The Breakfast Game

[SweetSilver]

The reason: I need to challenge wheat (simple allergy possible, not Celiac).  This is not going to be easy, as you'll see.  To keep this simple we''ll skip the details.

The restrictions: (all have been challenged and confirmed):  No oats or other cereal grains; no soy, peas, lentils;  no peanuts, no tree nuts*; no eggs; no shellfish; no tuna or catfish; no mushrooms.

Limited:  Garlic, ginger, peppers, dairy, *pecan, coconut

Yes, these are allowed: all meats, other fish, fruits and veggies, yeasts, quinoa

Also, just to make this more fun, I won't bother with likes and dislikes, and this is for an adult.  

Help me brainstorm some really great breakfasts!

I'll start with...... fried leftover potatoes.  With salmon?  Like a hash?  Other ideas for a potato-based breakfast?

What else can we think of?

[scsigrl]

Pancakes

Waffels

Cream of Wheat 

[Rrrrrachel]

Quinoa granola? Maybe you could sub for or leave it anything you can't eat?

http://www.hungryhungryhippie.com/quinoa-granola/

[scsigrl]

Hold on, you aren't trying wheat, you are trying NO wheat?  I was confused by your post.  sorry.

[SweetSilver]

Originally Posted by Rrrrrachel 

Quinoa granola? Maybe you could sub for or leave it anything you can't eat?
http://www.hungryhungryhippie.com/quinoa-granola/

Do they make quinoa flakes sturdy enough?  Sounds good! Then I checked the recipe.  Can't have oats.  That's my most severe allergy.  :(

Originally Posted by scsigrl 

Hold on, you aren't trying wheat, you are trying NO wheat?  I was confused by your post.  sorry.

Sorry, I did say "challenge".  I meant to say eliminate, then challenge.  

[Rrrrrachel]

Right, I was wondering if you could just leave then out or sub something else.

[Rrrrrachel]

Like extra nuts or another dried fruit or something.

[SweetSilver]

Originally Posted by Rrrrrachel 

Like extra nuts or another dried fruit or something.

Yeah, this game is harder than it seems.  No nuts.  But, that's the point of it.  What can someone who can't have oats or nuts (a handful of pecans now and then), is trialing wheat and can't have other cereal grains, what can one do to make some granola?  It could be a lost cause.

Onto something else?  Maybe just whole quinoa or buckwheat groats into a pudding of some kind?

[scsigrl]

Bacon/sausage and fruit is what I have most days (and coffee cause that's a must ;) )

This is for you, correct?  Not the kiddos?  If it's you, you have a little more room to maneuver.  Kids can be tricky little buggers ;)

One thing I try and remember is that breakfast doesn't have to be breakfast food.  It's just a meal you eat in the morning.  When I was pregnant I did a lot of more lunch type things with more protein because if I didn't I would go all crazy wonky.  

[SweetSilver]

For me, yes.  And for ease, I've even left out things I dislike because that would just make this too nitpicky.

Sausage and fruit sounds good.  Breakfast can be anything, but it needs to be pretty quick.  I understand that stir-fried rice is a breakfast dish.  Well rice is out of the question.  I avoid soy sauce as much as possible.  Has anyone ever tried stir-frying quinoa?  I remember brown rice makes the dish greasy.  I guess it doesn't soak up the grease as nicely as white rice.  That's a lot of my trouble-- I've become used to having, say, leftovers with a fried egg.  And yes, I've grown to like protein in the morning now, too. 

[SweetSilver]

Ugh.  Here we go.  Elimination starts today.  Aak!  I'm going to work and I have no idea what I'm going to pack for lunch!

Maybe I should have called this thread "pack your lunch...... with what?"

