For whatever reason, many of the recipes I worked on this week ended up being raw or mostly raw. In part, I was continuing my quest for some travel-friendly treats for my son and decided to try some raw fruit and nut balls, similar to Larabars.
I was also testing recipes for my menu planners for limited diets free of gluten, grains, dairy, eggs sugar and other common allergens. Many raw recipes work great for people with a lot of food limitations. The only drawback I find is that they use nuts extensively, which is a common allergen. I find though, that seeds such as pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds can be used in place of nuts in some of these recipes.
As far as eating raw nuts goes, it is really best to soak them for a varied amount of time, depending upon the nut or seed. This process is what releases their enzyme inhibitors and unlocks their full nutritional value. In terms of soaking, you can either soak just long enough to germinate, or longer to sprout (however it’s difficult to sprout some nuts).
I have to admit that I didn’t soak the nuts and seeds in the recipes I tested this week. This was partly due to the recipes not asking me to do this and in part laziness and impatience on my part. However, if I were to do them again, I would soak the nuts and seeds in these recipes.
Here is a list of some new and yummy things I made this week:
Cashew Apricot Bliss Balls and Cherry-Walnut Bites
I have been enjoying the Tuesday Twister blog posts by Wardeh Harmon at Gnowfglins.com for the past few weeks or so ever since I found her website. These blog posts have been a synopsis of her week in the kitchen and what has been twisting in her cooking. I love reading them, mostly because she focuses on nourishing, whole foods!
Last week she announced her new Blog Carnival, the Tuesday Twister Carnival and her invitation to participate in the weekly postings. I started thinking about doing this and then a couple days ago, inspiration struck I finally decided to give it a go. I can’t promise I’ll do it every week, but we’ll see what happens.
My Meal Un-Plan
I started thinking about my week in the kitchen and what it is normally like during our busy days. And what stood out to me the most was the fact that I hardly ever meal plan.
Like any mom with a child with food restrictions combined with a dose of pickiness, I have been looking for new recipes to feed my son who can’t eat dairy products. I am also allergic to wheat and gluten so I end up making baked goods wheat and gluten free so I can eat them too.
I recently checked out the book, The Kid-Friendly ADHD and Autism Cookbook at my library to see what new recipes I might find for the GF and CF diet. I haven’t completely finished perusing the book but for the most part I would highly recommend it. One great thing about it is that it has many soy, nut, egg and corn-free recipes as well.
One recipe that caught my eye was the “Sensory Sensible Pot Pie Muffins.” This recipe is a muffin for kids who can’t eat gluten and dairy and who may not like to eat regular chicken or vegetables. To solve this problem, they put the pureed chicken and veggies right into the muffin.
This, I gotta try, I said. My son used to eat literally anything I put in front of him. But with the toddler stage, he has become a bit more picky. He still loves cooked veggies, especially green beans but isn’t too fond of chicken these days.
Also, since we’re on the go a lot, I was looking for a snack that was travel-friendly, healthy, gluten and dairy-free and high in protein. These muffins seemed like the answer!
Are you looking for a healthy, whole foods and gluten-free menu planner?
In the large spectrum of life, humans have been eating grains for a relatively short period of time. While some people say we’ve been eating grains for 10,000 years, grains such as wheat didn’t become widespread in Western Europe for another 4,500 years. (Whole Health Source) This short amount of time has simply not given the human species a chance to fully adapt to eating gluten and other grains.
However the history charts may vary, grains containing gluten are one of the most difficult foods to digest. Not only is the number of people who have celiac disease growing, many people are either allergic or sensitive to wheat and many other grains that contain gluten.
While celiac disease is treated by following a strict gluten-free diet, people who have irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive problems often report a huge improvement in their symptoms by following a diet free of wheat and other gluten-containing grains. Grains that contain gluten include wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut, oats, and tricale.
When you first learn that you can’t eat wheat or grains that contain gluten, it can feel very overwhelming. Wheat is one of the most used foods in the United Stated and it is usually difficult at first to adapt to this new diet and lifestyle.
