Following a Gluten-Free Diet? Here’s What You Need to Know.

You Can Still Enjoy Cooking, Even if You Can't Tolerate Gluten!

3 min

©foodspring

By Leyla Spiesky
November 29, 2022

Why trust us?

Say goodbye to bread and pizza, forget about pasta, and say adios to avocado on toast at your favorite cafe. This is how most people imagine a gluten-free diet. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be this way anymore! Even if you’re avoiding gluten, you can still eat a varied diet without having to give up everything you like. Whether you suffer from celiac disease or just need a breath of fresh air in the kitchen, we show you how to eat a balanced gluten-free diet.

Eating Gluten-Free – How Does That Work?

Wheat, barley, rye, some types of oats, and other cereals contain gluten. Simply put, gluten is a “sticky” storage protein that ensures your loaf of bread keeps its shape. If you’re gluten intolerant, however, it can also cause inflammation in your intestines. Your health care provider can determine if this is the case with some blood tests and genetic testing. If you’re diagnosed with an intolerance or celiac disease, then you must avoid gluten.
It’s important to note that eating gluten-free is not a diet! You should only follow it if this is medically necessary. Avoiding gluten will not automatically help you lose weight or eat healthier. Studies consistently show that a gluten-free diet has no benefits for people without an intolerance.
Gluten is naturally found in grains, which are also a source of high-quality carbohydrates. Just like fats and proteins, they form part of a balanced diet, whether you want to lose or gain weight. As with so many things, we’re strong advocates of finding the right balance! For this reason, a balanced diet should also include grains.

Going Gluten-Free for a Healthy Diet

In recent years, the number of gluten-free products in supermarkets has shot up, and more and more packaging on the shelves is labeled as “gluten-free”. You might automatically think this sounds healthy, right? But often these products are highly processed and loaded with a large helping of sugar to compensate for the missing gluten. That’s why they don’t necessarily help you eat healthier. However, if you avoid highly processed alternatives and replace them with fresh and wholesome gluten-free foods, it can work. If you then maintain a moderate calorie deficit too, you can even lose weight.
If you want to avoid gluten, you’ll have to plan your weekly shop carefully. Make sure you choose the freshest and healthiest alternatives possible. For example, you can easily make your own gluten-free bread by using rice flour, buckwheat, pea flour, gluten-free oat flour, yucca or other alternatives. This is also a great way to improve your cooking skills! Many cultures have breads and other baked goods that are naturally gluten-free thanks to their ingredients. These include corn tortillas, Indian socca, and a simple but delicious Colombian cheese bread called pan de bono, made from cassava root. Take the guesswork out of ingredients’ gluten content altogether by going straight for our gluten-free protein bread mix or make yourself a gluten-free pizza.

Gluten-Free Nutrition

Whether or not you have a gluten intolerance, incorporating gluten-free dishes into your daily diet without consuming too many additives and sugar takes some practice. People also often assume that giving up carbohydrates is a safe way to stop eating gluten. However, you should avoid eliminating complex carbohydrates from a balanced diet completely since they keep you sated for longer, avoid blood sugar spikes, and stimulate digestion. Complex carbohydrates include fiber and starch, for example, and they can be found also in corn, potatoes, and rice, as well as in the gluten-containing wheat. Starch, or more precisely resistant starch, can also help you lose weight. This is barely broken down by your digestive enzymes, keeps you feeling sated, and has a positive effect on intestinal health. Learn more about starch and starchy foods here.

Our experts will be happy to offer advice and ensure you don’t lose sight of healthy nutrient distribution.Book your consultation now

Gluten-Free Cooking

If you want some more of our gluten-free recipes, then try one of our favorite gluten-free dishes. You’ll soon see just how easy it is to find a healthy alternative.

Our conclusion

Gluten binds water and increases the properties of cereals when baked. If you have an intolerance, however, this causes inflammation in the intestine. A gluten-free diet is not a diet, and gluten-free diets should only be followed in the long term if this is medically required. Products containing gluten are often highly processed and high in carbohydrates. Replacing these with fresh gluten-free options can help you eat a healthier diet. To lose weight during this process, you still need to maintain a moderate calorie deficit.

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*Edited on November 22, 2022 by Natascha Klemm.

Sources for this article

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