Gluten-Free Food Swaps To Swear By
Want to try the diet Miley, Gwyneth and co are RAVING about (read this before you do)?Here are gluten-free ideas to take you right through from breakfast to dinner.
iStockSWAP Cornflakes For …
Suffer from gluten sensitivity? Then you need to cut out foods that contain wheat, barley and rye. Breakfast cereals tend to be packed with these staple carbs, but there are great, filling and more nutritious alternatives available. Such as…
iStockOatmeal Granola
Oatmeal granola. Delicious, filling, full of fibre and slow-release energy, this is a great swap for anyone. Just double-check the ingredients to check there aren’t any gluten extras, like barley flakes in there. Some people’s digestive systems can be slightly sensitive to a similar protein found in oats, too. If this is you, try…
iStockPuffed Rice Cereal
Super low-calorie puffed rice cereal or…
iStockNuts, Berries & Yoghurt
Nuts, berries, yoghurt and honey, which has a good slug of skin-nourishing protein and vitamin-E in it for a beauty-boosting alternative. Similarly,try…
iStockBaked Omlette
A protein-rich, carb and gluten-free baked omlette or…
iStockGrilled Bacon, Mushroom & Tomato
If you’re particularly peckish, chuck the bread, delete the sausages (which are quite often packed with wheat and gluten to bind them together) and have a healthy grilled breakfast of bacon, tomato, and mushrooms. Chop the fat off the bacon, and avoid the frying pan, and it’s a great all-round protein-packed start to the day. Too heavy? Try some…
iStockFruit Salad
Fruit salad. If you suffer from digestive problems, or just want to flatten a bloated tum, tropical fruits like pineapple, papaya and mango are great. Or you could go for…
iStockBio Smoothie
A simple smoothie, made with bio-cultured yoghurt, which contain a myriad of nutrients that help to maintain great digestion. Add a handful of berries, a sprinkling of tummy-friendly flax seeds and a scoop of whey protein for a filling nutritious breakfast.
iStockSWAP Wheat/Rye Bread For…
White or brown, artisan or factory produced, bread made from wheat, rye or barley flour contains gluten. ALSO. Beware of spelt which also contains gluten. Instead, opt for...
iStockRice Bread
Rice bread. Which sounds strange, but is pretty similar, although with a slightly heavier, more crumbly consistency. Can’t find any in your local supermarket? Have a go at making it yourself using gluten-free brown bread flour (made using rice tapioca, potato, sarrasin and carob) from the Dove’s Farm range, which you can purchase online here. Alternatively…
iStockCornmeal Bread
Try cornmeal bread or, if you’re feeling like something a little different…
iStockBuckwheat Pancakes
Have a go at making some buckwheat pancakes. They’re made exactly the same as normal pancakes, just substitute the white wheat flour for the buckwheat instead.
iStockSWAP Wheat Pasta For…
Much like bread, this student staple food is bad news for coeliacs and gluten-free dieters alike. But there are tonnes of different options available. Including…
iStockBuckwheat Pasta
Buckwheat pasta, which you should be able to get hold of at most super markets. If Italian is your thang, why not give…
iStockHomemade Gnocchi
Home-made gnocchi a go? Some shop-bought varieties are made using wheat flour, so look out for that. But it is easy to make, and can be done using rice, buckwheat or potato flour. Here’s a great gluten-free recipe we found earlier. Or, you could try…
AlamyCourgette Spaghetti
Making yourself some courgette spaghetti for a gluten AND carb-free alternative. Just shred long strips of the courgette using a vegetable peeler or grater and sauté with olive oil, garlic, lemon and a touch of salt. Or…
iStockRice Noodles
Why not opt for rice noodles? Low in calories and super-fast to cook (they take about 2 minutes in warm water), these are a good gluten-free staple to stock up on. Plus, you can find them in most supermarkets. Or…
iStockQuinoa
Try a complete grain, like quinoa, which is a bit like a nuttier couscous but packed with protein, a full range of vitamins and other minerals. Or…
iStockMung Beans
Mung beans, which are high in protein, low in fat and a good source of slow-release energy. As are other fibre-rich legumes, like lentils, chickpeas (the flour of which is also good for baking) and haricot beans. Or…
iStockSweet Potato
Go for a portion of baked sweet potato. Or normal potato. But sweet if you want a healthy, slow-release energy source that will stop you craving sweet, glutenous deserts after dinner. Or…
iStockPolenta
You could try polenta, which is made using maize starch. Grill it, dice it, blend it; there are so many creative ways to cook with it. Well worth stock piling.
