Authors: Steve Rowland
Millions of people avoid the gluten found in wheat, rye and barley, to help them in losing weight or to create less stomach distress.
Gluten-Free Food Distributors
Whole Foods Markets have an entire line of sweets that are gluten-free. That doesn’t mean that gluten-free sweets are any better for you than conventional kinds in conventional healthy measures. They can be used as a reward for having a successful week free of gluten though!
Glutino offers gluten-free cookies, pretzels, toaster pastries and baked potato crisps. You won’t lose weight with gluten-free sweets, but once in awhile you need to think of your sweet tooth.
Eating a diet that is free of gluten will help you to control your symptoms and signs of celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, and prevent any complications. You may be initially frustrated at the prospect of a gluten-free diet, but with time and creativity, you’ll discover many foods that are gluten-free and still quite tasty.
Switching is a Big Change
Switching to a healthy, gluten-free diet isn’t a small change. As with anything new, you will need to become accustomed to your diet options. There are more gluten-free food choices than ever available at groceries and health food stores. Be sure to speak with a registered dietician, so that you know what type of diet plan will suit you.
Your dining plan includes many delicious and healthy foods that are still allowed. Some are naturally gluten-free, like:
Be sure to choose foods that are not mixed or processed with preservatives, grains or additives that contain gluten. Many starches and grains have a place in a gluten-free diet.
If baking is a type of chemistry, then baking without gluten is a science. Your first few times baking without using gluten may be somewhat disheartening. Muffins can be hard, and cakes may be listless. Don’t give up hope though, I honestly think a good gluten free cake is stunningly tasty. It’s a really impressive skill to work on and master.
The Power of Flour
You will learn to create your own baking mixes with gluten-free flour. If you are hungry for muffins, consider using whole-grain sorghum, millet and brown rice. If you’re making cookies, you may want them to be crunchy and crisp. Potato starch and tapioca work well here. There is plenty of information about gluten free flours on the internet, honestly I could write an entire book about them. A quick search on google will provide you with all the answers you need, regarding baking and flour.
Texture is Important
All-purpose flour has different textures of flours within it. You will want to replicate that idea without using wheat, barley or rye. Blend in other, gluten-free flours, to get the taste and texture you prefer. Rice flour, for example, gives your baked goods a powdery quality.
Serious bakers will weigh the ingredients, including flour, to get the proportions right. If you don’t have time for that, you can use all-purpose flour mixes that are gluten-free.
Working on Elasticity
Gluten gives baked goods their stickiness. You’ll need to replicate this without gluten. To do this, you may use guar gum and xanthan gum to give your batter and dough the stretchy, pliable quality they need to bake into tender or crispy morsels. These gums are available in powder versions, and they stabilize, thicken and emulsify recipes. Some gluten-free all-purpose flours already include guar gum or xanthan gum. It’s good to remember that many foods that are gluten-free have a shorter shelf life, so don’t stock up on a lot more than you will be needing in the near future. In addition, homemade foods should be consumed sooner than usual, because they are missing some stabilizers and preservatives.
Gluten-free baking has an upfront investment involved. You may want up to four or five different flours in your pantry. Otherwise, the things you bake will feel and taste the same. Use airtight containers in which to store your gluten-free ingredients. If you don’t bake often, freeze or refrigerate the flour, so that it won’t spoil. You can often get the best prices on gluten free foods if you buy online. However, you may find that cooking and baking from scratch is even more affordable than buying gluten-free foods ready-made.
Read those Labels
With the recently increasing interest in a gluten-free diets, many new products are on the grocery shelves. Do pay attention to labels. Some foods are emblazoned with “no gluten ingredients”. This isn’t the same as “gluten-free” foods. Read labels very carefully, and find brands that you trust to be gluten-free. Pay attention to the products you buy on a regular basis. If you develop symptoms from something, toss it, and don’t buy any more.
Gluten-Free Baking Tips
Store gluten-free, moist baked goods in containers that are airtight. Otherwise they may dry out more quickly. If you read “modified food starch” on a label, contact the product manufacturer to find out whether the starch is from corn, or other gluten-free products. Not every food you want has a gluten-free option. You can usually find gluten-free alternatives online, if you don’t have them available locally.
Cross-Contamination Concerns
You may consume gluten at some time without knowing it. Gluten is found in sources where you wouldn’t expect it, like in meat products, pharmaceuticals or confectionary desserts. If you don’t prepare your own foods, you will run into cross-contamination, eventually. Cross-contamination occurs more often at parties or social events, when eating out and when you travel. You will need to make sure you let your host know about your new diet. If you are not confident that they will be able to adhere to your restrictions then politely request that you bring some of your own food. Explain it is for medicinal purposes and is definitely not an insult to them! Most people will fully understand.
