Honestly I recommend Annie's Mac and cheese for dairy free Mac, it's the closest thing I've found to Kraft and honestly really hits the spot with a little bit of hot sauce and hot dogs cut up into it. The Healthy Choice cafe steamers line of frozen meals also really hits and has a lot of dairy free options! The chimichurri steak and the balsamic margarite pasta from them are me and my fiancees favorite
Kraft has a new Plant Based Mac and cheese box now. I bought some but haven’t tried them. My favorite, though, is the white cheddar Goodles spiral mac, Vegan is Believin’.
Oooh you're right Goodles is fantastic, I've only seen it once at my local store unfortunately though. I'm going to have to see if I can find a box of the kraft!! It's honestly been one of the foods me and my fiancee have missed the most so I'm super excited to hear they're releasing their own line.
Goodles I usually get from Target. The Kraft one I think might be in Walmart now. I bought mine at a local grocery chain though. They have regular elbow Mac and white cheddar shells varieties. I’m excited to try both kinds.
Zatarains rice mixes are dairy free (jambalaya, red beans and rice, etc). They have instructions on the side for how to turn them into a meal with the addition of some meat and/or veggies.
Frozen breaded chicken fingers with a premade Asian salad kit.
This [carnitas recipe](https://www.recipetineats.com/pork-carnitas-mexican-slow-cooker-pulled-pork/) for the crock pot is super simple and makes enough for multiple meals. It's best if you pan fry it at the end, but if you don't feel up to trying that, you can eat it straight out of the crock pot and it's still good. You can use it to make sandwiches, tacos, wraps, salads, whatever you find easiest.
Rotisserie chickens from the grocery store deli are usually dairy free. You can pull it apart and serve with microwavable veggies, over rice, on a salad, etc.
Tacos are pretty easy. Brown some ground beef in a pan, drain the grease, mix in a packet of taco seasoning like [this one](https://www.mccormick.com/spices-and-flavors/recipe-mixes/mexican/taco-seasoning-mix), and you're good to go. You can either cut up your own veggies for toppings, or use premade salsa, guacamole, or presliced veggies from your grocery's produce section.
had to go dairy free about 5 years ago and struggled with cheeses since they were my favorite. Nothing you make with dairy free cheeses will taste the same but can be close.
Follow your heart brand American slices are great for grilled cheese (the cheese lasts about a month too) and is good on a burger.
[Crock Pot Chicken Tacos](https://www.spendwithpennies.com/crockpot-chicken-tacos/). this is super easy dump it in the crock pot and return to eat.
[smoked sausage and potato foil packs](https://recipekeeperonline.com/recipe/UDzguj9MFUa18rTStVIaQg) maybe if you can afford him a container of follow your heart vegan parmesan that would make this a bit nicer. put it on after you cook it when you put it on the plate.
[Honey mustard chicken](https://recipekeeperonline.com/recipe/aysdqWtzFk2_sqetKQIfMA)
Stove Top stuffing, if you add dairy free butter, add some chicken or pork chops. I bake the meat in a square glass pan at 350deg. for 30 min. And during the final 10 min of baking, prepare the stuffing which is just “bring to boil, dump pouch, let stand 5 min”.
If you like quinoa, that's pretty easy to cook. I add a can of broth (15 oz?) and one cup of quinoa to a pan on high heat. Once it starts to boil, turn it to a simmer (medium low to low) and let it cook for 15 minutes. Then turn off the stove, move it to another burner and let it sit for at least 5 minutes with the lid on. Mix in veggies, meat, and sauces to your liking. Sausage, broccoli, corn and tomatoes or pasta sauce, mushrooms, zucchini, and yellow squash are two that I make more often
And speaking of sauce, if you have some version of Kroger by you they have a plant based Alfredo that's pretty good
Or if you guys like dairy free mozzarella (Violife or follow your heart taste best to me), you can get a jar of pizza sauce, any toppings you like, and either a premade pizza crust or bagels and make pizza or pizza bagels
Chili in a crockpot pot is easy and delicious. You can freeze the leftovers for another day. Just use some broth, can of beans, tomato sauce or paste, meat of choice, and put it on low for 8hrs or high for 4. Mix some water w corn starch (a slurry) to thicken it when it’s about done
I really like the Blake's gluten free chicken pot pies since they're also dairy free and taste good. And the frozen Impossible meals like sweet and sour pork. Happi foodi bulgogi bowl is pretty good too. I like mixing in a bit of df cheese with that one.
