Gluten-Free Menu Plan

If your doctor has told you to follow a gluten-free diet, it might seem as if all your favorite foods are now off-limits. While you cannot eat traditional wheat-based pasta, pizza and breads, you can focus on naturally gluten-free, delicious foods. Many processed foods, such as soups, frozen dinners and even bottled sauces and dressings, also contain gluten in seasoning packets or in the form of soy sauce. Rely on your own cooking to create a gluten-free menu plan that satisfies your tastes and your dietary restrictions.

Breakfast

A gluten-free breakfast can still include many traditional foods. Enjoy scrambled or poached eggs with bacon or build an omelet with fresh vegetables and cheese. Have fresh fruit with yogurt, or blend them into a gluten-free smoothie. Experiment with gluten-free baking mixes that make creating gluten-free pancakes and waffles as easy as wheat-based versions. Cook quinoa the same way you cook steel-cut oatmeal and serve with milk, dried fruit, nuts and honey.

Lunch

Many gluten-free breads crumble when you try to make them into sandwiches. Instead, wrap your favorite deli meats in lettuce leaves for a light lunch. Make sure you purchase meats without added fillers, which might contain gluten. Large salads topped with egg, meats, shrimp or chicken along with beans, nuts and other vegetables are another gluten-free option. Try making a quick homemade soup by heating gluten-free chicken or vegetable broth and adding vegetables, cooked chicken and rice.

Dinner

Gluten-free pastas made with rice, amaranth or quinoa flour make for a quick dinner when tossed with steamed broccoli and jarred marinara. Read the ingredients on your sauce to ensure it contains no gluten. Bake or broil fresh fish or lean sirloin steak and have with brown rice and an assortment of vegetables. Quinoa and millet are other gluten-free grain options that cook up like rice, but provide different nutrients and flavors to add variety to your meals. If you make chilis or stews, use masa harina or rice flour as the thickener, instead of wheat flour. Another dinner menu option is ground beef, cooked with cumin and chili powder, canned diced tomatoes, onions and garlic. Wrap in corn tortillas and enjoy with salsa, sour cream and avocado.

Snacks

Gluten-free snacks include nuts and nut butter, fresh fruit and yogurt. Rice-flour crackers with cheese, guacamole with baked corn chips or cut-up vegetables with hummus are party-appropriate snacks. A gluten-free menu plan can also include home-popped popcorn topped with Parmesan cheese.