SO YOU HAVE TO EAT GLUTEN FREE – NOW WHAT?
Whether you’ve recently been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, you’ve discovered gluten intolerance through an elimination diet, or you just know that you feel better when you don’t eat gluten, you are probably feeling completely overwhelmed.
I understand. I’ve been there! Read more about my story here. However, once you learn how to find and avoid hidden gluten, how to eat out safely, and how to prepare delicious food in a clean kitchen at home, life becomes much easier.
Gluten causes an immune reaction in the body, and a very tiny bit will trigger this reaction. It’s important that you don’t consume even trace amounts of it. That’s what makes the gluten free diet tricky, especially if you eat processed food.
I’ll help you with this!
Subscribe to my newsletter here, and I’ll keep you up-to-date with new recipes and helpful tips. The first thing I’ll send you is my Gluten List that you can download or print off to carry with you when you’re out. It will help you to avoid that nasty gluten hiding in places you’d least expect it!
Eliminating gluten does not mean denying yourself delicious treats like lavender biscotti.
Gluten
Gluten is the combination of two proteins found in wheat, rye, and barley. It gives dough an elastic texture and holds it together. Well, that seems simple enough! Here’s where it starts to get tricky. There are subcategories and other versions of these grains. For example, spelt is a form of wheat. Then, these glutenous grains are often hidden in various forms under other names in processed foods.
Oats
The first complication that usually comes up is with oats. Oats are often grown in fields that have previously grown wheat. They can be processed on equipment that has handled wheat. Therefore, there are serious issues with cross contamination. Whether some stray grains of wheat remaining in the field grow up with the oat crop or wheat flour from processing equipment makes its way into rolled oats, processed oats likely have gluten in them unless they are labeled as gluten free. Gluten free oats from Only Oats (NOT an affiliate link) are specifically grown and processed separately from wheat.
Gluten Free Granola is easy to make at home and keep on hand.
Other Sources of Hidden Gluten
Unfortunately, many processed foods that could easily be made without gluten do contain it. Most regular soy sauce contains gluten. So does processed liquorice candy. You really need to be diligent and check everything you eat. Choose whole unprocessed vegetables, meat, and eggs. They don’t require labels. This is the best way to be sure to avoid gluten contamination.
Eating Gluten Free
Now, let’s get ready to head to the kitchen. The recipes on this website are designed to help you enjoy delicious, gluten free food that’s good for you. Instead of buying expensive GF baked goods which may not even taste good, save money by learning how to make your own.
We’ve all heard by now that simply going on a GF diet will not necessarily make you healthy. Even if you are suffering from Celiac disease, you will heal much better if you focus on feeding your body healthful foods. Many manufactured gluten free products are high in sugar and other additives and low in nutrients. They’re also expensive!
Pumpkin Spice Muffins are great for breakfast or a snack anytime!
Gluten Free Recipes
My goal is to bring you gluten free foods that you can make yourself and enjoy as much as, or even more than, their gluten filled counterparts. Not all of my recipes will be paleo or totally grain free, but they won’t be high in rice flour or refined sugar, either. I try to strike a middle ground, creating recipes that are similar to the ones we knew before our gluten free days, are beneficial to our health, and are as simple and inexpensive to prepare as possible. I test the recipes multiple times as I develop them.
Sometimes just a little grain will lighten up a nut based recipe nicely. It will not be a gluten containing grain, though. Nut flours are good, but they’re also costly. I like to stretch them out with other flours for optimum results. While all of my recipes are gluten free, many of them will also be free from dairy, nightshades, eggs, corn, soy, nuts, and grains.
To learn more about working with gluten free flours, check out this article on Gluten Free Flours.
Let me know about your dietary restrictions and what types of recipes you’d like to see on this website by leaving me a comment through the Contact form.
Gluten Free Basics