Eat More Vegetables the Easy Way

We have all heard this: we need to eat more vegetables!

People who follow a gluten free diet are used to hearing about all of the foods that they cannot eat anymore. It’s nice to know that there foods that they can eat more of! That’s where vegetables come in. Vegetables in their fresh state is one group of foods that not only provides variety, but it’s something that gluten free followers can eat without worry! Given the importance of a nutrient dense diet when following a gluten free lifestyle, vegetables should be a staple.

Unless consumed raw, fresh vegetables will require some preparation. The time involved in prepping vegetables is the part that trips up many people…how often have your purchased fresh vegetables only to have them rot in the vegetable bin??

I really like the idea of making the process of vegetable prepping easier by adopting what I call the “batch cook” method. This means prepping several fresh vegetables in 2-4 different ways at one time. The idea is to make ahead and have later.

Here’s an example of how this is done:

Steam carrots on one burner, sauté leafy greens on another burner, roast a tray of mixed vegetable (such as Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, or beets) with a little olive oil in the oven on one or two large trays. Store ready-prepped vegetables in plastic containers.

In less than an hour’s time there’s enough veggies cooked for several days. This is a great way to get a meal on the table quicker and with fewer pans to clean up. And, you have your vegetables ready to go! Use any leftover veggies can be added to a soup.

This is one of the best tricks I know work in more vegetables. Quick and easy!

Gluten Free Baking with Teff Flour

Despite the fact that I have been baking gluten free for several years, I never got around to trying out teff flour. Teff is a lesser known ancient grain which is ground into gluten free flour.  It is often not as available as some of the other staple gluten free flours.

Teff is a fine grain that grows predominantly in Ethiopia. The grain has a very mild, nutty flavor, and is  high in protein, calcium, and iron. Ground into flour, teff makes an excellent gluten-free flour alternative. Use it to make pie crusts, cookies, breads, and an assortment of other baked goods. Although I haven’t tried it yet, teff is said to work well with chocolate; that’s on my list to try next!

I found the teff flour and finally decided to give it a try. The package had a recipe for gluten free teff muffins on the back, which I used as a basic guide for my banana teff muffins. As a result, the modifications I made to the recipe turned out really well!

Banana Teff Muffins – Makes 10-11 Small Muffins

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup teff flour
  • 3/4 cup brown rice flour
  • 1/2 cup tapioca starch
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 2/3 cup mashed banana
  • 2-4 Tb. water or enough to thin the batter

Preheat oven to 400º F. Grease muffin cups. Combine sugar, flours, tapioca starch, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl mix eggs, oil, and banana; add to flour mixture, mixing quickly. If the batter is very thick, add in water by the tablespoon to to thin as needed (I used about 2 1/2 Tb. water). Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and bake for approximately 25 minutes. **Be careful not over bake the muffins; they can turn out too dry if over baked.

Gluten Free Banana Teff Muffins

Gluten Free Banana Teff Muffins

The History of Celiac Disease

There’s no better time than the present to to learn about the history of Celiac disease.  We have done some research and found several well researched sources that will give you a comprehensive look at why Celiac disease was developed and how it was treated once discovered by physicians.

The History of Celiac Disease
Coeliac disease from Wikipedia
The History of Celiac Disease EP041

If you have other sources you’d like to add, let us know!

How To Have A Gluten-Free Halloween

Smart-Idea1If you or a family member is on a gluten-free diet then Halloween can be a nightmare. Fortunately, not all candy contains gluten but many do.

To make things easier why not create your own gluten-free Halloween treats?  Check out the following links for ideas and let us know how it turned out!

Gluten-Free Halloween Recipes On Pinterest
10 Gluten-Free Halloween Candy Recipes
9 Spook-tacular Gluten-Free Halloween Recipes
Halloween Recipes
Boo! Cute (and gluten-free) Ghost Meringue Cookies for Halloween
Gluten-free Halloween Cookies
20 Gluten-Free Halloween Treats

Gluten-Free Baking Tips Roundup

Last month we did a round up of tips for eating gluten-free. We found our favorite twelve and shared them with you. This month we’re doing a follow-up of tips for baking gluten-free. Learning to bake gluten-free is important for most people because baked goods normally containing gluten are no longer an option. There are many recipes for baking available but it’s important to learn the basics and we hope these tips will help you.