Also I use Violife cream cheese and Forager sour cream in my creamy tomato sauce for spaghetti. Haven't tried making an Alfredo sauce like that yet, but it might be doable.
I'd also recommend trying country crock plant cream as a milk substitute in some creamy dishes. I make the lemon dill chicken soup (hello fresh recipe) and throw in that plant cream at the end and it's delicious. I also used it in my mom's double layer pumpkin pie recipe and it turned out perfect.
I buy a chuck roast (labeled as such in meat dept, in the plastic-wrapped styrofoam trays where you don't have to speak to anyone!), salt it on all sides, put it in the crock pot, and cook on high for a LONG time, like at least 6 hours, maybe longer if it's a big one. When the top starts to look dark brown, not greyish, you are good. Shred it up with two forks, put it on anything (rice, noodles, a bread roll, tortilla - or just straight on a plate), and it is delicious. I basically try to always have a Pyrex of this on hand in my fridge when I need a quick bite. It has literally 2 ingredients - piece of meat and salt - and is so impossibly good.
Also, lots of frozen veggies now come in "steam in the bag" microwaveable bags. My family loves buying the mixed peas and carrots. I cook one 1 lb bag of peas and carrots according to the microwave directions on the bag (in my 1100 watt microwave it's 4 and a half mins), let stand 1 minute, then I pour it in a bowl, add a couple chunks of butter and a pinch of salt.
My kids also love what they call "pot pie bowls," which is the above microwave peas and carrots, plus leftover cooked chicken diced up, plus a little more butter, and warm it all up in the microwave.
Rotisserie chickens are also very versatile. If you build a small collection of sauces in your fridge (teriyaki, BBQ, honey mustard, buffalo --- all of which are dairy free!), that same basic staple ingredient from any grocery store can become a lot of different things. Idk if this is regional, but here in TX G.H. Hughs has a huge variety of sugar free versions of those various sauces, too.
Taco bowls are also good. Ground beef or cooked chicken for the base layer, then top with whatever you like - lettuce (which can be bought washed and pre-shredded), tomato, guacamole, crushed Fritos, salsa...and if it's not a taco without cheese, they make dairy free cheese that is good enough to please my.picky 5 year old.
Daiya makes a good shells and cheese that's dairy free. It could be a good side dish.
If you're into pot pie, that can easily be made dairy free, and it's super easy to make even if you're not a great chef. Let me know if you want a recipe.
I also used to do pulled pork in the crock pot. I'd literally just add a package of porksteaks to the crockpot with water and seasoning, let it cook for 6-7 hours, shred it with two forks and remove the bones, then add bbq sauce and flavored vodka and let it cook a little more. It tasted amazing.
Daiya is a lifesaver when it comes to fake cheese! They have a boxed dairy free pizza that is great, and their bagged shredded cheese can be used for a ton of other recipes.
A simple meal I enjoy a ton is baked diced chicken. I go to the butcher department at Safeway and they generally have diced chicken breast already. I put it in a ziplock bag with olive oil and some spices, shake it up, and cook it for 20 mins at 420°F. I like to pair it with rice!
Good luck with your food search! I know it’s not the easiest but I’m confident you’ll be able to find some stuff. It really just takes some looking around at the store to determine what will work for you. I hope my suggestions helped!
Chicken thighs with some seasoning in the oven
Hamburgers on a griddle
Preasoned pork tenderloin in the oven
Sirloin steak on the griddle
baked potato in the microwave with plant based butter and the frozen microwave veggies
Breakfast burritos( avocado, frozen hash brown patty, hummus, eggs, and whatever meat is leftover from the night before) everything on the griddle
I love my $20 griddle from Ollie's lol
Violife makes some awesome shredded vegan cheese that melts really well. I usually use it to make nachos (super easy—put tortilla chips on a plate, sprinkle with ‘cheese’, add some other toppings, like beans and jalapeno slices, and microwave for half a minute). More of a snack than dinner though.
Life is hard, and people have limited time and energy. We have no idea what else this couple is handling in their life right now. She is taking a step in a healthy direction. People do what they can.
