PBJ – spread some peanut butter and some jam onto rice cakes, homemade biscuits, oatcakes, or even slices of apple. St Dalfour Sugar Free Fruit Spread and Meridian both make great sugar-free jam. You can also experiment with other nut butters such as cashew or hazelnut.

Fruity yogurt – make your own fruity yogurt by stirring some home made easy fruit sauce into some free-from yoghurt. Or add some stewed fruit.

Cereal bars – My favourites include Village Bakery Four Nut, Four Seed and Four Fruit bars. These are made without wheat, dairy, yeast and sucrose. There are loads out there to try, just make sure to check the label to make sure there suit your specific intolerances.

Ice cream – I’ve not tried it yet, but Miranda is a fan of Booja Booja ice cream which comes in variety of different flavours and is made from cashews, agave nectar and water.

Chocolate – Being a FussyFoodie doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy chocolate, there’s a huge range of different brands of free-from chocolate. My favourite sugar-free, dairy-free bar the moment is Plamil’s milk chocolate alternative. They produce an extensive range of dairy-free chocolate and chocolate spreads (and their egg-free mayo is also great!). If you are feeling a bit decadent, you can’t go far wrong with a Booja Booja truffle or two.

Raw chocolate is also a great choice. Raw chocolate is full of antioxidants, enzymes and vitamins. Again, there’s loads of different brands to try. I really enjoy Rawr chocolate’s ‘zest’ bar, which is has a lovely smooth orange-y taste and their ‘passion’ bar which is packed with goji berries and vanilla.

Carob is another good alternative to ‘normal’ chocolate and you can usually find a range of flavours in your local health food shop. You can also get carob powder to use in your baking.

If you don’t have any of these in the house, you can make a great chocolate milkshake with storecupboard ingredients. Pour some soy milk (or other free from milk) in a jar with a lid. Add a spoon of cocoa powder and a squidge of agave nectar, put on the lid and shake well.  You’llend up with little lumps of cocoa powder suspended in the milk but if you put it in the fridge for 10 minutes or so, it’ll all blend together. Give a final little shake and enjoy!

Hopefully the list above has given you some inspiration for what to grab if fancy something sweet that’s dairy free and not packed with added sugar! What other things do you reach for when your sweet-tooth strikes? Let us know in the comments section below!

Visiting farmer’s markets or going out for dinner were some of my favourite things to do and I felt that I would have to give them up. Suddenly many of the things that I liked to eat were no longer available to me and the thought of life without cheese, pizza, bread or chocolate was a difficult concept to comprehend.

Fussy Foodie friendly foods at Farmers Market

Having Multiple Food Intolerance’s made things even more difficult as often special free from foods only concentrated on one type of food intolerance and I would get frustrated at not being able to eat wheat-free bread that contained eggs or free-from pastry that contained butter.

However, over time, things became easier. Checking labels in supermarkets became second nature and I started keeping lists of specific products that were safe to eat to make things a bit quicker (although I was careful to give the ingredients a quick check each time I bought them in case the recipe had changed).

Over time, those lists have expanded to include free from recipes that I’ve liked and store cupboard items I’ve found and I have found the lists invaluable in providing with a quick reference and some inspiration when I’m tired but want to eat something other than hummous and oatcakes (not that there is anything wrong with them of course – I’d be lost without them.

If I was to start my life as a Fussy Foodie all over again, the very first thing I would do would be sit and write a list of all of the things that I could eat. They really helped me to switch focus from what I couldn’t eat and help me focus on the hundreds of things that I can eat instead. It has helped turn my food intolerances into a positive experience rather than a negative one and I find has made it a lot easier to stick to my diet. You can keep them however you prefer – in a notebook, on index cards or if you have a smartphone, you can download some notetaking software such as Catch or Evernote meaning you can access and add to your lists wherever you are!

Juicing has some great health benefits without requiring a huge effort or financial investment on your part. Juicers are pretty inexpensive now and you can choose from a whole range of delicious ingredients to create your drinks, including delicious fruits, yogurt and vegetables.

Juicing raw ingredients ensures that you are taking in a good number of antioxidants, nutrients, vitamins and fibre that are necessary for your immune system and your body`s repair systems. This means that you are preparing your body to fight off illness and helping it to recover faster, keeping you on your feet. The antioxidant ingredients are also known to help ease the aging process, keeping you looking and feeling young for longer.

