How to Follow a No Flour, No Sugar Diet

Enjoy fresh fruit in place of sugary desserts.

Many people have concerns about too many carbohydrates and too much sugar in their diets. Also, some people have allergies to things like gluten and must avoid wheat flour and foods like bread and pasta that are made from wheat. Read product labels carefully and prepare your own food when possible to follow a no flour, no sugar diet.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. If you must eliminate gluten from your diet, purchase or make your own pasta, bread and other baked goods made with something other than wheat flour. Some options include oat flour, soy flour, black bean flour, cornmeal, fava bean flour, rice flour or potato flour. If you must avoid all types of flour, though, you must forego all pasta and baked goods.

2. Substitute spaghetti squash or shredded zucchini for pasta. Serve it with your favorite sauce. Keep in mind, spaghetti sauce and some other sauces often contain sugar. Look for sugar-free versions or make your own. You can often make substitutions for pasta in other dishes as well. For instance, make lasagna without any noodles or replace the noodles in your recipe with thinly sliced eggplant or zucchini.

3. Find creative substitutions for bread and other baked goods. For instance, wrap a burger in a large lettuce leaf instead of serving the meat on a bun. Use large portabello mushrooms in place of traditional crust to make individual pizzas. Note that pizza sauce often contains sugar, so look for sugar-free versions or make your own. Make flour-less "cheese crackers" by putting spoonfuls of shredded cheese on a cookie sheet and baking at 375 degrees for about five minutes, until cheese melts and becomes crispy.

4. Replace sugary foods with sugar-free alternatives. Use artificial sweeteners in place of sugar in your favorite recipes or purchase sugar-free products at the grocery store. If you have concerns about artificial sweeteners, as some people do, consider using natural sweeteners in recipes such as fruit juice or Stevia (a sweet herb). Enjoy some fresh fruit when you need a sweet treat.

Tips & Warnings

• Consult with a registered dietitian if you have questions about what foods you should avoid and how to follow a no flour, no sugar diet.

• Many products not normally considered sweet still contain some sugar. For instance, yogurt, barbecue sauce, ketchup, tomato sauce, salad dressings, crackers, bread and flavored oatmeal may contain added sugar.Make a habit of reading product labels carefully.

References

• Mayo Clinic: Gluten-Free Diet
• Mayo Clinic: Low-Carb Diet
• Kitchen Daily: Food Lies: 10 "Healthy" Foods with Hidden Sugar