#Grain-Free Menu Plan & Shopping List (Week 1)

Since deciding last Tuesday, sort of on a whim, to try being grain-free for a month, I’ve been fumbling in the dark as far as what to cook.

Basically I’ve been eating a lot of vegetables and fruits, some cheese (like feta or parmesan on my salads), and grilled chicken.

Well in just five days, we blew thru almost $125 worth of produce and chicken from Costco. Oops! I’m thinking this grain-free thing might be a bit more expensive than the carby ways of yore, but I’ll fill you in as I figure it out.

I finally sat down today to make a detailed menu plan for the week, including breakfast, lunch and snacks (as well as dinner, of course).

Here’s what we’ll be hopefully eating this week. And note that since I’m not ready to turn grain-free cooking into a full-time profession, I’m sticking to simple 30-minute or less type dinners. Each week, I’ll experiment with one new recipe – which this will be these crackers from Elana’s Pantry.

Breakfasts

:: 3x Fruit smoothies (like my strawberry banana smoothie – hold the oatmeal; or my orange creamsicle smoothie) with a handful of spinach tossed in for good measure (I can’t quite stomach green smoothies yet, so I’m taking baby steps)

:: 2x 2-Egg & Veggie Omelettes, cooked in coconut oil

:: 2x Quinoa “cereal” (my friend Anne shared this recipe – and told me it lasts for several days, so my plan is to have this Friday and again on Saturday for breakfast)

Quinoa Cereal

3 tbsp chia seeds
1/3 cup dry quinoa
1 cup almond milk (add more if needed)
1 tsp vanilla
stevia to taste

Toppings options:

1 chopped banana
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 tbsp cacao nibs
1 tbsp goji berries

Mix the chia seeds, quinoa flakes, almond milk, stevia if using, and vanilla in a bowl and set in the fridge overnight. Add more almond milk in the morning if it’s too thick or pasty.

Top with fruit and nibs, and enjoy!

Lunches

:: 4x Huge salads with avocados, hard boiled eggs, feta cheese, steamed salmon, or grilled chicken. Lots of fresh veggies, olive oil, red wine vinegar and a smattering of walnuts

:: 3x Left-overs “stir-fried” up with a big batch of quinoa and any veggies I have in the fridge

Snacks

:: raw or roasted nuts

:: fresh strawberries & blueberries

:: carrots & hummus

:: apples (with peanut butter for an extra pick-me-up)

Dinners

:: Spaghetti (Squash) & Meatballs, big green salad (If you don’t know how to cook spaghetti squash, here’s a great tutorial – just ignore the butter & garlic part at the end)

:: Grain Free Burrito Bowl, ‘cuz I can’t live without Mexican!

:: Asian Turkey Burgers with mashed sweet potatoes and pickled vegetables

:: Cauliflower Pizza (Thursdays are pizza night and that’s sacred in our house!) topped with tons of veggies and mozzarella cheese

:: Unstuffed Cabbage, served over mashed cauliflower

:: Lemon chicken, roasted potatoes (for my kids & guests), tabouleh made with “cauliflower rice”, homemade hummus, cilantro pesto, grain-free crackers for dipping

Grain-Free Menu Plan Shopping List

If you are interested in replicating this menu plan, I’ve put together a comprehensive shopping list. You probably already have a lot of these ingredients on hand, so just cross those off the list.

Shopping list based on feeding 2-3 people
(Increase quantities as necessary for your family)

Fresh Produce

Bananas – at least 7

Blueberries – fresh or frozen (at least a pint’s worth)

Strawberries – fresh or frozen (at least two pint’s worth)

Oranges – at least 6

Apples – enough for snacking

Mango – fresh or frozen

Pineapple – fresh or frozen

Lemons (or lemon juice)

Limes

 

Avocados

Mixed Greens (I always give the big container at organic mixed greens Costco)

Romaine Lettuce

Fresh spinach (I always get the big container of organic spinach at Costco)

Cauliflower – at least 2-3 large heads, fresh

Broccoli – fresh or frozen

Mushrooms

Bell peppers

Spaghetti Squash – at least 1 large one

Cilantro – 2 large heads

Mint

Garlic

Ginger, Fresh

Baby Carrots

Cucumbers

Yellow or White Onions – at least 5

Green Cabbage – 1 large head

Tomatoes – for flavor, I like the grape tomatoes at Costco

Sweet potatoes

 

Dairy & Eggs

Eggs – at least 1 dozen

Hummus (Sabra brand is definitely gluten-free, and probably others are as well)

Mozzarella Cheese

Feta Cheese

Parmesan Cheese

 

Meat & Chicken

Chicken breasts – at least 4 (grill these up at the beginning of the week, and then put them away in your fridge to slice up for salads)

Ground beef – at least 2 pounds

Ground turkey – 1 pound

Roaster Chicken (whole chicken)

 

Nuts

Macadamia nuts (1/2 cup worth)

Almonds, roasted or raw, and walnuts for snacking and salads

Pumpkin Seeds (1/4 cup worth)

 

Pantry

Jarred Marinara Sauce (read your labels), or make your own LINK

Almond Flour (I got mine from Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program ; with my 20% off for having 5 active subscriptions it worked out to be $7.65/16 oz – $4 cheaper than at Vitacost)

Coconut Flour (It’s cheapest at Amazon with Subscribe & Save, but since this our first try baking with it, I decided to get just one bag at Vitacost for $4.41 on sale)

Sesame Seeds

Hemp Seeds (I bought them from Vitacost – they don’t need a hechsher)

Golden Flaxmeal (I got a huge bag at Costco, but you can get a one pound bag at Vitacost on sale for $3.31)

Chia Seeds (I got a huge bag at Costco)

Quinoa (Again, Costco)

Almond Milk (I bought them from Vitacost, but Trader Joe’s has their brand for under $2/carton and there are often coupons for almond milk)

Cacao Nibs (I bought from Vitacost)

Dried Beans (pinto, black, kidney or white – buy them early in the week, so you can cook them in advance in your slow cooker)

Dried Chickpeas (ditto cooking them in your slow cooker)

Crushed Tomatoes, 1 large can (2 if you’ll be making salsa)

Tomato Paste, 1 small can (you’ll have leftovers)

 

Spices, Oils & Condiments

Sea Salt

Vanilla

Stevia

Honey (Dr. Davis says no to honey, so you can sub in stevia)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Coconut Oil

Red Wine Vinegar

Balsamic Vinegar

Garlic Powder

Chili Powder

Cumin

Italian Seasoning

Homemade salsa (will need one large can diced tomatoes and one small can of tomatoes with chilis)

Chicken Broth (I usually use Osem, but I’ll have to read the label before doing that)

So, tell me: What’s on your menu plan this week?