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It's easy to get answers about health and nutrition! Just send your question by email to [email protected] and Dr. Harlan will respond to selected questions of general interest. Answers will be posted in the Ask Dr. Gourmet newsletter (sign up now!) and archived in the Ask Dr. Gourmet section of the website.

Please note that the Ask Dr. Gourmet feature is restricted to questions regarding food and nutrition. Due to the many questions we receive, not all questions may be answered. For more specific questions about your individual health, please contact your doctor. About Timothy S. Harlan, MD, FACP, CCMS | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy


 

Ask Dr. Gourmet

I was wondering how the 'lunch' menu works in The Dr. Gourmet Diet Plan. My meal plan says 2 servings and it shows sandwiches even though I selected the gluten free option. Do I eat two sandwiches? Do I separate them over a period of hours?

Can I substitute a corn tortilla for the wheat bread? It's not made very clear on your website.

Dr. Gourmet Says...

This is a great question and I appreciate you asking. We will add the answer to our FAQ section.

When we designed the software the idea was to create some sort of default lunch that people could easily have in reserve. The software will use leftovers from previous dinners at lunch if they are available (1 dinner serving = 2 lunch servings). If your lunch menu suggestion is for two servings that would be a whole sandwich (about 500 calories).

The default sandwich at 249 calories is 1/2 Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich on whole wheat bread with 1/2 apple.

Because of our gluten free users this works only if using gluten free breads. They are widely available now but much higher in calories as you probably know. The smaller slice of bread has more calories because the flours used are more energy dense than wheat flour.

The best way for you handle this would be to create a default lunch that you can make easily and add it to the "My Foods" list so that it's easy to track in the Food Diary. Your idea of a corn tortilla is fantastic. I know one patient with celiac disease who has flavored rice cakes (the Lundberg Family brand is excellent) and peanut butter. You can substitute other healthy choices with the goal of about 250 calories per "serving."

Thanks for writing,

Timothy S. Harlan, MD, FACP, CCMS
Dr. Gourmet