I have to be careful not to overdo the dairy.  I already overdo dairy because there is NOTHING LEFT TO EAT!  Meat and veggies.  Hey!  That's a fad right now!  Thankfully, I don't think wheat is a big one or I would have heard it loud and clear.  It was an anomaly on the test-- the one cereal with no reaction.  Great!  I thought.  True enough, I don't get reactions like I do to the other cereals, but I have ran up against other anomalies from the test, and with some suspect reactions I've had I need to pin this down.  I don't think it will be on my "avoid at all costs" list, but, like dairy, I need to clear my body so I can find my limits, if I need any, and I think now that I do need some.  Also, this year my body just starts heating up with the weight of all the pollen in the air.  I'm tired.  My skin is red and hot, like I have a perpetual sunburn, even on my belly which hasn't seen the light of day since I was running naked as a 5yo.  I react to every little thing this time of year.  later, the grass starts blooming and everything fades into the background except that.  I suppose I should be thankful I don't have life-threatening allergies (though chronic inflammation is linked to heart disease).

Anyhow.... I had yogurt and mango for breakfast with coffee.  Not really filling, but I can have second breakfast soon.

Now, what for that lunch I need to take to work with me?

[Three~Little~Birds]

Is rice out? Otherwise, I was thinking a rice pudding? Tapioca pudding?
Fruit smoothie with bacon/ sausage
Fried mash potato patties w/ a meat
Muffins made with a ground coconut flour, rice flour, arrowroot flour etc. I'd check out some gf muffin recipes.
Sweet potato pie with a pecan crust?...or no crust?
I suppose corn is out....
Buckwheat groats...? Poor you....

Lunches...I would be making a lot of soups to take with me.....hamburger soup? Fish soup? Roasted veggie soup?
Tzatiki with veggies for dip, rice cake
Coleslaw with a side of ham?
Salad with tuna
I would definitely be making up a huge batch of quinoa salad and packing that. That is my favorite way to eat quinoa, and it would keep in the fridge for a couple of days and is very satisfying.

Good luck!

[fruitfulmomma]

You can do buckwheat? We get a pancake mix with it but I think it has rice... Bob's Red Mill has just flour but says it is manufactured on same line as tree nuts and soy, so that may not work. Grind your own???

Love e.d.s ...my 3yodd is getting cheese and a pear for supper. I had to wean her earlier than I wanted just so I could get enough to eat this pregnancy.

[SweetSilver]

Originally Posted by fruitfulmomma 

Love e.d.s 

Yeah, this is how I feel!  I haven't been down this road for 3 years.  It was really rough the first time.   And I am eating too much dairy!  I get hungry and don't know what else to eat.  I have to be on this long enough just to get out of the habit of eating things I know are going to set me off!

I did think about buckwheat pancakes.  Maybe mixed with quinoa flour?  I've tried blini and 100% buckwheat flour is an acquired taste, even for someone who loves buckwheat normally.  I can get buckwheat flour in bulk.  They would have to be made with flaxseed meal and be more like crepes.  (Ooooh rolled around whipped cream!)  aaak!  More dairy.... not good!  But with some fruit on top, like strawberries and drizzled with maple syrup.....

Quinoa salad sounds really, really good.  Maybe with black beans?  Shallots and a little teeny tiny bit of red pepper?  I forgot that olives/olive oil are on the  "limits" list, but that's easy to leave out, I just love olives and this salad sounds really good with just a few salt-cured or Greek olives.  And parboiled green beans when those come into season.  Or perhaps a Persian-type pilaf with dried fruit......

I do need to get out of the quinoa rut a bit before I get weary.  Today was sausage/leek/quinoa and I had a salad with raisins, grapefruit and some blue cheese (aack!  more dairy!  But really, really good!)  Oh, and chocolate and more coffee.   I couldn't do any of this without the coffee.

[Three~Little~Birds]

I love adding roasted cauliflower and roasted sweet potato (and cilantro) to my quinoa salad. It imparts a nutty flavor without the nuts!

So is rice nay or yay? White rice bad brown rice good???

[SweetSilver]

Originally Posted by Three~Little~Birds 

I love adding roasted cauliflower and roasted sweet potato (and cilantro) to my quinoa salad. It imparts a nutty flavor without the nuts!
So is rice nay or yay? White rice bad brown rice good???

Rice: nay.  All of it.  The only cereal grain I haven't trialed (or tested for) is barley.  I've had some good barley risotto, but being the only one in the house who likes it I haven't ventured that direction.  Now I'm hungry and I'm thinking about it!  Wild rice is also out.  It is actually a wild oat and oats are severe.  I know that's not necessarily a given, but oats are so bad that I'm hesitant to try.