The Gluten-Free version of the Nourishing Foods Menu Planner is just for you if:
You avoid all grains and products with gluten including wheat, barley, spelt, kamut, rye, and oats.
You avoid all wheat products. Even though the menu is gluten-free, you can easily adapt other grains such as spelt to a recipe if you are only allergic to wheat.
You enjoy or would like to have a balanced diet of fresh vegetables and fruits, protein such as poultry, fish and some red meat with complementing gluten-free whole grains, seeds and nuts, and legumes.
You’re looking for some easy wheat and gluten-free recipes for some of your old favorites like pastas and desserts.
You’re looking for a menu with limited soy, dairy, corn, eggs, nuts and legumes. (There are some dishes with these ingredients but not very many).
You’re looking for a menu free of refined sugar, pork, alcohol, preservatives, MSG and other artificial ingredients.
You’re looking for a whole foods, healthy and nourishing menu plan. Every recipe uses real, whole foods. Some recipes call for some canned goods such as coconut milk, but this is kept to a minimum.
Each week you will receive from the Gluten-Free Menu Planner:
A menu for 5 delicious and creative dinners plus 5 complementary side dishes each week
One dessert recipe a week to compliment your meals
Easy to follow recipes for each dish
Quick to prepare – 30-35 minute prep and cook time total for each meal (entrée and side dish together).
An organized shopping list for the entire week, which is coded to each meal so you don’t have to cook every dish
Kid-friendly ideas for each recipe
Ideas for substituting main ingredients for each recipe
Nutritional information is included in all recipes.
Recipes focus on using fresh, seasonal produce and whole foods as much as possible.
Family-friendly recipes!
Plus articles about health, allergies, and other food issues.
Ready to eat delicious food? We put the “yum” back into allergen-free meals!
Buy the Gluten-Free Nourishing Foods Menu Planner (Meat and Seafood menu):
Only $12.95 for one month, emailed weekly:
When you buy the menu planner, you get the FREE bonus:
A Whole Foods Grocery Guide: A Complementary Handbook to the Nourishing Foods Menu Planner or for any type of Whole Foods and Allergy-free Cooking
by Sarah Schatz ( $14.95 value)
100% Guarantee! Be satisfied with delicious, healthy, and allergen-free recipes or receive a full refund within the first 30 days!
Important Information: (Please read and follow these steps to receive your menu planner)
When you click “Buy Now,” you will be directed to Paypal where you can pay securely for the menu planner.
If you don’t have a Paypal account and don’t want to create one, you can pay by credit card by clicking on the link inside Paypal that says, “Don’t have a Paypal account? Pay by credit card.”
If you want to pay by check, please contact me for my mailing address. I will add you to the list once I receive your check.
Once you pay for the menu planner in Paypal, you will be directed to a confirmation page, asking you to check you email for a confirmation email from Sarah Schatz.
Check your email (the email address that is linked to your Paypal account) and click on the link inside the email to confirm your email address.
Once you confirm your email address, you should receive the Gluten-Free Menu Planner immediately in your email as a PDF document.
If you are having trouble receiving your menu planner, please visit my FAQ page where I walk you through how to troubleshoot the problem.
If you have followed all of these steps and you do not receive it right away, please send me an email and I will send you a link to the menu planner.
After receiving your first menu planner, you will receive a menu planner every week on the same day of the week that you signed up. Example: if you signed up on Tuesday, this is the day you can expect to receive your menu planner for each month of menus.
Click here to read what one of our customers has to say about the menu planner. By purchasing a Nourishing Foods Menu Planner, you will:
Save time – no more searching for new and interesting recipes to feed you family
Save money – no more impulse buying because you have a shopping list for the whole week
Eat delicious food - no more “getting by” with tasteless frozen meals
Eat healthier – by eating homemade foods made from whole ingredients
Spend more quality time with you family - no more waiting for your dinner table at a restaurant
Eat a variety of foods - no more eating the same meals every week
Have less stress in your life - no more trying to figure out what to cook at the last minute
Have less shopping trips - no more running to the store for forgotten ingredients
Eat foods that work for your body - no more cheating on your diet because you want to eat something yummy or can’t find something to eat.
