Does anyone want to make me a meal plan? Coeliac, lactose intolerant and vegetarian...trying to eat better

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Hello

Does anyone want to help me make a meal plan? I have very strict requirements- I am coeliac, vegetarian and lactose intolerant. I am desperately wanting to stop eating UPF, and I also need to loose a stone (BMI is 25.5 so I'm not in a mad rush but could do with loosing it).

I also had an eating disorder as a teenager and although this was many many years ago, when stressed I do resort to binge eating- with my dietary requirements it tends to be vegan chocolate which is really processed. This also means I can't go too crazy on the dieting - if it takes me 6 months to loose the weight I would rather that than get into unhealthy eating habits.

I do eat a lot of salads, but then I struggle a lot with protein, and I'm always hungry! I eat quorn but it's highly processed and I really want to reduce processed food (same with gluten free bread, Cereal etc). I really can't get on with tofu for protein (but maybe I'm cooking it wrong) and I don't think spinach has enough protein as I'm also anemic (but taking supplements).

I need a meal plan for daily life, but I also travel a lot for work, and I'm struggling for snacks and meals when out and about- I can't really pack enough meals for two day trips if I'm going abroad just with hand luggage.

I also don't eat mushrooms or aubergine.

Today I've eaten 2 trek protein bars, corn wraps with Hummus and Cucumber and I'm planning a lentil chilli in tacos for tea- but the protein bars are processed, and the chilli is really a bit heavy for this weather. I like Mediterranean and Indian dishes.

I've had appointments with a dietician but she was a bit stumped, especially with needing to diet.

I'm also wanting to keep costs down.

Any really clever meal planners able to help?

One quick idea for you - I'm also gluten free (but not dairy free or veggie, although I do eat meat free a lot of the time.) I take these with me when I travel, and I do travel a lot. Whole grain, microwavable, doesn't have to be refrigerated until it's opened. Add veg, add a nut or tahini sauce or a pulse of some kind for protein, even eat as a hot breakfast with dried fruit and choice of milk.

a good place to start could be the New Vegan a column in the Guardian. Brilliant food writers such as Meera Sodha and Georgina Hayden write modern, interesting, and tasty vegan recipes (and I say this as someone who does eat meat and dairy) - although not all will be gluten-free many of them are, or could be with minor adjustments.

As a side note I highly recommend Meera's book East, which is 100% vegetarian with many recipes vegan/dairy-free with easy changes. Fresh India is also excellent.

Tbh with a history of ED, would you consider seeing a dietician to ensure a balanced approach here? Not a nutritionist. Someone with experience of working with ED survivors?

My go to is the merchant gourmet microwave puy lentils or quinoa, plus a bag of frozen roasted veg done in the air fryer. I stir in some pesto (you can get vegan pesto or make your own) and I add feta which is low lactose but you might prefer not to add this. Delicious, high in protein and really filling.

Are you actually me?!?

I am a coeliac and I have realised a lot of my health issues go away if I cut out sugar, caffeine, alcohol and dairy so I avoid those too. I lost 2 stone in about 2 years and went from being pre diabetic to within normal range.

I eat meat but like you, I am prone to anaemia (think it’s common for us coeliacs due to absorption issues) and am currently on iron from the doc as my levels have got stupidly low again.

I rely on:

Tinned fish (eg mackerel… but I’ve just remembered you’re veggie! Doh)
Fresh fish eg salmon in the oven (as above!!)
Brown rice
Vegetables
Houmous
Rice cakes
Salad
Nut butters

I’m also interested in avoiding processed and certainly UPF and feel fairly happy with the above.

My kids think I’m hilarious having rice cake sandwiches yet again for lunch (I do them with houmous and lettuce or houmous and red pepper and wrap in tin foil if for work or picnic so nicely versatile).

I’ve never been diagnosed with an eating disorder but I recognise your stress binge patterns as similar to my own coping mechanisms. I’m working on this by listening to/watching a lot of Gabor Maté on the subject of addiction, trauma etc.

Gabor Maté also has a good book on autoimmune illnesses like ours and the link between the body and hidden stress, called ‘When the Body Says No’.

I also found a lot of helpful stuff in a very dated book called ‘New Developments for MS sufferers’ in which the author talks about his breakthroughs related to his own MS and the link that transpired with other autoimmune conditions and how his regime can help them too.

Good to make contact with someone else out there similar to me in this way!

Chat GPT can do this for you.