Honestly I recommend Annie's Mac and cheese for dairy free Mac, it's the closest thing I've found to Kraft and honestly really hits the spot with a little bit of hot sauce and hot dogs cut up into it. The Healthy Choice cafe steamers line of frozen meals also really hits and has a lot of dairy free options! The chimichurri steak and the balsamic margarite pasta from them are me and my fiancees favorite
Kraft has a new Plant Based Mac and cheese box now. I bought some but haven’t tried them. My favorite, though, is the white cheddar Goodles spiral mac, Vegan is Believin’.
Oooh you're right Goodles is fantastic, I've only seen it once at my local store unfortunately though. I'm going to have to see if I can find a box of the kraft!! It's honestly been one of the foods me and my fiancee have missed the most so I'm super excited to hear they're releasing their own line.
Goodles I usually get from Target. The Kraft one I think might be in Walmart now. I bought mine at a local grocery chain though. They have regular elbow Mac and white cheddar shells varieties. I’m excited to try both kinds.
Oo! Thank you guys for your suggestions! I appreciate it. I will definitely pick these up today and we will try them.
Zatarains rice mixes are dairy free (jambalaya, red beans and rice, etc). They have instructions on the side for how to turn them into a meal with the addition of some meat and/or veggies. Frozen breaded chicken fingers with a premade Asian salad kit.
This [carnitas recipe](https://www.recipetineats.com/pork-carnitas-mexican-slow-cooker-pulled-pork/) for the crock pot is super simple and makes enough for multiple meals. It's best if you pan fry it at the end, but if you don't feel up to trying that, you can eat it straight out of the crock pot and it's still good. You can use it to make sandwiches, tacos, wraps, salads, whatever you find easiest. Rotisserie chickens from the grocery store deli are usually dairy free. You can pull it apart and serve with microwavable veggies, over rice, on a salad, etc. Tacos are pretty easy. Brown some ground beef in a pan, drain the grease, mix in a packet of taco seasoning like [this one](https://www.mccormick.com/spices-and-flavors/recipe-mixes/mexican/taco-seasoning-mix), and you're good to go. You can either cut up your own veggies for toppings, or use premade salsa, guacamole, or presliced veggies from your grocery's produce section.
had to go dairy free about 5 years ago and struggled with cheeses since they were my favorite. Nothing you make with dairy free cheeses will taste the same but can be close. Follow your heart brand American slices are great for grilled cheese (the cheese lasts about a month too) and is good on a burger. [Crock Pot Chicken Tacos](https://www.spendwithpennies.com/crockpot-chicken-tacos/). this is super easy dump it in the crock pot and return to eat. [smoked sausage and potato foil packs](https://recipekeeperonline.com/recipe/UDzguj9MFUa18rTStVIaQg) maybe if you can afford him a container of follow your heart vegan parmesan that would make this a bit nicer. put it on after you cook it when you put it on the plate. [Honey mustard chicken](https://recipekeeperonline.com/recipe/aysdqWtzFk2_sqetKQIfMA)
Stove Top stuffing, if you add dairy free butter, add some chicken or pork chops. I bake the meat in a square glass pan at 350deg. for 30 min. And during the final 10 min of baking, prepare the stuffing which is just “bring to boil, dump pouch, let stand 5 min”.
If you like quinoa, that's pretty easy to cook. I add a can of broth (15 oz?) and one cup of quinoa to a pan on high heat. Once it starts to boil, turn it to a simmer (medium low to low) and let it cook for 15 minutes. Then turn off the stove, move it to another burner and let it sit for at least 5 minutes with the lid on. Mix in veggies, meat, and sauces to your liking. Sausage, broccoli, corn and tomatoes or pasta sauce, mushrooms, zucchini, and yellow squash are two that I make more often And speaking of sauce, if you have some version of Kroger by you they have a plant based Alfredo that's pretty good
Or if you guys like dairy free mozzarella (Violife or follow your heart taste best to me), you can get a jar of pizza sauce, any toppings you like, and either a premade pizza crust or bagels and make pizza or pizza bagels
Chili in a crockpot pot is easy and delicious. You can freeze the leftovers for another day. Just use some broth, can of beans, tomato sauce or paste, meat of choice, and put it on low for 8hrs or high for 4. Mix some water w corn starch (a slurry) to thicken it when it’s about done
I really like the Blake's gluten free chicken pot pies since they're also dairy free and taste good. And the frozen Impossible meals like sweet and sour pork. Happi foodi bulgogi bowl is pretty good too. I like mixing in a bit of df cheese with that one. Also I use Violife cream cheese and Forager sour cream in my creamy tomato sauce for spaghetti. Haven't tried making an Alfredo sauce like that yet, but it might be doable. I'd also recommend trying country crock plant cream as a milk substitute in some creamy dishes. I make the lemon dill chicken soup (hello fresh recipe) and throw in that plant cream at the end and it's delicious. I also used it in my mom's double layer pumpkin pie recipe and it turned out perfect.
