If you are full time caring for a member of your family, it is often difficult to plan meals and eating healthy among all the other daily tasks. As a carer I find the best way to address this is planning or having nutritious no cook options when time is scarce. Planning is the best way forward particularly if you or the person you are caring for is following a gluten free diet.

When you are caring for someone as well as yourself, eating a balanced diet is essential to provide your body with all the nutrients you require. Balancing your intake will keep your body strong and give you enough energy to give the care to the person you are looking after and to look after your own health.

 

A balanced diet should include

Starchy foods: gluten free wholegrain bread, fortified gluten free breakfast cereals, potatoes, brown rice, and gluten free pasta are a good source of energy. Always choose wholegrain varieties and lentils where you can.

Plenty of fruit and vegetables

Aim for five portions a day to provide you with a good source of vitamins and minerals.1 portion is equivalent to: 1 apple, 1 medium banana, 7 strawberries, 1 handful of grapes, 150ml glass of unsweetened orange juice, dessert bowl of salad, 3 heaped tablespoons of mixed vegetables. Homemade soup is a great way to include a variety of vegetables in your diet, made in a larger amount and frozen in portions means you always have a healthy lunch at hand, it can even be heated from frozen.

Protein: Meat, oil rich fish, eggs, beans are a good source of protein. Dairy: Cheese, yogurt

Include healthy fats here e.g. olive oil, seeds Tips for eating well when tight on time.

Make 2 litres of soup on a day you have extra time, to have in the fridge for a quick and filling lunch option, if this is not there we tend to grab nearest food. It is easy to make a naturally gluten free soup, so it suits everyone.

Here are two recipes for easy soups, the minestrone can be eaten as a main course as it is or with the addition of diced chicken.

Lentil, chickpea, and vegetable soup serves 6

• Prep time: 10 mins
• Cooking time: 25 mins 

Ingredients  

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• large carrot, peeled and diced
• sticks of celery cut in small chunks
• 1 leek washed and sliced
• 1 courgette, cut in small chunks
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
• 800ml of low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock made from gluten free cube or bouillon
• 400gtin chopped tomatoes 100g red lentils
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup  frozen mixed vegetables or frozen peas

Method 

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, celery and leeks and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, smoked paprika and cumin. Stir frequently so the garlic does not burn for about 2 minutes.
2. Add the stock, diced tomatoes, red lentils, thyme, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer; cook for ten minutes. Add the chickpeas and courgette, cover the pot, and cook 10 minutes more. Add the cooked vegetables and simmer until the soup is hot and the vegetables are warmed through. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. The soup can be cooled

   and stored in the fridge for 3 or 4 days. This soup can be left chunky or blended to make a smooth soup.

3. Freezing Instructions: freeze in portions, the soup can be frozen for up to 3 months.
4. Freezing Instructions: freeze in portions, the soup can be frozen for up to 3 months.
5.  

Slow cooker Minestrone soup with mixed beans

Using a slow cooker is a great way of using time wisely, the slow cooker is busy cooking the food without the risk of burning the food while you carry on with your day.

• Serves 6
• Prep time: 10 mins
• Cooking time: 3 – 6 hours in slow cooker

Ingredients  

• 700ml low salt vegetable stock made from gluten free cubes or bouillon powder 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• x 400g tin cannellini or butter beans drained 100g of bacon lardons or diced pancetta
• carrots, peeled and chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 leek chopped
• 1 red  pepper diced(optional)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon Salt ground black pepper
• 150g cooked gluten free pasta (Tip cook this as extra on a day you are having pasta and keep it in fridge)
• 1 medium courgette, chopped
• 80g of fresh baby spinach leaves or frozen spinach, defrosted 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• Fry the onion, celery, pepper, and carrot in a tablespoon of olive oil for 2/3 minutes in a frying pan

Method 

1. In a slow cooker, combine stock, tomatoes, beans, leek, thyme, sage, salt, and black pepper.
2. Add the fried vegetables and pancetta/bacon. Cook on LOW for six to eight hours or HIGH for three to four hours.
3. Half an hour before the soup is done add the gluten free pasta, courgette, and spinach. Cover and cook for another half hour.
4. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle parmesan cheese over top. To serve with cheesy croutons toast slices of gluten free baguette under the grill, sprinkle with the parmesan and allow to melt.

Affordable & Easy Options

If you are on a budget, there are affordable ways to shop for a healthy, balanced diet: Look out for offers on foods that keep, such as tins of pulses or tomatoes.

Dried, frozen, or canned fruit (injuice) and vegetables are cheaper than fresh varieties­ andjust as healthy.

