Our family has been gluten and dairy free since September of 2023 (dairy free since 2021!). My son has battled food sensitivities since coming out of the womb, so when things were popping up again summer of 2023, we decided to do a food sensitivity test from YorkTest because allergy testing was showing negative. His top four triggers came back as: Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, and Cashews, so the eliminating began.
What We Eat
My kids are slightly picky eaters, and my daughter has sensory aversion on top of that, so a lot of vegan recipes are out already because of texture. We keep our food relatively simple to help with that (and to save on cost!) We eat a lot of eggs, chicken, rice, pasta, breakfast for dinner, and occasionally steak (when it’s on sale).
The Meal Plan
I like to have a general guide of what we’re eating for every meal. Here is what a week looks like for us!
Sunday
- Breakfast: eggs or at church (we volunteer every Sunday and there is usually food out for breakfast)
- Lunch: Out or pantry (usually our random food meal. Leftovers, cereal, whatever.)
- Dinner: brats or chicken sausage, broccoli, and potatoes
Monday
- Breakfast: donut muffins (from Yummy Toddler Food) (This is the mini muffin pan I use. I love it because they pop out so easily: https://amzn.to/3VEMwM7*)
- Lunch: turkey sandwiches
- Dinner: chicken, carrots, and potatoes in an Instant Pot*
Tuesday
- Breakfast: yogurt + granola
- Lunch: snack plates (another idea from Yummy Toddler Food)
- Dinner: taquitos
Wednesday
- Breakfast: breakfast smoothies (literally whatever I have floating around blended up)
- Lunch: turkey sandwiches
- Dinner: hot dogs
Thursday
- Breakfast: muffins (leftovers from Monday)
- Lunch: snack lunch
- Dinner: GF vegan “cheesy” pasta
Friday
- Breakfast: eggs (or for my daughter who doesn’t like eggs, probably toast)
- Lunch: Mac + cheese (we get regular for the rest of us, but make my son a GF/DF box. Our favorite is from Thrive Market)
- Dinner: leftovers
Saturday (aka the day I usually give up haha)
- Breakfast: cereal/leftover muffins
- Lunch: snack plates
- Dinner: breakfast for dinner
What They Actually Ate
Moment of truth of what my kids actually eat off that list. My husband and I are constantly growing. We’re not always perfect with letting them listen to their bellies about when they’re full, but we never force them to finish a plate.
Sunday
- Breakfast: eggs or at church (we volunteer every Sunday and there is usually food out for breakfast)
My son didn’t finish all of his eggs but ate some tater tots at church. My daughter ate tater tots and donut holes at church - Lunch: Out or pantry (usually our random food meal. Leftovers, cereal, whatever.)
Because they get to choose what they eat, generally they eat all of it. - Dinner: brats or chicken sausage, broccoli, and potatoes
We get our brats from a friend’s farm. The kids love them! They don’t eat broccoli, but we always put a piece on their plate in case they change their minds. My daughter ate her potatoes, but my son didn’t touch his.
Monday
- Breakfast: donut muffins
A winner all around - Lunch: turkey sandwiches
My daughter ate her whole sandwich, my son ate the turkey and some of the bread - Dinner: chicken, carrots, and potatoes in an Instant Pot*
Chicken and potatoes were eaten by both. Carrots served for exposure.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: yogurt + granola
My kids love yogurt. The granola is for me. - Lunch: snack plates (another idea from Yummy Toddler Food)
Another winner because they get to choose. I just make a charcuterie board thing and we all eat off it. - Dinner: taquitos
For some reason they unroll them, but they eat them.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: breakfast smoothies (literally whatever I have floating around blended up)
My kids would probably survive off smoothies if I let them. - Lunch: turkey sandwiches
Same as above - Dinner: hot dogs
We get uncured hot dogs so that they are as clean as hot dogs can be. My kids love them with mayo or ketchup. Our side with hot dogs varies depending on what we have at home.
Thursday
- Breakfast: muffins (leftovers from Monday)
They’ll eat 2-4 each. - Lunch: snack lunch
Again, an easy win since they get to choose. - Dinner: GF vegan “cheesy” pasta
This one is hit or miss. Pasta is a win, but if they can see the sauce, then they won’t eat it. I try to stir in a little at a time to get them used to the taste. I often make pasta with chicken broth instead of water for extra nutrition.
Friday
- Breakfast: eggs (or for my daughter who doesn’t like eggs, probably toast)
My son will usually eat this egg breakfast with a piece of toast. I don’t know what makes it different but he’ll eat it all that way. - Lunch: Mac + cheese (we get regular for the rest of us, but make my son a GF/DF box. Our favorite is from Thrive Market)
Mac + cheese is always a winner. - Dinner: leftovers
Another winner since they get to choose what leftovers they’d like.
Saturday (aka the day I usually give up haha)
- Breakfast: cereal/leftover muffins
- Lunch: snack plates
- Dinner: breakfast for dinner
The whole day is usually eaten pretty well.
What it Costs (usually about $150/week)
Gluten free and dairy free eating is expensive at times. We aren’t rolling in money here either. So let me break it down for you. We shop at Aldi and Food Lion in our area. (Kroger if I’m missing a couple things later in the week, but only because it’s closest.) This week I already had staples on hand, so it wasn’t a restock week. The only meat I didn’t buy was the brats (on hand already).
Aldi: $41.98
Food Lion: $38.57
Kroger: ~$18
Eggs from my egg lady: $10
Total: $108.55
What Works for You
At the end of the day, you need to do what works for your family. I wrote down all of the meals we like and we rotate out of that. I also know that grocery prices vary widely throughout the country. My totals probably won’t equal your totals. But if you ever need help with brainstorming or converting a recipe to GF/DF, I am here to help!
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