Was about to say the same. Really useful.

Something like a simple stir fry might work for you. I am gluten free and I really like rice noodles in mine. You can get gf soy sauce too which is nice.

Could do pure veg one and it's cheap, quick and ready prepped or if you like tofu you could add some for protein?

Sweet potato and chick pea curry is really nice and cheap.

In hot weather I tend to live on a lot of salads.

pinchofyum.com/chopped-thai-salad-sesame-garlic-dressing

This is really nice and filling due to beans and peanuts.

ChatGPT is actually really helpful for this kind of thing! You can tell it to make you a meal plan to your specifications and then ask it to write a shopping list based on the meal plan.

I typed in "Write a three day meal plan that is gluten free, lactose free and vegetarian" and got this:

"Sure! Here's a three-day meal plan that is gluten-free, lactose-free, and vegetarian:

Day 1:
Breakfast:

• Quinoa Porridge: Cook 1/2 cup quinoa in 1 cup almond milk. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon, sliced bananas, and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.

Lunch:

• Chickpea Salad: Mix together 1 can of rinsed and drained chickpeas, chopped cucumber, cherry tomatoes, diced red onion, and chopped parsley. Dress with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Dinner:

• Lentil Curry: Sauté diced onion, garlic, and ginger in a pot. Add 1 cup red lentils, 2 cups vegetable broth, 1 can of diced tomatoes, and spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander, and curry powder. Cook until lentils are tender and serve with steamed basmati rice or gluten-free naan bread.

Day 2:
Breakfast:

• Gluten-free Oatmeal: Cook gluten-free rolled oats in almond milk. Top with mixed berries, chopped nuts, and a drizzle of agave syrup or honey.

Lunch:

• Quinoa Salad: Mix cooked quinoa with diced bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, chopped cucumbers, crumbled feta cheese (if lactose-free cheese is available), and fresh herbs like mint and parsley. Dress with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Dinner:

• Vegetable Stir-Fry: Sauté a variety of vegetables like broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, snap peas, and mushrooms in a gluten-free soy sauce or tamari. Serve over cooked rice or gluten-free noodles.

Day 3:
Breakfast:

• Gluten-free Banana Pancakes: Mash ripe bananas and mix with gluten-free flour, almond milk, and a pinch of baking powder. Cook in a non-stick pan and serve with fresh fruit and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Lunch:

• Spinach and Quinoa Salad: Mix cooked quinoa with fresh spinach leaves, cherry tomatoes, sliced avocado, and toasted almonds. Dress with a simple vinaigrette made from olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.

Dinner:

• Roasted Vegetable Tacos: Roast a mixture of chopped vegetables like sweet potatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, and red onions with olive oil, cumin, paprika, and chili powder. Serve the roasted veggies in gluten-free corn tortillas and top with salsa, guacamole, and fresh cilantro.

Remember to check the ingredient labels of packaged products to ensure they are gluten-free and lactose-free. Also, feel free to modify the recipes according to your taste preferences and dietary needs."

Also, if it gives you things like tofu or mushrooms that you don't like you can just say "redo meal plan without tofu, aubergine or mushrooms" or something similar. Or "redo meal plan with all mediterranean diet foods" or "redo meal plan with at least 50g of protein each day" or whatever you need.

You can also ask it to do just dinners, or plan a whole week, or use up things you already have etc. It's really useful!

@User1248655 yes haha maybe we are related! Thank you!

To everyone recommending chatgtp- wow!!! This will make a massive difference!

I've ordered some nice salad dressings on my weekly shop, I'm going to try and have my lunch as salad with Quorn every day- I think that I'll have to stick with Quorn for now.

Thank you all!

Eggs are a good protein source, non dairy and vegetarian. Not UPF and can be sweet or savoury.

In your place I'd have a slice of tortilla or frittata with salad instead of quorn every day.

I'm also struggling with this so thanks for the great ideas

Wow, that chatgp thing is amazing! 😮

I’m also coeliac, not a big meat eater, need to lose weight and also need to feed a family of six hence why I found myself over here in the recipe section. Good suggestions so far 👍

I'm coeliac and vegetarian. I dont eat sny gluten free breads or biscuits because gluten free processed food is very high in calories as is vegetarian processed food.
For breakfast I have Kallo organic rice cereal with fruit or a banana.
I order a small organic veg box every week and eat all of it.
I eats eggs, tofu, lentis and beans.
I cook everything from scratch. Loads of recipes online.