What foods can celiacs eat?

If you’re one of the unlucky people with celiac disease, then this article is for you! Eating food can be a bit of an issue when your body reacts poorly to gluten. So what exactly can you eat? And are there any hidden dangers lurking below the surface at crowded Thanksgiving dinners? Here’s everything you need to know about being a gluten-free superstar and not annoying everyone around you.

Gluten-Free Grains

Let’s start basic: what grains can celiacs safely consume?

  • Amaranth: A tiny grain that packs a big nutritional punch, amaranth contains plenty of protein and fiber.
  • Buckwheat: Despite its name, buckwheat has nothing to do with wheat – it’s actually related to rhubarb! Make sure not to confuse it with “hulled” or “pot” barley (which are off-limits).
  • Corn: Cornmeal in moderation is fine but check labels carefully since some corn products may contain cross-contamination traces.
  • Millet: This naturally sweet grain offers great iron content as well as tryptophan (that stuff that makes us sleep better after turkey). No wonder birds love this stuff so much!
  • Oats (Certified GF only): While oats themselves don’t typically contain harmful proteins, they often get contaminated during processing, which is why finding certified gluten-free oats
    might require extra effort.

Not Safe Grains

And now let’s go over what grains should not be on your list:

  1. Wheat
  2. Barley
  3. Rye
  4. Triticale: A hybrid between wheat and rye most commonly found in baked goods like breads and crackers.

So far so good right kids? Just because we can’t have all the greatest hits doesn’t mean there aren’t great replacement options out there. Speaking of replacements…

Gluten-Free Flours

There’s nothing wrong with classic wheat flour unless you have celiac disease. So, what are the alternatives? Check it out:

  • Almond Flour: Almonds aren’t just for snacking anymore! They can be ground into a nutty flavored flour that works well in pastries and baked goods.
  • Coconut Flour: A slightly on-the-nose alternative to wheat flour, coconut-flour provides high amounts of healthy fats making it satiety-friendly and oh-so-trendy
  • Potato starch: When made from scratch Potato Starch is an excellent thickener used for sauces soups etc., It can even be used in gluten free bread recipes as a binding agent.
  • Teff Flour: Ferociously flavorful African grain popularized by Ethiopian dishes. The strong taste might not suit everyone but boy oh boy does this little dude pack a huge nutritional punch!

Not Safe Flours

And again, let’s set some boundaries:

  1. Wheat Flour
  2. Barley Flour
  3. Rye Flour

Rice doesn’t cause any troubling allergic reactions so eat all the Jasmine rice ya need!

Gluten-Free Legumes/beans/lentils

Moving onto legumes: These nutrient-dense superfoods don’t typically contain gluten proteins.

Most beans/dals and lentils (including chickpeas) should be safe, BUT…
Watch out for “bean flours” like fava bean or garbanzo bean— they may include cross-reactor issues giving us similar gluten intolerance reactions
Some people may find them difficult to digest <we’ve got our eyes on you black-eyed peas> Plus side though? Most legumes offer plenty of fiber which means your digestive system would be running smoother than ever.

Seems easy enough right?

Gluten-Free Veggies and Fruits

This should be the most straightforward category! All fresh veggies, from leafy greens to peppers (our drumroll please…red-peppers are ripe green ones“) as well as fruits including bananas, apples and melons should absolutely positively
contain no gluten proteins. Just wash up that stuff so there are no pesticides hanging around.

Gluten-free Dairy/Alternatives

So what about dairy/milk products? Naturally pure milk shouldn’t pose a problem but probiotic yogurt may contain additional cultures that have been contaminated with gluten since fermentation enzymes might share similar cross-reactive protein features. Also: Cheese – cheese is good guys always.
If you’re lactose intolerant or just trying out other options then almond milk, coconut milk (or leche de coco), rice milk, soy or oat mülk would all provide creamy sips of heaven!

Gluten-Free Meat/Proteins/Fish

Meats are tricky because they’re usually seasoned in some way which makes it necessary to look closely at labels/Q&A with the chefs if we’re eating outside. Deli meat is also risky due to cross-contamination issues..

Most straight-up meats seem okay as long as their seasonings aren’t posing problematic reactions for us…
In addition fish seems fine too except when breaded in wheat flour before frying; further trouble could arise during dinner invitations from friends who insist on submerging their turkeys/chickens into marinates/sauces containing..you guessed it- wheat-based substances.

Below find confirmed safe protein sources based on your meal preferences:

Gluten-free Protein Options:

Breakfast Lunch/Dinner Snacks
Eggs & bacon Grilled chicken Jerky/Turkey sticks
Sausage Steak Nut butter spread w/ apple slices
Breakfast sausage Pork shoulder roast Canned salmon mashed w/ avocado & black pepper
kid you not

Gluten-Free Beverages

I’m happy to report that most beverages also seem gluten-free! Watch out for beer and flavored distilled spirits. And yes, this includes all the monster energy drink you love so much…sorry!

Gluten-Free Beverage Options:

Safe Choices Watch your labels
Tequila Certain brands of Whiskey/Bourbon
Tap water Vodka (flavored)
Seltzer or soda water Gin

Conclusion

Let’s wrap this up: having celiac disease doesn’t mean sacrificing enjoyable meals but it does lead us into better-educated ways of eating. You may now even venture into tastier realms than before (cause let’s be honest many individuals discovered amaranth because gluten sensitivity forced their hands!). Nowadays, plenty more delicious allergen-friendly options exist similar to creative lentil-based pastas,
<S/O Banza Chickpea Pasta crew ah ha ha HAaaaaaaaaa!!!> flavorful sauces with potato/flaxseed buckwheat flatbreads or nutty desserts made from almond/cashew flours.

Your best bet is preparing your own food at home given the variety available ingredients to work with nowadays in relation to batch-made items on shelves which could contain traces of wheat wherever unnecessary.

And believe us when we say healthier still isn’t synonymous with any less delicious wink-wink-nudge-nudge!.

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