Go Gluten-free Without Sacrificing Texture and Flavor

Whether you’ve been diagnosed with celiac disease or simply want to try out a new diet, you might be considering eliminating gluten. If so, you’re not alone. A 2013 survey found that up to a third of Americans are working to reduce or remove gluten from their diets. The good news is that this will result in a greater demand for gluten-free products, making it easier for those who have serious intolerances to the substance.

The bad news is that some people find it difficult to go gluten-free, at least at first. Making any major change to your diet involves a period of adjustment, but luckily, eliminating gluten is one of the easier changes you can make. If you know what foods to choose, you won’t have to sacrifice taste or texture.

All About Gluten: What You Need to Know

That said, there are certainly gluten-free foods that don’t taste great, just like any other foods. If you want to have the best chance of sticking to your new diet, it will help to make sure it’s tasty as possible.

Gluten Free: Staying the Course

 1. Know Your Flour

If you were used to always cooking with wheat flour, you might be overwhelmed by a large number of gluten-free flours there are to choose from. These include both grain-based flours like brown rice and other types, such as chickpea, quinoa, amaranth and tapioca flour. All of these flours are naturally gluten-free, but some may have additional ingredients, so it’s important to do your research on every individual brand before you buy. Even if the flour is pure, it may have been cross-contaminated due to being processed in the same facility as gluten flours.

2. Get Creative

If you’ve never cooked before, you can’t expect to start cooking every meal from scratch overnight simply because you went gluten-free. That said, this is a great time to begin a cooking journey. Being able to prepare your own meals will make sticking to your new diet much easier.

Rather than looking up complex recipes online, it’s best to develop a new way of viewing food. Aside from simple baking recipes, stick to easy meals based on a few gluten-free ingredients, such as brown rice and broccoli with soy sauce, chicken breast with sautéed squash, or a sandwich on gluten-free bread. You can also make snacking simple by choosing whole foods like plantains, almonds or yogurt.

3. Join a Gluten-free Club

Now that the gluten-free lifestyle has become so common, there are clubs and meetup groups getting together in cities all around the world. From gluten-free cooking classes to community potlucks, there are many opportunities to connect with others who can share the tips and tricks they’ve learned. Since gluten-free lifestyles are still relatively new to society, the shared body of knowledge will continue to improve over time.

Going gluten-free is a journey. The United States has come a long way in the past couple decades, and it’s now much easier to spot hidden gluten on labels. However, mistakes still happen. Maybe a friend accidentally cooked with an ingredient that had been cross-contaminated, or perhaps you simply misread a label. If this occurs, you shouldn’t beat yourself up about it. Understanding the gluten-free lifestyle becomes easier over time, so the best thing you can do is be aware that it won’t always be perfect and keep moving forward no matter what.