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Gluten-Free and Vegan Guide

We can’t say this enough. Calibrate is here to work with your life, not against it. This program isn’t about deprivation. Instead, it’s intended to help you do all the things you want to do in a way that supports, rather than sabotages, your metabolic health. 

Here, we’ve compiled some notes on how to fit Calibrate into a gluten-free or vegan diet (spoiler: it’s really easy). At the bottom, we’ve also included a sample menu that combines both approaches for some early inspiration (you’ll get many more ideas and recipes as the program progresses).

Gluten-free

If you’re gluten-free, good news! One of Calibrate’s main food goals is to decrease the amount of processed foods and simple carbs in your diet. Foods with gluten are a huge source of both of those things, so Calibrate is naturally oriented toward gluten-free eating. Below, we’ve provided a list of grains that fit into our food philosophy. Our list of Calibrate-friendly Food Finds, too, contains a range of gluten-free options that can be used on their own or in our recipes.

Grains 

  • Quinoa
  • Amaranth
  • Buckwheat
  • Millet
  • Brown rice, like short grain, long grain, jasmine and basmati
  • Cornmeal (look for a brand with a carb:fiber ratio of 10:1 or less)
  • Sorghum
  • Teff
  • Popcorn
  • Steel-cut oatmeal
  • Corn

Legumes

  • Chickpeas 
  • Lentils
  • Split peas
  • Beans, like black, pinto, white, edamame, navy, mung

Baking flours

  • Almond flour
  • Coconut flour
  • Buckwheat flour

Vegan

Calibrate’s food philosophy leans heavily on plant-based whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, olive oil, nuts, and avocado. In the Calibrate Food Triangle and on our list of Calibrate-friendly Food Finds, we include non-animal options for proteins, “milks,” etc. That said, we do include ingredients from animal sources in many of our recipes. However, we also have a wide (and growing) selection of vegan recipes (all labeled with a “v”).

Below, we’ve included a list of plant-based protein and fat sources (you’ll see some overlaps with nuts and seeds) that work especially well with Calibrate.

Good protein sources

Grains

  • Quinoa (serving: ½ cup cooked)
  • Brown rice (serving: ½ cup cooked)

Legumes

  • Lentils (serving: ½ cup cooked)
  • Beans and peas (serving: ½ cup cooked)
  • Hummus (serving: 2 Tbsp)
  • Peanut butter (serving: 2 Tbsp)

Soy 

  • Tempeh (serving: 3 oz. uncooked)
  • Tofu (serving: ½ cup)
  • Soybeans (serving: ½ cup cooked)

Vegetables 

  • Spinach (serving: 1 cup cooked)
  • Broccoli (serving: 1 cup cooked)
  • Kale (serving: 1 cup cooked)

Nuts/seeds 

  • Nut butter (serving: 2 Tbsp)
  • Nuts (serving 2-3 Tbsp)
  • Seeds, pumpkin (serving: 2 Tbsp)
  • Seeds, chia (serving: 2 Tbsp)
  • Seeds, flax (serving: 2 Tbsp)

Good unsaturated fat sources

  • Avocado (serving: ½) 
  • Nut butters like almond butter, cashew butter, peanut butter (serving: 2 Tbsp) 
  • Nuts like almonds, brazil, cashews, peanuts, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, pine nuts (serving: 2-3 Tbsp)
  • Seeds like ground flaxseed, sesame, pumpkin, sunflower (serving: 2 Tbsp)
  • Oil like olive, avocado, canola, grapeseed (serving: 1 Tbsp) 
  • Olives black and green (serving: 5-10) 
  • Tahini or sesame paste (serving: 1-2 Tbsp) 

Sample vegan/gluten-free meal ideas: 

Breakfast 

  • Oatmeal with 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ cup fortified non-dairy milk, 1 Tbsp flax meal, and ½ cup berries topped with 2 Tbsp chopped almonds 
  • Smoothie made with 1 banana, ½ cup berries, 1 cup spinach, 1 Tbsp ground flax meal, and 1 cup unsweetened fortified non-dairy milk
  • Tofu scramble with mixed vegetables, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 slice sprouted grain bread, and 1 cup fresh berries 
  • 1 slice of sprouted grain bread with ½ avocado smashed 
  • Chia seed pudding made with 3 Tbsp chia seeds, 1 cup unsweetened fortified non-dairy milk, ½ tsp vanilla extract, 2 tsp cacao powder, ½ mashed banana—stirred and allowed to soak overnight. Top with ½ cup fresh berries. 

Lunch

  • Homemade vegetable/bean burger in a collard green wrap with avocado and whole grain crackers 
  • Bean and grain bowl: 1 cup cooked leafy greens, ½ cup cooked quinoa or buckwheat, ½ cup cooked beans, 1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds, topped with ¼ avocado or lemon/tahini dressing 
  • Chickpea or lentil pasta primavera with veggies, beet greens and homemade tomato sauce 
  • Lentil soup and a side salad with olive oil and vinegar dressing 

Dinner

  • Red lentil pasta with sautéed mushrooms, garlic, onions, or vegetable of choice, green leafy vegetable and sprinkled with nutritional yeast 
  • Tofu stir-fry with ½ cup brown rice, red pepper, carrots, onions, including leafy green vegetables such as swiss chard
  • Baked tempeh served with sweet potato and roasted broccoli with toasted sunflower seeds 
  • Curried quinoa, chickpeas, and vegetables with swiss chard

Snacks 

  • Fresh fruit, vegetables, and nuts 
  • Non-dairy yogurt with mixed berries and chia seeds 
  • Apple with 1-2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter
  • Hummus mixed with 2 Tbsp flax meal, and whole grain crackers with ½ cup fresh berries 
  • Air popped popcorn sprinkled with nutritional yeast with a side of ½ cup berries.