Most people digest gluten well without any problems. But some people don’t tolerate it well or at all. Celiac disease is one condition where people cannot tolerate gluten, but there are other gluten sensitivities.
Gluten is the culmination of proteins in wheat, barley, and rye. When someone has a gluten allergy and digests gluten, they may experience headaches, indigestion, fatigue, weight loss, and even dermatitis.
If you have gluten sensitivity, your best option is to remove gluten from your diet in entirety. This can be tricky, however, because gluten is a prevalent ingredient in most people’s diets and is included in countless food products. Luckily, there are some ideas you can use to remove it and move forward with a healthier lifestyle.
Gluten-Free Grains
Wheat, barley, and rye are all common grains that contain gluten. But, they aren’t the only ones, and not all grains contain gluten, so you don’t have to eliminate grains from your diet. It would help if you learned to substitute.
Some gluten-free grains include brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, millet, buckwheat, and oats. Brown rice flour is one of the main types of gluten-free flour used in gluten-free baked goods. All of our baked goods at Outrageous Baking are made with premium, all natural, gluten and preservative free brown rice flour.
Gluten-Free Labels
The FDA controls gluten-free packaging, so anything that claims to be gluten-free can be trusted. To be labeled gluten-free, a product must contact less than 20 parts per million of gluten. Similarly, the EU has the same type of regulations.
Plenty of third-party organizations have created gluten-free certifications separate from the FDA. These are all additional certifications from the governmental regulations the product still has to follow and can indicate additional standards that the product meets.
Produce
One place you can guarantee not to find gluten is in your fruits and vegetables. Gluten-free foods can lack micronutrients, such as magnesium and folate unless you replace gluten-filled products with other nutrient-rich foods. Adding additional fresh produce to what you eat will get these nutrients in your diet while eliminating gluten.
Some ways to incorporate more produce into your diet include using spiral veggie noodles instead of the usual pasta, getting your burger wrapped in lettuce instead of bread, getting a salad instead of a sandwich, or using butternut squash or roasted potatoes for side dishes.
Some other ideas include getting sides of fruit or vegetables, adding fruit to breakfast or snack, and adding sweet potato slices instead of bread.
A few processed produce items could contain gluten, such as canned goods, so make sure you watch your labels.
Your Pantry
Dig through your pantry and clear out anything that contains gluten. If you’re not sure, check the labels for gluten and wheat. Get rid of products that contain wheat, rye, or barley. Check for glutenous ingredients that are not as well known, such as malt vinegar, seitan, and brewer’s yeast.
Getting rid of your diet’s gluten can be challenging if you have other members in your home not following the same diet restrictions. To make things easier, consider creating gluten-free sections in your pantry. This can make your items easier to access and avoid cross-contamination.
Use separate toasters, cutting surfaces, and other tools to avoid contamination.
Beverages
Gluten is in many beverages, especially alcoholic beverages. Beer is commonly made with gluten, as it has fermented gluten-rich grains such as wheat and barley. Gluten-free beers are available that are made from rice and sorghum.
However, if you’re going to drink alcohol, you should probably stick to beverages that are always gluten-free, such as gin and vodka, which are distilled liquors. Wine is also gluten-free. Watch out for wine coolers, however, because they may contain malt barley.
The majority of non-alcoholic beverages are gluten-free. Coffee, tea, sodas, and others are among gluten-free drinks. Some smoothies and coffee drinks, however, may contain gluten.
Know the Names for Wheat
Checking your labels is one of the vital strategies to ensuring your diet is gluten-free. But, there are many different names for gluten, and you should be aware of all of them. We’ve already covered several of them, but some lesser-known names include einkorn, durum, Khorasan (Kamut), triticale, and spelt or farro.
Many kinds of wheat flour have other names, such as farina, semolina, or graham flour. These have gluten, and you should avoid them. Food additives can include hidden gluten sources such as maltodextrin, caramel color, and modified food starch.
Checking the allergen’s statement on the food label is the only way to ensure a product doesn’t contain gluten. The FDA requires companies to label products with the top eight allergens, including gluten.
Processed Food
Processed foods may contain hidden gluten ingredients to add texture, shelf life, or mouthfeel. Some of these items include lunch meat, baked goods, seasoned rice mixes, french fries, sausage, and many others.
Gluten-free products are usually higher in sugar, fat, and sodium. So, even though they may seem safer to eat, they could be detrimental to your overall health.
Gluten-Free Baked Goods
Fortunately, gluten-free bread is not only delicious but made with safe and healthy ingredients like gluten-free grains, such as brown rice, buckwheat, and nut flours, and natural sweeteners, such as raw honey and pure maple syrup. And Outrageous Baking specializes in making them!
For over 14 years, we’ve been cooking up a variety of gluten-free and dairy-free sweetbreads and other baked goods that can safely be enjoyed by those with food allergies and shared with anyone else. Of course, that means no wheat!
Visit us today to explore our recipes and to have freshly baked gluten-free goodness delivered to your doorstep!