Feel Happy and Healthy! When people follow a diet that works for their body, they often feel better than they ever thought possible!
Please note: This is no longer a subscription service. I am presently making monthly menu planners for specific diets and am selling them per month and emailing them weekly. I will be adding months to certain diets and it will soon be possible to buy 2-3 months of menus at a time. Please be patient with me – I’m a work at home mom!
I receive a lot of emails from people who have found my site and are looking for ideas for their very limited diet. Some of these people are at a complete loss as to what to eat because their diet is so limited. I received one of these emails from someone last week inquiring about a diet for her daughter.
Here was her list of foods that her daughter was told to avoid:
gluten (wheat, barley, oats, spelt, kamut, tricale, and all products containing gluten such as soy sauce, etc)
grain (includes rice, millet, teff, and other gluten-free grains)
dairy
egg
soy
corn
banana
kiwi
This is a similar list to many of the people who come to me. There are definite variations and more limited diets like those without any meat or fish, legumes, nuts, all fruit, etc. But I thought I’d start with this diet to give you some ideas on where to start.
So what do you do when you get a list like this? My hope is that in this post, I can give you my process for starting to come up with some foods and recipes you can eat when you receive a long list of foods you should be avoiding, even temporarily.
I am also working on compiling my recipes into menu plans for different diets such as this one so that people can have a menu planner for their specific limited diet. I am also going to start writing some blogs about how you can start to do this for yourself!
Did you know that you can start earning money by telling people about the Nourishing Foods Menu Planner?
If you have a like-minded business centered in health, wellness, nutrition, allergies, celiac disease or any other condition that limits people’s diets, you can easily begin making money simply by referring people to Heart of Cooking.
How the Affiliate Program works:
When you sign-up to become an affiliate, you will receive an affiliate ID. You’ll then refer people in need of healthy and allergen-free menu planning to our website by placing a link on your own website.
When we receive visitors through your affiliate-tagged links, we’ll associate that visitor with your affiliate account.
If they then order a subscription of the menu planner (either on that visit, or on a subsequent one), you’ll receive a 20% commission on their account!
Recurring Income
When someone you refer to us orders a menu planner, you’ll earn 20% not only on the initial sale, but also on any recurring payments they make.
Example: You refer Leslie to us, and she signs up at $12.95 a month. You earn $2.59. If she signs up for another planner, you’ll continue receiving commissions on her purchases, at $2.59 a month.
If you’d like to become an affiliate, click on the link below to get started today!
As a person with food allergies, sensitivities, or someone just wanting to learn to cook, you may be looking for some simple ways to make your food taste good. Eating out usually isn’t an option for someone on a restricted diet so it is a daily task to find ways to spice up the life of your food! If you are very restricted in your diet, it can feel like you are using the same herbs to make your meal taste good. This can get old after a while and it is helpful to have a fresh look at some other herbs or new ways you can possibly make your food tastier.
Here is a list of ingredients I use on a regular basis in cooking to make food more delicious. I also use many of these in combination with each other. This creates a whole new taste and you might be surprised how different combinations can make or break a meal. The best thing is to experiment with different quantities and combinations of some of these ingredients.
There will most likely be something that doesn’t agree with you on the list. Focus instead on using the other ingredients and see what you can come up with to add some spice to your food. I am sure there are other ingredients one can use in allergy-free cooking.
Salt and pepper: sea salt is best
Fresh and dried herbs and spices: The list is too long to print here. Browse your bulk herb or bottled herb section at your grocery store to see if you can find something new and interesting that may add some new life to your food!
