Gluten Free Meal Plan

Welcome to whats about to be the best food week of your life, are you ready for this?

It's Taco Tuesday EVERY NIGHT of the week!

I have helped many individuals, families and even kids transition into a gluten free lifestyle and I always start with Mexican cuisine to do it.

Why? Because who doesn’t love tacos? Right?

No but really, I have more reasons than it’s the best comfort food around.

Mexican food is (usually) corn-based which makes it’s easy to source gluten free ingredients, and makes your grocery bill a little friendlier because you’re not buying a whole whack of different ingredients.

Mexican is really just avocados, beans and cheese mixed together a bunch of different ways. Fire up a healthy protein, chop some veg and olé!

Your grocery list for this meal plan is going to consists of things like limes, cilantro, chipotles and lots and lots of corn based items like tacos, tortilla’s and chips. While most tacos are corn based, they can have may contain warnings and it’s best to steer clear of ambiguous 'spice mixes' as they are always contaminated.

Many meals are easy to throw together in under 30 minutes, and for the nights when you have more time, crowd-pleasing quesedilla are a nice touch. And I’ve never met an enchilada I didn’t like. #justsayin’

Poke through this gluten free meal plan for beginners and tell me what’s up, buttercup!

Dish on your fav recipes, your gfree struggle, how long you’ve been down a online rabbit-hole and what lead you here…I wanna know it all. Use the comments below and go make a breakfast taco. I don’t care that’s 2.30am on a Tuesday, you know you want to.

xoxo,

the menu

Breakfast

Breakfast Burrito

This is a great recipe to make on an afternoon off and pound out a bunch for the week ahead, pop them in the freezer and grab them for a quick, easy and nutritious breakfast. Way more sensible than going through the breakfast drive thru and more cost effective too! Use rice flour wraps to keep it gfree, and warm in a pan before wrapping to avoid the wrap from cracking and breaking.

Here is the full recipe with step by step instructions with photos.

Vegetarian Black Bean Breakfast Burrito

This right here is the breakfast of champions. Chaulked full of protein and healthy fats, this is one of my favourite ways to start my day and I beg you to give this one a go! Corn tortilla wraps are as easy to find and wheat and are an easy way to avoid the wheat. Be sure to click through and give this one a whirl! Kid Approved!

Click here for the full recipe from Jessie on Life as a Straweberry

Egg & Sausage Breakfast Taquitos

This is a super easy breakfast that everyone in your family can get behind. While these little gems are baking in the oven throw together a budda bowl for your lunch and have the energy to take anything on!

Click here to check out the recipe

Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Tostadas

Oh am I a sucker for anything labelled Huevos Rancheros on a menu! when researching yummy breakfast for this week's plan, I came across a few HR casserole's and I'm dying to try them out. To stick to our 'taco cleanse' theme this week, I'll be featuring the casserole in next week's menu plan - be sure to come back and check it out!

Recipe for the easiest most satisfying breakfast ever, found here.

Breakfast Enchiladas

Ohh I love an enchilada. And oh I love breakfast. And now I love Ali for sharing this awesome recipe with the world. Easy, nutritious and a great way to start your day, use this recipe as a starting off point to add your favourite ingredients to, or make as is - I promise you won't be disappointed.

Click here for the yummy recipe and meet Ali of Gimme Some Oven.

Breakfast Quesadilla

This is an easy one for the mornings your whipping about with less time than you'd like. It's a quick saute of your favourite mexican seasoned veg and an egg scramble fried in a rice flour quesadilla. Serve alongside some salsa and away you go!

Click here for the recipe.

17+ Breakfast Tacos

And if none of the ones I selected tickle your fancy, check out these 17 Breakfast Taco recipes that Buzzfeed has rounded up for you!

Take me to Buzzfeed's list!

Lunch

Taco Salad

Ok, so not technically a taco, this taco salad is sure to satisfy and bonus points if you want to make these ahead to take care of lunch for the whole week-or whole family. Simply keeping your dressing separate to allow for longer shelf life in your fridge. Add your favourite toppings or follow this recipe. I like to take this a step further and add a dollop of vegan chili on top to take it to the next level. (thanks Wendy's for the chilli tip! They used to have a salad that came with the chilli and I always had to turn it down because it was not vegan.)

Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps

Make your own favourite taco's and substitute iceberg lettuce for a shell. Cook up a batch of yummy beans and add all the fixin's as you please. I love to cook a big baked bean batch, freeze portions and use it many different meals. A great left over lunch meal!

Quinoa Bowl

Is there any combination more satisfying than black beans and sweet potatoes? This Taco Cleanse week can leave you with lots of prepared vegetables and a great way to make use of leftovers is in a nourishing bowl. I'm addicted to budda bowls and you'll be seeing a few pop up in next weeks meal plan, but for now - feast your eyes and taste buds on this baby. That lime sauce takes it to a gourmet level!

For recipe, click here

Turkey Taco Lunch Bowl

Another great make-ahead option, I like to add shredded cabbage to these for a little extra crunch and swap out the turkey for black beans. Whatever your flavour preferences, you can rock this meal and have your lunches ready for the whole week. Add some tortilla's on the side and make mini wraps at lunchtime. Or eat as is right outta the bowl, just make sure to pack a lime!

