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Special Diets - Ideas for Cooking With Dietary Restrictions
- Tasty Gluten And Lactose-Free Desserts
- Gluten And Lactose-Free Breakfasts to Brighten Up Your Morning
- Allergy Management for a Carefree Return to School
- Snacks Free of Priority Allergens
- Halloween for everyone!
- An allergy-free Easter celebration
- Milk allergy and plant-based beverages
TopIdeas for Cooking With Dietary Restrictions
As a good source of carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, rice is a delicious option for replenishing your energy after spending the day outdoors. Here are some of the endless possibilities for this versatile grain. You’ll never run out of choices!
1Gluten-free
Avoid:
Gluten is a protein found in wheat and several other grains. It’s present in bread, baked goods, pastries and pasta. To remember which grains contain gluten, use the BROWS acronym: barley, rye, oats, wheat and spelt. Triticale and kamut are also included in the list of banned foods.
Replace with:
Pure certified gluten-free oats, millet, buckwheat, quinoa, rice and corn. The flours of these grains may be used in desserts, breads and pastries. Legumes are also an interesting choice. Chickpea flour is a great substitute in pancakes and cakes.
Be careful:
Processed foods, such as cold cuts, vegetable protein substitutes like veggie ground round, soups, chips and spices, sometimes contain gluten.
2Dairy-free
Avoid:
Cow’s milk, of course, but also goat and sheep’s milk. Don’t forget ice cream, butter, yogurt, cream and cheese.
Replace with:
Rice, almond and soy beverages. Substitute equal parts cow’s milk in all recipes. In sauces and soups, use broth instead of milk. You can also replace traditional cream with liquid soy cream, soft tofu or coconut milk. Finally, there are vegan cheeses made with nuts and coconut oil. So much to discover!
Be careful:
Some prepared foods contain milk powder, buttermilk, whey and casein.
3Nut-free
Avoid:
Nuts, pecans, almonds, pistachios, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, cashews and macadamia nuts. Peanuts must also be avoided in some cases.
Replace with:
Seeds of all kinds like sunflower, pumpkin, flax, chia, sesame, soybean, etc. Generally permitted in schools and daycares, they’re a tasty, healthy and risk-free alternative to nuts. At breakfast, you can replace peanut butter with sunflower seed, pea or soy butter. Yum!
Be careful:
Some processed foods require some careful detective work. Nuts might be disguised in words like marzipan, cashew, pine nut, ground nut, etc. And peanuts are sometimes referred to as arachis, beer nuts, mani, mandelonas or valencia.
4Egg-free
Avoid:
All foods that may contain egg proteins, including gratins, soufflés and quiches, as well as butter, mayonnaise, sauces and pasta. Pastries, pies and baked goods should also generally be excluded.
Replace with:
45 ml (3 Tbsp.) of mashed fruit or vegetables, if egg is used to bind or moisten. Mashed bananas and apple sauce work particularly well in muffins and cakes.
If the purpose of eggs is to add volume, which is often the case when recipes call for two or more eggs, substitute with 15 ml (1 Tbsp.) of baking powder and 30 ml (2 Tbsp.) of water. This works great in breads, muffins and cakes.
If egg is needed as a gelling agent, substitute with 15 ml (1 Tbsp.) of unsweetened natural gelatin and 30 ml (2 Tbsp.) of hot water.
Beware of:
Some commercial products can contain hidden eggs in words like albumin, lecithin, ovoglobulin or the additive E115, found in some cheeses.
5Vegan (animal protein free)
Avoid:
Cold cuts and prepared meals, such as Bolognese sauce, all-dressed pizza, meat pies, chicken pies, quiche lorraine, etc.
Replace with:
Cooked lentils, chopped tofu, veggie ground round or tempeh. They go wonderfully in classic recipes like spaghetti sauce and shepherd’s pie. Craving a hamburger? Try a black bean patty. In sandwiches, swap ham and bacon for smoked tofu. And for fajitas, replace chicken strips with tofu or fish.
Beware of:
Broth, gelatin, margarine, mayonnaise, cookies and cakes that sometimes contain animal products.
6Low in Sugar
Avoid:
Added sugars, including white sugar, honey, maple syrup, corn syrup and brown sugar.
Replace with:
Mashed dates or fresh fruit. Substitute a cup of sugar with an equal amount of pureed dates.
Beware of:
Fruit juices and refined grains, such as instant rice, white rice, white bread, pasta, cookies, muffins and crackers. Replace with fiber-rich whole foods like oats, quinoa, pearl barley and wild rice.
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