Wow! Thank you! I started this thread just shy of a year ago; and found that there was little interest; so, didn't pursue it. I received one PM response that suggested that I might be looking in the wrong direction for a healthy diet.
Yes, I use rice and do eat beans a couple times a week. However I am back on meat as my
vegan doctor told me that she had found that a meat-based diet would be better for me. I decided to mix the two by eating vegan a couple times a week. Also, I keep my eyes open to new ideas and recipes that lend themselves to camp cooking.
I have found some good dairy substitutes, using mostly almond milk,
Earth Balance margarines, and
Daiya dairy-free cheeses. I have even found a substitute for nonfat dry milk, a product called
DairiFree. I have even cooked for others, using my newly found skills and have gotten rave reviews. (Good friends will take the chance, even if they think it might be a disaster...it isn't.) Guests especially like an easy egg casserole that I make, using potatoes O'Brien, sausage, eggs, and slices of chopped Daiya cheddar. (It should be noted that Daiya cheeses do not have as much protein as dairy cheeses; so, are more of a flavor enhancer.) I make what I think is a spectacular gluten-free, dairy-free pizza that is so good, it is nearly impossible to eat just one piece.
Below was my first attempt at a no real cheese pizza. Look! No Dairy ...and it melts!
At first, I was in a quandary about visiting friends and relatives or even going to potlucks. People don't seem to realize that butter and most margarines contain dairy. They also don't realize that just switching spoons from one dish to another can contaminate a gluten free/dairy free dish, causing someone to get sick. However, what I found was that, if someone has a food intolerance, it is perfectly okay to bring your own food or even bring dehydrated food as most everyone has hot water available to reconstitute with. After all, you can make most anything that is on the potluck table to suit your own dietary limitations. For people with food intolerances, the potluck experience becomes more about the people and less about the food.
It's been a long year of learning, getting sick, and learning some more; but, yes, there is life after gluten and/or dairy are removed from the diet...better health, too!