Healthy Free From · A guide to the recipes
Dietary notes
Find recipes that work for you.
The labels are a starting point for exploring my recipes. Here’s what they mean, which substitutions matter and what to check before you cook.
01 / Understanding the badges
What the recipe labels mean
Select a label below to browse matching recipes. Always read the ingredient notes on the recipe itself.
Gluten-free
Use the specified gluten-free ingredients, including flour, oats, sauces, spice pastes and yogurt alternatives. Check the current packaging, even for products you have bought before.
Watch for: ordinary oats and oat-based products are not automatically gluten-free. Look for oats labelled gluten-free. Coeliac UK explains oats and gluten.
Dairy-free
This label applies when you use the dairy-free ingredients specified in the recipe. Goat’s and sheep’s milk, butter and cheese are still dairy. Recipes using goat’s butter or feta therefore do not carry this label.
Watch for: lactose-free dairy is still dairy. A plant-based swap may also introduce another allergen, such as soy or nuts.
Soy-free option
The recipe offers a soy-free version when you follow the stated substitutions. Where coconut aminos or a yogurt alternative is suggested, check that the product meets both the soy-free and gluten-free requirements.
Watch for: gluten-free soy sauce still contains soy. Choosing it instead of coconut aminos changes the recipe’s suitability.
02 / My cooking choices
Avoiding cow’s milk is different from dairy-free
I avoid cow’s milk and products made from it. Some of my recipes use goat’s butter or sheep’s or goat’s cheese, so this collection is not entirely dairy-free.
The recipe labels make that distinction. For example, Feta Salad contains milk, while a recipe labelled dairy-free uses the specified dairy-free ingredients.
If you have a milk allergy: don’t use my personal choices as a substitution guide. Goat’s and sheep’s milk are not suitable substitutes for cow’s milk allergy. Follow your clinician’s advice. Read Allergy UK’s milk-allergy guidance.
For the wider distinction, see NHS guidance on dairy and alternatives.
03 / A personal note
Luke’s acidity rating
Personal rating, not measured pH
These ratings reflect my own experience of a dish. They are not a measurement of its acidity, medical advice or a guarantee that it will suit someone with reflux or another condition.
You can select an acidity badge on a recipe, or use Luke’s acidity rating in the recipe finder. Recipes without a rating are left out when that filter is selected.
04 / From label to kitchen
Before you cook
The badges describe recipe options, not a complete allergen list or a guarantee against cross-contact. Recipes may contain eggs, fish, nuts, peanuts, sesame or milk.
- Read the whole recipe. Include its ingredient notes, substitutions, toppings and serving suggestions.
- Check your products. Read the ingredients and any “may contain” warnings. Brands and formulations can change; a vegan label alone does not establish allergy suitability.
- Check with the person you’re cooking for. Keep allergens separate and clean hands, surfaces and equipment to reduce cross-contact.
See the Food Standards Agency’s advice on food allergies and preparing meals.
A note on recipe timings
The finder shows preparation plus cooking time. Extra marinating, resting and cooling time is listed separately where available. Unconfirmed timings are marked in the recipe notes; recipes without a reliable time are excluded from time filters.
05 / Useful references