Curry paste: comes in yellow and red, possibly others
Fresh ginger root: fresh is best or if buying a jar of grated ginger, check the ingredients for high fructose corn syrup or other ingredients you may be sensitive to
Onions and garlic: can be raw, sautéed, steamed, caramelized, roasted, minced, diced, sliced, etc.
Diced celery and celery seed: cooked or raw
Lemons, limes and oranges: also the zest of one or more of these adds great flavor
Coconut milk: buy whole, unsweetened and organic if possible
Tamari and Miso: if you can eat soy, these add great flavor. Tamari is wheat-free soy sauce.
Honey, agave, maple syrup
Vinegars: apple cider vinegar is the best. Some vinegar has sugar added to them; use with care.
Mustards and ketchups: most ketchup has sugar added to it but it is possible to find it without or make your own
Nuts and seeds: whole, ground, chopped or as butters
Olive oil, butter, coconut oil
Chili peppers and green chilies
Seaweeds: adds flavor and nutrients to food; great substitute for salt
Nutritional yeast: full of B vitamins, this adds a cheesy flavor to foods
Sesame oil: can be regular, toasted or some have added spices
Tomato sauce: great for pizzas, spaghetti but also great for other dishes with a tomato base. I try to find brands that are sugar-free.
Do you have more ideas on how you spice up your allergen-free food? I would love to hear your ideas! Please post a comment!
Is your next meal going to make you sick or are you just plain sick of you allergen-free food?
I find that people with food allergies or sensitivities fall into two categories – do you see yourself in one of these situations?
You know you’re allergic or sensitive to certain foods but for whatever reason, you end up eating something that you’re sensitive to during the week.
This may be because you find it too difficult to plan meals for the week that work for your diet. When you go out during the day or want to have lunch with a friend, a little voice says, “There’s nothing you can eat on this menu except lettuce leaves. Skip your diet today and get back to it tomorrow.”
Or maybe you have a laundry list of foods that you’re allergic to and you simply can’t find foods that work for your diet. You have to eat so you end up eating something that makes you feel sick.
You go through the cycle again. You get sick. You have a brain fog. You can’t think and you feel awful. You gain weight. You feel depressed. Or you break out in hives. Whatever it is, it isn’t fun, is it?
If you’re lucky, you’re in category two and you’ve managed to stay on your diet. But because you’re limited, it’s easy to get in a rut with your meal planning. And often times when people are prone to food allergies, eating too much of one food (like rice, corn or soy) can lead to additional food allergies.
Whether you are searching for a menu plan that can finally help you stay on your dietor one that will give you new and creative ideas for your allergy-free living, you’ve come to the right place!
The Nourishing Foods Menu Planner is unique in that it offers individual menus for specific diets:
Meat and Seafood Diets:
Wheat and Gluten-free – One Month of Spring/Summer Menus Available Now!
Wheat/Gluten and Dairy Free – One Month of Spring/Summer Menus Available Now!
Dairy Free – One Month of Spring/Summer Menus Available Now!
Coming very soon:
Wheat-free, Gluten-free, Dairy-free and Soy-free
Egg-free, Dairy-free and Gluten-Free
Nightshade-free, Wheat/Gluten-free, Dairy-free and Soy-free
Nut-free, Legume-free, Wheat/Gluten-free and Dairy-free
Kid-Friendly Wheat/Gluten-free and Dairy-free menus
Extremely Limited Diet: Gluten-free, Wheat-free, Grain-free, Corn-free, Dairy-free, Soy-free, Shellfish-free, Fruit-free, Peanut-free, Egg-free, Refined sugar-free, Yeast-free, Preservative-free, MSG-free and artificial flavoring-free (also very limited in legumes and nuts)
Seafood/Vegetarian Diets
Wheat-free and Gluten-free
Dairy-Free
Wheat/Gluten-free and Dairy-free
Wheat/Gluten-free, Dairy-free and Soy-free
Nightshade-free, Wheat/Gluten-free, Dairy-free and Soy-free
Don’t have food allergies but just want to eat healthy food?