Click here for meal prep instructions and full recipe.

Chicken Taco Soup

So, again, not necessarily a taco but I have a feeling you'd revolt if it was taco recipe after taco recipe. This is an awesome lean option for beef chili and you can use it on top of your taco salad to take it to the next level. Add your favourite chili ingredient or follow along with the recipe here.

Tip: When shredding chicken, place cooked breasts in a bowl and beat with hand mixer, makes for perfectly shredded chicken every time.

Mexican Street Corn Salad

A great salad in it's own right or awesome alongside any of the dinner entree's featured, this bright salad is sure to bring joy to any meal. Sarah's website features some incredible recipes that are gluten free, vegan, paleo, dairy free etc and she has a great way of showcasing them all.

Check out her site and this awesome recipe, here!

Dinner

Salmon Tacos

Maybe not your first protein choice for tacos, but definitely one that shouldn't be overlooked. I love to grill a whole salmon on the BBQ for a weeks worth of add-ins to salads, fish cakes and sandwiches. This is a great recipe to start you off on a fish-y track of tacos instead of the traditional beef/chicken. I love to add homemade hummus to the base of these bad boys for a nice protein-packed punch!

Click here to check out the recipe and Joanna's cute little blog.

Slow Cooker Steak Fajitas

nothing beats firing some simple ingredients into the slow cooker and heading out for the day only to return to a delicious smelling hosue and satisfying meal - ready for consumption. This one works for both steak or chicken breasts and are an easy way to stay on the taco cleanse :)

Click here for recipe

Low Carb Chicken Enchiladas

Ok, it's thursday night and you've gobbled up all your corn/rice tortillas and don't want to cheat - what do you do? You use swiss chard! Lol, ok, maybe thats not the obvious choice for everyone, but hear me out. Chard is full of vitamin A & C and a good source of magnesium which activates over 300 enzyme reactions in the body, translating to thousands of biochemical reactions happening on a constant basis daily. A great alternative to a rice wrap! Use vegan cheese for bonus awesome points!

Check out this flavourFUL recipe here.

Green Tacos

This is a vegan meal anyone can get behind. I love the walnut/lentil mix and with these flavours you will not miss the beef at all. I make these for lunch and dinner have zero guilt when I eat five...or more.

Meet Angela over at Oh she Glows, and if you follow me on snapchat, you'll know how much I love her cookbooks. A great resource for anyone wanting to flirt with the vegan diet.

Full recipe found here.

Blackened Fish Taco's with Mango Salsa

Truth be told, I could easily have filled all seven dinners with a different variation on fish tacos. This is something that I can not live without, and treat myself every now again when we have a good fillet of fresh fish. This is one of my favourite ways to have fish tacos, but the possibilities are endless. I've even tried my hand at vegan fish tacos, which I have on the blog here and yes, they did trick my meat loving boys! I lovingly named them fish(ish) tacos and are a great vegan alternative!

Check out this recipe for Blackened Fish Tacos here.

Taco Pizza

Taco pizza is like combining the best of two culinary worlds! If you haven't been brave enough to order it off a menu, try it at home..and feel no shame when you binge eat the entire pie. I like to make this the day after we've had traditional tacos and have leftover toppings. Sometimes I'll even pop one in the oven after taco dinner to have to the following day's lunch. So. good.

For the full recipe, click here. To substitute for gluten free crust, use a tapioca flour blend or premade crusts.

Butternut Squash & Black Bean Quesedilla

This dish is incredible and I am giving all the credit to the enchilada sauce. I make a big batch and put it on everything I can think of! So good! This is a must if you love Mexican cuisine! Check out the recipe on Skinnytaste here.

Tilapia Lettuce Wraps with Mango Papaya Salsa

Tilapia Lettuce Wraps with Mango Papaya Salsa are a fresh and healthy dinner that requires very little cooking. This recipe is great for gluten free, dairy free and autoimmune protocol (AIP) diet.

Pop over to Food Fashion & Fun for the complete recipe

Vegetarian Lasagne

Inspired by Delish’s version (with video tutorial) found here

INGREDIENTS
2 c. ricotta
1 c. freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for sprinkling
2 large eggs
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 c. marinara sauce
1 bunch kale
1 clove garlic
2 cups sliced mushrooms
3 large zucchini, cut into wide strips using a Y peeler and drained on paper towels
3 c. shredded mozzarella

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°.

In a small skillet, place kale and garlic and steam for five minutes with minimal water. Meanwhile, In a small bowl, stir together ricotta, Parmesan, and eggs and season the ricotta mixture with salt and pepper. Add kale and combine.

Spread a thin layer of marinara in a baking dish and layer with 1 layer of zucchini noodles, and half the ricotta mixture and mozzarella. Next layer sauce and mushrooms then zucchini and finish with cheese layer.

For the final layer, make a zucchini lattice. Layer zucchini noodles side by side at a diagonal in the baking dish. Lift the bottom half of every other noodle and lay another zucchini noodle across diagonally. Repeat until top layer is full.

Sprinkle with more Parmesan and season with salt and pepper.

Bake uncovered until totally melty and zucchini is cooked through, 45-60 minutes.

Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

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