Meal ideas - lots of restrictions and I am BORED with my meals!

[OneOfEachPlease]

I feel like I am eating the same things over and over again. I have gut issues can’t have:

• gluten
• lactose
• onions, garlic, chives, leeks, spring onions
• anything spicy
• too much non-soluable fibre in one go

Unsurprisingly my diet has got repetitive! Any ideas for something a bit different?

Fish — if you’re near Waitrose they put them in an oven bag with flavoured butter, lemon, herbs

Omelettes/frittata — courgettes, spinach

Clear veg soup, like minestrone but no pasta (or gf)

Jacket potatoes with tuna, chicken

Roast chicken & anything like that, è.g. chicken breast or chicken mayo

Packs of sliced roast beef with salad things, potato salad

Green salad nicoise with boiled eggs, tuna, black olives, green beans

Could you manage a fondu or raclette? Melted cheese is sooooo tasty . You can buy raclette cheese in most Waitrose. We cook little new potatoes, mushrooms, the cheese (obviously) and strips of chicken or pork or sometimes smoked meat (one Christmas I found smoked duck which was a real novelty!). A nice glass of wine or mulled wine and you’re all set.

Gosh that’s tricky!
How are you with mustard? I do a nice honey and mustard chicken tray bake with potatoes, carrots and parsnips. That might work?
A proper nicois salad with tuna steak?
Baked sea bass with a lemon and caper dressing, served with new potatoes and green veg.
A frittata with bacon and tomato
Lemon and Herb chicken skewers.
Chicken satay with stir fried veg and rice noodles (just don’t use garlic in marinade)

Have a look at the Gluten Free Cuppa Tea blog online - it's Becky Excell. All her recipes are gluten free but she also gives substitution suggestions for various other ingredients and for low FODMAP, which sounds like what you need.
I'm coeliac but had to do low FODMAP for a while and I found asafoetida really useful for adding a garlicky flavour (just use it sparingly - it's pungent!)

I sometimes cook for a good friend on a FODMAP diet, OP, and this does sound similar.

I think some of the ideas above sound brilliant, particularly the Salade Nicoise made with tuna steaks.

Can you eat butter? If so the Waitrose bagged fish sound good, or you could make something similar yourself - or you could use olive oil or margarine.

My secret for FODMAP cooking is mayonnaise. Homemade is best but any good brand will do; we really like Waitrose Essentials. It keeps things moist, provides creaminess and carries flavour. You can mix it with good olive oil if you want that flavour or texture.

Eg Mayo with lemon and dill (and possibly olive oil or mustard) smeared on seasoned fish fillets such as salmon or sea trout, then grilled. Leave out the mustard and dill and use tiny capers or chopped big ones - this is good on sea bass or bream. Use mustard and lemon, if you tolerate it, or lime and honey, on chicken pieces. Experiment with gentle herbs and spices. Etc.

Good chicken, beef and vegetable stocks, made with ingredients you can tolerate, are important. They add so much depth of flavour: experiment with using stocks to cook rice, vegetables, etc as well as making soups. You might be able to buy suitable stocks.

It isn’t easy. Good luck.

Have you got a recommendation for lactose free cheese that works for this please? Dh used to love a raclette before cheese and milk decided they didn't like him any more.

I think those restrictions lend themself quite well to traditional comfort food. Beef Bourgignon, roast chicken, casserole etc. I reckon you could easily do a decent cottage pie without onions and using spread instead of butter for the mash.

Meals made with seperate components would work well too. Steak and chips; chicken baked in tomatoe with potatoes and veg; roast salmon with rice and broccoli.

Id also have a look at Chinese and Japanese recipes because these vary rarely contain dairy. Sushi; sweet and sour chicken and veg with rice; duck with rice pancakes; Vietnamese rice paper rolls. If you home make then you don’t need to add any chilli.

You could definitely get a bit more variety in there. Maybe try a 14-day rotation like this:

1. Roast chicken, mashed potato, carrots and courgettes
2. Salmon, new potatoes, green beans and lemon
3. Turkey meatballs, gluten-free pasta and tomato-herb sauce
4. Pork loin, mash, carrots and apple sauce
5. Chicken risotto with courgette and lactose-free Parmesan-style cheese
6. Baked cod, crushed potatoes and spinach
7. Shepherd’s pie with beef mince, carrots and potato topping
8. Mild coconut chicken curry with rice
9. Homemade gluten-free fishcakes, mash and green beans
10. Beef stroganoff with mushrooms, lactose-free crème fraîche and rice
11. Chicken schnitzel with gluten-free breadcrumbs, mash and courgettes
12. Salmon fish pie made with lactose-free milk and mashed potato
13. Pork meatballs with rice, carrots and a mild mustard sauce
14. Gluten-free pizza with tomato, lactose-free mozzarella, ham and roasted peppers

I’d probably just keep rotating protein + rice or potato + one or two veg you know you tolerate, then change the herbs, sauces and cooking style so it doesn’t feel like the same meal every day.

Put the things you cant eat into AI,and ask it to do you a 28 day meal plan with variety

Oh the fish ideas and clear soup are great shouts! And I am OK with mustard! I will look up gluten free cuppa tea too - a lot of the gluten free ones are dairy heavy (understandably) but that sounds good!

I hadn’t thought of this “think those restrictions lend themself quite well to traditional comfort food. Beef Bourgignon, roast chicken, casserole etc.” but you’re very right. Maybe I need to think about stew type things - I can have corn flour so have a thickener. The tip about mayo is good too!

Thank you!! When I try and think of things myself my brain just goes a big blank but these are great ideas!

Look for paleo/keto style meals. You need protein and veg, with some potatoes and rice on occasion. I’d also be eating lots of fresh fruit.