Tag: gluten-free

Gluten Free Doesn’t Have to be More Expensive

Last week, I clicked on an article talking about how much money being gluten free costs a person. My eyes widened, my head hurt, and I sighed out loud. Since I was in my office, sighing was better than screaming. Because articles like this miss the point.

Okay, truth. Yes, if you buy gluten-free processed foods, you will pay a premium. No question. No argument. Depending on your source of data, you will pay a decent double- or triple-digit percentage more for a gluten-free version of a food than the non-gluten-free version. So, yeah, that makes your GF diet expensive. Continue reading “Gluten Free Doesn’t Have to be More Expensive”

Potato Crust Spinach Pie

My sister, except for a brief period of time, has been vegetarian her whole life. When I took over Thanksgiving duties from my mother — something that made both of us happy — I made it a point to include a main dish that worked with my sister’s dietary restriction. That dish was a riff on spanakopita, a phyllo dough-wrapped spinach dish. I made mine as a casserole, featuring rice.

What I didn’t know at the time was that I was feeding my sister — and me — something that was making us very sick. We are both now gluten free and much healthier for it!

But I do miss that dish. It was a perfect vegetarian (though not vegan) main course, packed with flavor and nutrition. I’ve finally taken the time to recreate the dish, this time using thinly sliced potatoes in place of phyllo. As with that long-ago dish, this one was a hit (and gone the next day!).

Are Oats Gluten Free?

Short answer: Yes.

Longer answer: Yes, however….

Farmers practice something call “crop rotation”. This is just another way of saying that fields are planted with different crops at different times. This is good because it helps add different nutrients to the soil while reducing the chance of bacteria, bugs, weeds, or other problems associated with a single crop to take hold. Variety is good for soil and crops. Continue reading “Are Oats Gluten Free?”

What Is Gluten Free?

Even though the gluten-free diet is constantly in the news, there’s a lot of confusion about what it means. Particularly when it comes to determining what foods are and are not gluten free. Actually, it’s pretty simple: foods that contain wheat, barley, or rye (including triticale, which is a hybrid of wheat and rye) are not gluten free.

All other foods are. Continue reading “What Is Gluten Free?”

Gluten Free and Eating Grains

I read one of those articles. You know the type: yeah, yeah, it’s okay to be gluten free but, wait!, what about all those great nutrients you’re missing because you aren’t eating enough grains. Think twice, oh gluten-free one, think twice!

We know we cannot eat anything with wheat, barley, or rye. We’re all cool with that (or, if not cool, understanding). But, it turns out, wheat, barley, and rye are not the only grains in the world. Who knew? Just because you’re gluten free, it doesn’t mean you’re missing out on the benefits of whole grains.

Well, now that we’ve settled that…. Continue reading “Gluten Free and Eating Grains”

Gluten Free and Paleo Diets

Much to my surprise, the Paleo diet has maintained serious traction in our fad diet-inclined world. I will admit I once made fun of this particular way of eating, but have changed my mind. That’s not to say I buy into everything Paleo proponents believe, but as I’ve changed the way I eat, I see strong parallels.

(That being said, I remain extremely amused by the lengths some in the Paleo community go to when it comes to to potatoes. It’s like they twist and bend the rules to eliminate this one food item — a food that, based on my understanding of Paleo, is a slam dunk for the diet. I digress….) Continue reading “Gluten Free and Paleo Diets”