Navigating a Gluten-Free Lifestyle: What to Eat and What to Avoid

Now that we have learned what gluten is and how it affects your body if you have an intolerance to it, it is time to figure out what exactly you can eat. This is a new lifestyle, so don’t treat it like something you only do when convenient. If it feels overwhelming, you can gradually eliminate gluten-containing foods from your diet, one by one, until the majority of your meals are gluten-free. Remember that you have a sensitivity, not an allergy, so you can still have some gluten in small quantities.

Foods With Gluten

Before discussing what you can eat when you have a gluten intolerance or sensitivity, it helps to understand exactly what foods are going to contain gluten. It is found in grains like wheat, rye, barley, couscous, bulgur, semolina, triticale, spelt, and many others. This means the majority of cold cuts, commercial broth and packaged soup, bread, salad dressings, sauces, condiments, processed cheese, and processed foods will have it. Some food items you need to get rid of or reduce considerably are:

·      Condiments and salad dressings

·      Canned beans

·      Processed meat like hot dogs

·      Non-dairy creamer

·      Egg substitutes

·      Granola and trail mix

·      Energy bars

·      Ice cream

·      Fruit filling and pudding

·      Cereals and breads

Fruits and Vegetables

For starters, you can begin by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. Most fresh produce, and some frozen, is not going to contain any type of gluten and won’t upset your stomach. Some good vegetables to have are greens, broccoli, cauliflowers, brussels sprouts, leeks, fennel, artichoke, bok choy, radishes, onions, cabbage, green beans, celery, and mushrooms. With fruits, try to go for fruits like tomatoes, bananas, lemons, limes, and some berries. These fruits tend to have a lower amount of sugar.

Fats and Seasonings

Healthy fats are a great thing to add to your gluten-free diet, including olive oil and coconut oil, nut butter, olives, nuts, seeds, almond milk, raw dairy milk, and butter if it is organic and grass-fed. With seasonings and condiments, feel free to have anything without sugar, soy, and wheat. This means mustard, salsa, and horseradish are fine, but ketchup is unfortunately out unless it says it’s gluten-free.

I hope this gives you an idea of what foods contain and don’t contain gluten. As you can see, your new lifestyle can provide you with a lot of tasty, nutritious food, even without having gluten.