  1. Invest in a few gluten-free baking cookbooks.  Amazon.com has just about every cookbook available but we suggest you read reviews before making your buying decisions.
  2. Manage your expectations. Gluten-free baked products taste different but they can still taste good.
  3. Measure dry ingredients in measuring cups and use liquid measuring cups for liquid.
  4. If someone in your family cooks with gluten you’ll need baking implements and pans that are kept separate and washed separate from other supplies.
  5. Gluten-free flours do not taste like conventional flour. You’ll have to experiment to find your favorite flour blend but you can also use spices and extracts to make the results more favorable.
  6. Smaller baked goods have better consistency because gluten-free baked food tends to crumble easily.
  7. You can buy commercial flour mixes that are gluten-free but you may get better results by combining two or more mixes together.
  8. Learn how to use xanthan gum and guar gum as a thickening agent or as a stabilizer. You will have to experiment when using them as some people can get side effects from consuming them.
  9. When your gluten-free bread is cool, slice it, cover it with foil and put in a plastic bag to freeze.  This will keep the bread fresh and you can thaw it easily.

Gluten-free baking (and cooking) can be tricky and it takes some practice for baked goods to turn out well.  The tips above will help you but if you need more information about living gluten-free check out our time limited sale on our exclusive content at http://www.gflifestylelearning.com.

Gluten-Free Tips Roundup

gluten-free tipsThere is a great deal of information, both good and bad, available in books and on the internet. We’ve weeded through page after page of advice and decided on pulling together twelve of our favorites.

  1. Don’t focus on what you can’t eat… focus on what you can eat.
  2. Find a local support group for gluten-free people, join and participate.
  3. Don’t run out and buy a bunch of new cookbooks. Visit your local library and look through their selection to get ideas of what types of cookbooks you would enjoy.
  4. When shopping read food labels thoroughly.
  5. Look for gluten-free food that is all natural like fruit, vegetables, eggs, meat, poultry and fish.
  6. Eat gluten-free grains like quinoa, teff, rice, amaranth, buckwheat.
  7. Remember that gluten can be found in products other than food like alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks, cosmetics and medications.
  8. Avoid eating out and learn to cook healthy gluten-free meals at home.
  9. Bring your own gluten-free food when attending a social event. Let your friends know that you will bring your own food when you are invited to dinner.
  10. Buy and use your own utensils, tableware, cooking implements and appliances so that you don’t get cross contamination from food prepared by other people in your family.
  11. Wipe down counters and sinks with soapy water before cooking a gluten-free dish.
  12. Plan and create your meals in advance to prevent snacking on food containing gluten.

What tips have we missed? Use the comment section to let us know your favorite tips for eating gluten-free.

It’s Gluten-Free Picnic Time

gluten-freeJuly is always a hot month but this year it seems like August.  You might feel like spending the rest of the summer in air conditioned comfort but then you’ll miss out on all the summer fun! You might spend time at the local swimming pool, attend family gatherings or travel and to do all that you’ll need gluten-free food that can travel.

We’ve done the research and found some gluten-free picnic food that you can pack and take with you all summer long.  Remember to follow all the food safety guidelines for gluten-free food that you would follow for any other food.

Roasted Fingerling Potato Salad with Mustard Herb Vinaigrette
Summer Squash Noodles with Basil Lime Dressing
Red Quinoa with Mango Salad from Taste Love Nourish
Quinoa and Bean Burger
No Bake Blueberry Custard Pie

Eating Gluten-Free On A Budget

The availability of gluten-free food is now widespread.  Grocery stores have dedicated gluten-free food sections but something that hasn’t changed is the outrageous price.  On average gluten-free versions of food are often about 450 percent more expensive than the non-gluten free version.  We’ve done some research and come up with a few tips to help you save money!

