Step 1. Know the enemy by sight
The first step is to find and eliminate foods and dishes containing gluten from the menu. There are a lot of them.
The obvious ones that everyone is aware of 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 about flour and cereals is already clear, then many people are not aware of some products that contain gluten.
For example:
- store-bought dairy products containing additives and thickeners (curd, yoghurt, curd cheese, milk powder, processed cheese),
- semi-finished meat and fish products (especially bread),
- dumplings, pancakes, dumplings,
- ice cream (not just because of the waffle cone, the ice cream itself often contains gluten too),
- sausages, canned food, imitation seafood ("crab meat" and "crab sticks"),
- chips, bread and crackers.
Wheat gluten and protein can end up in food colorings and additives. Therefore, even condiments and bouillon cubes, sauces (soy, ketchup, teriyaki, tomato paste, many other sauces where flour is used for thickening), chocolate, coffee and alcoholic beverages (beer, vodka, whiskey, wine drinkswith dyes or flavorings and aromatic additives).
Praises
- 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 meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts and oils.
Step 2: Replace gluten with healthy alternatives
Flour from cereals and legumes - instead of wheat.
- Flour for bread, pasta, pastries, pancakes and desserts can be made from grains, nuts and legumes.
- Flour made from buckwheat, rice, chickpeas, soy, flax, corn, almonds is great for these dishes. It's easy to do it yourself, just grind the ingredients in a special mill.
What is important to know about flour preparation
- 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 normal plant absorption of minerals.
- It is best to grind the flour in small portions just before cooking. This will help to avoid oxidation of the seeds and preserve all the beneficial substances.
Breakfast is not just oatmeal and sandwiches
- There are many other options that are just as tasty: homemade yogurt made from a fermenter, potato pancakes, smoothies and colorful bowls, pancakes and pancakes made from buckwheat or rice flour.
- You can make healthy green buckwheat granola in a dehydrator or cereal in a mill for breakfast.
- If it is difficult for you to imagine your morning without porridge, buckwheat, rice, millet, gluten-free oatmeal, amaranth and flax will come to the rescue.
Legumes and grains - instead of pasta
- For lunch, as a side dish, you can eat legumes or cereals (rice, quinoa, polenta, millet, amaranth, buckwheat, corn grits) that do not contain gluten.
- You can substitute rice, buckwheat and bean noodles for your regular pasta or make pasta from gluten-free flour.
- Meat and fish can be breaded in crushed corn flakes, and the batter can be made from chickpea or rice flour.
- It is easy to thicken gravies and sauces with potato or corn starch.
- 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. A powder made from dried mushrooms or jerk meat will add a rich flavor to sauces and gravies.
Gluten Free Snacking
- For a snack, try homemade potato chips or gluten-free bread in a dehydrator.
- Pieces of meat and fish can be dried to create a natural and satisfying snack.
The desserts have not been cancelled
- Use nut or rice flour to make them.
- Instead of store-bought cream, use coconut cream or homemade fermented coconut yogurt.
A good alternative to store-bought sweets are fruit chips and dehydrator pastilles, as well as healthy candies made from nuts and dried fruit (no oatmeal).
Step 3. Organize gluten-free baby food
- Prepare the same dishes, except from gluten-free flour and cereals (we have already discussed options for pasta and cereals above).
- Try making pancakes, pancakes or cheesecakes with coconut, buckwheat or rice flour.
- Dumplings and dumplings can also be made from rice-based flour.
- Sweet bars, cookies and candies can be made from nuts, dried fruits and crushed cocoa in a blender (and even turn it into a joint game, for example, making cookies of different shapes from coconut and banana).
- Do not forget about vegetable and fruit 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 + boiled eggs |
Dinner Pumpkin soup with flax bread and avocado salad |
Dinner Homemade borscht with cashew sour cream Cabbage rolls stuffed with soybeans and lentil sprouts |
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 legs and cashew nuts |