Unlike eating the fruit and vegetables, consuming them in juiced form allows you to absorb more of the vital enzymes and enjoy greater health benefits from the ingredients. These enzymes can speed up your metabolism, meaning they are great for weight loss and weight management, alongside a healthy diet and exercise.

The symptoms of depression are thought by many researchers to be worsened by mineral deficiencies in many cases. Drinking freshly made juice on a regular basis allows your body to absorb some vital minerals, including calcium, folic acid, iron, magnesium and potassium, which can ease the symptoms of depression.

Drinking your own freshly prepared juices means that you can experiment with various recipes and design your own bespoke creations. Variety is the spice of life and juicing offers a great opportunity to try new fruits and vegetables in different combinations, each bringing their own health benefits.

Don`t be tempted to purchase ready made juices from shops as many of them have hidden added sugars and fats. They are often expensive too. Creating your own juices can save you plenty of money over time as the ingredients are relatively inexpensive. In the same way that bean to cup coffee machines use fresh ingredients to create a great quality, inexpensive coffee product at home, the end product of a juicer is less expensive than buying a juice from a shop. There is also a great feeling of satisfaction that you are consuming your own delicious creations. So get juicing!

I also suffer from this combination of food intolerance’s and when first being diagnosed it was a bit daunting as it rules out a number of food groups and also really changes the kind of products you can freely buy in a supermarket. The great news is there are lots of products out there for you to try its just a) knowing what’s out there and b) where to buy it.

For starters check out these two articles as they will give you a few pointers when you have multiple food intolerance’s:

• Newly Diagnosed Food Intolerances
• Multiple Food Intolerance Advise

Living Dairy Free

There are some fantastic alternatives for dairy including lots of great soya, rice and oat based products to replace milk and spreads.

For lots more advice on products and living dairy free, check out our dairy free articles including these:

• Soya and Health
• Bone Health and Dairy Free
• Vegan Diet Explained
• Lactose Intolerance
• Living Dairy Free

Yeast and Wheat Intolerance

Having a yeast and wheat intolerance as a rule means the end to bread as you may know it , as most bread on the supermarket contains both of these. However there is, believe it or not a life after bread.

Wheat and yeast can also be added to lots of other products, so if you buy any packaged products, especially cereals, bars and biscuits then check all the labels. It can be hard at first reading labels on everything but after a while you will get used to what you can and can’t have – and be excited to be on a new food journey of discovery, as there are lots of fantastic tasty products – most of which are healthier than the normal alternatives.

Lots of traditionally labelled free from food (especially gluten free) can be loaded with eggs, sugar, yeast and dairy so make sure you check the labels of all free from products – also in my experience especially with free from breads some can tasty pretty much of cardboard – you are actually better or looking for new products rather than replacements.

Gluten Free Flat Bread, Rye Bread and also baking yourself opens up lots of options for bready style alternatives – also you need to open up your cupboards to the likes of oat cakes and corn cakes as they can be a great filler when needed. Check out our Free From Bread section for lots more products and advice.

From  baking point of view there is some good news as Doves Free From Flour, general chickpea and rice flour are all fantastic for lots of recipes and as you can have sugar and eggs (very jealous)  in you diet you can pretty much make any cake simply replacing normal flour with a classic gluten free flour mix, you might want to look out for a gluten free baking as sometime people with yeast intolerance can react to anything that rises, so you might want to do a trial for example with some Free From Muffins.

Free From Products Online

Leaning what products you can have is the first step then working out where to buy them is the next, there are lots of fantastic websites, health food shops and even the supermarkets are getting better at providing Fussy Foodie friendly products.

Planet Organic – Planet Organic is a haven for nutritious, wholesome organic products including fruit & vegetables, confectionery, dried goods and beer & wine, as well as a range of organic health & well being and mother & baby products

Goodness Direct – Fantastic online health Food Shop

Living a life with a Dairy, Yeast and Wheat Intolerance is no doubt a challenge but the feel of health and well being you get will make it all worth it. Let us know how you get on and any products you find and enjoy,questions or help with specific recipes or product alternatives you need you know where to find us.

So far I know of two cases of other medical conditions that have had amazing results from treatment via Homeopathy, so I am intrigued to see if it can help me. I am going into this with a cynical, but open mind. I have had promises before of help and also now am 90% used to the food intolerance’s and related symptoms I have since following a restricted diet for  a number of years and also enjoying my time spent writing and researching for Fussy Foodie, however I would truly love to reduce the sensitivity of my food intolerance’s to enable life to be that little bit easier, especially when eating out.

