My journey to healing autism

Gluten free and dairy free living

Follow me on instagram #gfdf_mum

My name is Sarah and I am mum to Alfie and Annabel. Alfie is considered to be on the autistic spectrum with Aspergers.

I got fed up with the limitations that society put on autistic people, and that, as a parent we have to accept that there is nothing we can do to improve the symptoms of autism.

My husband and I decided to take matters into our own hands and proactively work with Alfie to improve his well being. A major part of this has been to eliminate gluten and dairy from our lives. It's a journey which we are approaching as a family, and with this page, I hope to share some of my experiences and recipes with the aim of helping others in a similar boat.

Please understand that I am not a healthcare professional nor a specialist in Autism - I am just a regular mum who wants the best for her son.

Brownie bites

gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free with the added benefit of fruit and veg in the mix, what's not to like

Vegetable pasties

Lush little parcels of goodness which you can fill with whatever tickles your fancy - a great way to use up loose ends or add some extra sneaky veg into your kids meals

Bechamel sauce

This is one of the things I thought I would miss the most with going dairy free, but it turns out that you can make something just as good but entirely plant based and dairy free.

Vegan burger patties

I am so excited about this recipe, because I love a good burger and this one doesn't disappoint. This was my first real attempt at making a vegan substite for a firm favourite in our house.

Coconut jam tray bake

A quick to make, tray bake cake which the kids love!

Baked beans

We're not really a baked bean family - no one seems to like them... but these baked beans... ARE.THE.BOMB! Not only do they contain good ingredients and are free of excessive salts (and gluten, which is in some commercial baked beans - beware!), they are also a lovely as the star of the show for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Vegan seeded bread

When baking gluten free, you normally need to add eggs as a binder, but this recipe, is adapted to omit the eggs and it also happens to be my favourite at the moment

Parsley pesto

I have so much love for pesto because it's great stirred into pasta for a quick dinner, or added to a salad, sandwich, pizza or as a dip with crudites. Here's a lovely dairy free version which works well with most fresh herbs

Cashew cream cheese

A brilliant alternative to use in place of cheese in a sandwich, as a pizza topper, in pesto or even to make a creamy pasta sauce.

Almond milk

Creamy and smooth plant based milk. Commercial plant milks often have rice, oil, sugar and salt added to them, so why not try making you own, using only almonds and water!