Following the Diet in a College Dormitory, or Other Limited Setting?

If you are trying to follow the diet in a limited setting where you absolutely cannot cook, you don't have the money to eat out, and the only devices available are a microwave and refrigerator, you have probably found it to be a little difficult. Here are some ideas to help you.

Breakfast: You will have to give yourself about 15 minutes for breakfast in the morning, but if you do, you'll have several options available to you. Most or all of these you can find at any grocery store.
There are several cereals you may eat including: shredded wheat, corn flakes, rice krispies, Kashi 7 Whole Grain Honey Puffs, Organic Pumpkin Flax Plus Granola, and others. Just take a look around and read ingredient lists. If you don't find it in the original version, try the organic version or another brand to see if it is any better. Some are, some aren't.
You may also have plain instant oatmeal (instant oats) and flavor them with brown sugar and maple syrup, or cinnamon and sugar, or whatever you like. It's about as easy as making the already flavored packet, but tastes better and doesn't contain MSG.
And then there's the bagel and cream cheese, but let's try saving the cream cheese for dinner options. You can always put jelly on your bagel.
Fruit is always an excellent breakfast option, especially along with one of the other items mentioned above.

Lunch/dinner:
Tuna salad is easy to make with some mayonnaise, cut up apples, a little dry mustard, maybe a dash of garlic powder to spice if you wish. You can even add some vegetables.
Sunflower seed butter (you will have to purchase this at a health food store) and jelly sandwich.
Hormel minimally processed all-natural deli meats with lettuce, mayonnaise, tomato, whatever else you wish on bread.
Canned green beans or other vegetables microwaved with salt and butter, as long as they are just the vegetable without seasoning and are on the approved list.
Sunshine Burgers Original flavor (you will probably have to purchase this at a health food store)
Bell and Evans grilled Chicken Breasts (health food store)
Cucina Antica marinara, arabiata, puttanesca sauces to go over noodles from the dining hall. (health food store)
Some frozen french fries don't have other added ingredients. Check labels. Make sure they are microwaveable.
Imagine Organic Creamy Tomato or Creamy Butternut Squash soup. Add milk or water, and whatever toppings you wish. These do contain onion, but it is cooked in so it may not bother you as much. Use your discretion on this.
Steamfresh frozen vegetables in a bag, although it is never a good idea to microwave plastic, may be helpful to you in a desperate situation such as this.
Plain (unflavored) chips or crackers.

Dried fruit, seeds and cut up vegetables make excellent snacks.
Be sure to stay away from frozen dinners, even organic ones. Many of them still contain MSG aliases or other ingredients we should avoid (several in one meal).

Creamy sauce to pour over your chicken or noodles:
Combine 1 cup COLD chicken stock (not broth) and 2 tablespoons flour in a bowl. Stir with a fork until well blended and there are no lumps. Add 4 oz cream cheese (there are measuring lines on the package) and 1 teaspoon garlic salt to the bowl. Microwave on high until cream cheese is melted and sauce is hot. This doesn't take too many ingredients and will flavor your meat or noodles in a way you can't have anywhere else. You may also use just garlic salt on your chicken or burgers to season.

Have fun experimenting with different options and good luck!

Bread Stuffing

1/4 cup butter or olive oil
1 or 2 shallots, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
11 to 13 slices bread, cubed and dried on a cookie sheet in a 200 degree oven
1/2 tablespoon dried parsley, or 2 tablespoons fresh
1 tablespoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chicken or turkey STOCK

In a large pan, saute shallots and celery in butter until tender. In a large bowl mix bread cubes, parsley, sage, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add mixture to pan along with stock. Cook until at desired consistency.

Vegetarian Recipes

Whether you are looking for vegetarian recipes or just want more recipes to use on your headache-free journey, Helena Caffrey's new post has some information that might be invaluable to you.
Thanks for the post, Helena!

http://moremigrainefreecooking.blogspot.com/2010/10/vegetarian-recipes.html

Chili Beans substitute for cooking

1 can pink beans or pinto beans
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon shortening

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning. Add small amounts of water while cooking if needed.

Savory Rice

2 cups COLD chicken stock
4 teaspoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
1 1/2 cups instant rice

Stir chicken stock and flour together vigorously with a fork until smooth. Heat flour mixture and all remaining ingredients except rice in a saucepan to boiling. Stir in rice and cover. Remove from heat and let sit for five minutes. Uncover and stir. Rice may need to be cooked, stirring constantly, for a couple more minutes if there is any standing water. Do not cook too long as this will make the rice too dry. Remove from heat and let the rice soak up any remaining liquid. Serve and enjoy.

Easier version: Stir chicken stock and flour together as directed above, then combine all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl. Cook on high for 7 minutes. Let stand for two minutes, then serve.

"Soy" Sauce

1 cup beef stock (from preparing a beef roast in water)
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Stir all ingredients together in a bowl and cook with your favorite foods. Or, heat in a pan to mix flavors and chill for future use.

Hamburger Stroganoff

1/2 lb lean hamburger
2 shallots, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup COLD chicken stock
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 oz. neufchatel cheese or cream cheese
1 cup milk
7 oz. cooked egg noodles or spaghetti noodles, if desired

Brown hamburger, shallots, garlic, mushrooms, and olive oil together over medium heat in a large skillet until beef is browned. Drain. Stir chicken stock and flour together with a fork until smooth, then pour into skillet. Add spices and cream cheese. Stir until cream cheese is melted. Reduce heat to simmer and continue stirring for approximately three minutes. Add milk and heat until warm. Pour over noodles, if desired, and enjoy!

1 lb. beef round steak may be used instead of hamburger. Cut steak into bite size pieces and brown for approximately 6-8 minutes before adding the shallots, garlic, olive oil and mushrooms.