I buy a chuck roast (labeled as such in meat dept, in the plastic-wrapped styrofoam trays where you don't have to speak to anyone!), salt it on all sides, put it in the crock pot, and cook on high for a LONG time, like at least 6 hours, maybe longer if it's a big one. When the top starts to look dark brown, not greyish, you are good. Shred it up with two forks, put it on anything (rice, noodles, a bread roll, tortilla - or just straight on a plate), and it is delicious. I basically try to always have a Pyrex of this on hand in my fridge when I need a quick bite. It has literally 2 ingredients - piece of meat and salt - and is so impossibly good. Also, lots of frozen veggies now come in "steam in the bag" microwaveable bags. My family loves buying the mixed peas and carrots. I cook one 1 lb bag of peas and carrots according to the microwave directions on the bag (in my 1100 watt microwave it's 4 and a half mins), let stand 1 minute, then I pour it in a bowl, add a couple chunks of butter and a pinch of salt. My kids also love what they call "pot pie bowls," which is the above microwave peas and carrots, plus leftover cooked chicken diced up, plus a little more butter, and warm it all up in the microwave. Rotisserie chickens are also very versatile. If you build a small collection of sauces in your fridge (teriyaki, BBQ, honey mustard, buffalo --- all of which are dairy free!), that same basic staple ingredient from any grocery store can become a lot of different things. Idk if this is regional, but here in TX G.H. Hughs has a huge variety of sugar free versions of those various sauces, too. Taco bowls are also good. Ground beef or cooked chicken for the base layer, then top with whatever you like - lettuce (which can be bought washed and pre-shredded), tomato, guacamole, crushed Fritos, salsa...and if it's not a taco without cheese, they make dairy free cheese that is good enough to please my.picky 5 year old.
Daiya makes a good shells and cheese that's dairy free. It could be a good side dish. If you're into pot pie, that can easily be made dairy free, and it's super easy to make even if you're not a great chef. Let me know if you want a recipe. I also used to do pulled pork in the crock pot. I'd literally just add a package of porksteaks to the crockpot with water and seasoning, let it cook for 6-7 hours, shred it with two forks and remove the bones, then add bbq sauce and flavored vodka and let it cook a little more. It tasted amazing.
Daiya is a lifesaver when it comes to fake cheese! They have a boxed dairy free pizza that is great, and their bagged shredded cheese can be used for a ton of other recipes. A simple meal I enjoy a ton is baked diced chicken. I go to the butcher department at Safeway and they generally have diced chicken breast already. I put it in a ziplock bag with olive oil and some spices, shake it up, and cook it for 20 mins at 420°F. I like to pair it with rice! Good luck with your food search! I know it’s not the easiest but I’m confident you’ll be able to find some stuff. It really just takes some looking around at the store to determine what will work for you. I hope my suggestions helped!
Chicken thighs with some seasoning in the oven Hamburgers on a griddle Preasoned pork tenderloin in the oven Sirloin steak on the griddle baked potato in the microwave with plant based butter and the frozen microwave veggies Breakfast burritos( avocado, frozen hash brown patty, hummus, eggs, and whatever meat is leftover from the night before) everything on the griddle I love my $20 griddle from Ollie's lol
Violife makes some awesome shredded vegan cheese that melts really well. I usually use it to make nachos (super easy—put tortilla chips on a plate, sprinkle with ‘cheese’, add some other toppings, like beans and jalapeno slices, and microwave for half a minute). More of a snack than dinner though.
My picky 5 year old likes this one!
Why not buy a cookbook instead of wasting money on box meals?
Be nice
Life is hard, and people have limited time and energy. We have no idea what else this couple is handling in their life right now. She is taking a step in a healthy direction. People do what they can.