Step 1. Knowing the enemy
The first step is to find and remove gluten-containing foods and dishes from the menu. There are many of them.
Obvious conditions that everyone knows about include:
- Cereals (wheat, rye, barley, semolina, buckwheat, spelt, couscous and copper);
- Products made from wheat: flour, bread, cookies and cakes, pasta, breakfast cereals, baby cereals.
And if everything about flour and grains is already clear, then many people do not know about some products containing gluten.
For example:
- Store-bought dairy products that contain additives and thickeners (cottage cheese, yogurt, cheese curds, powdered milk, processed cheese),
- semi-finished meat and fish products (especially bread),
- dumplings, pancakes, dumplings,
- Ice cream (not only because of the waffle cone, the ice cream itself also often contains gluten),
- 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, spices 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 drinks with dyes or flavorings and flavoring additives).
Recommendations
- Read labels carefully. Pay attention to traces of gluten in the composition. Whenever possible, choose products labeled "gluten-free" or "gluten-free", which can be found in the diet section of supermarkets.
- Use whole foods for cooking: fresh meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and oils.
Step 2: Replace gluten with healthy alternatives
Flour from cereals and legumes - instead of wheat.
- Flour for bread, pasta, cakes, pancakes and desserts can be made from whole grains, nuts and legumes.
- Flours made from buckwheat, rice, pepper, soy, flax, corn, almonds are perfect for these dishes. It is easy to make, just grind the ingredients in a special mill.
What is important to know about flour preparation
- To get the most out of your 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 prevents the normal absorption of minerals from the plant.
- It is better to sprinkle flour in small portions before cooking. This will help prevent oxidation of the seeds and preserve all useful substances.
Breakfast isn't just oatmeal and sandwiches
- There are many equally delicious alternatives: homemade yogurts from fermentation, potato pancakes, smoothies and colorful bowls, pancakes and pancakes made from buckwheat or rice flour.
- For breakfast, you can prepare healthy green buckwheat granola in a dehydrator or in a cereal mill.
- If it's hard to imagine your morning without porridge, buckwheat, rice, millet, gluten-free oatmeal, amaranth and flax will help.
Legumes and cereals - instead of pasta
- For lunch, as a side dish, you can eat legumes or grains (rice, quinoa, polenta, millet, amaranth, buckwheat, corn kernels) that do not contain gluten.
- You can replace your usual pasta with rice, buckwheat and bean noodles or make pasta with gluten-free flour.
- Meat and fish can be prepared in crushed corn flakes, and the dough can be made from chickpea or rice flour.
- It's easy to thicken squash and sauces using potato or cornstarch.
- 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 spice. A powder made from dried mushrooms or raw meat will add a rich flavor to broths and sauces.
snacking without gluten
- For snacks, try homemade potato chips or gluten-free bread in the dehydrator.
- Pieces of meat and fish can be dried to create a natural and satisfying snack.
Desserts were not canceled
- Use nut or rice flour to make them.
- Instead of store-bought cream, use coconut cream or homemade coconut yogurt from fermentation.
Good alternatives to store-bought sweets are fruit chips and dehydrator lozenges, as well as healthy candies made from nuts and dried fruit (no oatmeal).
Step 3. Prepare gluten-free baby food
- Prepare the same dishes, only from gluten-free flour and grains (we already discussed pasta and grain options above).
- Try making pancakes, pancakes or cheesecakes with coconut, buckwheat or rice flour.
- Sheets and dumplings can also be made from rice flour.
- Sweet bars, cookies and candies can be made from ground nuts, dried fruit and cocoa in a blender (and even turn it into a cooperative game, for example, making cookies of different shapes from coconut and banana).
- Don't forget vegetable and fruit chips (instead of 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 soybean 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 boiled chicken legs and cashew nuts |