What Can You Eat on a Gluten Free Diet?
by Chelle Stein
When I first realized that I would need to put my family on a gluten free diet, it was pretty overwhelming at first. Learning that we had an intolerance to the protein found in wheat, rye, and barley was hard to believe. All of the foods we had come to known and love - cookies, cakes, bread, pasta, cereal, and more, all needed to be eliminated from our diet. Finding suitable and nutritious choices seemed impossible!
Fortunately, we didn't stay hungry for long and we learned many different things that we could easily make. Having a list of things you can eat while following a gluten free diet is definitely helpful, especially when grocery shopping or visiting with family and friends.
Since everybody has individual tastes and likings, one thing I've found to be incredibly helpful when first starting out is to make a list of everything you like to eat. This way you're not limited only to diet plans you find online or read in a book. When you make a list of everything you like to eat on a regular basis, put stars next to everything you like that doesn't contain gluten next to it. This will give you a ton of immediate choices and help you feel a lot better about going gluten free.
If you're staring blankly at that sheet of paper, here are some ideas to get you started:
Vegetables: You can eat just about any vegetable you want. Potatoes are a good source of a starch, and green leafy vegetables are always full of antioxidants and healthy nutrients for you. Carrots, broccoli, asparagus, cucumbers, zucchini, peas, and beans are just a couple of examples. If you don't have a lot of vegetables on your list, consider making a pledge to try one new vegetable every week.
Meats: You can pretty much eat any meat that you like as well, though you'll want to be careful about foods that have added ingredients or breading. Fried chicken for example would not be a good choice because the breading typically includes flour, though gluten free versions are available. Pork, lamb, fish, poultry and beef can all be options for you to eat.
Dairy: A lot of people who are gluten intolerant may also have problems with a protein found in dairy products called casein. However, if you do not have a casein sensitivity or lactose intolerance, you can safely enjoy many dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream and more.
Fruits: There are many fruits you can eat, from apples to oranges to more exotic flavors such as mangoes or kiwi. Again, if you don't have a lot of favorite fruits make a pledge to try a new one each week.
Gluten Free Grains: Fortunately there are many gluten free grain substitutes. You can eat as much rice as you like, and you can also look for gluten free breads, pastas, and even cookies.
It's comforting to know on a gluten free diet you don't have to starve to death, and with a little brainstorming you'll be able to find some great tasting things to eat in no time!
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