If you discover that you are gluten intolerant, your first reaction is usually mild panic. Cookies, pastries, pasta, cereals: it looks like you'll have to give up all your favorite foods, what's there to eat now? We tell you how to comfortably organize meals with a gluten-free diet.
Step 1. Know the enemy by sight.
The first step is to find and eliminate foods and dishes that contain gluten from the menu. There are many of them.
The obvious ones that everyone knows include:
- cereals (wheat, rye, barley, semolina, bulgur, spelt, couscous and spelt);
- Products made from wheat: flour, bread, cookies and pastries, pasta, breakfast cereals, baby cereals.
And if everything related to flours and cereals is already clear, then many people are unaware of the existence of some products that contain gluten.
For example:
- store-bought dairy products containing additives and thickeners (curds, yogurts, cottage cheese, milk powder, processed cheese),
- semi-finished meat and fish products (especially breaded),
- meatballs, pancakes, meatballs,
- ice cream (not just because of the waffle cone, but the ice cream itself usually also contains gluten),
- sausages, preserves, imitation seafood ("crab meat" and "crab sticks"),
- chips, bread and crackers.
Wheat gluten and proteins can end up in food colorings and additives. Therefore, even condiments and bouillon cubes, sauces (soy, ketchup, teriyaki, tomato paste and many other sauces that use flour for thickening), chocolate, coffee and alcoholic beverages (beer , vodka, whiskey, wine drinks with coloring or flavorings and aromatic additives).
recommendations
- Read labels carefully. Pay attention to traces of gluten in the composition. Whenever possible, choose products labeled "Gluten Free" or "Gluten Free", these can be found in the diet section of supermarkets.
- Use whole foods for cooking: fresh meats, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and oils.
Step 2: Replace gluten with healthy alternatives
Cereal and legume flour, instead of wheat.
- Flour for bread, pasta, pastries, pancakes and desserts can be made from cereals, nuts and legumes.
- Buckwheat, rice, chickpea, soy, flax, corn and almond flour are excellent for these dishes. It's easy to make it yourself, just grind the ingredients in a special grinder.
What is important to know about the preparation of flour.
- To get the most out of homemade flour, we recommend pre-soaking the seeds and nuts and then drying them in a dehydrator. This will reduce the concentration of phytic acid in the seeds, which interferes with the normal absorption of minerals by plants.
- It is best to grind the flour in small portions just before cooking. This will help prevent oxidation of the seeds and preserve all the beneficial substances.
Breakfast is not just oatmeal and sandwiches
- There are many equally tasty alternatives: homemade fermented yogurts, potato pancakes, colorful smoothies and bowls, buckwheat or rice flour pancakes and pancakes.
- You can make healthy green buckwheat granola in a dehydrator or cereal in a grinder for breakfast.
- If you find it difficult to imagine your morning without porridge, buckwheat, rice, millet, gluten-free oats, amaranth and flax will come to the rescue.
Legumes and cereals, instead of pasta
- For lunch, as a side dish, you can consume legumes or cereals (rice, quinoa, polenta, millet, amaranth, buckwheat, corn grits) that do not contain gluten.
- You can replace your usual pasta with rice, buckwheat and beans noodles or make pasta with gluten-free flour.
- Meat and fish can be coated with crushed corn flakes and the dough can be made with chickpea or rice flour.
- It's easy to thicken sauces and sauces with potato or cornstarch.
- Instead of bouillon cubes and store-bought mixes, try homemade seasonings: dry vegetables and herbs in a dehydrator or grind them in a food mill or blender. You will get a natural aromatic seasoning. Powder made from dried mushrooms or dried meat will add rich flavor to broths and sauces.
Gluten-free snacks
- As a snack, try homemade chips or gluten-free bread in a dehydrator.
- Pieces of meat and fish can be dried to create natural and satisfying snacks.
Desserts have not been cancelled.
- Use nut or rice flour to make them.
- Instead of store-bought cream, use coconut cream or homemade coconut yogurt made in a fermenter.
A good alternative to store-bought sweets are fruit chips and dehydration tablets, as well as healthy sweets made with nuts and dried fruits (without oats).
Step 3. Organize gluten-free baby food
- Prepare the same dishes, only with gluten-free flours and cereals (we have already discussed pasta and cereal options above).
- Try making pancakes, pancakes or cheesecakes with coconut, buckwheat or rice flour.
- Dumplings and dumplings can also be made with rice-based flour.
- Sweet bars, cookies and candies can be prepared with nuts, dried fruits and cocoa ground in a blender (and even turned into a joint game, for example, making cookies of different shapes from coconut and banana).
- Don't forget about fruit and vegetable chips (instead of store-bought crackers), marshmallows, and natural ice cream.
Gluten-free recipe ideas
| Menu #1 | Menu #2 |
Breakfast Flax porridge with fresh fruit |
Breakfast Green buckwheat granola + hard-boiled eggs |
Dinner Pumpkin soup with flax bread and avocado salad |
Dinner Homemade borscht with cashew sour cream Cabbage rolls stuffed with bean sprouts and lentils |
Afternoon snack Fresh vegetables with homemade hummus |
Afternoon snack Gluten-free avocado bread |
Dinner Zucchini pasta in tomato sauce with herbs |
Dinner Risotto with curried chicken thighs and cashews |