A gluten-free diet is a healthy food in which all foods that contain gluten are excluded from the diet. The diet is prescribed for diseases of the endocrine and nervous systems, as well as pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.
Gluten (gluten) is a complex of plant proteins (prolamines, glutenins) found in cereals such as wheat, oats, rye, etc.
Who is the diet suitable for?
Using a gluten-free diet is a prerequisite for treating conditions such as:
- Celiac Disease;
- glutenin intolerance (in severe and atypical forms);
- irritable bowel syndrome;
- autism, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis;
- anemia in children under 3 years of age.
The use of foods with gluten for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and neurological pathologies can have the following consequences:
- It causes chronic inflammation of the small intestine, as a result of which pathogenic bacteria and toxins enter the bloodstream.
- Violates the balance of the intestinal microflora and leads to further reproduction of pathogenic bacteria.
- It alters the digestive processes as a result of the adhesion of the villi on the walls of the small intestine, which are designed to digest and assimilate proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
- It causes autoimmune diseases because the immune system releases antibodies against gluten molecules, which attack not only the gastrointestinal tract, but also gluten-like proteins in the cells of the thyroid gland, heart, and nervous system. This is how autoimmune thyroiditis, type 1 diabetes mellitus, dermatitis, infertility, and early menopause occur.
The presence of foods containing gluten in the diet is manifested by constant stool disorders (constipation, diarrhea), flatulence, frequent edema, cavities, as well as the appearance of ulcers on the oral mucosa and constant skin eruptions.
In most cases, gluten intolerance causes iron deficiency anemia, which is manifested by constant fatigue, brittle nails, hair loss, and weight loss.
List of allowed and prohibited products
To maintain a gluten-free diet, two food categories are excluded from the diet: with a lot of gluten in the composition (for example, wheat bread) and with hidden gluten (for example, mayonnaise, ketchup, etc. ).
On a gluten-free diet, the following foods are excluded from the diet:
- cereals, specifically wheat, rye, oats, barley;
- flour products of these cereals, including bread, lavash, cakes, cookies, grain bread;
- cereals (oats, rolled oats, bulgur, pearl barley);
- bran from these cereals;
- products with a small amount of wheat flour in the composition (bouillon cubes, soy sauce, buckwheat noodles, sausages and canned foods, crab sticks, mayonnaise, tomato sauce, tea bags, yogurt, ice cream);
- chocolates, store jam, caramel;
- kvass, beer and other grain-based alcoholic beverages;
- coffee with flavorings and additives, decaffeinated coffee;
- products with "traces of gluten" due to production, namely table vinegar, food starch, semolina, some types of cheeses, dry seasonings and spices, etc.
Due to the presence of hidden gluten in food, the diet will not be effective, since inflammatory processes in the intestines do not stop even with a negligible amount of gluten in food. It is necessary to carefully study the composition of the product in the package. Some manufacturers label their labels as "Contains Traces of Gluten".
If you are on a gluten-free diet, you can include gluten-free foods in your diet, namely:
- vegetables and fruits;
- legumes, soy;
- buckwheat, sorghum, quinoa, flax, rice;
- homemade milk and dairy products;
- meat and fish;
- seafood;
- vegetable and animal fats;
- yeast, spices, soy sauce.
Weekly gluten-free diet menu
A sample menu for a week should consist of 4-5 meals every 2-3 hours. A gluten-free diet can consist of cereal, vegetable, meat and cottage cheese dishes, and fruits and berries are used as a snack.
Monday
- Breakfast: cottage cheese with banana and berries, tea;
- Lunch: buckwheat soup with meatballs, pilaf, tomato salad;
- Snack: apple, 25 grams of walnuts;
- Dinner: chop with vegetable salad.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: rice oatmeal, coffee with soy milk;
- Lunch: broccoli puree soup, gluten-free pork meatballs;
- Snack: banana, 5 pieces of almonds;
- Dinner: cottage cheese casserole with red berries.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: cottage cheese and banana pancakes, cocoa in almond milk;
- Lunch: tomato soup, meatballs in broth, vegetable salad;
- Snack: 3 tangerines, pumpkin seeds;
- Dinner: baked duck, fresh vegetable salad.
Thursday
- Breakfast: omelette with herbs and cheese, tea;
- Lunch: Rice soup with meatballs, gluten-free bread, baked fish with broccoli;
- Snack: 150 grams of raspberries, walnuts;
- Dinner: cheesecakes with banana, sour cream.
Friday
- Breakfast: corn tortillas with banana puree, compote;
- Lunch: fish soup, vegetable stew, baked chicken with spices;
- Snack: fruit puree with homemade yogurt;
- Dinner: cottage cheese casserole and red fruit sauce.
Saturday
- Breakfast: pumpkin porridge, coffee;
- Lunch: borscht, veal cabbage rolls, green salad;
- Snack: assorted fruits;
- Dinner: cottage cheese with honey.