Rex FeaturesSWAP Victoria sponge for…
Sadly, gluten-free largely means kiss goodbye to sweet deserts, like cakes and biscuits, made using wheat, barley or rye flour. Which isn’t a bad thing for the ol’ waistline. But it doesn’t have to become a blanket ban. You could substitute wheat flour for alternatives like rice flour, cornmeal or chickpea flour. Or, you could try…
iStockOatmeal-Based Cheesecake
Oatmeal-based cheesecake. Rather than crushing up digestive biscuits, make a flapjack-like base using oats, a touch of rice flour and honey. Or, just use crushed gluten-free cookies. Another good option is…
iStockPolenta Cake
… Polenta cake. Not familiar? Check out this awesome recipe by Nigella Lawson. Not keen on lemon? What about…
iStockFlourless Chocolate Cake
… A luxuriously rich, flourless chocolate cake? Here’s a good recipe we Googled for that earlier. Or…
iStockGiant Meringue
… Why not try a giant meringue? It’s just egg white and sugar and a whole lot of deliciousness. Make them yourself here.
iStockSWAP Croissants for…
Overcoming the coffee shop pastry conundrum can be tricky, but not impossible. Many of the chains have gluten-free alternatives to wheat-based croissants and cupcakes, but look out for…
iStockBuckwheat Muffins
Buckwheat muffins, which taste just the same if not better. And…
Rex FeaturesFlourless Flap-Jacks
Flourless flap-jacks made from rolled Scottish oats.
Rex FeaturesSWAP Digestive biscuits for…
Time for tea? Need something to dunk with it that isn’t going to leave you rolling around on the floor clutching your stomach in agony/won’t break your gluten-free diet? Ditch wheat-based digestives for…
iStockOatmeal Cookies
Gluten-free oatmeal cookies, which are more filling than regular cookies and slightly better for you.
iStockFlourless Peanut Butter Cookies
Flourless peanut butter cookies, which we’ve just found out about recently thanks to this recipe. They sound amazing. Or…
iStockSesame Snaps
You could go for sesame snaps, available in most supermarkets and corner shops and made of syrup and seeds only. Or…
iStockMacaroons
Even a super sweet macaroon or two. And by macaroon, we mean both types, coconut and egg white-based. Just double-check on the back of packets if you’re buying from the supermarket.
iStockSWAP Nachos for…
Yep. Beware the wheat-based savoury snack. It has gluten in it. And crisps, even when hand-cooked, aren’t fantastic for you because of the high salt and fat content they contain. So if you are following the gluten-free diet for weight loss purposes, try…
iStockVegetable Crisps
Baked vegetable crisps, made with roots like carrots, parsnips, beetroots and so forth. Much better for you. Or…
iStockKale Chips
Dehydrated kale chips, which sound GROSS, but are melt-in-the-mouth delicious. Or…
iStockPop Corn
You could try air-popped corn. Which is super-easy to make and mega cheap.
iStockSWAP Processed soups for…
Surprised? It’s true. Lurking within shop-bought sauces and cans of soup are things like gluten-based thickeners and flours. The gluten-free aim of this particular game is simple: check the back of labels or, even better, make it yourself at home using fresh, unprocessed ingredients. Why not try…
iStockTomato & Basil Soup
… Making some tomato and basil soup at home using just pure ingredients? A splash of balsamic vinegar goes a long way. Or try…
iStockVegetable Stew
You could try a hearty vegetable stew made with fresh stock. You could even add a few buckwheat dumplings in there. Or…
AlamySWAP Shop-bought gravy for…
Most instant gravy contains gluten thickeners! Check the packets, people. Or go for…
iStockVegetable Stock
Plain, no-frills vegetable stock, which you can buy by the pot-full in most supermarkets. Thicken using corn starch instead of flour, and add salt and vinegar to taste. Or you could try…
iStockBalsamic Vinegar Glaze
Balsamic vinegar glaze, which you can make yourself by reducing with sugar, or buy ready-made in most supermarkets. Or…
iStockCorn Starch Cheese Sauce
For a cheese sauce option, look out for the corn-starch cheese sauce powder, usually available in the health section of local supermarkets. Or, you know, just melt some cheese, y’all.
iStockSWAP Tomato sauce for…
Yep. Even tommy sauce! Chuck the ketchup and go for…
Rex FeaturesFresh Salsa
Chopped tomato, garlic and chilli salsa, which contains a lot less salt, sugar and other additives if you make it yourself using fresh ingredients. Or you could try…
iStockSticky BBQ Sauce
Making some sticky barbeque sauce at home using corn starch thickener. LOADS of gluten-free recipes for that here. Or…
iStockTomato Chutney
You could try some tomato chutney. Bit like savoury jam. But a lot nicer than that actually sounds.
iStockSWAP Wheat pastry pies for…
Sometimes, only a pie will do. Most pastry-based pies are made using glutinous wheat flour. BUT…
AlamyBuckwheat Pastry Pie
You could have a go at making buckwheat pastry yourself. In fact, there’s a helpful recipe here. Or you could go for…
Rex FeaturesFisherman's Pie
A non-pastry based pie, like fisherman’s pie, made using a fluffy potato topping. As is…
iStockShepherd's Pie
Shepherd’s pie. You’re entirely welcome.
