You have to change your life drastically when you decide to give up gluten. This is because you have to say no to plenty of foods. This is even harder because gluten-containing items are commonplace on grocery store shelves and are essential to many customs, such as Friday night pizza, birthday cakes, and holiday bread and pies, to mention a few.
Fortunately, avoiding gluten now is much simpler than ten years ago. Not only are mostrestaurants and grocery stores offering gluten-free options, but many people have discovered invaluable tricks to make gluten-free foods taste and texture better.
Are you looking to eat gluten-free food and looking for ways to do it easily and successfully? Here are ways to go about it:
Always read the nutritional labels and go for a shorter ingredient list
Simply because a product is labeled as gluten-free does not necessarily guarantee that it is healthier. This is particularly true of packaged foods like cereals, frozen dinners, and other snack foods.
These goods contain significantly more calories than their conventional counterparts and may be manufactured with refined carbohydrates and large amounts of sugar.
It’s crucial to read nutrition labels and search for foods with the fewest ingredients possible—and ingredients you can identify. You should note that it’s common for nuts, whole fruits and veggies, and protein to be included in healthy gluten-free snacking.
While this is the case, you should be aware of potential hidden sources of gluten, such as modified wheat starch, hydrolyzed vegetable and plant proteins, and malt or malt flavoring. You should obviously stay away from them.
For peace of mind that what you are reading is what is in the packaging, buy your foods from a reputable brand such as Built.
Eat as much as possible at home.
When you prepare your food at home, cross-contamination is less likely to happen because you completely control the products you use and their quality.
While you might argue that there are more gluten-free meal alternatives available at restaurants, so you have more options when you eat in a restaurant, you should note that many of those menu items may be costlier.
Eating more meals at home will be far more economical than going out because gluten-free alternatives are frequently more expensive in restaurants.
Ask questions when eating in a restaurant.
Eating at home as much as possible is good, but what if you want to go to a restaurant? It’s about knowing what questions to ask to make wise decisions. It’s difficult at first, but it gets better with time.
For instance, determine if the dressing is prepared on-site or in a bottle. You should ask what the ingredients are if it’s homemade. You should note that if it’s in a bottle, chances are that it might include gluten so you are better off avoiding it.
Although gluten-free menus simplify things, they are still not entirely dependable. Ask if the pancakes and eggs are cooked on the same griddle at a brunch establishment to avoid the possibility of cross-contamination.
Do fries receive the same oil treatment as floured chicken fingers? Is the water used to cook the ordinary pasta also used to make gluten-free pasta?
You should ask these kinds of questions.
If you ask politely, your server will be pleased to accommodate you, so don’t feel terrible about standing up for yourself.
Eat more fruits and vegetables.
Fresh produce comes in every form and is inherently gluten-free.
Micronutrients like folate and magnesium may be lacking in gluten-free diets unless alternative meals high in nutrients are substituted for gluten-containing goods. You can get these nutrients and eliminate gluten by increasing the amount of fresh vegetables in your diet.
Here are some ideas to increase the amount of fresh vegetables in your diet:
- • Request a lettuce wrap instead of bread and substitute spiralized vegetable noodles with traditional pasta.
- • Choose a salad over a sandwich.
- • For a gluten-free side dish, try butternut squash or roasted potatoes.
- • Select roasted veggies or fresh fruit as a side dish.
- • Eat a fruit as a snack or include it in your breakfast.
- • Swap out the bread for pieces of sweet potato.
As a thickening or food ingredient, gluten may be present in certain processed fruits and vegetables, such as canned or frozen.
When buying canned, frozen, or dried fruits and vegetables, read the label for information regarding wheat and gluten.
Be cautious of the beverages you take
When many people think about being gluten-free, they only think about the foods they take. You should note that this is not enough. You also need to consider the drinks you take as they might contain gluten.
Some drinks, particularly those with alcohol, may contain gluten.
Due to the fermentation process used to make beer, manufacturers use gluten-containing grains like wheat and barley. To stay safe, avoid these beers and go for gluten-free ones produced using rice or sorghum.
If you’re on a gluten-free diet and still want to drink, go for distilled liquors like gin or vodka. Wine is usually gluten-free as well.
Most non-alcoholic drinks, such as tea, coffee, and sparkling water, are gluten-free. So you are free to take them.
While this is the case, you should check the label because some beverages, such as milkshakes, coffee drinks, and premade smoothies, may contain gluten.
Join a gluten-free community.
A gluten-free diet could make you feel lonely. And with so many people not caring about the foods they take, you might also be tempted to stop caring whether certain foods are gluten-free.
To avoid this, join a gluten-free community. Getting involved in a gluten-free community is a terrific opportunity to connect with others with similar dietary limitations and discover resources and ideas from the community.
Thankfully, there are many communities you can join. For example, you can find the National Celiac Association, which provides support, has informal gatherings and has conferences for people with celiac disease.
You should find a community near you and join.
