We can only scratch the surface of this topic in this article because there are so many options today for those who can’t eat gluten. A gluten free food list is radically different than it was in the recent past. Only five years ago someone who was diagnosed as gluten intolerant or with Celiac Disease lived on very little variety in their diet. Thankfully there have been major advances in the food industry to provide us with delicious and varied foods for our enjoyment.
In the past people that had gluten sensitivity were sentenced to vegetables, rice and fish or meat.
No cereals were allowed, nor crackers, pasta, desserts or sauces. It is clear that the best diet for any of us is one packed with lots of fresh veggies and fruits. We can choose which form of protein we want to consume. That being said, though, there are so many foods we can get in our local store for a quick and tasty meal. There are fast warm up foods or things we can bake like gluten free pizza.
The best and easiest idea is to create a variety of stir fries and salads and alternate them throughout the week. These are quick, simple and easily adapted for your taste with different herbs, spices and meats. Experiment with different flavors – never under estimate the effect that the addition of lemon juice, orange, walnuts or apple can make to your average garden salad!
Many people that have gluten sensitivities or intolerance have a craving for a lot of sweets before they wean themselves off the gluten. Thankfully there are many ranges of gluten free cookies and sweets that cannot be distinguished from the “regular” kind.
One of the great aspects of going gluten free is that once you have been that way for a while your cravings for sugar also decrease making it far easier to get satisfaction from your food.
In compiling gluten free food list there are three main things to remember:
1) NEVER eat anything packaged or bottled that is not marked “Certified Gluten Free” even if there is no wheat or flour listed in the ingredients. Flours are excellent cutters (for shake-ability) in herbs and spices and smoothing agents for sauces.
2) Packaged food combinations are much trickier to guarantee gluten free. Sauces, spice mixes (taco or spaghetti), soups are highly suspect when it comes to eating gluten free.
3) Be careful in restaurants that claim to have gluten free items on their menu. If even a bit of flour or bread crumbs from another dish contact your food it can trigger a reaction that could last for a couple days. Restaurants don’t know how serious this illness can be.
Alright, that being said, here are some foods to choose from:
nuts
cheese but not cheese spreads
beans, peas and seeds
tamari soy sauce
rice, rice flour, rice crackers (as long as they are labeled gluten free)
corn meal
pop corn; plain or with butter
Quinoa
Millet
tapioca
corn tortillas
jello
jam
flax seed
herb teas; not mixes unless . . . you know
oils,
vinegars
fruit juices; pure
For those who like their pasta there are certain brands that make pasta based on whole grains like rice and quinoa. These are lighter in texture than your regular pasta which might take a little getting used to but they still come in a variety of shapes!
A life lived healthy is a life lived happy. Good luck putting together your own gluten free food list!