I have had two cases in the last two weeks which have caused me discomfort even when sticking to my very restrictive diet (Sugar Free, Yeast Free, no gluten, no dairy or eggs). For example whilst at a family BBQ I partook in some simple chicken and salad (no dressing) – tasted great at the time but lasted about 10 mins inside my system, you don’t need the details but lets just say the food was in one end out the other. I have put this down to a season rub I since found was put on the chicken which had a small amount of sugar in, crazy that my body should have such a strong reaction – it would be great if my reaction could even just be reduced as it causes such discomfort.

One of the often unnoticed side effects of food intolerances is itching – and this last few days I have had some really annoying itches, mainly on my back,  and its starting to annoy me – this is what finally pushed me into giving homeopathy a go.

On looking into Food Intolerance and Homeopathy I found a great article by Stephen Malthouse on Homeopathy and Food Allergies…

“The homeopathic approach to food allergies may surprise some people: food allergies will completely disappear with proper treatment. This seems to be in contrast to the usual medical approach of eliminating the offending food or using digestive aids and then viewing the patient as cured.

Homeopathic treatment can help strengthen the immune system. After homeopathic treatment, if there is an accidental exposure, the chances of a severe reaction are reduced. In addition, acute homeopathic remedies, such as Apis mellifica for hives, can be added to the conventional treatment.

Homeopathy views food sensitivities (and allergies, too) as an expression of a disturbance in the patients energetic system. This system keeps all the tissues and organs as well as the emotions and intellectual apparatus functioning at optimum level. Under stress, the energetic system will cause certain symptoms, such as food intolerance’s or allergies, to appear. These symptoms are not a disease to be cured in themselves, but a reflection of an underlying, deeper malfunction…

Although homeopaths encourage proper diet and lifestyle, freedom to be able to eat just about anything is the goal of homeopathic treatment.

Constitutional treatment is similar to piecing together a giant jigsaw puzzle: each puzzle piece represents a symptom or characteristic of the patient. Symptoms can be mental, emotional or physical. The patients personality, desires and aversions, past medical history and family history must also be considered. Some puzzle pieces have been smudged by previous treatments, surgery or drugs. Some pieces are missing. A skilled homeopath can recognize the final picture and match it to the correct constitutional remedy.”

Read the full article here…

On the reverse there is a high profile anti homeopathy campaign; “10:23 – Homeopathy: there’s nothing in it”.

10:23 refers to the time at which campaigners across the globe took part in our ‘overdose’ stunt. On January 30th 2010, at 10:23am, over 400 of our supporters swallowed an entire bottle of homeopathic pills in an attempt to raise public awareness about the fact that these so-called remedies have no active ingredients.

There website has a barage of anti homeopathy information including…

“Why does homeopathy sometimes appear to work?

There are dozens of reasons why homeopathy may appear to work for some individuals.

For example, people will often confuse correlation with causation. The human body has a very robust and amazingly intricate immune system, which is capable of fending off all sorts of nasty things all on its own. When someone starts to feel better shortly after taking a homeopathic remedy, they might assume that the remedy has hastened their recovery. Actually, there is no good reason to believe these two events are related. They may have recovered just as quickly without the homeopathic intervention.

Another example is what are known as placebo effects. This is where an inert substance, such as a sugar pill, can be shown to improve the condition of a patient simply because the patient expects it to. Someone using homeopathy may start to feel better because they expect to feel better, not because the homeopathy has actually done anything to cure them.”

I am booked into see my recommended Homeopathist in a few weeks time and will let you know how things go, I will be taking up my food diary again so that I can really test to see any difference that can be made. At the end of my initial research into Food Intolerance and Homeopathy I remain skeptical but really intrigued to see what happens on my Food Intolerance and Homeopathy journey.

The Co-operative Food Stores have a great approach to food retail. They have strong ethics around food sourcing, the environment and supporting British farmers, as well as having a great understanding of health and the importance of a balanced diet which they promote through their green dot scheme, making their customers aware of the nutritional value of the food they are buying.

The great news about their approach to food is that a high proportion of their own brand range are fussy foodie friendly – no added sugars or salt, limited use of additives and preservatives. They also stock a good size range of products you would normally expect to find in a health food shop including Suma products and product ranges catering for free from diets.

