Keeping off wheat or gluten-based ingredients can seem quite challenging, but it really doesn’t have to be that way, as I discovered. Here are six ways that made me feel that I could stay off wheat and gluten-free without depriving myself of all the “goodies,” especially sweets.
- Rediscovering traditional cooking methods: Traditional cuisine often offers several alternatives to wheat and gluten. I found that Indian cooking, especially south Indian recipes, mostly used rice or rice flour with lentils and barely any wheat or gluten. Biryani or Tandoori chicken, for example, are also gluten free, but not marketed that way. Also, in Germany, where I live, traditional meals like fish and potatoes or potato pancakes with apple sauce can be healthy, wheat free alternatives to the standard sandwich. Sushi, for example, is a great gluten free alternative to a regular wheat-based meal.
- Getting interested in cooking: I hated cooking because I found it too tedious – I preferred to spend my time reading- but at some point ,I just couldn’t eat out without having problems, so I began consciously buying fresh ingredients for easy, gluten-free and wheat-free recipes like soups, baked vegetables and so on.
- Experimenting with baking: My oven is my best friend now. I find baking less strenuous than standing in front of the cooking range for a long time because all you need is to get the ingredients together in a pot and bake them. Depending on the recipe, a slow cooker also works. My favorite baking recipes include chicken curry, Nigella Lawson’s chicken with lemon, garlic and leek and Jamie Oliver’s chicken recipes.
- Looking for alternatives: I also look around for alternatives to wheat flour – almond, hazelnut, coconut and buckwheat flour work well for me. I am not a big fan of ready made gluten free flour mixes, because they never work the way I want them too (i.e., they are still heavy after baking or don’t taste very good.) Also, rice, quinoa and amaranth are perfect substitutes for breakfast cereals and taste good in salads.
- Choosing only one element/ingredient in my meals to abstain from: I had to go off wheat, which meant, I had to read ingredients in all processed food carefully, I couldn’t have cookies, cake or biscuits and I couldn’t eat any bread. But I did eat (good) chocolate, baked my own gluten free cakes and treated myself to chocolate mousse, ice cream or a delicious soufflé every now and then, which didn’t make me feel I was depriving myself of all the “good” stuff.
- Looking for mainstream recipes that didn’t include gluten-based grains: This is quite similar to my first tip, but basically, most cookbooks and chefs have at least some recipes where they don’t use wheat or similar ingredients. I was pleasantly surprised when I found many gluten and wheat free recipes in cookbooks by famous chefs – just that they don’t really specify that these are gluten free.
Finally, I made sure my diet focused on eating normally and enjoying food. My love for good food wouldn’t let me think otherwise :D.
Do you have any tips you’d like to share? Please do, at the comments section below!