Cream Cheese For Gluten Free Diets

Cream cheese is rarely ever eaten by itself; someone on a gluten free diet may have a challenge finding a way to still enjoy cream cheese without the bread. Most cream cheeses are pure, made only from milk and have no additives. If you have a gluten allergy or intolerance you should check the ingredients to be certain there is no modified food starch added to stretch the amount of the cream cheese.

Types

Cream cheese is complementary to vegetables for a snack and adds some calcium to your diet. Celery, carrot sticks, and even apple slices are healthy and delicious alternatives to bread products that contain gluten.

There are also many gluten free bread products on the market so you can still enjoy cream cheese on an English muffin, toast, crackers or a bagel.

Features

One oz. of cream cheese contains a small amount of calcium, vitamin A and 1 g of protein. The fat content varies when using a typical, light or non-fat cream cheese. Typical cream cheese has 8 g of fat, and light has approximately 5 g.

Considerations

Gluten, a by-product of wheat, is found in most typical commercially produced flours and is in most bread products unless specified as gluten free. If you want to enjoy cream cheese on a bagel or toast, look for gluten free breads made from flours containing soy, rice, tapioca, potatoes, or soghram. Buckwheat is also gluten free, even though the word wheat is in the name.

Benefits

Gluten free products have a lower glycemic index also, and can help manage your blood sugar and your weight. Many commercially produced flours are also bleached and have additives such as high-fructose corn syrup, MSG and trans fat, all of which make your liver work harder. Many gluten free products found in health food stores are made naturally and are unprocessed and sometimes organic. Choose natural cream cheese to receive the benefits of this dairy product.

Misconceptions

Don't think you can't enjoy cheesecake anymore because of the avoidance of gluten. You can make your own crust from gluten free cookies, which you pulverize in a food processor, or purchase a gluten free crust from a health food store such as Whole Foods or Trader Joe's.