grain free? what do you eat?

[kfillmore]

I am wondering if anyone can post a few days of grain-free menus.

p.s.  do you ever use non-grain flour to make things? I am thinking about tapioca and coconut. Do you eat buckwheat?

thanks

[luckiest]

Hi!  I'll give you a run-down of my typical day.

Breakfast - 
Scramble (3 eggs with whatever - diced zucchini, onions, breakfast sausage - whatever I have leftover in the fridge)
 

Lunch -

I almost never have time to cook lunch, nor do I have the desire, so this is usually re-heated dinner leftovers if we have them, or I fast, or I eat a high-fat, high-cal smoothie (coconut milk, coconut oil, frozen berries, ice), or I just snack on stuff like beef jerky, some cheese, some berries.

Dinner-

98% of the time this is a simple meat/fish and a vegetable.  Chicken and zucchini, fish and broccoli, sausage (fresh) and sauerkraut, shrimp and green beans, etc.  Stir fry is always easy and fast.

I usually eat one fruit during the day, maybe a square of dark chocolate.  

The biggest thing I've noticed since switching over - without the constant up-down carb-induced insulin cycle, I have almost no desire to snack, I can go hours and hours without eating and not feel sick or tired or get a headache, and in general I eat less.  It helped me switch to wheat-free first, then let go of corn and rice.  I do eat the occasional corn chip or corn tortilla at a restaurant, but very rarely.

I also want to get into making more soups and stews and chili now that it's cooling off.

[luckiest]

Oh, and no, I don't eat buckwheat (or quinoa - everyone always asks if I eat quinoa), but I do occasionally bake with coconut or almond flour.  In my experience, though, grain-free adaptations are almost never worth it.  If you try to make a loaf of bread with almond flour, you will be severely disappointed.  I have made some really amazing cookies, but they caused some major sugar cravings and I'd rather just not deal with that.  Check out the Primal Palate blog, they have some great baking recipes.

[littlest birds]

I do not eat 100% grain free but very low grain.    I also do not vary the breakfast and lunch menu much.

My two breakfasts which I rotate: 

#1 Eggs scrambled with a slice of bacon plus onions, sometimes other veggies.

#2 Whole milk yogurt with raw cashews

Lunch is generally one of these:

#1 Eggs as above if I didn't have them for breakfast.

#2 Canned salmon, plus a vegetable or salad.

#3 Leftover meats plus vegetables.

#4 Salad that includes a meat (often mexican flavorings with salsa and sour cream)

Recent dinner examples without grain:

#1 Meat "spaghetti" sauce with cauliflower

#2 Pot roast with potatoes and carrots etc.

#3 Meat based chili (we do eat it with beans as well, and corn.)

#4 Duck roasted with fruit, plus potatoes or winter squash

#5 Stir fry but skip the rice

#6 Bratwurst plus sauerkraut and vegetable side.

#7 Baked potatoes with tons of toppings (butter, sour cream, ground beef, cheese, etc.)

[littlest birds]

I have cooked with almond flour and like it, I make muffins or apple 'coffee cake" generally with it, and it works well for me combined with buckwheat as well.  But I don't bake very often and don't keep these around in the pantry.  I don't like trying to replace grain foods, and we do eat some grains and also legumes--just not much.  Obviously I am relaxed about starches and legumes as well but I don't feel like I "need" to be-- it's just a good balance for us.

[SundayCrepes]

Originally Posted by luckiest 

  In my experience, though, grain-free adaptations are almost never worth it.  If you try to make a loaf of bread with almond flour, you will be severely disappointed. 

I disagree. I think this almond flour bread is WONDERFUL. http://www.elanaspantry.com/gluten-free-bread-20/

I wouldn't make an ordinary sandwich with it, but my kids and I love it with jelly and even nutbutters.

I made this bread once http://www.elanaspantry.com/paleo-bread/ but we were on our way out of town and it didn't get sliced and frozen so I didn't really get a chance to taste it. My recollection is the bit I had was good.

[Wildflower]

I tried this alnd flour cake that was amazing...

[Koalamom]

I am grain, egg, and dairy free. But we do eat beans.

yesterdays menu:
snack: apple and peanut butter
B-celery soup and kombucha
L-ground beef fried with white beans and onions. served with sweet potatoes and sauerkraut
D- baked whole chicken, mashed potatoes, and steamed broccoli
dessert- apple crisp (the crisp was almond flour, mixed with palm oil (you could use butter) and maple syrup) YUMM!!

Today-
snack: herb tea and peanut butter
breakfast: leftover apple crisp
L: homemade spicy refried beans topped with salsa, and served with swiss chard and homemade lacto-fermented sauerkraut. Kids had the option of rice.
snack: peae and kale chips
Dinner: Chicken thighs, sweet potatoes, and peas
dessert: pumpkin pie (one made with eggs for kids and dh with GF rice crust and and a small one for me with almond flour)

It may seem like alot of dessert but we only have dessert on the weekends.

[flightgoddess]

I'm not grain free, but do have meals/recipes that are grain free....I probably would do more grain free if we could afford it and the hubby did not rebel....I';; work on it slowly :)

Buckwheat technically is a fruit so if you are not hardcore, and have no reactions to it, here are a couple ideas....

Anyway, I have made a pretty good buckwheat spazel ( like 2/3 buckwheat flour, 1/3 starch (like tapioca or potato...water chestnut flour or arrowroot might work too....) and 1 egg and then liquid to the correct consistancy, salt and spices as desired. A little thicker if you have a ricer to press it through, a little thinner if you are just doing the drop method. Plop into boiling water/broth, catch them when they float to the surface and toss with butter/oil, so they don't gum up as you keep doing more. Sauce or season as desired!

Similar batter for crepes, except thinner obviously, maybe more eggs and some oil?

You could go further and 'soak' the buckwheat flour overnight in whey and water or buttermilk or yogurt, etc...to start predigesting it...and then add additional ingredints in the AM

Whole buckwheat groats (AKA kasha) make a great tabouli or 'couscous' like base, or make a granola out of it...

Elana's pantry has tons of great recipes on it, especially for 'treats' and some good 'power/lara' bars type things.

There are also some good socca cracker recipes floating around out there.

[TTCmama]

Bumping