My particular favourite is The Co-operative Truly Irresistable Apple Crush, a delicious and refreshing cloudy sparkling apple drink with no added sugar made from apples grown at Tillington Farm, Hereford - perfect to cool off on a summers day whilst basking in the park!

I have also found pasta sauces, pesto, dairy free chocolate and even ready meals that would suit a range of fussy foodie requirements.

As you can tell I am a massive fan of The Co-operative Food Stores. They are a bit of a hidden gem which I am determined to unveil as they deserve to be up there on everyones list of places to shop. Get down to your nearest store and check out The Co-operative Food Stores for yourself.

“I’ve recently been diagnosed with various food allergies and intolerance’s. During my research I found your website and I’d just like to say what a relief it is to meet other people who have a similar situation as myself.

The foods I am highly intolerant to include: yeast, wheat, all dairy products (including egg), sugar, all alcohol and all E numbers, to name but a few.

I also have environmental allergens including: all pollens, pollutants, sodium lauryl sulphate, to name but a few.

I was diagnosed this Saturday just gone, using an unusual method of testing (see: http://www.allergytest-london.co.uk/).

It seems very over-whelming as it’s both food and environmental allergens which I need to avoid. Being at university it is going to be a huge change on my lifestyle.

I was interested if you had any recipes which were quick – aka on the go so to speak? Also do you have any more information on Candida as I read on your website that you thought that you had that condition? Finally, I’m going to Tenerife on a fieldtrip mid-June, I’ve read your article about travelling abroad and it was very interesting. I just wanted to know what foods can you take abroad? and if you have been to either Tenerife or Spain, did you find any supermarkets which catered for your needs?

Thanks for making such a fantastic website, I intend to make your yeast, wheat, gluten and dairy free bread during the week (see Yeast Free Bread Recipe)!”

Newly Diagnosed Food Intolerance’s Advice

So from a foodie point of view your challenge is to avoid dairy, eggs, yeast, wheat and sugar (inc alcohol).

I have very similar food intolerance’s to you – dairy, eggs, yeast, gluten, sugar, some oily fish and cashew nuts – so I understand the challenges you face.

I would be really interested to hear more about why you decided to have a Food Intolerance Test e.g what symptoms led you to going in this direction and also more details regarding the tests that you had done. (On the Candida I will come back to you about this in separate message as it can make things a little more complex. I would be interested to hear about your journey a bit more which will then help me give you more details regarding my experiences.)

There are lots of recipes and articles on getting started on Fussy Foodie including a recent one I think you will find really beneficial: Multiple Food Intolerance Advise and also Food intolerance on holiday

Travelling with Food Intolerance

Travelling with food intolerances can be a real challenge especially when on a long haul flight as you will need to pack extra food. Airlines can cater for certain foodie requirements but the challenge of certain food intolerances makes it pretty impossible for them. Airlines however do have a couple of options you could take e.g

• Vegan which will be dairy free (see Vegan Diet Explained)
• Coeliac, therefore wheat free but you might find you have dairy in the meal.

With the airline meals I normally plump for vegan and then wing it a little as the coeliac options are often loaded with sugar and egg. Alternately, just go for the normal and see what there is available as there is normally a potato and vegetable option, however be careful as there might be a few things added that you don’t know about, so always pack a few snacks in your hand luggage just in case. The best solution is to eat before you get on the plane – Pret A Manage have stores in a few airports now and they have a few salad options that are great, including the No Salad Dressing and other tasty alternatives.

When travelling be flexible

I am a bit of a 100% er when it comes to my food intolerances, so plan ahead with lots of snacks e.g nuts and oat cakes, and take every opportunity to eat as food I can eat is not always on the menu.  Also most of the time we travel self catering – as the need to have variety and cook for yourself when on a restricted diet comes apparent after a few days.

The great news is Spain especially has loads of options and I have been to both Spain and Maderia recently and found a huge variety of products e.g soya milk, Gluten Free Pasta etc – enough options to keep me going. One good thing to pack is your cereal and a carton of soya long life milk (in your checked in bag) just in case, but most European countries I have been to have soya milk you just need to find a big supermarket.

Spanish food is very tomato and potato based and they tend to cook with olive oil and not butter which makes things a little easier.

In summary – pack lots of  snacks and eat when you can – and also take a list of food words e.g Dairy Free, Wheat Free, Yeast Free, No added sugar etc – this is really important if eating out and sometimes the only way to know if something is OK  for you is to ask.

