After my hospitalization with IIH, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, and slow healing, I went back to the ER today to see if they could do a blood patch, and they sent me home without it, telling me to rest flat on my back as much as possible. Thats the only way to heal. Which means cooking meals is not really doable. People in my community are organizing a meal train, but because there’s so many things I can’t eat, people are asking for ideas of what to feed me.
While this list is applicable to me, it is also is relevant to anyone gluten free (not celiac) and lactose intollerant, who is also egg intollerant.
I also avoid eating too many beans or brassicas like cauliflower cabbage or broccoli but im not super strict about that.
I made a list when I gave birth to my youngest 11 years ago but fortunately what I’ve been able to eat since then has drastically expanded. (Yay for a healing gut.)
An important note for anyone gluten free, unless they tell you otherwise assume they cant have cross contamination, so, for example, if its something you spread on bread in your house or dip bread or crackers into, it needs to be a new package or avoided entirely. (Peanut butter, mayo, butter, cream cheese, honey, jam are common examples.) And if its cooked in the same pot as gluten, same thing. (Like chicken soup cooked with matza balls, you can’t just eat the clear broth.)
At least locally if you check allergy information and it doesn’t mention gluten in the allergy section its usually fine. For me if it says may contain traces of gluten its fine but check with whoever you’re making a meal for.
Most common sources of gluten in cooking- flour, bread crumbs, couscous, pasta, bulgur, and things almost always made with gluten unless otherwise listed- corn flake crumbs, soy sauce, terriyaki sauce, many soup mixes (especially mushroom).
As a lactose intollerant person, I can have some dairy (I used to be able to have very limited but its expanding) but not others. Basically things fermented or aged are fine, things that aren’t are not. Low lactose dairy includes aged cheeses like parmesan, or any stinky cheese, what is locally called yellow cheese, brined cheese like feta or bulgarian cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, yogurt, yogurt cheese (labane), butter, and cream (though I don’t do well with too much of those last two).
I can eat stuff that have some egg in it if not egg based, like casseroles or in meat balls or cakes, but for some reason I can’t handle the little egg in mayonnaise (and only use vegan mayo).
So that’s a lot of nos. What are yesses? I’ll give lists of what my family eats, common meals here.
Pasta with meat sauce/bolognese. I usually make two pastas, one gluten free and one gluten. (I can provide gluten free pastas.)
Salads- almost all veggies other than what I mentioned are fine, and for a complete meal can be made with proteins too, whether Bulgarian cheese, yellow cheese, tuna (minus mayo), tofu, chicken, beef, salami.
Baked chicken, beef, or fish, pretty much any way as long as its not with a gluten based sauce or soup mix (and if you need gluten free soy sauce I have.)
We do a lot of stir fries here, usually with rice, a variety of veggies, and either chicken, beef, or tofu.
Baked potato bars are awesome, either regular potatoes or sweet potatoes.
Potato or veggie based casseroles/pies as long as they dont have flour or too many eggs (not more than 4) like potato casserole or butternut squash pie. I can give you gluten free flour. (Yay for a grinder.)
Roasted veggies, sauted veggies, frozen veggies. Again if you need soy sauce I have.
Rice, all different types of potatoes.
We do a ton of soups, and I have a bunch of gluten free soup nuts to make them more filling. My kids’ favorite soups are orange soup and tomato rice soup. I like them all.
Mac and cheese with gluten free pasta (again, I can provide), and gluten free flour instead of regular if you use flour, and either cream or unsweetened soy milk instead of milk, but yellow cheese, parm, cheddar, etc… are all fine.
We love tacos; my kids eat them on tortillas (we have a ton, you don’t need to provide) and I eat them on rice.
We also enjoy sushi or poke bowls, a much easier version served in bowls that dont require rolling.
We do a lot of fries and especially like them with cheese or chili (without beans).
I can give you recipes for any of these if you want.
Thank you so much for anyone that can help. And I hope this list might be useful for other people with similar diets.
