Whether you’ve recently been diagnosed with celiac disease or prefer to follow a gluten-free diet for other gluten-related symptoms, you don’t have to sacrifice flavor when you go gluten-free!
While going gluten-free may seem to eliminate a good amount of foods you used to eat on a daily basis, there are tons of whole food options that naturally don’t have gluten in them. Plus, there are even more brands catering to the gluten-free space every day.
Now that I’ve got you thinking about the different foods you enjoy, see if any of these ideas stimulate your taste buds. Quick, simple, and packed with heart-healthy nutrients – doesn’t get much better than that!
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Date this Smoothie.
Pack your smoothies with colorful fruits and veggies that taste great together while also packing a punch with healthy nutrients. Blend pitted Medjool dates with your milk of choice, banana, raspberries, sliced almonds, frozen spinach, and avocado. The avocado will add the creaminess that’s hard to replicate.
Banana Bites.
Slice bananas into small coins. In a separate bowl, mix together non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt, cinnamon, ground flax seeds, and your favorite nut butter. Then top each coin with a small dollop of the mixture.
Tofu Scallion Bowl.
Cook tofu in Bragg liquid aminos, then mix with brown rice, scallions, carrots, peas, broccoli, and sesame seeds. Top with your desired amount of olive oil and/or liquid aminos.
Chicken Salad.
Choose flavor- and nutrient-packed greens like arugula, kale, or spinach, and mix in some chicken breast, sweet potato, avocado, and grapes. Top with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and add in any other veggies.
Taco Station Creation.
Plan taco night fun with friends! Heat up corn tortillas in the microwave for 10 seconds or heat in the oven until warm. Then fill small bowls with chopped, flavor-packed gluten-free toppings. Choose a variety of beans, tomatoes, avocado (or guacamole), onions, corn, and one of your favorite salsas. Mix some crumbled tofu with taco seasoning for a protein boost, or opt for shrimp, fish, or baked chicken. Cut up some lemons and limes as the last touch to top it all off!
Garlic Broccoli Pasta.
The grocery stores are filled with grainless pastas – from garbanzo bean to black bean, to lentils! These types of pastas are typically a bit lower in carbohydrate than wheat pasta, and also pack in the fiber and protein. Cook them up like regular pasta and find new topping combinations to try. Sometimes something as simple as olive oil, garlic, cracked pepper, a touch of salt, and some steamed broccoli can really hit the spot!
Keep Your Creativity Alive!
All of these options can be elevated even more with a little imagination. For example, try mixing in new herbs or spices that you haven’t tried before, or browse the market for a new sauce that can be mixed into warm or cold dishes. This is a great way to stay on top of your label reading game to make sure you can detect any source of gluten in the foods. A simple solution to all of this is to experiment with all of these flavors and add-ons to meals from scratch with whole foods!
These options are healthy and packed with flavor, but sometimes you might feel like you still want to indulge in a piece of bread or a bowl of comforting pasta. Luckily, you have the luxury of being able to choose from a long list of gluten-free products on the market today.
Here are some gluten-free brand substitutes to start with!
- Bread
- Udi’s
- Glutino
- Simple Mills (it comes in a mix that you can bake yourself!)
- Pasta
- Banza Chickpea Pasta*
- Explore Cuisine Pasta
- Barilla Gluten-Free Varieties
- Crackers/Snacks
- Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers*
- Mary’s Gone Crackers
- Blue Diamond Almond Crackers
- Lundberg Brown Rice Cakes
- Beanfield’s Bean and Rice Chips
- Snack Bars
- Lara Bar
- Rx Bar
- Kind Bar
- The Gluten Free Bar (GFB)
- Soy sauce
- Tamari (any brand)
- Coconut Aminos (Try any brand – this is a liquid that is naturally a little bit sweeter than soy sauce but still does the job of giving your sushi, rice bowl, or veggies a punch of natural flavor)
There is always so much exciting information to learn and new recipes to experiment with. Keep things stimulating by trying new whole foods, new brands, getting your hands dirty in the kitchen, and enjoying the process!