Many of our customers find our menu planner who don’t have food allergies but are looking for a healthy menu with recipes that use fresh, whole and seasonal ingredients.
While the gluten and wheat free diet is for people with celiac disease, food allergies or sensitivities, it can also be used as a detox diet.
Wheat and gluten can bog the body down if eaten in excess. By giving the body a break from foods made from wheat and gluten, people report feeling lighter, healthier and many end up losing weight.
Each week of menus offers you the following:
A menu for five delicious and creative dinners plus five complementary side dishes each week
One dessert recipe a week to compliment your meals
Easy to follow recipes for each dish
Quick to prepare – 30-35 minute prep and cook time total for each meal (entrée and side dish together).
An organized shopping list for the entire week, which is coded to each meal so you don’t have to cook every dish
Kid-friendly ideas for each recipe
Ideas for substituting main ingredients for each recipe
Nutritional information is included in all recipes.
Recipes focus on using fresh, seasonal produce and whole foods as much as possible.
Family-friendly recipes!
Plus articles about health, allergies, and other food issues.
Ready to eat delicious food? We put the “yum” back into allergen-free meals!
Buy one of our specialized menu planners:
1) Gluten-free and Wheat-Free Menu Planner (Meat and Seafood menu)
Only $12.95 for one month, emailed weekly:
2) Dairy-free, Gluten-free and Wheat-free Menu Planner (Meat and Seafood menu)
Only $12.95 for one month, emailed weekly:
3) Dairy-free Menu Planner (Meat and Seafood menu)
Only $12.95 for one month, emailed weekly:
More menu planners coming soon!
When you buy any menu planner, you get the FREE bonus:
A Whole Foods Grocery Guide: A Complementary Handbook to the Nourishing Foods Menu Planner or for any type of Whole Foods and Allergy-free Cooking
by Sarah Schatz ( $14.95 value)
100% Guarantee! Be satisfied with delicious, healthy, and allergen-free recipes or receive a full refund within the first 30 days!
When you click “Buy Now,” you will be directed to Paypal where you can pay securely for the menu planner.
If you don’t have a Paypal account and don’t want to create one, you can pay by credit card by clicking on the link inside Paypal that says, “Don’t have a Paypal account? Pay by credit card.”
If you want to pay by check, please contact me for my mailing address.
When you subscribe to the menu planner, you will receive your first one immediately in your email after you verify your email address. If you do not receive it right away, please send me an email and I will send you a link to the menu planner.
After receiving your first menu planner, you will receive a menu planner every week on the same day of the week that you signed up. Example: if you signed up on Tuesday, this is the day you can expect to receive your menu planner for each month of menus.
Click here to read what one of our customers has to say about the menu planner. By purchasing a Nourishing Foods Menu Planner, you will:
Save time – no more searching for new and interesting recipes to feed you family
Save money – no more impulse buying because you have a shopping list for the whole week
Eat delicious food - no more “getting by” with frozen GF breads or tasteless frozen meals
Eat healthier – by eating homemade foods made from whole ingredients
Spend more quality time with you family - no more waiting for your dinner table at a restaurant
Eat a variety of foods - no more eating the same meals every week
Have less stress in your life - no more trying to figure out what to cook at the last minute
Have less shopping trips - no more running to the store for forgotten ingredients
Eat foods that work for your body - no more cheating on your diet because you want to eat something yummy or can’t find something to eat.
Feel Happy and Healthy! When people follow a diet that works for their body, they often feel better than they ever thought possible!
Please note: This is no longer a subscription service. I am presently making monthly menu planners for specific diets and am selling them per month and emailing them weekly. I will be adding months to certain diets and it will soon be possible to buy 2-3 months of menus at a time. Please be patient with me – I’m a work at home mom!
If you’ve ever traveled while adhering to a restricted diet, you know that it is not easy. Unless you are staying with friends or staying at a hotel that has a kitchenette, creating your own allergen-free meals can be quite a challenge if not impossible.
