Meal Planning Made Easy

When I first went gluten and dairy-free (via the elimination diet) 5 years ago, it was incredibly difficult to find high quality and delicious recipes. I must have taken out over 20 books from my local library and scoured the recipes for ones that seemed easy to create! Because food allergies seem to be much more common today, I wanted to share with you some of my favourite cookbooks out on the market. They make meal planning so easy and make my stomach incredibly happy!

Minimalist Baker (Vegan)

I love this book (and website) because the recipes are usually 10 ingredients or less, and the majority of recipes are gluten-free. While I primarily follow the paleo diet, I love that they give you vegetable-based recipes that go beyond the traditional salad. I have to admit, the dessert section is my favourite and many of their recipes have been a hit in my house!

Some of my favourite recipes: Coconut Cream Pie (husband approved!) and Rainbow Spring Rolls (please make this ASAP).

Oh She Glows (Vegan)

This was one of my go-to resources when I initially went gluten and dairy-free. I especially love this website because the founder, Angela, is from Ontario and uses ingredients that are incredibly easy to find in store. I have the cookbook (linked above) and think it's a great tool - my only hesitation is that some of the desserts require many ingredients, which can be rather costly. I tend to avoid most of the desserts and see if I can source them from elsewhere (like the Minimalist Baker).

Some of my favourite recipes: Big Vegan Bowl, Banana Bread Muffin Tops (brother approved!) and Pink Power Detox Smoothie (my favourite smoothie EVER).

Against All Grain (Paleo)

This book started my foray into the paleo diet. I really took to adopting a mostly paleo lifestyle (I won't give up my peanut butter and hummus!) because it encompasses the gluten and dairy-free restrictions. I started using this book specifically to get breakfast ideas that went beyond the typical (yet delicious) eggs and bacon.

Some of my favourite recipes: Zucchini Noodles and Baked Garlic Mushroom Chicken (I'm embarrassed to admit that this was the first time that I considered using my Vitamix to make a savoury sauce)

Practical Paleo (Paleo)I love lists and tear outs - and this book has them both! Besides those, this book is organized into sections targeting specific health conditions and which recipes you should eat based on those. While I didn't follow any recipe in particular, I appreciated the introduction section explaining the paleo diet and the recipes were pretty delicious too! I have to admit that I don't use this book as often - however will often recommend that my clients download the handouts to better understand the diet.The Grilling Book (No special diet)

I originally bought this book for my husband specifically for summer grilling. However, having a stove with a grill inset was quite fortuitous and we've been finding ourselves referencing this book year round. While this book doesn't accommodate for any dietary restrictions, most grilling recipes don't call for flour or dairy. I also usually swap ingredients to make the recipes a bit healthier (ie. coconut sugar for brown sugar).

Your turn! Did I miss any cookbooks? Share your favourites in the post below!