  1. Plan your meals at least a month in advance.  This allows you to search for sales in advance because you know what you will need.
  2. Always use a list.  Never leave home without a list and don’t impulse buy.
  3. Stick to natural gluten-free food.  Fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, tofu, eggs, nuts, legumes and dairy are less expensive than processed food and may often be on sale.
  4. Prepare and cook your meals at home.  Use a slow cooker as much as possible and pack lunches to take to school or work.
  5. Learn to bake at home.  Buy a few cookbooks, on sale or second hand, and give baking bread and pastries a try.
  6. Shop at international grocery stores.  These stores may offer big savings for items such as gluten-free grains and spices.
  7. Create your own flour blends at home.  There are prepared gluten-free flour blends but they tend to be pricey.  Check the internet for instructions and prepare your own.
  8. Check out store brands in grocery store chains.  Many chains are creating their own brand of gluten-free foods and they likely already have their own brand of canned vegetables and other items.
  9. Buy in bulk and use sales and coupons.  Look for opportunities to double the value of your coupons.  Join some of the coupon forums on the internet and consider coupon swapping with other members.
  10. Shop on the internet.  There are many grocery chains offering gluten-free products online and specialty stores that feature only gluten-free options.  Amazon.com and Vitacost.com offer good deals on gluten-free staples.
  11. Use your freezer to store food you buy on sale and food that you prepare in advance.  Many people cook food in large batches on the weekends and store it in individual containers in the freezer to defrost during the week.
  12. Shop around.  Start by visiting all of your local food stores and keeping a notebook of non-sale prices.  Then watch for sales and determine where you will get your best buys.  To save the most money you’ll need to shop from more than one store at least twice a month.

With a little preparation and some research you can reduce your food budget despite being on a gluten-free diet.  If you have any tips we missed let us know by leaving a comment!

The Skinny On Gluten-Free Beverages

gluten-free beveragesYou’ll find thousands of articles in print and online covering gluten-free options for food but what about gluten-free beverages?  Most people are concerned about the sugar content in their beverages but never give much thought to gluten.

The same rules apply to beverages that apply to food.  You must read labels before purchasing a beverage to rule out that they contain wheat, barley, rye, malt, brewer’s yeast and oats.  You can learn more about reading labels here.

Some possible safe gluten-free beverages (but still check those labels) are:

Coca-Cola beverages (claim to be gluten-free for the US market)
PepsiCo beverages (claim to be gluten-free for the US market)
A&W Root Beer
Gatorade and Powerade
100% Fruit Juice
Carrot Juice
Tomato Juice
Cider
Vitamin Waters
Kool Aid
Tang

If you are unsure if a product is gluten-free even after reading the label contact the manufacturer.  Consider posting on their Facebook Fan Page (if they have one).  This is often a way to get a quicker response!

Who Doesn’t Love Bread?

Gluten-Free BreadWarm, yeasty bread fresh from the oven or from your favorite bakery.  What could be better?  Most people would say nothing… but those with celiac sensitivities and celiac disease could not agree.  They might have memories of enjoying bread but the side effects of eating bread are unpleasant and dangerous for many of them.  Is it possible that they could bake gluten-free bread at home?

Thanks to the innovation of companies like Bob’s Red Mill and King Arthur bread is back on the menu for the gluten-free.  There are many recipes available on the internet and we’ve gathered our favorites.  So get your ingredients ready, pull out your mixing bowls, warm up your ovens and get ready for some delicious gluten-free bread.

The Best Gluten Free Bread Recipe
Gluten Free Apple Bread
Easy Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread made with baking mix
Soft Gluten Free Sandwich Bread Recipe
Gluten Free Zucchini Bread
Gluten-Free French Bread
Dark Teff Sandwich Bread
Gluten-Free Challah
Gluten Free Artisan Bread