Hi everyone,
I've had a few clients recently where the muscle testing has shown they would benefit from reducing or avoiding either wheat or gluten so I thought it was a good opportunity to go over some gluten-free staples that I use.
First of all, here is some info going over the difference between gluten and wheat. Basically, gluten-free means avoiding 4 grains - wheat, rye, barley and possibly oats. Whereas wheat-free is obviously just avoiding wheat. So if something says gluten-free it WILL be wheat-free, and gluten-free is the most common term used on food labels so is the easiest to look for.
Here are some gluten-free products that I always keep in the pantry:
From left: Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Baking Flour, Mary's Gone Crackers Original Crackers, Table of Plenty Rosemary & Sea Salt Mini Rice Cakes, Orgran Buckwheat Pasta Spirals, Eat Rite Tamari Seaweed Wholegrain Brown Rice Crackers.
Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Baking Flour:
I buy this from either the Organic Store or Yummy Nuts in McLaren Vale. It's great for substituting into baking recipes that use normal flour. I've used it in biscuits, cakes, pancakes and muffins. You can use the same quantity of flour as the recipe states for normal flour - no maths required yay! If a recipe wants self-raising flour just add 1 teaspoon of baking powder for every cup of flour.
Mary's Gone Crackers:
Well it's hard to resist the name isn't it?! These are seed based crackers and there are a couple of flavours. Great for platters, dips, cheeses or just some almond butter mmmmm. I get these from Coles in McLaren Vale in the health food aisle.
Table of Plenty Rosemary & Sea Salt Mini Rice Cakes:
Not only are these gluten-free but they're also baked rather than deep-fried so great for a healthier option than chips (or crisps for the UKers!). So if you want a crunchy, salty snack give them a try. Tip - put a couple of handfuls in a small bowl...otherwise the whole packet may not last very long! Again, these are from McLaren Vale Coles in the health food aisle.
Orgran Buckwheat Pasta Spirals:
No this is not a trick, buckwheat is completely gluten-free, no wheat at all. It's commonly used in gluten-free products and makes a good pancake flour too. There are a lot of gluten-free pastas available now. I choose this one because it holds it's texture well whereas some break down and turn a bit mushy. Also, it doesn't contain soy flour or corn/maise. Soy flour is very harsh on the digestive system and if you need to remove wheat or gluten from the diet your intestinal membranes are probably inflamed already so we don't want to add more stress. Corn is usually genetically modified unless it states orthewise or is certified organic. This is available from the Organic Store McLaren Vale or Coles in the health food aisle.
Eat Rite Tamari Seaweed Wholegrain Brown Rice Crackers:
There are many rice crackers that are gluten-free. However most of the flavoured rice crackers have got added crap like flavourings, sugar, dextrose, maltodextrin and food acids. These are from the rice cracker section at Coles McLaren Vale.
Let me know if you have any gluten or wheat questions, I know it can be confusing and remember not all gluten-free foods are healthy. The basis of a healthy diet is actually naturally gluten-free - vegetables, fruits, legumes (beans and lentils), tofu/tempeh, nuts and seeds, small amounts of meat, chicken and fish, eggs...all gluten-free! Many whole grains are also gluten-free - rice, quinoa, millet, amaranth. And oats and barley are wheat-free.
Happy freeing yourself from wheat or gluten!
Carla :)
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