A gluten-free diet is a healthy food in which all foods containing 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 recommended for?
A gluten-free diet is a prerequisite for treating conditions such as:
- celiac disease;
- glutenin intolerance (severe and atypical form);
- irritable bowel syndrome;
- autism, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis;
- anemia in children under 3 years of age.
The use of gluten-containing foods in diseases and neurological pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract may have the following consequences:
- It causes chronic small bowel inflammation, as a result of which pathogenic bacteria and toxins enter the bloodstream.
- It upsets the balance of the intestinal microflora and leads to increased growth of pathogenic bacteria.
- It damages digestive processes due to fluff attached to the walls of the small intestine, which are used to digest and assimilate proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
- It causes autoimmune diseases because the immune system releases antibodies against gluten molecules that attack not only the gastrointestinal tract but also gluten-like proteins found in cells of the thyroid, heart, and nervous systems. This is how autoimmune thyroiditis, type 1 diabetes mellitus, dermatitis, infertility and early menopause develop.
The presence of gluten-containing foods in the diet is manifested in the form of persistent stool disturbances (constipation, diarrhea), bloating, frequent edema, tooth decay, and ulcers on the oral mucosa and permanent skin rashes.
In most cases, gluten intolerance causes iron deficiency anemia, which manifests itself in constant fatigue, brittle nails, hair loss, and weight loss.
List of permitted and prohibited products
To maintain a gluten-free diet, two categories of foods are excluded from the diet: high-gluten compositions (e. g. , wheat bread) and hidden gluten-containing foods (e. g. , mayonnaise, ketchup, etc. ).
In the case of a gluten-free diet, the following foods are excluded from the diet:
- cereals, namely wheat, rye, oats, barley;
- products made from flour made from these cereals, including bread, lavash, cakes, biscuits, cereal bread;
- cereals (oatmeal, rolled oats, bulgur, pearl barley);
- bran from these cereals;
- products containing small amounts of wheat flour (soup cubes, soy sauce, buckwheat pasta, sausages and preserves, crab sticks, mayonnaise, ketchup, tea bags, yoghurts, ice cream);
- chocolate, shop jam, caramel;
- alcoholic beverages made from iron, beer and other cereals;
- coffee with flavorings and additives, decaffeinated coffee;
- products containing "traces of gluten" as a result of production, namely table vinegar, edible starch, semolina, certain types of cheese, dry spices and condiments, etc.
Due to the presence of hidden gluten in foods, the diet will not be effective because the inflammatory processes in the gut will not stop even with insignificant amounts of gluten. You should carefully study the composition of the product on the packaging. Some manufacturers label the labels with "traces of gluten. "
If you follow a gluten-free diet, you can also include gluten-free foods in your diet, namely:
- vegetables and fruits;
- legumes, soya;
- buckwheat, sorghum, quinoa, flax, rice;
- milk and milk products from home production;
- meat and fish;
- Seafood;
- vegetable and animal fats;
- yeast, spices, soy sauce.
Weekly gluten free diet menu
A weekly sample menu should consist of 4 or 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 snacks.
Monday
- Breakfast: cottage cheese with banana and berries, tea;
- Lunch: buckwheat soup with meatballs, pilaf, tomato salad;
- Afternoon snack: apples, 25 grams of walnuts;
- Dinner: chop with vegetable salad.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: rice porridge, coffee with soy milk;
- Lunch: broccoli puree soup, gluten-free pork dumplings;
- Afternoon snack: banana, 5 almonds;
- Dinner: cottage cheese casserole with berries.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: pancakes with cottage cheese and banana, cocoa in almond milk;
- Lunch: tomato soup, meatballs in broth, vegetable salad;
- Afternoon snack: 3 tangerines, pumpkin seeds;
- Dinner: roast duck, fresh vegetable salad.
Thursday
- Breakfast: omelette with herbs and cheese, tea;
- Lunch: Rice soup with meatballs, gluten-free bread, fried fish with broccoli;
- Afternoon snack: 150 grams of raspberries, walnuts;
- Dinner: cheesecake with banana and sour cream.
Friday
- Breakfast: corn tortilla with banana puree and compote;
- Lunch: fish soup, vegetable stew, fried chicken with spices;
- Afternoon snack: fruit puree with homemade yogurt;
- Dinner: cottage cheese casserole with berry sauce.
Saturday
- Breakfast: pumpkin porridge, coffee;
- Lunch: borscht, veal cabbage rolls, green salad;
- Afternoon snack: assorted fruits;
- Dinner: cottage cheese with honey.
