Regular Eaters–This is the menu option for people who eat meat, and can handle wheat/gluten products as well as dairy, eggs and soy. If one chooses the Regular Meal Plan, one can expect meat options at most lunches and dinners (but not always) and morning/afternoon snacks are usually meat free. As a general rule, dairy is not a heavy focus of meal plans, but may be incorporated into a few different options (muffins, smoothies, baked nachos) or as a side dish where one can make their own choice about how much to use. Butter or Olive, Grapeseed or Sunflower oil are the main types of fat used in my cooking. Wheat/Gluten is often part of the menu but it is of decent quality (spelt or organic wheat flour) and used somewhat sparingly most of the time (as I am sensitive to gluten myself so I make choices about when it is just better to use it) or it can be an option one decides how much they take when they serve themselves. Meat is often from Vancouver Island – local chicken/beef and fish and local pork is sometimes served as options. Regular Eaters can sign up for any combination of Morning Snack, Lunches, Afternoon Snack as well as Dinner. If you want to sign up as a Regular Eater because you like to eat meat, but there are some meats you do not eat, you are welcome to add in a note and on those days, you will be provided the vegetarian option. For example, if you do not eat pork or red meat, then please make a note of it, and on those meal times, you will be counted as a vegetarian.

Vegetarian Eaters–This is the menu option for people who do not eat meat and can handle wheat/gluten products as well as dairy, eggs and soy. At every meal/snack service there will be a vegetarian option for you. As meat is not being served to you, Vegetarians can expect a higher portion of eggs and soy in their vegetarian dishes – eggs are often used as binders to make vegetarian balls and patties or in scrambled eggs for morning snack or something like egg salad for lunch. Tempeh and soy are also used. Eggs are almost always local and free range, raised on farms in the Cowichan Valley. To understand more about wheat/gluten and dairy in the meal plans, please review the information under Regular Eaters. Vegetarian Eaters can sign up for any combination of Morning Snack, Lunches, Afternoon Snack as well as Dinner. If you are a Pescatorian, then you are welcome to sign up as a Vegetarian with a note that says, ‘fish please when available”, and then when it is available as an option, you will have be able to choose fish.

Gluten-Free Eaters–This is a menu option for folks who cannot tolerate gluten. Gluten-free Eaters, whether you eat meat or are a vegetarian, can enjoy signing up for Lunches as well as Dinners. Snacks will not cater to gluten-free folks this year. If you can handle small amounts of gluten and want the ease of snacks prepared for you, then please expect that typical morning snacks that contain gluten might be house-made muffins or loaves (made with spelt or organic wheat flour), locally produced bagels (wheat), or perhaps a fruit crisp (a mix of oats and flour) or scrambled eggs with flour tortilla. Other mornings might be smoothies, fruit & yogurt with granola, or possibly fresh made hashbrowns. Afternoon snacks that may contain gluten could be fresh baked cookies, fresh fruit crisp (oats & flour) or cheese & crackers – while many of the afternoon snacks are often naturally gluten – free; baked nachos with cheese & salsa, popcorn & lemonade, veggies & hummus dip, gluten-free crackers etc. Please take note, organic oats as well as Amano organic tamari (high quality soy sauce) are still used in food preparations – if you are extremely sensitive to gluten, then I recommend not signing up for food service. If you can handle the amounts of gluten that would be in tamari or may be at risk of being in the oats, then signing up as a Gluten-Free Eater (Vegetarian or Regular) is for you. Please also keep in mind, that if you sign up as a Gluten Free Eater, you will reach for the food options at meal time that are specifically for Gluten Free folks, as food is made proportionally to the dietary types who have ordered food. You can learn more about the quality of wheat/gluten under the description of Regular Eaters.

Dairy-Free Eaters–If you cannot tolerate dairy whatsoever, then you have the ability to sign up for Dairy Free lunches which will be available every day of the week. Snacks and Supper meals will not be catered to strict dairy free eaters this year. If you’re a person who finds your system does better without a lot of dairy but you can tolerate some amounts, then signing up for dinners or snacks for the full week might be just fine for you because as a general rule of thumb, I do not often incorporate a lot of dairy into the menu plan, or the dairy I do incorporate is often on the side available for one to choose their personal appropriate amount. Where this general rule of thumb does not occur, is in the use of butter for certain recipes – I prefer making morning crisps with butter, or cookies with butter – but I use vegetable oils for sautéing and frying. Examples of how afternoon snack may incorporate dairy; sometimes I serve baked nachos, or serve crackers and a selection of cheeses (one will almost always be a goat cheese). Dinners are almost always low in dairy options, with the possibility of feta cheese being incorporated into the mix or a possibly a cheese being baked onto/into something,but not very often. Dairy Free Eaters may also need to be gluten-free or vegetarian and that will be accommodated as needed for the dairy free lunches.

Vegans–We unfortunately cannot offer vegan options this year as it is not something we can accommodate efficiently in the time frames in the kitchen available to us during the summer intensive.

Soy-Free–If you cannot tolerate eating soy, then signing up for a meal plan is not in your best interest. If you desire the supports that signing up for food service provides, and you have some ability to risk eating soy/tolerate digesting soy, then some of your best bets for low soy options would be choosing the regular diet, as the meals that incorporate meat tend to have less tofu or tempeh in them – although this isn’t always the case. I do use Amano Organic Tamari (high quality soy sauce) quite regularly for all dietary options, including the gluten-free ones (read disclaimer in Gluten-free info). Morning and Afternoon Snacks are often soy-free by nature, vegetarian or otherwise.

Nut-Free–If you have a sensitivity to nuts, then signing up for a meal plan may not be in your best interest. If you are highly allergic, then please do not sign up for a meal plan. As most schools tend to have some form of a nut policy, I may have to conform to that policy even during the summer. If the supports of signing up for meal service is of interest to you, then please check in on what I can provide.

Seafood Allergy–If you have a seafood allergy, then signing up for a meal plan may not be in your best interest. While incorporating shellfish into the menu plan is usually not in the budget, I can sometimes incorporate shrimp or prawns, although this is very rare. Tuna is usually incorporated into the three week rotating menu plan, as is sometimes salmon, or other ocean fish. If you can risk being in the same room as seafood and want to guarantee you are not served seafood/fish, then signing up for a vegetarian menu plan is best, or, if you like to eat other types of meat, then you are also welcome to sign up for the Regular Diet with a note that says “vegetarian option on seafood/fish days’, and I can accommodate that.

All other food sensitivities–If you have unique food sensitivities or follow a strict diet beyond what is described above and you would like the convenience of having some of the food services on offer, please reach out to ask what meals of the day would be best suited to you for each week. While I cannot create the menu plan to suit your exact needs, I can help you sort out which meal time would most likely provide you with the best, but not exact, fit.