Going lectin-free can be a big adjustment, for both your family’s health and your household budget. After all, some of the most common and affordable pantry staples are high in dietary lectins. These include nightshade vegetables (such as white potatoes and eggplants), beans and legumes (especially red kidney beans) and wheat and grains.¹

But eating lectin-free doesn’t have to break the bank. If you’re searching for some tasty, affordable, lectin-free recipes, look no further. Not only will these dishes taste great, but they will benefit your health and keep your gut happy. Check out our approved lectin free diet foods list for more info.

Why Lectin-Free Recipes Could Be Beneficial To Your Health

The benefits are worth the challenge of finding creative lectin-free substitutes for certain foods. Research has shown that lectins can inhibit the way your body absorbs and processes nutrients from the foods you eat, while causing digestive issues in the process.² Going lectin-free is a valuable investment in your family’s long-term health, and you don’t have to break the bank to do it. There are many lectin-free recipes that are big on flavor but won’t put a dent in your budget. Here are a few you can put in the weekly rotation.

Lectin-Free Brazilian Cheesy Bread

Brazilian cheese bread is a popular restaurant appetizer, and this recipe won’t disappoint.

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk of choice (goat’s milk, casein A2 milk, or unsweetened coconut cream or milk)
• ½ cup avocado oil
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 cups cassava flour
• 2 pastured eggs or vegan eggs
• 1 cup nutritional yeast or grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 450°F. Prepare two baking sheets and line them with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. In a small pot over medium heat, bring milk, oil, and salt to a simmer. Remove from heat before large bubbles form.
2. Quickly stir in cassava flour and mix well until a stretchy mass forms. Use a wooden spoon for best results.
3. Transfer the dough into the mixing bowl of your stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment on medium speed to beat the dough until it becomes smooth and glossy (like bread dough). Keep beating until it cools down enough to be handled.
4. Keeping the mixer on, add eggs one at a time (beating well and scraping down sides of bowl in between).
5. Next, mix in cheese. Once everything is well-incorporated, turn mixer off.
6. Scoop small, evenly-sized portions onto the baking sheet using an ice cream scooper. If you find the dough sticking to your scooper, dip it in warm water to loosen the excess dough.
7. Pop baking sheets into oven, reduce heat to 350 F, and bake for about 15 minutes. Rotate the trays and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until bread rolls are golden.
8. Cool slightly before serving. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Pizza is a family favorite, and there’s no need to give it up. The lectin-free secret lies in making your own tasty crust and sauce. And cauliflower is one of the greatest lectin-free multitaskers.

Ingredients

For the cauliflower flour

• 3 medium heads of cauliflower (leaves removed)
• ¾ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 ½ tsp onion powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the cauliflower pizza crust

• Coconut oil (for greasing the sheet you’ll be baking the crust in)
• 2 ½ cups cauliflower flour
• ¼ cup almond flour
• 2 Tbsp. tapioca flour
• 1 cup shredded buffalo mozzarella cheese
• 1 ½ pastured eggs or vegan eggs

Instructions

1. First, make the cauliflower flour base. Add the cauliflower to a food processor and blitz until it reaches a fine consistency. Transfer processed cauliflower to a clean kitchen towel and wring out, draining as much liquid as you can from it.
2. Then, transfer to a heat-safe bowl and microwave for 15-second intervals until cauliflower comes out dry. Pass pulp through another clean kitchen towel to wring out more excess water.
3. Spread cauliflower on a lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, watching closely to make sure cauliflower pulp doesn’t burn.
4. Once pulp reduces in volume by half, transfer to another bowl and stir in cheese and seasonings. Set aside to cool completely and store in an airtight container.
5. To make the pizza crust, preheat the oven to 300°F. Grease a lined baking tray with a tablespoon or two of coconut oil.
6. Dump all the crust ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Using your hands, mix everything until well-combined.
7. Split the resulting dough evenly into two balls. With greased hands, knead each ball into a flat crust about 8 inches wide.
8. Place gently on baking trays
9. Bake pizza crusts for about 15 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through to ensure even cooking.
10. Remove from oven and top with Gundry Diet-approved pizza toppings (try more cheese and chopped mushrooms), before baking again until the edges are crisp and serving.

Pressure Cooker Marinara Sauce

It’s the ideal complement to your cauliflower pizza crust, but this versatile sauce pairs perfectly with pasta, too. By peeling, deseeding and pressure cooking tomatoes, you can reduce their lectin content dramatically. Try this pressure cooker recipe for a delicious Gundry-approved marinara sauce.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 lbs tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and chopped (about 9 1/2 cups — canned ok)
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup water (optional, see note)
• 3 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder, unsweetened (cuts acidity and adds complexity. You won’t notice it)
• 2 tsp basil, dried
• 2 1/2 tbsp italian seasoning
• 2 tsp oregano, dried
• 2 tbsp parsley flakes, dried

Instructions

1. Before you begin the cooking process, peel and deseed the tomatoes. Have all of your veggies chopped & ingredients measured and ready to go.
2. Turn the pressure cooker on the sauté setting. When the pot is hot, add in the olive oil. Don’t add the oil to a cold pot. Then add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until turning translucent.
3. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds.
4. Add the tomatoes and stir.
5. Add the red wine, salt, pepper, cocoa powder, basil, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, oregano, and parsley flakes. Stir well to combine.
6. You will not have to add any additional liquid as the red wine and juice from the tomatoes is plenty to get the pot to pressure.
7. Close the lid and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position. Then press the Pressure Cook (or Manual) button or dial to select 25 minutes.
8. After the cook cycle is finished, turn the pot off. Then leave it to naturally release the pressure until the pin in the lid drops down. Then open the lid and give the sauce a stir. Careful of the hot sauce splattering, so stir slowly!
9. Taste, and if the sauce is too acidic, you can add in a teaspoon of baking soda. Stir it in and let it sit awhile. Then taste and adjust as necessary.
10. Let the sauce cool, then use an immersion blender, food processor, or blender to puree it nice and smooth. It is best to do this when the sauce has cooled.
11. Transfer the sauce to jars with lids and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can freeze it as well.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

There’s always room for a little lectin-free (and gluten-free) indulgence.

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole roasted hazelnuts or 1 cup 100% hazelnut butter
• 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp. Stevia
• 2 pastured eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp. sea salt
• ½ cup unsweetened, all-natural cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsps.coconut flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3 oz. chopped dark chocolate

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, add nut butter. If using whole nuts, blitz first in a food processor until you achieve peanut butter consistency. You can also try macadamia nuts for this recipe.
2. Add olive oil, Stevia, and eggs to nut butter, and stir to combine.
3. Sift in dry ingredients (sea salt, flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda). Stir until well-incorporated.
4. Mix in chopped chocolate, then using your hands, form mixture into bite-sized balls.
5. Drop into a parchment-lined sheet and bake at 325°F for 5 minutes. Flatten tops of cookies if you want them to spread out a little more, then bake 5-7 minutes more or until firm.

Happy Lectin-Free Cooking

As you can see, you can make delicious, versatile, and budget-friendly dishes and treats without lectin. You don’t have to include beans, potatoes, or other lectin-heavy foods in what you’re making. There’s no reason why you and your family can’t enjoy lectin-free meals every night of the week.

1 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-high-in-lectins#1 2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15302522