Roasted cauliflower sounds delicious.  Do you use curry with it?  Tell me how you roast it....

[Three~Little~Birds]

Originally Posted by SweetSilver 


Roasted cauliflower sounds delicious.  Do you use curry with it?  Tell me how you roast it....

I lightly toss it with olive oil ( sorry!) and sea salt, put it in a roasting pan in an oven of about 375-400. I periodically stir it. I am going to guess that it takes approx. 30 -40 min., but don't quote me on that part. What you are looking for is for the cauliflower to get really brown and caramelized. You almost want it over- cooked. It is delicious.

What about making a chicken stock and soup with for the barley. My family will eat barley that way, even though they won't eat it any other way. It makes for a hearty meal.

Good luck!

[SweetSilver]

Olive oil is easy to substitute in cooking, but nothing is quite as delicious on bread.  That barley soup does sound good to me.  I think my daughter is OK with barley allergy-wise and it would be worth giving it a try.  I always have loved it, but not dh.

[sbgrace]

You said no cereal grains but then you're talking about buckwheat and quinoa...could you do teff? That could add some variety. My husband thinks cooked up like a cereal teff tastes like grits.



My son has gaucamole and teff crackers with his breakfast sometimes. He eats Sunbutter too. We don't limit breakfast to breakfast foods and I'd sort of get out of that mindset with your restrictions list.

If you have that many allergies/intolerances and/or you're trying to pinpoint actual reactions I wonder if a rotation diet might help?

What are your tree nut allergies? Any anaphylaxis? My son is tree nut anaphylactic and pistachio and cashew share a protein with mango. If you have multiple tree allergies I'd be careful with mango.

[SweetSilver]

Originally Posted by sbgrace 

You said no cereal grains but then you're talking about buckwheat and quinoa...could you do teff? That could add some variety. My husband thinks cooked up like a cereal teff tastes like grits.
My son has gaucamole and teff crackers with his breakfast sometimes. He eats Sunbutter too. We don't limit breakfast to breakfast foods and I'd sort of get out of that mindset with your restrictions list.
If you have that many allergies/intolerances and/or you're trying to pinpoint actual reactions I wonder if a rotation diet might help?
What are your tree nut allergies? Any anaphylaxis? My son is tree nut anaphylactic and pistachio and cashew share a protein with mango. If you have multiple tree allergies I'd be careful with mango.

I could try teff, for variety.  Are the teff crackers homemade?  If so, I would love a recipe, or let me know where to buy them.  Your son's snack sounds really good right now.  I am really missing something crunchy and salty and potato chips, however yummy, just can't replace grain.  Sunflower seeds and pepitas seem to be good.  I can fry up the sunflower seeds and salt them.  Yum!  Fried pepitas are too rich.  

The allergies listed are confirmed. There is no anaphylaxis, thankfully.  With a few exceptions, most are pretty mild and simply avoided because of the sheer weight was making me miserable, and I just didn't realize food was the cause.  The others cause really bad reactions, but nothing life threatening.  Mango can give me tinglies in the mouth, but no swelling or anything.  So I eat mango now and then.  Haven't trialled cashew, which tested positive, but have pistachio and unfortunately the test was correct here.  A few results--anomalies-- I do wonder about, and one of them was wheat. No reaction in a sea of high cereal numbers.  Same with black walnut.  Need to give that one a try.  Hazelnut numbers were somewhat low, but my reaction is really bad.  I've gone through this enough that I know my limits on some things, and know to completely avoid others.  

Today I am making some bean and kale soup because when I need something quick to eat.  I keep reaching for the dairy for a quick meal, like last night after a long day's work, and I went to bed with my belly groaning and rumbling.  I can't challenge the wheat until my digestion feels normal, so maybe I should just ditch dairy for a couple of days prior.  Part of this challenge is the challenge of predicting what I'll need in the fridge, and to have it there.  So I sit here waiting until I'm hungry enough for breakfast because there is simply nothing to just cook up and eat that is fast.  Not even soup.  There's yogurt, which I'll probably end up eating, and hoping tomorrow's fridge looks more palatable after a day of cooking.