After a diagnosis of celiac disease, buying gluten-free, which we can consider a true “buying binge” of foods, can be a great way to start become familiar with the disease.
At first, the gluten-free diet, which implies the total and permanent elimination of gluten from the diet, it can be confusing. And the first doubts usually revolve around the availability of gluten-free foods. Often people imagine that the gluten-free diet is “sad” and tasteless. But it’s not like that at all.
Here you have some useful tips so that you can dedicate yourself to shopping gluten-free, change your eating habits, obtain the greatest possible number of advantages and benefits and, why not, have fun in the kitchen, experimenting with simple and tasty recipes.
Are you faced with buying gluten free? organize yourself like this
The habits of a celiac change starting with the purchase. When browsing the shelves of a supermarket, it is good to keep in mind which foods can be part of the gluten-free diet.
It looks complicated, but it is not. First of all, to find out if a product is allowed or not on the gluten-free diet, foods are divided into three macrocategories:
- allowedthat is, they can be consumed because they do not contain gluten by nature or belong to categories of foods without risk.
- Riskythat is, they may contain gluten and, therefore, are not suitable;
- prohibitedbecause they contain gluten.
In the supermarket, however, it is essential to go one step further: learn to read carefully product labels. If not listed in the manual, a gluten-free food must meet at least one of these 2 standards:
- The container must bear the mention “without gluten”, the only one that guarantees the safety of the product for celiacs. Other inscriptions like “it does not contain gluten”, etc., are useless or misleading;
- The symbol of the crossed out ear of wheat It must appear on the packaging.
Have we filled the cart by following these simple tips? Well, now we are ready for some fun in the kitchen!
How do we transform our pantry?
In general, the pantry of a gluten-free kitchen It is very similar to that of a conventional kitchen. Aware of the risk of contamination and having taken all the necessary precautions, we can only arrange our gluten-free groceries on the different shelves.
A little trick to find food immediately, and not risk confusion, can be separate, both on the shelves and in the fridge, the foods with gluten from those that do not. This could be especially useful if you have a celiac childbecause that way you will have a clear idea of your “restricted area”.
Imagining gluten-free shopping, Do you think the pantry is emptier? There is nothing more wrong. It is true, gluten is present in many dishes that we are used to eating and that form the basis of our Mediterranean diet (especially bread and pasta). However, take a second to find out how many of the foods we eat on a daily basis are naturally gluten-free (eg rice, potatoes, legumes, fish, meat, eggs, vegetables and fruit, milk and cheese, corn).
To these, simply add other ingredients (such as quinoa, millet, amaranth, teff, etc.) and voila! The good news is that you can discover new foods: the gluten-free diet will be much less boring, as well as healthier!
In the kitchen and in the restaurant, celiacs without worries!!
In social life, your great opportunity has finally arrived: cakes, muffins, cookies, sandwiches, pizzas… following a gluten-free diet, you will have an extra push to make them at home and have fun in the kitchen. There are many reasons for this, the first and most important is the advantage of preparing healthy, nutritionally balanced and healthy recipes at home, which you can alternate with packaged products.
Are you afraid of cakes and sweets in general? You are wrong to think so, because you will soon discover that preparing gluten-free dishes at home is much easier than it seems. It will also be a good habit that will be useful in the event of an invitation to have lunch or dinner at other people’s homes.
But, you know, socializing also means going out and enjoying some socializing. How will Sunday lunches and going out to restaurants with friends change after the diagnosis? Erase from your mind any fear of fasting. The gluten-free gastronomic offer is quite rich, and not only in the big cities. Do not forget to download smartphone applications, which can notify you in real time of the correct addresses where to find your favorite gluten-free products.
L’articolo In everyday life: celiacs without worries! comes from Manzanaroja.