Take Your Vitamins
If you eat a gluten free diet, you may not get enough vitamins in the foods you eat. Grains that you no longer eat are vitamin-enriched, so avoiding those may mean that you don’t get as many enriched foods. If you are eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables this probably won’t be a concern. Speak with your dietician about supplementing, if you need to, so that you get enough:
Even if you don’t experience abdominal issues when you accidentally eat a product with gluten in it, it is still damaging your intestines. Trace gluten amounts can cause damage, without symptoms. Other common deficiencies in gluten-free diets are Vitamins A, K, D and E, phosphorous and B12. Eating high protein foods is helpful, to avoid malnutrition.
Wheat-free does not mean gluten-free. Read your ingredients lists.
Fillers with gluten are sometimes used in medications. Ask your pharmacist and check the labels to be sure that they do not contain gluten. Contacting the company that manufactures the medication will also yield the answer.
When you are using foods with gluten for your family, be careful to avoid cross-contamination. Just putting a non-gluten ingredient into a bowl that contained gluten risks cross-contamination. There are other ways cross-contamination may occur, as well. They include:
Toasters or toaster ovens – use separate units for gluten-free foods
Crumbs left in butter, jelly or condiments – use squeezable containers
Double Dipping – be sure that people don’t stick utensils or foods in any of your gluten-free foods, like hummus or butter
Storage – make separate spaces in the refrigerator and cabinets
Foods You Can Consume on a Gluten-Free Diet
There used to be a very limited number of gluten-free foods available. Today, you have more choices than ever before, and the list of foods is growing.
Safe foods include:
Other foods you can eat on your gluten-free diet include:
Beverages
Fats
Gluten Is Sneaky
You can find hidden gluten in many sources you might not expect, including:
Be sure that you always read labels on products, to make sure that gluten was not used in their production. This includes:
Eating Out is Tricky
Eating out can be quite tricky if you’re trying to eat gluten-free. Restaurants and delis may add pancake mix or flour to omelets, and they may use breadcrumbs to give extra body to things like tuna salad.
Gluten-free pasta sounds safe, doesn’t it? What if it’s boiled in the water that was previously used for standard types of pasta? That causes cross-contamination. Avoid fried foods and French fries made in the same oil as breaded, gluten-filled foods like batter coated fish, chicken and meat or fried onion rings.
Be sure to check reviews for restaurants online or engage in gluten free groups to find out which restaurants are the best suited for you. There are now entire restaurants that are strictly free, if you are nearby one of these then you have hit the gold mine!
Baking and Cooking Gluten-Free
After a time, cooking safely will become second nature to you. Safe flours for gluten-free baking include
Some starches you can use for baking gluten-free include tapioca flour or starch, arrowroot starch, cornstarch and potato starch. You can use coconut flour to add texture, flavor and moisture to gluten-free foods.
If you’re new to gluten-free baking, try Pamela’s Ultimate Pancake and Baking Mix for your recipes. This is pre-mixed and ready to use for simple cakes, muffins and tea breads. It also works quite well for pancakes, flour-less quiches and omelets. It does have buttermilk in its recipe, so it’s not for those on dairy-free diets.
Gluten-Free Baking Tips
Number One: Keep a healthy sense of humor. It will help in baking with gluten-free ingredients. Doorstops and hockey pucks are to be expected. Toss them and try again.
Gluten-free, all-purpose flour is not always the best choice for baking gluten free treats. Many of these have rice flour as a base, since it is inexpensive to make. The result is a bland baked item, and the flavor and texture leave something to be desired.
If you can tell that your baking goods are gluten-free, try not using precise “cup for a cup” measurements of all-purpose flours. It can make them gritty or gummy. Bean flours don’t work exceptionally well for sweets, either.
Some new all-purpose, gluten-free flour blends have better results, but this is usually due to their inclusion of buttermilk or milk powder in the blend. If you’re reactive to dairy, that won’t work for you.
Diet Plans
Once you have in mind your favorite gluten-free foods, plan your meals at least a week out. Divide your days into three main meals with healthy snacks or five to six smaller meals. I won’t post a specific diet plan here, since it would not include the foods you like and will personally want to include.
Post your plan on your refrigerator so it’s easy to use. You’ll find that gluten free eating doesn’t have to be a hassle.