This week (10-16 May) marks Coeliac Awareness Week. To help #ShineALightOnCoeliac, we explore what coeliac disease is, how a gluten free diet is essential for living with the condition, and provide some gluten-free recipes.
WHAT IS COELIAC DISEASE?
Coeliac disease, an autoimmune disorder in which your immune system reacts to gluten and damages your gut. Common symptoms include diarrhoea or constipation, tiredness, iron, vitamin B12, and/or folic acid deficiency, recurrent stomach pain, bloating, cramping, unexplained nausea, and anaemia.
To feel better, you must remove gluten from your diet. Thus, living with this condition means constantly checking out product labels to make sure they contain no traces of allergens. That’s because staying away from gluten means more than giving up bread and pasta.
It goes without saying that most types of bread, wraps, and crackers contain gluten. The protein is found in pizza and cakes, too, if they’re made with wheat, rye, or barley flour. But gluten may also be found in foods you wouldn’t expect to contain it. These include, but are not limited to:
- Soy sauce
- Barbecue sauce
- Ketchup
- Gravy mixes
- Malt vinegar
- Ketchup
- Spice blends
- Cream sauces
- Granola and cereal bars
- Candy bars
- Beer
- Drink mixes
- Premade coffee drinks
- Chocolate milk
- Hot dogs and meat substitutes such as vegan burgers
- Prepared lunch meats
- Egg substitutes
- Flavoured tofu
- Processed cheeses
- Certain ice creams
Besides reading labels, a whole new hassle comes with prepping gluten-free meals for yourself or a family member with coeliac disease or gluten allergy. With this in mind, check out these delicious gluten-free recipes to get you inspired.
COELIAC FRIENDLY INGREDIENTS YOU CAN COOK WITH
Going gluten-free doesn’t mean you have to stop enjoying delicious bread or cakes. It just means you must pay attention to the ingredients.
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. Thus, you can still eat certain cereals as well as a wide range of other foods. Here’s a list of coeliac friendly ingredients you might find handy:
- Brown rice and wild rice
- Gluten-free oats (read the label to make sure they aren’t contaminated)
- Millet
- Corn, including cornmeal and polenta
- Rice, soy, corn, potato, and bean flour
- Buckwheat
- Fresh fruits and vegetables – canned fruits and veggies could be fine too, but read the label
- Beans
- Seeds
- Legumes
- Eggs
- Natural, unprocessed nuts
- Most dairy products
- Unprocessed meats, fish, and poultry
GLUTEN-FREE RECIPES FOR BREAKFAST
GLUTEN-FREE PANCAKES
Pancakes are a breakfast staple, and you don’t have to give up on them just because you’re on a gluten-free diet. If you want a quick breakfast fix, you can use a gluten-free pancakes mix. Alternatively, you can make them yourself with all-purpose gluten-free flour, granulated sugar, and a pinch of cinnamon. Once the batter’s ready, all you need is a good frying pan and some fresh fruit for a delicious breakfast.
GLUTEN-FREE SCONES
Beloved by kids and adults alike, scones can easily brighten up even the cloudiest morning. And gluten-free scones are easy to make in about 35 minutes. For a super-delicious treat, make sure to fill them with lots of sultanas and serve with heaps of jam and clotted cream.
COURGETTE AND PARMESAN WAFFLES
If you’d fancy a savoury breakfast rather than a sweet one, try these courgette and parmesan waffles. This gluten-free recipe is also low-carb and perfect to match with your Paleo diet. If you don’t have a waffle maker, simply fry them like pancakes – no matter how you cook them, rest assured everyone around the table will love them.
GLUTEN-FREE LUNCH RECIPES
VEGETABLES, STEAK, AND EGGS
Gluten-free recipes for lunch are easy to come by, but we love this twist on the classic salad. The veggies are sautéed just enough to give them a crispy-tender touch, whilst the steak and eggs bring loads of healthy nutrients and proteins. And for a vegetarian variant, simply ditch the meat.
CHICKEN POPPY SALAD WITH STRAWBERRIES
Chicken, poppy seeds, and strawberries don’t have much in common unless you mix them all in this gluten-free deliciousness. Summery fresh and ridiculously easy to make, this tasty salad can be a welcomed novelty on those days when you fancy a sophisticated brunch or whenever you want to try something out of the ordinary.
CAULIFLOWER FRIED RICE
Gluten-free and vegetarian-friendly, cauliflower fried rice is incredibly tasty and nutritious. It’s also easy to turn vegan by skipping the eggs or to pair with steak or chicken if you can’t imagine a meatless lunch. Regardless of your choice, rest assured you’ll never miss those gluten-loaded carbs.
GLUTEN-FREE DINNER RECIPES
HIBACHI STEAKHOUSE MEATBALL SKEWERS
These These tasty low-carb, gluten-free kebabs are better cooked on a barbecue, but you can make an equally delicious variant cooking them on an indoor grill. Serve with a mix of leafy greens, including baby spinach, lettuce, and watercress, or a gluten-free pitta for a tasty fakeaway dinner.
GLUTEN-FREE SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE
Whenever you’re craving a bit of pasta, remember that there are many gluten-free pasta variants you can enjoy. Rice or soy noodles are just some of your options, or if you’re skilled in the kitchen, use all-purpose gluten-free flour to make pasta at home. Then, all you need is a pot to prepare a Bolognese sauce with minced meat and tomatoes. Mix with the cooked pasta, and your dinner is ready.
BAKED CAMEMBERT WITH FIG CHUTNEY
For an easy pre-dinner starter that looks fancier than what you’d get in a Michelin-starred venue, try baked camembert cheese with fig chutney. Bake the cheese in a Halowave oven for the best results. Serve with gluten-free crackers or crudities and a healthy helping of chutney.
GLUTEN-FREE DESSERTS
FUDGY GLUTEN-FREE BROWNIES
Coeliac disease may keep you away from traditional sweets and cakes, but you can still enjoy some delicious brownies. This decadent dessert pairs heavenly with vanilla ice cream (make sure it’s gluten-free when you buy it). Bake in a brownie bonanza tray if you want to enjoy the perfect crust on each brownie piece.
SUMMER FRUIT SALAD
On those hot summer days when all you can think about is something sweet and fresh to ward off the heat, try a summer fruit salad. Vegan and gluten-free, this dessert is diet-friendly and very easy to make. And despite the summer in its name, this vitamin-packed goodness is also a wonderful choice for all the other months of the year.
So, what do you say? What will you cook for lunch or dinner? If you still need ideas for gluten-free recipes, check out these allergy-friendly recipes your whole family will love.
Gluten-Free photo created by master1305 – www.freepik.com
Steak, veg and eggs photo created by serhii_bobyk – www.freepik.com
Meatball skewers photo created by timolina – www.freepik.com