Quick options for lunches or dinners which are nutritionally balanced include protein, carbohydrate, and vegetables

 

• Baked beans and grilled tomato with gluten free wholegrain toast (or serve with a baked potato which can be done in the microwave on full heat for 4-6 minutes
• Poached egg with avocado and gluten free wholegrain toast.
• An omelette made with 2 eggs, leftover diced cooked potato, diced tomato, mushrooms, scallion. Another option for a tasty omelette is goats’ cheese, ham/chorizo, and baby spinach.
• Gluten free pasta and chicken salad, mix pasta with leftover roast chicken, gluten free pesto mixed with mayonnaise, diced peppers, sweetcorn.
• Tuna and mixed bean salad. Mix tuna with a tin of mixed beans (drained)
• Vegetable egg fried rice. When cooking brown rice cook a little extra, cool it completely under cold water and strain, keep in the fridge. Cook some frozen mixed vegetables with a clove of chopped garlic in little olive oil in a large frying pan, add a pinch of Chinese 5 spice, and a handful of cashew nuts, toss in the cooked rice, and stir until completely hot. Briskly stir in an egg, using a fork. Add in a few drops of gluten free soy sauce and finish with a generous sprinkle of sesame seeds.
• Pitta pizza. Using a gluten free pitta bread, top it with 2 tablespoons of passata and add baby spinach leaves, season with salt and pepper, top the spinach with a couple of slices of buffalo mozzarella and grated cheddar, bake in a preheated oven at 180°c for10mins. After the passata is on you can add any of your favourite toppings.
• Low fat natural yogurt with fresh fruit and berries, sprinkled with sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.

When making meals, prepare larger quantities and freeze the extra portions. This can be a cost and time effective way of maintaining a balanced diet. Here is a tasty nutritious recipe for beef and vegetable pasta bake which can be made quickly, it works equally well with turkey/chicken mince or pork mince.

Beef and vegetable pasta bake

• Serves 8
• Prep time: 7/8 mins
• Cooking time: 25 mins 

Ingredients  

• 1 x 500g bag of frozen roast vegetable mix (check it is gluten free) this usually contains red and yellow pepper, courgette and aubergine, sometimes cherry tomatoes
• 250g of lean minced beef 2 red onions diced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 150g cherry tomatoes, halved 400g tin chopped tomatoes 2garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped basil 400g gluten free penne
• 2 x150g mozzarella balls, drained and sliced into strips
• 2 tbsp gluten free pesto,¼ teaspoon salt ,cracked black pepper 60 g of grated cheddar cheese

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 170C Fan/Gas mark5.
2. On a roasting tray put a tablespoon olive oil, add the frozen veg, the cherry tomatoes, chopped tomatoes, garlic and basil and cook for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile fry off the red onion and minced beef in a pan for10mins, keep stirring Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to pack instructions. Add 6 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to the vegetables to moisten the tomato sauce. Add the cooked minced beef
3. Drain the pasta and stir into the roasted vegetables and minced beef, stir through the strips of mozzarella, pesto and seasoning, top with cheddar and put back into the oven for another 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
4. This dish could be done in individual portions in foil containers to heat in the oven or in microwavable dishes.

Slow cooker Minestrone soup with mixed beans

Using a slow cooker is a great way of using time wisely, the slow cooker is busy cooking the food without the risk of burning the food while you carry on with your day.

• Serves 6
• Prep time: 10 mins
• Cooking time: 3 – 6 hours in slow cooker

Ingredients  

• 700ml low salt vegetable stock made from gluten free cubes or bouillon powder 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• x 400g tin cannellini or butter beans drained 100g of bacon lardons or diced pancetta
• carrots, peeled and chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 leek chopped
• 1 red  pepper diced(optional)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon Salt ground black pepper
• 150g cooked gluten free pasta (Tip cook this as extra on a day you are having pasta and keep it in fridge)
• 1 medium courgette, chopped
• 80g of fresh baby spinach leaves or frozen spinach, defrosted 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• Fry the onion, celery, pepper, and carrot in a tablespoon of olive oil for 2/3 minutes in a frying pan

Method 

1. In a slow cooker, combine stock, tomatoes, beans, leek, thyme, sage, salt, and black pepper.
2. Add the fried vegetables and pancetta/bacon. Cook on LOW for six to eight hours or HIGH for three to four hours.
3. Half an hour before the soup is done add the gluten free pasta, courgette, and spinach. Cover and cook for another half hour.
4. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle parmesan cheese over top. To serve with cheesy croutons toast slices of gluten free baguette under the grill, sprinkle with the parmesan and allow to melt.

Buying Wisely

When you buy fresh fruit and vegetables, it can be cheaper to buy them loose rather than pre-packaged as you can buy exactly the number you need. Try to buy fruit and vegetables when they are in season this is when they are cheapest

Supermarkets often reduce prices on products that are close to their sell by date, and this can be a good way to pick up a bargain. But it is only a bargain if you can cook or eat everything you buy (or are able to freeze it) before it goes off.

An example of this is when cherry tomatoes are in plentiful supply and at a cheaper price, buy a larger amount of them and slow roast them with olive oil, garlic, sea salt, balsamic vinegar and rosemary in the oven at 150°c until they are soft and starting to caramelise, allow to cool and store is sterilised glass jars or airtight containers in the fridge. They are a delicious option to serve with cold meats, cheeses or as a side dish to a barbequed or roasted chicken/ meat

Minding Me,
Gluten Free

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