Sunday
- Breakfast: hummus with carrots and bell peppers, tea;
- Lunch: okroshka homemade kefir, casserole fish, salad;
- Afternoon snack: strawberries, currants, raspberries;
- Dinner: French meat, pepper and tomato salad.
For a child
A gluten-free diet is mandatory for children with celiac disease, autism, and gastrointestinal disorders. For other indications (such as iron deficiency anemia and other pathologies of nutrient absorption) a gluten-free diet is prescribed for children under 3 years of age.
Gluten-free foods for kids can not only be healthy, but they can also be delicious, as despite the exclusion of many flour products and cereals, many vegetables, fruits, meat, and fish dishes remain in a child’s diet.
Sample menu for children for 3 days:
One day
- Breakfast: omelette with rice and banana;
- Lunch: cheese cakes with fruit sauce, compote;
- Lunch: borscht with sour cream and gluten-free croutons, dried fruit sweets;
- Afternoon snack: chicken meatballs, fresh vegetable salad;
- Dinner: homemade cakes with honey and milk.
2 days
- Breakfast: sweet rice casserole with banana and strawberry;
- Lunch: homemade pasta, compote;
- Lunch: buckwheat soup with meatballs, fruit jelly;
- Afternoon snack: fruits;
- Dinner: cottage cheese with nuts and honey.
3 days
- Breakfast: millet porridge with pumpkin and compote;
- Lunch: berry jelly, gluten-free muffins;
- Lunch: soup with broccoli, zucchini and potatoes with herbs, stew, apples;
- Afternoon snack: cottage cheese casserole with orange and compote;
- Dinner: minced meat and rice meatballs, homemade tomato juice.
An important condition for proper digestion and the movement of food through the digestive system in a gluten-free diet is the use of vegetable fibers from fruits, vegetables and cereals.
Slimming
Weight loss with a gluten-free diet is done by removing gluten-containing fast carbohydrates from the diet. In this case, the caloric content of the products must be taken into account.
A gluten-free diet for weight loss will help you lose 2-3 kilograms a week, provided that the optimal daily caloric intake is optimal, there is no overeating, and the following principles are followed:
- eat 4 times a day without snacks;
- 1, 5-2 liters of water to drink daily;
- there are sufficient quantities of fresh vegetables and dairy products;
- limits the consumption of cereals to 200 grams (raw) and high-calorie nuts to 25 grams per day;
- excludes the use of sugar, pure fructose and sugar substitutes, as these products cause increased appetite;
- do not eat 3 hours before bedtime.
After completing your diet, limit your intake of baked goods, sweets and soft drinks with sugar, as sugar and white flour lead to rapid weight gain.
Delicious recipes
The menu for gluten-free food usually consists of meat, vegetable and dairy dishes. To expand your diet, you can use gluten-free recipes and baked goods from a variety of gluten-free flours.
Chicken breast meatballs with mashed potatoes
For cooking 1-2 chicken breast, salt, black pepper, oil for frying, 0, 5 kg of potatoes, 50 grams of sour cream for the dressing.
Peel the potatoes, pour in water, salt and cook until soft. Then the breast should be washed, cut into thin slices on the strands, crushed on both sides, salted, peppered.
With the finished potatoes, drain the water from the pot, add the sour cream and puree with a blender. Put the mashed potatoes on plates, sprinkle with dill and start cooking the chops.
The chops are cooked in butter in a hot pan, the meat is fried on both sides for 2-4 minutes. However, it is important not to dry the meat because the slices will be dry and hard.
Chicken meatballs are placed on the garnish and served immediately after cooking.
Sponge cake with rice flour on slow cooker
To make the biscuit, you will need 6 eggs, 180 grams of sugar, 150 grams of rice flour, vanillin, lemon zest, butter or vegetable oil for lubrication.
First, separate the protein from the yolk and whisk the yolk intensely with the sugar and vanilla for 4-5 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the volume of the mixture doubles. The proteins are then beaten into a hard foam for 8-10 minutes in a separate vessel. Then add the lemon zest and rice flour to the yolk and mix thoroughly with a spoon. Gradually add the proteins to the dough until the mass is homogeneous.
The bowl for the multicooker is lubricated with oil, the dough is poured and placed in the baking mode for 40-50 minutes, depending on the multicooker model. Check the readiness of the biscuit with a match.
Gluten free corn flour muffin
To make the muffin, 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 the dry ingredients: flour, starch, baking powder. Then beat the eggs, sugar and vanillin in a separate bowl until the sugar dissolves and foam appears, add the soft butter, warm milk and beat again. All ingredients should then be mixed until smooth and poured into molds.
The muffins are baked in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.
For a gluten-free diet to be effective, illicit foods must be completely ruled out and dietary principles must be adhered to throughout life.