I received the following question from Walter, who isn’t traveling, but doesn’t have access to a kitchen:
Wheat is like my main food, but I’m tired a lot and wondering if I need to cut out gluten. My problem is that I am currently living in a hotel room with no kitchen — not even a fridge. (I’m poor.)
Do you have any suggestions for my current situation?
First of all, since you’re not really sure what may be causing you to be tired, I suggest doing an elimination diet for four days to see if you can tell a difference in your energy level. I talk about how to do this here. Start with wheat, and if you don’t see a difference, go onto dairy products. Then gluten (eliminating all wheat, barley, spelt, oats and all foods made with gluten).
While you’re doing this, and when you find out what be causing your symptoms, here are some suggestions for your current situation:
Our approach to eating delicious foods that are free of allergens includes the following:
Looking at the positive: When you find out that you are allergic or sensitive to certain foods, it can seem very depressing when you open the refrigerator. But when you start to look around at the grocery store, you start to notice that there are actually a lot of things you can still eat.
Heart of Cooking utilizes wonderful and sometimes unique ingredients that satisfy your need for tasty and yummy food. We view a limited diet as an opportunity to create, be inspired and make something delicious in place of what we would normally reach for in the kitchen cupboards.
Cooking techniques: You can have all the creativity in the world but without some basic step-by-step techniques in cooking, you won’t end up with what you intended to create. You also need to know where to buy some unusual ingredients if you want to eat gluten-free.
Even if you are a skilled cook, learning to cook allergen-free meals may take a little practice. We walk you through the know-how so that you can create delicious meals.
Planning and Recipes: Looking for new recipes to make each week takes time, discipline and planning. Even then you won’t really know if it’s a good recipe or not. It is yet another step to plan ahead for the whole week so that you don’t find yourself running to the store every other day for a missing ingredient.
We take the mystery out of making new recipes and make sure you will have delicious new meals each week. We also help you plan ahead so that you can do all the shopping for the week in one trip.
Creativity and inspiration: Sometimes you are missing a few ingredients a recipe calls for. Or your diet is unique so you will inevitably need to adjust something here or there when following a recipe. Heart of Cooking inspires you to go out on a limb once you have your basic techniques.
We believe that cooking is an art, even if you don’t consider yourself an artist. The fun thing about it is that many people could be given the same recipe, but each dish could turn out differently. Once you have your basic techniques down, your kitchen utensils and imagination are the only limits.
With all these key elements in place, you have the makings of a beautiful meal.
If this is what you have been looking for, a good next step is to download your free copy of “Nourishing Foods Menu Planner” for one week full of allergy-free recipes coupled with a coded shopping list.
2) If you think this is a great fit for you and your family, you can buy a complete month of menus for your specific diet that will be emailed to you weekly.
It puts the “yum” back into your allergen-free meals every week.
3) Don’t see your diet here? I do Individualized Menu Planning for people who have many different dietary restrictions. Contact me to ask me about this service.
4) Looking for someone to do all the work? I also offer Personal Chef Services in Frederick, Maryland and 20-minute vicinity. Click here to find out more.
5) I also offer consultations for people who may have specific questions about different allergen-free diets and help them find recipes they will love.
I offer a 15 minute consultation free of charge!
Ready to schedule a free consultation with Sarah? Click here to contact Sarah.
Or, still not sure yet? You may be thinking that cooking every night is going to be too hard. Click here to find out.
Are you looking for a healthy, whole foods and gluten-free menu planner?
A Whole Foods Grocery Guide: A Complementary Handbook to the Nourishing Foods Menu Planner or for any type of Whole Foods and Allergy-free Cooking
As a person with food allergies, sensitivities, or someone just wanting to learn to cook, you may be looking for some simple ways to make your food taste good. Eating out usually isn’t an option for someone on a restricted diet so it is a daily task to find ways to spice up the life of your food! If you are very restricted in your diet, it can feel like you are using the same herbs to make your meal taste good. This can get old after a while and it is helpful to have a fresh look at some other herbs or new ways you can possibly make your food tastier.
