Recipe Ideas for a VERY Restricted Diet

I think you can have this if you skip the cilantro (which is what I would do anyways).

https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/thai-peanut-coconut-cauliflower-chickpea-curry/

allrecipes.com

You can input the ingredients you want or that you have on hand and it will generate recipes.

If you can't have soy, then look into coconut aminos. That is what I use for Asian cooking in place of soy sauce (and also in place of other items like worcestershire sauce).

Also, if you can have red bell peppers they make a great substitute for tomatoes in many dishes. Especially roasted.

I know what it is like to be heavily restricted when it comes to what you can eat. I am lucky that I have since been able to add foods back in as my medical condition has improved/gone into remission but I still have a LOT of restrictions. Especially those first few months after being diagnosed. I remember times being in the grocery stores and crying because finding stuff to eat could be so hard. I mostly cook at home, but sometimes needed items that could be short cuts because of energy issues from other medical conditions.

The way I found recipes was simply to educate myself on substitutions, go to Pinterest or Google, and see what I could find that I could adjust. Heck, I even have a decent no tomato chili recipe I use.

Stay strong. You can do this. You may want to talk to your doctor about speaking to a professional who can help guide you.

I have celiacs. I also cannot have dairy. In any form. Cassien, whey, lactose. I also cannot have oats. So, I understand about a restricted diet. I have ankylosing spondylitis and my Dr also likes me to eat low starch to help with inflammation. What medical condition do you have and what does your Dr say? Mine sent me to a nutritionist. I've been eating this way for 6 years. Be happy to help .

Both salmon and Chicken are quite receptive to a wide variety of flavors and seasonings. So learn about herbs, spices, etc, Don't forget about ground chicken. I rarely use flour or sugar in cooking. Use corn oil for your oil.

Semele0 wrote: »

You may feel less overwelmed by listing everything that you CAN eat. It may also help you find new combination and recipes. If I were you I would list things I can eat and search the web and then write down various way in which you can cook them, and combine them.

This is my suggestion too.

Well, first, I'd talk to an RD, as others suggested.

But beyond that, I'd write down everything you can eat, maybe in different categories: protein sources (the meat, plus whatever else, such as beans, eggs, dairy), starchy veg (potatoes, oats, etc.), non starchy veg (whatever you can eat, including those things that you just have to limit), fruit, fat sources, so on.

Then look for recipes including those ingredients or just combine them in different ways. I rarely use recipes, personally.

If you really are limited to chicken and salmon (that sounds weird to me too, why not turkey, game hen, duck, trout, arctic char), there are still lots of different ways to cook them (use different parts of the chicken), and they will seem different with different sides. Thinking of it in terms of what you CAN work with rather than what you can't is helpful.

I have no dietary issues, but during much of the year I get a farm box and try to use that as my veg for the week (it also might have things like potatoes or sweet potatoes or corn, depending on the date), and I also pick out meats to defrost and use those when they are ready, so I also basically cook from the ingredients I have on hand, and there are still lots of options. You could see yourself as doing something similar, just with less variation in the ingredients overall.