Tips for Navigating the Holidays Gluten Free

 Me: Hi, I have some food allergies.

 Waitress: sigh* …Ok

 Me: (mustering my best 😀 ) I’m gluten, corn and dairy free.

 Waitress: (deer in headlights)…what do you even eat?

 Me: (nervous laughter)…Ok 🙂 I’m looking to get (menu item) can you have them do it without butter, flour, and no pre-made seasoning mixes or marinades…fresh herbs, olive oil, lemon juice, all great.

 Waitress: (I’m obviously the bane of her shift at this point) smirk* I gotta go talk to our chef.

 Me: Thank you! :)…sorry??

Food allergies. Chances are you or someone you love and maybe cooking for, feels my pain. They touch more and more people these days.  And with the holidays approaching,  I want to help you navigate the waters through an ever growing allergen:  Gluten.

Gluten Intolerance, Celiac or just plain trying to eliminate gluten to see how you feel, is on the rise. I’ve talked to so many people who are trying to get to the bottom of why they don’t feel well and are in turn, going the G-free route, and with good reason.

It’s estimated that about 1 out of every 100 Americans deals with some form of Gluten Intolerance (the inability to break down the protein in wheat, barley, oats, rye and spelt) and the experts say that only about 1 out of every 4,700 ever get diagnosed. Crazy. There are blood tests available, BUT last I heard, they are only about 30% accurate in their diagnosis. So how do you know for sure if you can tolerate gluten well? You become your own guinea pig and experiment!

Ideally, to see how gluten affects you, eliminate it from your diet for 2 weeks. After that 2 week period, eat something with gluten in and and see how you feel over the next 24 hours. Most people who are gluten sensitive will be able to tell immediately if it affects them or not. Symptoms are different for every one, but the most common are digestive issues, bloating, headaches, “foggy” brain, and achy joints. So, if you think you might want to try this new way of eating OR are cooking for someone who is, please allow me to put my 8 years of personal experience to good use. 🙂

First things first, whether you’re newly diagnosed or just curious…breathe. 🙂 Yes, you have some re-learning to do, but the most important thing is to not get overwhelmed. Because of its emerging popularity, gluten is one of the easier allergies to navigate. PLUS, you have something I didn’t have 8 years ago, you have ME! 😀 Cheering you on, in your corner and offering you  tips and substitutions along the way. So, are you ready for some great ideas and products?…walk with me, talk with me…

 First, breakfast:

Granted, dinner is usually the main star of the event, BUT you still gotta eat breakfast! A great go-to is either Gluten Free Oatmeal

(Trader Joe’s is by far the most affordable) or if you prefer a Paleo option, I have a recipe for a Coconut Flour & Flax Meal “n’oatmeal” you’ll love! Check that and 6 other g-free breakfast recipes out here

         Think you have to give up bread? You do NOT, you carb lover you.

One of my favorites has been from a mix called “Breads from Anna.” It’s easy to make in a bread maker and tastes very “gluten-ous.” ;D Full disclosure, I’m not a huge bread person, I and usually prefer  Cassava Pop Chips (and this us SUCH a good deal!) if I’m craving something “carb-y.” OR some type of flax/chia cracker. These are great, but you can also make your own. (Check out my Recipe Board on Pinterest for some ideas)

I’ve also experimented with a plantain flatbread recipe. I gotta say, I’m a fangirl. PLUS, it’s very inexpensive to test a few out!

Pasta:

If you’re a purest, Brown Rice pasta is a good sub, Tinkyada is my favorite, I have used these in minestrone soup.

Bean Pasta is also super nutritious!

It boasts 11g of fiber and 25g of protein a serving.  Fair warning, its sometimes slightly “bouncy.” 🙂

However, if you’re not a purest(definitely the category I fall into 🙂 ) try substituting Spaghetti Squash, Zucchini Noodles AKA “Zoodles”  OR even roasting up a bunch of veggies (Here’s a few ideas) and serving those with your sauce and a little Pecorinno Romano (sheep’s milk cheese=dairy free! Whoo to the hoo)

            Next step: get aggressive about label reading!

And yes, that means EVEN the turkey. Many turkey’s sold at conventional grocery stores are injected with “solutions.” This can mean all sorts of things. Your safest bet is to get an Organic Turkey and make sure you read those labels 😉

Boxed “Stock” is also something we all depend on this time of year. I love this Bone Broth from Pacific.

Gluten likes to be sneaky and hide in things like tea, bottled dressing, licorice, and boxed broths just to name a few. Fortunately, there are substitutes for almost everything. Looking for a Soy Sauce alternative? Try Bragg’s Amino Acids (soy based) or Coconut Aminos (soy-free).

Both delicious and bonus, lower in sodium than Soy Sauce!

Baking:

            You know from the “I can’t believe its not gluten” 😀 banana bread recipe I featured a while back, that I used a baking mix called Pamela’s.

It’s a wonderful base for many of your baking needs and makes (quoting my gluten-eating hubby) “the best pancakes.” It contains whole grains, but is not 100%. I’m looking into trying a couple of other mixes as well. I’ll keep you posted.

            If you need a flour substitutes for breading or for thickening sauces, you can definitely use Pamela’s. I’m also a big fan of using Almond flour or a combo of Brown Rice & Chic pea flour. Coconut flour is a favorite as well, it can be tricky to bake with, but I LOVE it in breakfast recipes!

            There are so many incredible resources, recipes and substitutions out there. Check out the websites: Against All Grain  (BONUS: she’s got a holiday cookbook!) wholefoods.com and affairsofliving.com (this women is completely allergy free) for lots of helpful info.

            And most importantly, don’t ever let a different way of eating cause you to feel frustrated and small-ANY time of year, but especially around the holidays. 

You are your health’s first and most important advocate and if a tweak in your diet is going to add to your quality of life, its well worth it!

            I hope this post inspires and empowers you if you’re interested in making some G-free dietary changes.. And if you have any questions, need more ideas or have a g-free find you are dying to share, leave it in the comments below!

Until next time…

Meg

*This post contains affiliate links. We NEVER talk about products that we don’t use and love ourselves.  By purchasing through these links, we get a teeny tiny compensation that helps us keep NoSmallLife up and running. 🙂
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