Gluten Free Convenience Foods

I love to cook. I really, really enjoy my time in the kitchen. My roommates can all tell you that the thing I do when I'm stressed from a bad day at work or when I need to feel re-energized about life is cook. In fact, you can tell how stressed or burnt out I am by how much I make or how complicated the dishes are. If you ever see me attempting cinnamon rolls, I'm probably so far gone that you shouldn't even bother trying to get me to talk about it.

However, I understand that cooking a meal every night is simply not a reality for most people. Maybe it's because you don't enjoy the kitchen or you feel you can't cook (although I certainly hope that my blog is helping to make cooking more accessible to you). Maybe it's because you cook for one or two and simply don't need to cook every night. Or maybe, like me during the last couple of months, you're physically not able to be in the kitchen much. It could be because you are recovering from surgery, just had a baby, are having other health problems, etc.

The point is, we all have times that we need convenience foods. And gluten-free convenience foods can tricky. There aren't a lot of frozen dinners that are gluten free (none at my local grocery store the last time I checked), and fast food isn't a particularly healthy or safe option. Here are some of the foods that got me through my recent surgery and recovery and that I hope will inspire you to create your own go-to list of foods you can have ready if you aren't able to cook.

-Scrambled eggs are an excellent source of protein, are pretty easy to prepare, and you can add tons of vegetables, cheeses, even potatoes to get a more hearty or nutritious meal

-Cheese: pick your favorite type and form. I like string cheese. I also like to roll up sliced cheese and lunch meat

-Quesadillas: Always, always, always have corn tortillas and grated cheese on hand. If you need more protein, add lunch meat to the inside or eat it on the side. You can get as fancy as you want with this by added green onions or cilantro, guacamole or salsa, cubes of chicken or bacon crumbles, etc. 

-Lunch meat doesn't have to be part of a sandwich. I eat it plain on the side of something lacking protein, combine it with cheese as described above, throw it in with eggs, etc.

-Instant mashed potatoes were a total lifesaver for me. They are a comfort food, gentle on my stomach (which was protesting the pain meds), and easy to prepare.

-Grilled cheese sandwiches require a little planning (you have to have gluten free bread on hand) but they are easy to prepare otherwise. I keep a loaf of bread in the fridge for nights I need to pull out a quick dinner.

-Breakfast foods such as Van's frozen waffles, pancakes from Bisquick mix, cereal, or french toast (if you have bread on hand) can be quick and easy. They aren't the most balanced or nutritious, but if you have some fruit on hand and add in eggs or lunch meat you have a pretty decent meal.

-Make ahead freezer meals: This is one option I wish I had taken advantage of more when I had my surgery. Pinterest and recipe blogs have tons of recipes that you can prepare and throw in freezer bags in the freezer. Then, when you are ready, simply dump it into a crock pot and come back a few hours later to a fresh nutritious meal that takes almost no effort. Alternately, you could at least chop all the vegetables and have meats frozen in a marinade to make prep work really easy and save yourself at least part of the work in the kitchen.