Gluten Free Food Ideas
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley and is an ingredient in many foods. For people with gluten allergies, eating a gluten-free diet can be challenging. Learning which foods contain gluten and which do not is the first step toward eating a healthy gluten-free diet.
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Where to Find Gluten
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If you are just beginning a gluten-free diet or are cooking for someone who is, it is important to know which foods to avoid. Because there is gluten in wheat, you will obviously need to avoid bread, crackers, pretzels and anything else made with wheat, rye or barley. However, gluten can be a hidden ingredient in the form of dextrin, modified food starch, monoglycerides and diglycerides. In fact, gluten shows up as an unexpected ingredient in many foods such as bouillon cubes, spice and gravy mixes, sausage, instant coffee and vitamins. While oats are inherently gluten-free, they are often processed in the same equipment as gluten-laden grains and are often cross contaminated.
Where to Find Gluten-Free
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Foods with 'gluten-free' labels are becoming more common and easier to recognize. Your local health food store will likely carry a wide selection of gluten-free foods and will likely have an entire section of their store devoted to such ingredients. As demand for gluten-free foods increases, more and more larger grocery stores and supermarkets are beginning to carry a wider selection of such foods. On food labels, the source of the ingredient must appear in parentheses after the ingredient if it is a major food allergen (like gluten), which makes deciphering ingredients easier.
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Finding Substitutes
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You should begin your gluten-free cooking by finding suitable substitutes. Using non-wheat flour, you can make your own bread and pasta. Flour can be derived from many food sources such as almonds, beans, corn, sorghum, rice, potatoes and quinoa. Because the qualities of these flours widely differ, you should experiment with them by mixing different proportions of them together. Rather than thickening sauces, soups and gravies with wheat flour, you can use potato flour or arrowroot.
Use xanthan gum in baking recipes in which you are using a gluten-free flour. Xanthan gum is derived from corn and can add texture to your baked goods: Add a teaspoon for every cup of gluten-free flour. If you find that cakes and cookies are too dry when you use a different flour type, try adding a half a cup of fruit puree (e.g., apples or prunes) to moisten the batter. Baking powder (which contains gluten) can be substituted with a 1-part-to-2-parts mixture of baking soda and cream of tartar.
Gluten Free Snacks and Dinners
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Using fresh ingredients rather than mixes is a safe way to cook gluten-free. Many seasoning pouches contain gluten-derived ingredients. Processed soups may be thickened with flour or some other gluten-based product. Whole fruits and vegetables are naturally gluten-free and are good snacks. Proteins like meat, poultry and fish are all gluten-free and can serve as a base for an evening meal. Side dishes, such as roasted vegetables, potatoes and rice are all gluten-free.
Gluten-Free Lunches
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Baked potatoes and salads are good lunch options. Each can be topped with cheese, bacon or fresh vegetables. Tuna or chicken salad served on a tomato is another option.
Gluten-Free Breakfasts
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Eggs, yogurt, and rice cereal are all gluten-free breakfast options. Breakfast meat like bacon and ham are safe, but some sausage contains fillers which can contain gluten.
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