The gluten-free diet is an important diet for individuals who have a gluten intolerance or allergy. While it restricts certain foods that contain gluten, such as wheat products, other foods, such as rice, are permitted and safe to eat. Rice is just one starchy grain that provides important carbohydrates in a gluten-free diet, and you can enjoy it as a steamed rice dish, incorporated into other dishes, or ground into flour and used in baking.
Gluten Allergy
Medline Plus says that celiac disease is a condition in which individuals are allergic to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye foods. The body's immune system reacts to gluten by damaging the small intestinal tract, which can lead to poor absorption of nutrients. This damage is not necessarily permanent, and the University of Chicago's Celiac Disease Center website provides help on following a gluten-free diet that will allow the gut to heal. It is important to avoid all gluten, including minute exposure, in order to prevent an immune reaction and avoid further damage.
Gluten and Foods that Contain It
Gluten is a protein that naturally occurs in wheat, barley, rye, and foods derived from wheat, barley, or rye. It provides structure and elasticity to bread products, including crusts, cookies, and cakes, the Food Reference website shows. Bread, pizza dough, pastries, cereals, pretzels, muffins, and doughnuts are easily recognized as sources of gluten. The Gluten Intolerance Group of North America also warns against consuming sauce mixes, marinades, imitation seafood, thickened or prepared fruit sauces, and malted milk, because they might contain modified food starch or other wheat- or barley-based thickeners.
Gluten-Free Foods
Despite the seemingly long list of foods that cause allergic reactions in celiac disease, there are still many food that are safe on a gluten-free diet. Certified gluten-free products made from safe ingredients serve as good substitutes for familiar items, such as cereals, pie crusts, baking mixes, brownies, pizzas, and bread, according to the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America. Some sauce mixes, packaged food items, and frozen foods are also made without gluten, and they are safe on the gluten-free diet, the U.S. Mills website shows. Naturally gluten-free foods include potatoes, rice, corn, squashes, and brown rice, and these carbohydrate-rich foods work well as substitutes for pasta in many meals. Fresh fruit and vegetables, unprocessed meats, poultry, dairy foods, and legumes are also safe on a gluten-free diet. Be careful of processed meat products and thickened dairy foods, like some yogurts and puddings, because they might contain gluten.
Rice and the Gluten-Free Diet
Rice is a versatile and delicious gluten-free grain that is both safe and delicious. The Gluten Intolerance Group website shows that rice, rice flour, rice starch, rice bran, and sweet rice flour can be incorporated into baking and cooking. According to the Rice Trade website, two-thirds of the world's population relies on rice as its primary carbohydrate. It is naturally low-fat, cholesterol-free, and brown rice provides several nutrients, including fiber, thiamin, niacin, iron, riboflavin, vitamin D, and calcium. It is a low-allergen food, and it appears on several different food sensitivity and allergy lists as a safe food.
Uses of Rice in a Gluten-Free Diet
In addition to enjoying steamed rice, you can also stir-fry cooked rice with vegetables and meat for a quick fried rice dish. Cooked rice substitutes for bread crumbs for meatloaf, stuffed bell peppers, and stuffing or dressing dishes. You can purchase rice milk and substitute it for cow's milk in most recipes without any changes. Rice flour made from ground white or brown rice works as an acceptable wheat flour substitute, and the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America says that rice flour works well when combined with other flours.
References
- Medline Plus: Celiac Disease
- University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center: Celiac Disease 101 - Overview
- Rice Trade: Nutrition Facts about Rice
- Gluten Intolerance Group of North America: GIG's Gluten Free Diet and Drug Instruction
- Food Reference: How To Bake: Gluten - What Is Gluten And Why Does It Matter?
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