Sunday
- Breakfast: hummus with carrots and peppers, tea;
- Lunch: okroshka on homemade kefir, fish casserole, salad;
- Snack: strawberries, currants, raspberries;
- Dinner: French salad with meat, pepper and tomato.
For a boy
A gluten-free diet is a must for children with celiac disease, autism, and gastrointestinal diseases. For additional indications (for example, iron deficiency anemia and other nutrient absorption pathologies), a gluten-free diet is prescribed for children under 3 years of age.
Gluten-free foods for children can be not only healthy, but also tasty, since, despite the exclusion of a number of flour and cereal products, many vegetables, fruits, meat and fish remain in the child's diet.
Sample menu for children for 3 days:
Day 1
- Breakfast: omelette with rice porridge, banana;
- Lunch: cheesecakes with fruit topping, compote;
- Lunch: borscht with sour cream and gluten-free croutons, dried fruit candies;
- Snack: chicken meatballs, fresh vegetable salad;
- Dinner: homemade cakes with honey, milk.
Day 2
- Breakfast: sweet rice casserole with banana and strawberries;
- Lunch: homemade noodles, compote;
- Lunch: buckwheat soup with meatballs, fruit jelly;
- Snack: fruits;
- Dinner: cottage cheese with walnuts and honey.
Day 3
- Breakfast: millet porridge with pumpkin, compote;
- Lunch: berry jelly, gluten-free muffins;
- Lunch: soup of broccoli, zucchini and potatoes with herbs, stew, apple;
- Snack: cottage cheese casserole with orange, compote;
- Dinner: meatballs with minced meat and rice, homemade tomato juice.
An important condition for proper digestion and movement of food through the gastrointestinal tract during a gluten-free diet is the use of plant fiber from fruits, vegetables, and grains.
Slim down
Weight loss on a gluten-free diet occurs by eliminating gluten-containing fast carbohydrates from the diet. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the caloric content of the products.
A gluten-free diet for weight loss will help to reduce weight 2-3 kilograms per week, provided that the optimal daily calorie intake is optimal, do not overeat and the following principles are observed:
- eat food 4 times a day without snacks;
- drink 1, 5-2 liters of water per day;
- there is a sufficient amount of fresh vegetables and dairy products;
- limit the use of cereals to 200 grams (raw) and high calorie nuts to 25 grams per day;
- exclude the use of sugar, pure fructose and any sugar substitute, since all these products cause an increase in appetite;
- do not eat 3 hours before bedtime.
After completing the diet, limit the use of sugary baked goods, candy, and sodas, as sugar and white flour lead to rapid weight gain.
Delicious recipes
The menu for gluten-free foods, as a rule, consists of meat, vegetable and dairy dishes. To expand your diet, you can use gluten-free recipes and baked goods with a variety of gluten-free flours.
Chicken breast meatballs with mashed potatoes
Cooking requires 1-2 chicken breasts, salt, black pepper, oil for frying, 0. 5 kg of potatoes, 50 grams of sour cream for dressing.
Peel the potatoes, add water, salt and boil until tender. At this time, the breast should be washed, cut into thin slices through the fibers, beat each piece on both sides, salt and pepper.
Drain the water from the pot with the finished potatoes, add the sour cream and puree with a blender. Put the mashed potatoes on plates, sprinkle with dill and start cooking the cutlets.
The cutlets are cooked in a hot pan with butter, frying the meat on both sides for 2-4 minutes. However, it is important not to over-dry the meat, as the cutlets will dry out and become tough.
The chicken meatballs are placed in the garnish immediately after cooking and served.
Rice flour cake in a slow cooker
To prepare a cookie, you will need 6 eggs, 180 grams of sugar, 150 grams of rice flour, vanillin, lemon zest, butter or vegetable oil to lubricate.
First of all, it is necessary to separate the whites from the yolks and intensively beat the yolks with sugar and vanilla for 4-5 minutes, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture doubles in volume. Then, in a separate bowl, the whites are knocked down for 8 to 10 minutes into a dense foam. After that, the lemon zest and rice flour are added to the yolks and mixed well with a spoon. Gradually, proteins are introduced into the dough until the dough becomes homogeneous.
A bowl for a multicooker is greased with oil, the dough is poured and put in baking mode for 40-50 minutes, depending on the multicooker model. Check the readiness of the cookie with a match.
Gluten-free cornmeal muffins
To make muffins, you need 170 grams of cornmeal, 90 grams of cornstarch, three eggs, 100 ml of milk, 100 grams of butter, 150 grams of sugar, a tablespoon of baking powder and vanillin.
First you need to mix dry ingredients: flour, starch, baking powder. Next, in a separate bowl, you need to knock down the eggs, sugar and vanillin until the sugar dissolves and the foam appears, add the softened butter, warm milk and beat again. Next, you need to mix all the ingredients until smooth and pour into molds.
The muffins are baked in a preheated 180 degree oven for 20 minutes.
For a gluten-free diet to be effective, it is necessary to completely eliminate forbidden foods and adhere to dietary principles throughout life.