Avoiding standard types of breads and pastas is one of the greatest challenges of a gluten free diet, but alternatives are available if you know what to look for.
While the most common reason to adopt a gluten free diet is a diagnosis of celiac disease, it is becoming increasingly common for sufferers of other conditions, including migraines, unspecified digestive disorders and even autism, to try going gluten free. Although avoiding gluten in the form of wheat, barley, rye and oatmeal can sound nearly impossible, a variety of ideas for a gluten free diet are making it easier than it once was to follow this kind of food plan.
Gluten Free Grain Options
First and foremost, people following a gluten free diet must avoid wheat, rye and barley. This eliminates all conventional forms of breads, pastas and baked goods as food options. However, there are many gluten free substitutes, such as arrowroot, buckwheat, corn/maize, potato flour, rice, rice bran, rice flour, sago, tapioca, soya, soya bran and soya flour. Most of these specialty items are available at natural foods stores, or in the natural foods sections of large supermarket chains. You can even find cookbooks and cooking classes instructing you on bake with these specialty products.
Gluten Free Spices
Although spices in their pure forms are naturally gluten free, many of the spice blends or spice mixes from the supermarket are not. However, on a gluten free diet you can safely season your food with salt, pepper, vinegar, herbs and tamari, as well as unadulterated spices.
Fruits and Vegetables
As long as they have not been prepared or processed in any way, you can count on fruits and vegetables to be gluten free. Therefore, you can eat whatever fruits and vegetables you wish. Avoid thickened sauces, which are likely to be blended with flour, but you can make your own sauce with potato, soy or buckwheat flour. Salads made entirely of fruits and vegetables are fine, but avoid bottled dressings unless the label clearly states that it is a gluten free product.
Meat and Dairy
Like fruits and vegetables, meat and dairy products in unprocessed and unadulterated forms can be counted on to be gluten free. It is important to avoid meats or dairy products packaged with sauces, seasonings, or thickeners, as well as any meat or dairy not in its natural form, such as cheese spreads (as opposed to plain cheese).
Cross-Contamination
Sometimes the biggest risk in a gluten free diet, as with other food allergies, is cross-contamination. It is not enough to know the ingredients of what you are eating; to be safe from gluten, you must also be certain that it was prepared in a kitchen with no risk of cross-contamination. This means that there is no possibility of flour or other gluten traces on dishes, cutting boards, knives, dishcloths that may have wiped a surface your food has touched, etc. More restaurants and food manufacturers are offering this guarantee as a way of meeting the needs of a growing gluten free clientele.
Tags: gluten free, free diet, gluten free diet, fruits vegetables, gluten free, breads pastas