How to Cook for Someone Who Can't Eat Gluten
You'll find gluten in certain grains, most notably wheat, barley and rye. And gluten is often used in many food products, such as ketchup, salad dressings and soy sauce. To cook for someone who can't eat gluten, you need to read food labels carefully. For instance, it is possible to get a variety of wheat-free soy sauce called tamari (but check the label, since some kinds of tamari have been made with wheat), and it is possible to select a brand of ketchup or type of salad dressing that has no gluten fillers in it. Certainly avoid any product with wheat products. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Rice
- Corn
- Potatoes
- Quinoa
- No-wheat pasta
- Mexican foods and spices
- Gluten-free baking products
Instructions
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Serve rice, corn, potatoes and white quinoa in place of grains with gluten. Because pasta usually has wheat in it, you might think you can't cook a pasta dish, but actually there are a variety of rice pastas on the market that contain no gluten. Look for them in the health food section of the store. They cook differently than wheat pastas, so it may take a couple of times for you to get used to cooking them. They need to boil much longer. Note that rice pasta has a high glycemic index, so it's not the best choice for someone who is a diabetic.
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Make meals using brown rice, which is more nutrient-dense than white rice. Experiment with exotic and wild rices. Look for mahogany rice, red rice and other nuttier, heartier rice varieties.
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Choose Mexican recipes when cooking for someone who can't eat gluten. Most Mexican recipes call for foods such as beans, rice and corn tortillas.
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Cook red quinoa. This grain can be prepared sweet or salty and cooks in 15 minutes. Prepare it according to the instructions on the package. Some quinoa needs to be rinsed first and other types come prerinsed. You can combine it with ingredients such as olive oil, roasted sweet potatoes, tofu, dried cranberries and curry spices.
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Look for gluten-free baking products, such as biscuit and cake mixes made with rice flour or other substitutes. These mixes can be completely satisfying, particularly if you add icing to a gluten-free cake or eat it with ice cream. (Check the label because some kinds of ice cream contain gluten fillers.) You can also find gluten-free bread, bagels and cracker substitutes on the market. Rice crackers are always a good bet for people who can't eat gluten.
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Ask your guest if you have any questions to be absolutely sure you cook something safe. Don't sneak a little gluten in thinking he won't notice it. Even a small amount of gluten can have a huge adverse effect on the health of someone with this condition.
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Tips & Warnings
Visit www.celiac.com for more information about gluten-free diet.
References
Resources
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