Quick Recipes for Food Intolerance

I love cooking and previously had a pretty healthy diet which has always made things a little easier for me moving to a Free From way of life. The real challenge with this change of lifestyle is to see it as a positive and really embrace it, the negativaty that might come will only make the process harder. Keep checking to see if what you are doing is working for you – this isn’t an exact science and over and above everything its important to keep a balanced and healthy diet.

Keep it simple and health – lots of spices and herbs for added flavour.

Gluten Free Paste - with herbs, fresh peas, seeds and olive oil

Gluten Free Sausage with Lentils

1. Gluten Free Pasta – love this with Vegan Pesto, carrot and seeds (random I know) | tuna, olive oil, herbs and lemon | Gluten Free Sausages and ragu style sauce (home made – 5 mins to make)
2. Jacket potato – I have a new love for potatoes, after avoiding them for years, I have come to love them. So simple pop them in the oven and an hour or so later crispy heaven – dollop of  Dairy Free Spread, Tomato Pesto and some salad – delicious.
3. Summer salads got to love them – get in some frozen prawns – much cheaper frozen and fast to defrost for a quick meal – prawn salad with avocado is fantastic – and really filling too.
4. Soups – Making up a batch of soup is a great way to get efficient meals – give this recipe a try (see Spicy Squash Soup)- takes a bit more work that usual but its AAAmazing
5. Stews loaded with beans – Pick a weekend and cook a few stews – great for re heating and simple to make. I am into Moroccan stews at the moment  – next time I make one I will post a recipe for you to try.
6. Corn Wraps – Not a recipe but you can make lots with them – fellow Fussy Foodie Claire’s favourite – always takes a packet when away from home.
7. Fish Fish Fish – you gotta love fish – some fresh fish – squeeze of lemon with a few herbies under the grill – done. Load up with some salad or veggies and potatoes.
8. Platter- plate of your favourites things – houmous, guacamole, oat cakes,  Corn Thins, carrot / pepper/ cucumber sticks for dipping, maybe some ham (check for added extras), few mixed seeds – delicious.

Mini platter on the move

Few more recipe ideas and ingredients to get you started:

Sophie I hope this give you some ideas – let us know how you get on with your Newly Diagnosed Food Intolerances.

I am getting hungry just thinking about it – Rick Stein is a food genius. The book its self is packed full with recipes from Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia and runs alongside the TV show, which if you havent seen is def worth a look too, it will really give you some inspiration to get cooking.

A couple of substitutes to bear in mind for food intolerance’s: Agave Nectar (good when a little sugar is required), and check out Wheat Free Soya Sauce. If you want help tweaking any of the recieps to be friendly for you let me know which recipe you want to give a try and I will send over some tips.

“Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey is an epic culinary journey along rivers, through jungles and around coastlines. Along the way, Rick visits traditional family-run restaurants, street vendors, floating markets, night markets, fishing villages, and the local cinnamon and rice farmers to learn about the authentic food of the Far East, and to sample the delicious spectrum of exotic flavours.

In Vietnam he tracks down the best recipe for pho, a searing soup of vegetables, shrimp, chilli and fresh mint; in Cambodia he makes kroeung, a kind of aromatic curry; and he samples jhol, a light fish stew, in Bangladesh. Travelling on through Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia, he’ll enjoy (and show us how to make) an array of inspired dishes.”

Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey is currently on offer at amazon for less than £15…

Watch this space for my take on Rick Stein Far Eastern Odyssey recipes including how to make Thai satay sticks with peanut sauce Fussy Foodie style- which are my BBQ favorite.

This morning I had a email from Annabelle who is new to Fussy Foodie and in need of some inspiration, so I thought I would share my thoughts:

“Two weeks ago I was informed I have a cow’s milk and yeast intolerance. I spoke to a nutritionist and she told me the foods and she said I should follow a wheat free diet to make things easier, but she also mentioned about following a gluten free diet. Dairy is easier to follow as a lot of things state if they contain milk, yeast is the hardest though and what with trying to following a gluten and wheat free diet too I am just about had enough of all of this and not eating much as a result. I have tried a few cereals which are fine but I am not sure how to actually make meal or recipes and have nice things instead of the boring rice cakes that seem to be around. It’s all so stressful. If you could give me any advise / recipe which I would be able to eat it would be very much appreciated.” Annabelle

OK so your challenge is to avoid cow’s milk, yeast, and gluten (including wheat).

