Some of my family members have expressed interest in trying a gluten free diet so I thought I’d briefly share some tips on how to get started. The majority of gluten is consumed in the form of bread, cereal, pasta and baked goods so let’s start there.
Switch out your bread products.
Most grocery stores carry at least one brand of gluten free bread. Experiment and see which ones you like best. The texture is slightly different than regular bread but microwaving or toasting can improve that.
Buy or make an all-purpose gluten free flour mix.
This is a must because you can bake anything with your gluten free all purpose flour mix, as well as use if for pancakes, waffles, breading on fish or chicken, etc. There are many different varieties of all-purpose gluten free mixes with different flour combinations. Some examples of the flours found in those mixes: garbanzo flour, coconut flour, brown rice flour, potato flour, soy flour, almond meal, sorghum flour, fava flour, oat flour, etc. Taste will vary depending on the flour, some sweeter, some nutty, so try a variety to see which ones you like best.
Stock up on gluten free carbohydrates.
Just because you are avoiding products containing gluten doesn’t mean you can’t eat carbohydrates. Stock your pantry with naturally gluten free foods like potatoes, rice, quinoa, oats, millet, etc. which all make affordable, healthy side dishes.
Buy a gluten free cookbook or find some gluten free recipes from blogs and create your own collection.
Having an arsenal of recipes to chose from will make it easier when your kids request muffins or you’re having company over for brunch and need some inspiration.
Meal prep some snacks over the weekends.
It’s important to be prepared so that there is always something tasty, healthy and gluten free for your family to munch on. Great examples are:
Cocoa Cashew Healthy Bites from Cotter Crunch
Double Chocolate Banana Bread from Ari’s Menu
Apple Cinnamon Granola Bars from Running to the Kitchen
Crispy Baked Chickpeas with Truffle Salt from the Lemon Bowl
Following these tips, in addition to reading your labels and focusing on eating naturally gluten free food like fruits, vegetables and/or proteins (like meat, seafood, poultry, tofu, etc.), will make gluten free living a breeze.
Learn more about living gluten free! Visit http://udisglutenfree.com/community
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Udi’s Gluten Free. The opinions and text are all mine.
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I’ve recently became more conscious of GF as an experiment with my eating. It’s amazing how much it’s in everything! Thanks for the tips!
Angela @ Happy Fit Mama recently posted..Salad A Day
Yeah, wheat definitely dominates!
love the resources we have these days! it truly makes a world of a difference with eating GF
It sure does. I had a friend with Celiac disease who used to carry around her own bread (which was quite pathetic looking) because it was sooo uncommon to find it (this was about 17 years ago). Things are sooooo different now.
Those are great tips… and I love the recipes you included at the end. I think most people get that they have to cut out so many things, but struggle to know what to add in instead!
Laura @ Mommy Run Fast recently posted..Deconstructing our Cravings – Part 3
Thanks Laura! Yes, there are some amazing gf recipes out there!
Oh gluten-free.
How I love thee.
You make me feel as good as when I drink calming tea.
I hope everyone else can see.
BAH HA HA! That poem should be published, yes yes it should! Remember in grade school when you took the poetry section in English class? Yeah, HATED that… But now, it’s fun! 😉 Oh and so is eating gluten-free. It’s fun to experiment with foods you might have not necessarily used before!
GiGi Eats Celebrities recently posted..Not So Naughty, Frosted Mini Shepherd’s Pies
That is a beautiful poem Gigi! It should be posted on all gluten free food packages. Your English teacher would be so proud. 🙂
I’m in my second week going GF free (well, I missed about a day last week being sick eating saltines lol), and so far it’s not so bad. I’m slowly learning what I can eat, what I can’t eat. I think it’s a bit more of a challenge since I’m a vegan, but definitely not impossible!
Going to start cooking more too, which will only enhance my overall health! 🙂
Shannon @Girl’sGotSole recently posted..Race Report: Excalibur 10-miler
Nice! Yes, the vegan plus gluten free is definitely more of a challenge. Good luck with everything. I am happy to help if you need it.
Yummy! Many times gluten free stuff tastes just as good or even better than things full of gluten. Especially if you have good recipes.
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