June 8, 2017   |   Gluten-Free Living   |   Little Northern Bakehouse

Over the years, we’ve watched it all unfold across blogs, magazine covers, and tv shows: the latest diet trend. There was low fat, non-fat, low carb, wheat-free, high-fat (aka the keto diet), and even the caveman diet. And while some seemed to have their merits at the time, most were temporary solutions for a growing problem in our lives—a total lack of balance.

Diet, after all, is not something you pick up one moment and put down the next. The very definition has evolved from its true origins of simply being the kind of foods we habitually eat, to a special course of foods we restrict ourselves to, usually with the hopes of life-changing weight loss attached to them. But if we shift back to the original version and try to develop a diet that we can habitually adhere to, we’d know that never saying never is our best option.

How to Find the Gluten-Free Balance

When you’re eating gluten-free, it’s a given that you’ll have to pay more attention to your food, which might make it easier for GF-eaters to stick to a balanced diet compared to their gluten-tolerant counterparts. Of course, on the other end, once we know we “can’t have” something, avoiding it can seem totally impossible. Between all the diet fad mixed messaging and a hundred different food pyramids floating around the internet (plus our gut feeling that we just can’t live without French toast and garlic bread) we think we’ve found the sweet spot: giving in a little and leaving guilt in the dust.

What does that look like? Here’s a week’s worth of gluten-free plant-based options to mix and match that strike the perfect balance between healthy and satisfying.

Breakfast
  1. Gluten-free toast, three ways
  2. Crunchy Seeds and Grain loaf with homemade strawberry balsamic jam
  3. Smooth and crunchy Millet and Chia loaf with grapefruit marmalade
  4. A fresh fruit salad with a slide of Cinnamon and Raisin loaf
  5. Decadent strawberry shortcake toast
  6. Tofu benedict with avocado and sautéed kale
  7. Waffle maker French toast with fresh berries
Lunch
  1. A fresh salad made with your favourite vegetables and homemade croutons
  2. Better-than-a-food-cart falafel sandwich infused with spinach
  3. Hearty Southwest bean salad sandwich
  4. Gooey Sunday-at-home Monte Cristo sandwich
  5. Greek salad hot dogs (yep, that’s a thing)
  6. Super nourishing detox soup
  7. Cheesy vegan broccoli soup with a side of grilled cheese
Dinner
  1. Savoury Portobello mushroom burger with caramelized onions
  2. Spice lover’s buffalo cauliflower po’boy sandwich
  3. Comfort food now: the mac and cheese grilled cheese
  4. Light and healthy hemp and sweet potato burgers
  5. Classic mushroom French dip
  6. Cozy macaroni and cheese
  7. Oyster mushroom po’boy sandwiches
Snacks
  1. Fresh cut veggie sticks with caramelized garlic and onion hummus
  2. Homemade pickles, a twist on your favourite avocado toast
  3. Game-ready vegan mozzarella sticks
  4. Crackers or veggies with fresh edamame spread
  5. Savoury beans on toast, English style
  6. Eggless egg salad, on toast, on its own, or in lettuce wraps
  7. Who-cares-you’re-not-camping s’mores sandwich
Dessert
  1. Carrot cake bread pudding with freshly grated carrots and sweet pineapple
  2. Indulgent chocolate bread pudding cups
  3. Dreamy caramelized banana toast with a scoop of vegan ice cream
  4. Fresh fruit with a little side of chocolate fondue
  5. Apple pie grilled sandwich, a la mode, of course
  6. Chocolate mint French toast with a cup of peppermint tea
  7. Maple butter tarts with fresh fruit