Starting a gluten-free diet is very easy and can benefit you a lot. Gluten is mostly a problem for people with celiac disease, and it is the best diet option for these people. But as we’ve found out recently, a lot of people have an intolerance to gluten, and some people are desperate to avoid it in their diet.
So if you’re one of these people, here are our tips for having a gluten-free diet.
1. Read Labels
The best tip we can give you to start such a diet is to read the labels on the products you want to buy. Every product is required by law to have its ingredients on it. That’s just how it works.
No one is allowed to sell their products and hide ingredients from the public. So to start a diet, you need to understand which products are without it. Since it’s also required by law to have the ingredients written with their plain names, you can easily distinguish those that have gluten and those that are free of it.
2. Eat Natural Products
As time goes by and new things are discovered, more and more gluten-free products are hitting the free market. But these products are made from natural ingredients that are completely free and can be found in most grocery stores. With these products becoming more and more popular, niche restaurants have emerged to give people a real alternative.
So, for the alternative, we suggest you buy whole foods such as vegetables, meats, grains, fruits, etc.
One of my favorite dishes is rice and corn, but you can also go for the popular quinoa, millet, buckwheat alternative.
3. Understand Gluten
According to an article on A-lifestyle, you have to know about gluten to understand it. Gluten is an obvious source in bread, pastries, baked goods, and of course, pasta. So with all that said, we can safely say that gluten is found in grain.
But these are the obvious sources. And as you might expect, there are also hidden sources that can be tricky to spot, and the most difficult challenge associated with the diet.
But, we’re going to tell you about all the foods and beverages that have gluten as a hidden source. These are:
- Candy – gluten is used as an ingredient to thicken it with wheat flour
- Beer
- Chocolate – there are brands out there that add a form of gluten (barley malt) in their chocolate mixes.
- Salad dressing
- Gravies and other sauces
- Condiments
- Various luncheon meats
- Medications
- Vitamins and herbal supplements have been found to contain gluten
- Soup
- Soy sauce
- Spices
All of these contain hidden sources of gluten which are hard to spot and would never associate them with it. As we mentioned above, reading the labels of each product you purchase will give you a good direction of whether that product contains gluten, or not. Furthermore, shopping for whole foods is your best place for a gluten-free diet.
