If you’re someone who has had to cut gluten out of your life due to gluten sensitivity, coeliac disease, or other reasons, we understand that it can be an extremely daunting journey to revamp your diet and essentially, your lifestyle in some ways.
Unfortunately, approximately 1 in 70 Australians are impacted by coeliac disease but around 80% of this number remain undiagnosed. So, before we tell you some of the great gluten free products that we range at WholeLife, it’s time to get back to the basics and tips to get you on your gluten free journey.
What is gluten?
According to Coeliac Australia, gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, triticale, and oats (in some circumstances) and assists in food upholding their shape. So where can you find gluten? A quick side note…sometimes gluten may be hidden in an array of foods that you didn’t even think of, so keep an eye out!
- Wheat can be found in various foods including bread, baked goods, soups, pasta, cereals, salad dressings. Triticale is a newer grain which has similar qualities to wheat
- Barley can be found in malt, food colouring, soups, beer, Brewer’s Yeast
- Rye can be found in rye bread, rye beer and particular cereals
To find a more detailed list on foods that contain gluten, click here.
Tips for going gluten free
It can most certainly be an adjustment to switching to a gluten free diet and there are a few things you’ll need to consider:
1. Check those labels. Now that you’re going gluten free, it’s important to check the labels on products to ensure they don’t have any traces of gluten. Actively search for a gluten free label or for extra assurance, look for products that have the “Endorsed by Coeliac Australia Gluten Free” label on them.
2. Use gluten free substitutes. Now you may be wondering, what do gluten free substitutes look like? Firstly, switch to grains like rice, quinoa, corn, buckwheat, sorghum. These are great substitutes that are extremely versatile and can be used to make delicious, gluten free meals. Secondly, here are a few products that we stock at WholeLife that won’t make you miss gluten whatsoever!
Eco Organics have an array of gluten free options, including fettuccine and spaghetti so you won’t miss another pasta night. Try out their Edamame Spaghetti or Chickpea Fettuccine, just to name a few. They’re gluten free, low carb, organic and taste delicious.
Niulife have a variety of sauces which are gluten free. Their Cocomino Original Coconut Amino Sauce is a great alternative to soy sauce, so you can keep dunking those gluten free sushi rolls with peace of mind.
Melinda’s Gluten-free Goodies are the sweet, gluten free delights you didn’t know you needed. Let’s face it, sometimes we don’t have the time to spend hours in the kitchen baking tasty desserts, so this is where Melinda’s Gluten-Free Goodies come in. They’re pre-made, gluten free, use clean ingredients and are super simple to make.
Bob’s Red Mill is another great brand which stocks an array of gluten free baking ingredients. Some examples include their Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour that is perfect for making cookies, cakes, brownies etc or their Gluten Free Quick Cooking Rolled Oats which are processed in a dedicated gluten free facility and tested to ensure purity, avoiding cross-contamination.
To all our bread lovers out there who believe they can’t eat bread anymore, we’re going to introduce you to Venerdi Bread. They’re gluten, dairy, and soy free, making them a perfect candidate to satisfy your gluten free bread needs. There’s no world if there’s no bread!
At WholeLife we also stock our own WholeLife Healthfoods branded wholefoods which can assist you on your journey to finding perfect substitutes for eliminating gluten. Examples include our Coconut, Buckwheat or Brown Rice Flour.
3. Be aware of cross-contamination. Yes, cross-contamination can occur with gluten and gluten free products. It’s extremely important if you’re coeliac and are living with others that you are using a different toaster, colander, cutting boards, containers, oil used in fried foods and other cooking utensils that may have been in contact with gluten. Same with restaurants or visiting someone’s home, it’s important that if you have any concerns of cross-contamination that they are raised to minimise your chances of ingesting gluten.
4. Get cooking! If you’re concerned about what products may or may not have gluten, cooking from scratch is an option. Now, this can be an extremely time-consuming process, however it’s a great method to ensure your meals don’t contain any gluten or any hidden nasty substitutes. Remember, natural foods like fruit, vegetables and meat do not contain gluten, thus, you can still create delicious meals by incorporating them.
To find some tasty gluten free recipes, head on over to our blog. Let us know in the comment section below what your favourite gluten free tips are.
Feature Image Via: Venerdi Bread
