Step 1. Know the enemy by sight
The first step is to find and eliminate from the menu foods and dishes that contain gluten. It's a lot of them.
The obvious ones that everyone knows include:
- grains (wheat, rye, barley, semolina, spelt, spelt, couscous, and spelt);
- wheat products: flour, bread, cookies and pastries, pasta, breakfast cereals, baby cereals.
And if everything about flour and grains is already clear, then many people do not know about some products that contain gluten.
For example:
- store-bought dairy products containing additives and thickeners (curd, yogurt, curd, powdered milk, processed cheese);
- semi-processed meat and fish products (especially breaded),
- pasta, pancakes, pasta,
- ice cream (not just because of the waffle cone, the ice cream itself also often contains gluten),
- sausage, preserves, imitation seafood ("crab meat" and "crab sticks"),
- chips, bread and crackers.
Gluten and wheat protein can end up in food colorings and additives. Therefore, even seasonings 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, wine beverages with coloring orflavoring substances and flavoring additives).
recommendations
- Read labels carefully. Pay attention to traces of gluten in the composition. Whenever possible, choose products labeled 'Gluten-free' or 'Gluten-free', these can be found in the nutrition section of supermarkets.
- Use whole foods for cooking: fresh meat, 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 desserts can be made from grains, nuts and legumes.
- Buckwheat, rice, chickpea, soybean, flax, corn, almond flour are excellent for these dishes. It is easy to make 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 better to grind the flour in small portions immediately before cooking. This will help prevent oxidation of the seeds and preserve all the beneficial substances.
Breakfast isn't just oatmeal and sandwiches
- There are many equally delicious alternatives: homemade yogurts from a fermenter, potato pancakes, smoothies and colorful bowls, pancakes and pancakes 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 morning 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 grains (rice, quinoa, polenta, millet, amaranth, buckwheat, corn kernels) that do not contain gluten.
- You can replace your usual pasta with rice, buckwheat and bean noodles or make pasta with gluten-free flour.
- Meat and fish can be breaded in crushed corn flakes and the batter can be made from chickpea or rice flour.
- It's easy to thicken sauces and gravies using potato or cornstarch.
- Instead of store-bought bouillon cubes and 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 seasoning. Powder made from dried mushrooms or ground meat will add a rich flavor to broths and sauces.
Gluten free snack
- For snacks, try homemade potato chips or gluten-free bread in a dehydrator.
- Pieces of meat and fish can be dried to create natural and satisfying snacks.
Desserts have not been cancelled
- Use nut flour 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 crisps and dehydrator lozenges, as well as healthy nut and dried fruit candies (no oatmeal).
Step 3. Organize gluten-free baby food
- Prepare the same dishes, only from gluten-free flour and grains (we've already discussed options for pasta and grains above).
- Try making pancakes, pancakes or cheesecakes with coconut, buckwheat or rice flour.
- Pasta and noodles can also be made from rice-based flour.
- Sweet bars, cookies and candies can be prepared from nuts, dried fruits and cocoa crushed in a blender (and even turn them into a joint game, for example, make cookies of different shapes from coconut and banana).
- Don't forget vegetable and fruit chips (instead of store-bought crackers), marshmallows and natural ice cream.
Gluten free recipe ideas
| Menu #1 | Menu #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 dumplings stuffed with soy and lentil sprouts |
Afternoon snack Fresh vegetables with homemade hummus |
Afternoon snack Gluten-free avocado bread |
Dinner Zucchini pasta in tomato sauce with herbs |
Dinner Risotto with chicken legs and cashews |