Step 1. Identify 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, spelled, couscous and spelled);
- products made from wheat: flour, bread, biscuits and pastries, pasta, breakfast cereals, baby cereals.
And if everything about flour and grains is clear, then many people are not aware of some products that contain gluten.
For example:
- store-bought dairy products that contain additives and thickeners (breast, yogurt, cheese curds, milk powder, processed cheese),
- semi-finished meat and fish products (especially breaded ones),
- dumplings, pancakes, dumplings,
- ice cream (not only because of the waffle cone, the ice cream itself also often contains gluten),
- sausages, canned food, artificial seafood ("crab meat" and "crab sticks"),
- chips, bread and crackers.
Wheat gluten and protein can end up in food coloring and additives. Therefore, even seasonings and bouillon cubes, sauces (soy, ketchup, teriyaki, tomato paste, many other sauces where flour is used to thicken), chocolate, coffee and alcoholic beverages (beer, vodka, whiskey, wine drinks with coloring orseasonings and aromatic additives).
Proposal
- Read the label carefully. Pay attention to the effects of gluten in the composition. Whenever possible, choose products labeled "Gluten Free" or "Gluten Free", these can be found in the diet section of the supermarket.
- Use whole foods for cooking: fresh meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and oils.
Step 2: Replace gluten with a healthy alternative
Flour from cereals and legumes - instead of wheat.
- Flour for bread, pasta, pastries, pancakes and desserts can be made from grains, nuts and legumes.
- Flours made from buckwheat, rice, chickpeas, soy, flax, corn, almonds are great for this dish. It is easy to make it yourself, just grind the ingredients in a special mill.
What is important to know about the preparation of flour
- To get the most out of homemade flour, we recommend soaking the seeds and nuts first and then drying them in a dehydrator. This will reduce the concentration of phytic acid in the seed, which interferes with the normal absorption of minerals from the plant.
- It is better to grind the flour in small portions before cooking. This will help prevent oxidation of the seeds and preserve all the beneficial substances.
Breakfast isn't just oatmeal and sandwiches
- There are many equally delicious alternatives: homemade yogurt from yeast, potato pancakes, colorful smoothies and bowls, pancakes and pancakes made from buckwheat or rice flour.
- You can make healthy green buckwheat granola in the dehydrator or cereal in the mill for breakfast.
- If it is difficult for you to imagine your morning without porridge, buckwheat, rice, cereals, gluten-free oats, 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 grains (rice, quinoa, polenta, millet, amaranth, buckwheat, grits) that do not contain gluten.
- You can replace your regular pasta with rice, buckwheat and bean noodles or make pasta from gluten-free flour.
- Meat and fish can be breaded in crushed cornflakes, and batter can be made from chickpeas or rice flour.
- It is easy to thicken gravy and sauce using potato or corn flour.
- 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 natural aromatic seasoning. A powder made from dried mushrooms or jerk meat will add a rich flavor to soups and sauces.
Gluten Free Snacks
- For a snack, try homemade potato chips or gluten-free bread in the dehydrator.
- Cuts of meat and fish can be dried to create a natural and filling snack.
Dessert has not been cancelled
- Use peanut or rice flour to make it.
- Instead of store-bought cream, use coconut cream or homemade coconut yogurt from a fermenter.
Good alternatives to store-bought sweets are fruit chips and dehydrator pastilles, as well as healthy sweets made from nuts and dried fruits (without oatmeal).
Step 3. Prepare gluten-free baby food
- Prepare the same dish, only from gluten-free flour and grains (we've discussed options for pasta and grains above).
- Try making pancakes, pancakes or cheesecake 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 cocoa crushed in a blender (and also turn it into a joint game, for example, making cookies of various shapes from coconut and bananas).
- Don't forget about vegetable and fruit chips (not store-bought crackers), marshmallows and natural ice cream.
Gluten Free Recipe Ideas
| Menu #1 | Menu #2 |
Breakfast Linseed porridge with fresh fruit |
Breakfast Green buckwheat granola + boiled egg |
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 curry chicken legs and cashew nuts |