I too have similar intolerance’s – dairy, eggs, yeast, gluten, sugar, some oily fish and cashew nuts. I am very jealous you can have eggs as this opens up a lot of doors on the baking front.

The combination of no dairy, yeast and gluten is what makes things a little more tricky and I understand why this has seemed so daunting.

Breakfast Ideas

Breakfast I think is always the easy part of the day – especially when you are at home and have all your kit with you – there is a fantastic range of alternative milks including soya milk, rice milk and oatly milk to name but a few. I actually like a combo of two either oatly and rice or soya and rice – just makes things a little more tasty.
NB. Make sure with any alternative milk they are fortified so you get the daily dose of calcium you might avoid from not having cows milk (see Bone Health & Dairty Free)

Just a few cereals to mention in case you do need some inspiration: assuming you are not a coeliac,  oats (the best: Jordans Porridge Oats) are all good and a really important part of your diet, puffed rice cereal and special gluten free cornflakes are also must have classics. For a special treat try out these Egg Free Pancakes (rice flour and gram (chickpea) flour a must for the cupboard).

No More Bread – What Now?

I am not a rice cake fan – they are too airy and don’t taste that great either, a fantastic alternative are Corn Thins, they crisper and more tasty and also must have are oat cakes (Nairns variety are best as they don’t have anything else added – some other varieties have wheat so watch out for this – the Herb Oatcakes are particular tasty).

I am assuming at this stage you are craving for bread (see Free From Bread) -  I have done lots of different experiments with bread. I think the important thing with bread is that you have to really give it up and then replace it with the new style of bread you can have else you will always compare and never be satisfied. I actually find myself walking down the bread aisle just to smell it, and believe it or not it gives me the satisfaction without having to eat it. On a more positive bready note these gluten free flat breads (Fussy Foodie creation) could help you out and are my fav. Once you have made a couple of batches they are easy to make and great for lunch, with curries and my favourite at the moment Moroccan style stews (recipe coming soon).

Food Processor – Must Have Gadget

On a random note a must have gadget is a food processor – without it lots of recipes you just cant make – so if possible invest in a good one. Mine gave up the ghost last night, was so sad, but also excited at the thought of a new and improved Magimix (anyway enough of my food processor geekiness).

Food Ideas

Back to the food… so no gluten or wheat means no normal pasta – however good news on pasta is there are loads of alternatives (see Gluten Free Pasta) and I actually think they taste better too and much easier to digest. Look out in the free from aisle of supermarkets for free from pasta – can be made from rice flours, corn, vegetables or buckwheat (see Buckwheat – Gluten Free?). The free from pasta come in all shapes and sizes from tubes, to lasagna sheets to spaghetti.

Rice is a must have and also I have come to love the joys of potatoes the last few years and they have now become more of a regular on my menu – a jacket potato is a good lunch alternative.

More food ideas…

• Look out for Gluten Free Sausages – as they rock!  If you are cooking for other people they wont notice any difference and with the weather we are having it’s great to get a few in for a must have summer BBQ (see Barbecuing with Food Intolerances).
• Gluten Free Burger – taste so much better and easy to make and healthier too
• Hummus is a staple on my lunch menu and if you are into chickpeas try these – Healthy Falafel
• Curries are great for Fussy Foodies – just make sure if eating out its cooked in oil and not ghee and check for dairy in any of the recipes (e.g cream). Onion bhaji are normally just made with gram flour and poppadoms are made from lentil flour too – so can all be tucked in to.
• I love Thai and this book is awesome -  Rick Stein Far Eastern Odyssey with some small tweaks most recipes are easily Fussy Foodie friendly (if you are avoiding sugar just watch out for this if you are eating out as Thai can be heavy on the sugar) -  well worth investing in
• I rarely use butter in my cooking but when I do I use Soya Pure: Dairy free spread, no one notices any difference (well that’s what they tell me anyway) and they also now do a sunflower version that is friendly too.

OK I think that’s enough thoughts to get you started – I promise it will get easier. If you let me know some typical meals that you cook and are now struggling with and the kind of foods you are missing I will see how else I can help. Also if you need some sweet ideas come back to me as I have focused on the savoury to get you started.  Let us know how you get on.

I think this might be just what I have been looking for – they have a number of recipe file designs for sale at Strawberry Fool.