-7058 and book your appointment today!

Dairy-Free Mushroom Soup Recipe

March 8, 2016 by elisha

This recipe is great for those who are doing an elimination diet where you are allowed to use mushrooms. The soup can be used as strictly a soup or as a sauce.

Ingredients:

4 cups of cubed mushrooms
1/2 tsp minced garlic (~1-2 cloves of garlic)
2-3 tbsp of parsley
1 tbsp coconut oil
black pepper and salt to taste
1 cup of coconut milk
1/2 cup – 1 cup water

Directions:

On medium heat, lightly fry mushrooms in oil, stirring continuously.
Cook mushrooms until the liquid is released from them.
Add remaining ingredients and enough liquid to achieve desired consistency.
Heat liquid until it reaches adequate temperature.
Optional – blend to a puree with a hand blender if desired. Be careful to not blend at high speeds due to hot liquid potentially splashing.
Now it is ready to eat or add to another dish as a sauce. Enjoy!

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Sautéed Garlic and Tomato Sauce on Zucchini Recipe

November 24, 2015 by elisha

Those who are following a Paleo or Mediterranean style diet will love this recipe! This recipe is great for those who are trying to avoid gluten, dairy, and ultimately refined carbs. It can also be a vegan option if the meat/fish option is avoided. This recipe also requires a spiral sliver or spiralizer. The recipe is also best done in stages as opposed to adding all of the ingredients at once. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

6 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons of olive oil or coconut oil
2 zucchinis
approximately 625g of grape tomatoes halved – or more
1/3 cup of basil (or Italian seasoning)
Optional: Shrimp
Optional: Feta cheese

Directions:

Heat the oil on low – medium heat.
Add in the minced garlic and sauté until softened (approximately 5 min).
If you are adding in shrimp, add it to the garlic mixture and cook for approximately 10 minutes on medium heat.
Add in halved tomatoes and let cook for approximately 10 minutes (this also depends on the desired consistency of the sauce you prefer. For a “chunky” sauce, cook for less time.)
Spiral cut the zucchini, and add it to the pan, cooking for approximately 10 minutes or until “noodles” are soft.
Remove from pan and serve.
For extra flavour, you can add feta cheese to the top if this works with your specific diet.

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Halloween Treats for Children with Food Allergies

October 13, 2015 by elisha

Halloween is fast approaching, and many households are preparing for the arrival of many ghouls, princesses, and superheroes by purchasing some tasty treats. However, not all children are able to have the variety of treats that may be available. This notion is how the “teal pumpkin project” began. For those of you who do not know, the teal pumpkin project involves placing a teal pumpkin on your porch to let other families know that you have safe alternatives for children with allergies. Many families will project the usual chocolates and chips for those who can eat these treats, but will place alternative choices in a separate bowl (to avoid potential contamination [though the risk is quite low]).

By providing alternatives, it gives all children an equal chance to participate in Halloween. This project also shines light on the issues of food allergies and other conditions such as diabetes. Food allergies are vast and can include many different items including:

Gluten
Dairy
Chocolate
Egg
Red Food Colouring
Yellow Food Colouring
Nuts
Seeds
Sugar

It can be challenging to find food items that avoid all of these particular foods, but below are provided some different options that you might choose to provide as an alternative if you are participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project.

Stickers
Pencils
Erasers
Temporary tattoos
Rings
Small Pads of Paper
Coconut Water

Food items that you may be able to provide for some trick-or-treaters with food allergies (but possibly not all) may include some of the below ideas:

Gum (avoid coloured gums to avoid the dyes and food colouring)
Juice (depending on the brand or type it may contain food colouring, and most likely sugar)
Lara Bars (these may contain nuts)
Plain Chips (avoid flavoured chips as it may contain hidden forms of milk i.e. whey
Gummy Candies (these are not always void of gluten, dairy, eggs, or food colouring)

In summary, the teal pumpkin project is ultimately a way to help children feel included despite their medical situation. I would encourage all households to attempt to be able to provide some form of alternative that may be safe for all youngsters!

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Elisha Cook via the contact portion of this website.