Gluten gives wheat-based products their versatility. It's elastic enough to form stretchy pizza dough and springy breads, yet it also lets cakes become fluffy. While some other grains such as rye and barley also contain gluten, wheat has it in the greatest abundance. While that's a good thing for bread dough, it isn't good news if you have celiac disease, a condition that leaves you unable to digest gluten. Eliminating gluten will ameliorate the symptoms of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.
Step 1
Read the labels of everything you eat. Prepared foods frequently contain wheat gluten as a texturizing agent or flavor carrier. You may see it on the ingredient panel as hydrolyzed wheat protein, wheat starch, semolina, durum, farina or bran, all of which are wheat-based ingredients that can cause distress if you have celiac disease.
Step 2
Seek gluten-free versions of prepared foods that impart flavor to diet-friendly meals. Soy sauce, prepared seasoning mixes, canned soups and bouillon enrich the flavor of lean meats and vegetables, but standard versions typically contain wheat gluten. Finding gluten-free varieties allows you to keep the bold taste of your food intact while eliminating the irritating protein.
Step 3
Increase the volume of fresh fruits and vegetables you eat in your meals. When you subtract gluten-containing foods from your diet, you may miss the volume that these foods provided, so adding naturally gluten-free, low-calorie foods to your meals can help you feel more satisfied with your meals.
Step 4
Replace wheat-based products with whole grains and starchy vegetables that contain no gluten. Potatoes, rice, corn and oats have no gluten, but contain carbohydrates that can help assuage cravings for bread and other wheat-based foods. Keep your portions moderate to ensure that these foods don't sabotage your weight loss efforts.
Step 5
Create your menus in advance of shopping trips to accommodate both your need for gluten-free foods and your calorie requirements. When you plan your menu ahead of time, you can prepare simpler convenience foods to eat when your schedule is tight and cook more leisurely meals when you have time to devote to them.
Step 6
Look for inspiration from other cuisines that evolved without a reliance on wheat. Indian, Mexican, Japanese and Chinese cuisines naturally make more sparing use of wheat than Italian, English and French culinary traditions. It's easier to make a delicious dish that never had wheat than it is to modify one that used to rely on wheat.
Tips and Warnings
- While you're cutting out gluten, you can still enjoy foods with carbohydrates, even if you're on a diet. Roasted potatoes, corn tortillas and brown rice fit well into a diet and provide necessary fiber to your meals.
- Nonfood substances may also contain wheat, so if you're highly sensitive to wheat gluten, check lickable envelopes and stamps, paints, modeling clay and cosmetics for hidden wheat starch and gluten. Foods that naturally contain no gluten, but are processed in the same plant as wheat products may also cause problems if you have celiac disease.
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