Step 1. Recognize the enemy by sight
The first step is to find and eliminate foods and dishes containing gluten from the menu. There are many of them.
The obvious ones that everyone knows about include:
- cereals (wheat, rye, barley, semolina, bulgur, spelt, couscous and spelt);
- products made from wheat: flour, bread, cookies and pastries, pasta, breakfast cereals, children's cereals.
And if everything about flour and cereals is already clear, then many people are not aware of some products that contain gluten.
For example:
- store-bought dairy products containing additives and thickeners (cottage cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, powdered milk, processed cheese),
- semi-finished meat and fish products (especially baked),
- pancakes, pancakes, pancakes,
- ice cream (not only because of the waffle cone, the ice cream itself also often contains gluten),
- sausage, canned food, imitation seafood ("crab meat" and "crab sticks"),
- chips, bread and crackers.
Gluten and wheat proteins can end up in food colors and additives. Therefore, also 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, colored or flavored wine andaromatic additives).
RECOMMENDATIONS
- Read labels carefully. Pay attention to traces of gluten in the composition. When possible, choose products labeled "Gluten Free" or "Gluten Free", these can be found in the diet section of supermarkets.
- Use whole foods for cooking: fresh meats, 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, pastries, pancakes and cakes can be made from whole grains, nuts and legumes.
- Flour made from buckwheat, rice, chickpeas, soy, flax, corn, almonds is great for these dishes. It is easy to prepare it yourself, just grind the ingredients in a special grinder.
What is important to know about flour preparation
- To get the most out of your homemade flour, we recommend soaking the seeds and nuts beforehand and then drying them in a dehydrator. This will reduce the concentration of phytic acid in the seeds, which interferes with the normal absorption of minerals by plants.
- It is best to grind the flour into small pieces immediately before cooking. This will help avoid oxidation of the seeds and preserve all useful substances.
Breakfast is not just oatmeal and sandwiches
- There are many equally tasty alternatives: homemade yogurt from a fermenter, potato pancakes, colorful smoothies and bowls, pancakes and pancakes made from buckwheat or rice flour.
- You can make healthy green buckwheat granola in a dehydrator or cereal in a grinder for breakfast.
- If it is difficult for you to imagine your breakfast without porridge, buckwheat, rice, millet, gluten-free oatmeal, amaranth and flax will come to the rescue.
Legumes and grains - instead of pasta
- For lunch, as a side dish, you can eat legumes or cereals (rice, quinoa, polenta, millet, amaranth, buckwheat, corn flakes) that do not contain gluten.
- You can replace your regular pasta with rice, buckwheat and bean noodles or make pasta from gluten-free flour.
- Meat and fish can be breaded in corn grits, and the dough can be made from chickpea flour or rice.
- It's easy to thicken sauces and gravies 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. Powder made from dried mushrooms or pickled meat will add a rich flavor to juices and sauces.
Gluten-free snacking
- For snacks, try homemade chips or gluten-free bread in a dehydrator.
- Meat and fish parts can be dried to create natural and satisfying meals.
Desserts have not been cancelled
- Use nut or rice flour to make them.
- Instead of store-bought cream, use coconut cream or homemade coconut yogurt from a fermenter.
A good alternative to store-bought sweets are fruit chips and dehydrating lozenges, as well as healthy candies made from nuts and dried fruit (no oats).
Step 3. Organize gluten-free baby food
- Prepare the same dishes, only from gluten-free flour and grains (we discussed options for pasta and grains above).
- Try making pancakes, pancakes or cheese with coconut, buckwheat or rice flour.
- Dumplings and dumplings can also be made from rice-based flour.
- Sweet bars, cookies and candies can be made from nuts, dried fruits and crushed cocoa in a blender (and even turn it into a joint game, for example, making cookies of different shapes from coconut and banana).
- Do not forget about chips with vegetables and fruits (instead of store-bought crackers), marshmallows and natural ice cream.
Gluten free recipe ideas
| Menu #1 | Menu number 2 |
BREAKFAST Flax porridge with fresh fruit |
BREAKFAST Green buckwheat granola + boiled eggs |
dinner Pumpkin soup with flax bread and avocado salad |
dinner Homemade borscht with cashew sour cream Cabbage Rolls Stuffed with Soybean Cabbage and Lentils |
Afternoon snack Fresh vegetables with homemade hummus |
Afternoon snack Gluten Free Avocado Bread |
dinner Zucchini pasta in tomato sauce with herbs |
dinner Risotto with roasted chicken feet and cashew nuts |