Gluten Free Lunch Ideas   

by Melind Knight

Without a proper lunch, getting through a busy afternoon can be a struggle. When you're on a gluten-free diet (which excludes wheat, rye, and barley), it's important to find healthy lunch recipes that give you the calories, protein, and vitamins you need to feel great all day long. If you're interested in learning more about tasty and nutritious lunch ideas, you'll enjoy these easy-to-prepare, economical ideas; most of them rely on clever substitutes of some popular, wheat-based breads and food products:

Rice Noodle Stir-Fry - What could be healthier than a base of rice noodles, topped with a selection of lean beef or chicken, red peppers, onions, and carrots? By picking up a bottle of wheat-free Tamari soy sauce, you can enjoy the salty kick of this Asian condiment - without worrying about glutens. Simply stir-fry your favorite meats and veggies (or gluten free tofu, if you're vegetarian) in a little vegetable oil, minced garlic, and Tamari sauce - if you want more spice, add some red pepper flakes. Meanwhile, boil some rice noodles and drain. When you're ingredients are ready and cooled, fill a plastic container with a base of noodles and a healthy portion of toppings - if you like, add a little more Tamari for flavor. You can eat this delicious lunch hot or cold, and it provides lots of essential carbohydrates and nutrients. Add a bottle (or two) of pure water to your meal to balance the sodium in the dish.

Classic Peanut Butter & Jelly Bagel - Sometimes, comfort food can be just right for certain days. If you've always enjoyed peanut butter and jelly on bread or a bagel, you can still have what you want - all you need to do is find gluten free bagels in a plain flavor. Most health food stores will stock these - you may also have a gluten free bakery right in your own town or city. Once you've found your bread product, look for natural peanut butters and organic jams and jellies - there are some terrific gluten free choices in the marketplace. If you're looking for a mainstream brand of peanut butter that is safe to eat, you might enjoy Skippy Natural Creamy Gluten Free Peanut Butter; Smuckers brand fruit preserves are also completely gluten free.

Soup With Legumes - Pouring some hot, satisfying soup into a microwave-safe container or Thermos can be a great way to enjoy superior nutrition on a cold or rainy day. If you make lots of soup in advance, you'll be able to freeze your leftovers and use them for easy lunches. To make great soup, choose a gluten free broth, or simply do things the old-fashioned way by boiling up a chicken along with onions, chopped carrots, and a spice bouquet garni. Once you've boiled the chicken, tear off the excess meat and reserve; then, strain the broth to remove bones and vegetables. If you like, cool overnight and skim off fat before using. Adding any food items you have lying around can be a great way to use up leftovers - consider drained chickpeas or kidney beans, rice, sliced carrots and onions, shredded chicken, and diced potatoes. If you love pasta in soups, use brown rice pasta shapes to add heartiness to your soup. Spices such as curry, tarragon, or hot sauce can give your soup a more exotic feel. 

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Get The Healthy Benefits Of Green Olives   by Charlie Wilson

We consume olives in different ways in our daily routine, in our salads, sandwiches, pizzas, etc, be it the essential fruit or the super healthy oil. Even though more attention is given to its delicious oil than the whole fruit, olives are one of the world's most widely popular foods with numerous health benefits. Categorically classified in the class of the fruits of the Olea Europea tree, olives are considered both as a piquant vegetable and a fruit. However, it is a fruit that can harvested in September, but is available round the year. A moderate intake of olives daily is what a doctor or nutritionist will advise you to stay healthy and also, beautiful as olives have numerous beneficial properties for shining skin.

You can find a variety of olives that can be used for an assortment of purposes. The most used of all kinds of olives is the green olive. The tangy citrus flavored olive is a perfect one with food containing fish and in recipes that require sweet spices. One can also use these olives when oil is not required as they contain less oil, gives a strong flavor and are firm flesh in comparison to the fully ripened black olives. Green olives are processed in a time period of 40-day natural pickling, with a variable harvest time in accordance with the deviations in weather conditions and manufacturing areas.

The olives grown in hilly areas are harvested after the ones that grow in the valleys. It is done because lower temperature postpones the ripening process. However, in average seasons the harvesting of olives starts in early September and ends around the mid of October. You can buy them in a variety of shapes and sizes as all are prepared using various methods such as roughened, pitted, chopped, or stuffed with sweet pepper, garlic, fish, or pretty much anything that is desired.

There are various websites operating these days, offering you the option of shopping healthy eatables like olives, online. For instance, the sweet roasted red peppers can be bought online as well and are adequately versatile so that you can add it to your breakfast, lunch or dinner. You just need to sauté them in extra virgin olive oil and add a few eggs in order to give a healthy and positive start to your day with a high protein breakfast. They are best used for dishes like garbanzo beans in order to provide a colorful hummus dip, in potato salad or as a component of a kebab.

http://goarticles.com/article/Get-The-Healthy-Benefits-Of-Green-Olives/10073168/