A gluten -free diet is a health food in which all foods containing gluten are excluded from the diet. Diet is prescribed for diseases of the endocrine and nervous systems, as well as for pathology of the gastrointestinal tract.
Gluten (gluten) is a complex of plant proteins (prolamine, glutenin) found in grains such as wheat, oats, rye, and so on.
For whom is the diet indicated?
Using a gluten -free diet is a prerequisite for treating conditions such as:
- celiac disease;
- glutenin intolerance (in severe and atypical forms);
- irritable bowel syndrome;
- autism, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis;
- anemia in children under 3 years of age.
Consumption of foods with gluten for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and neurological pathology can lead to the following consequences:
- It causes chronic inflammation of the small intestine, as a result of which pathogenic bacteria and toxins enter the bloodstream.
- Violates the balance of intestinal microflora and leads to increased reproduction of pathogenic bacteria.
- It affects the digestive process as a result of the adhesion of the villi to the wall of the small intestine, which is designed to digest and assimilate proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
- Causing autoimmune diseases is due to the fact that the immune system releases antibodies to gluten molecules, which attack not only the gastrointestinal tract, but also proteins similar to gluten in the cells of the thyroid gland, heart and nervous system. This is how autoimmune thyroiditis, type 1 diabetes mellitus, dermatitis, infertility, and early menopause occur.
The presence of gluten-containing foods in the diet is indicated by persistent stool disorders (constipation, diarrhea), bloating, frequent edema, caries, as well as the appearance of ulcers on the oral mucosa and persistent skin rashes.
In most cases, gluten intolerance causes iron deficiency anemia, which is indicated by constant fatigue, brittle nails, hair loss, and weight loss.
List of allowed and prohibited products
To maintain a gluten -free diet, two categories of foods were excluded from the diet: with a lot of gluten in the composition (e. g. , whole wheat bread) and with hidden gluten (e. g. , mayonnaise, tomato sauce, etc. ).
On a gluten -free diet, the following foods are excluded from the diet:
- cereals, namely wheat, rye, oats, barley;
- products from this cereal flour, including bread, lavash, cakes, biscuits, whole grain breads;
- cereals (oats, oat rolls, bulgur, pearl barley);
- bran from these grains;
- products with a little wheat flour in the composition (bouillon cubes, soy sauce, buckwheat noodles, sausages and canned foods, crab sticks, mayonnaise, tomato sauce, tea bags, yogurt, ice cream);
- chocolate, store jam, caramel;
- kvass, beer and other alcoholic beverages made from cereals;
- coffee with flavors and additives, decaffeinated coffee;
- products with "gluten containers" due to production, namely table vinegar, food starch, semolina, some types of cheese, dry seasonings and spices, and so on.
Due to the presence of gluten hidden in food, the diet will not be effective, because the inflammatory process in the intestine does not stop even with an insignificant amount of gluten in food. It is necessary to carefully study the composition of the product on the package. Some manufacturers label their labels as "Contains Traces of Gluten".
If you follow a gluten -free diet, you can include gluten -free foods in your diet, namely:
- vegetables and fruits;
- beans, soy;
- soba, sorghum, quinoa, flax, rice;
- home production milk and dairy products;
- meat and fish;
- seafood;
- vegetable and animal fats;
- yeast, spices, soy sauce.
Weekly Gluten Free Diet Menu
The sample menu for a week should consist of 4 or 5 meals every 2-3 hours. The diet on a gluten-free diet can consist of cereal dishes, vegetables, meats and cottage cheese, and fruits and berries used as snacks.
Monday
- Breakfast: cottage cheese with bananas and berries, tea;
- Lunch: buckwheat soup with meatballs, pilaf, tomato salad;
- Afternoon snack: apples, 25 grams of nuts;
- Dinner: cut with vegetable salad.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: rice porridge, coffee with soy milk;
- Lunch: broccoli puree soup, gluten -free pork dumplings;
- Afternoon snack: banana, 5 pieces of almonds;
- Dinner: cottage cheese casserole with berries.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: cottage cheese and banana cottage cheese pancakes, cocoa in almond milk;
- Lunch: tomato soup, meatballs in soup, vegetable salad;
- Afternoon snack: 3 tangerines, pumpkin seeds;
- Dinner: roast duck, fresh vegetable salad.
Thursday
- Breakfast: omelet with herbs and cheese, tea;
- Lunch: Rice soup with meatballs, gluten -free bread, grilled fish with broccoli;
- Afternoon snack: 150 grams of raspberries, walnuts;
- Dinner: cheesecake with bananas, sour cream.
Friday
- Breakfast: corn tortilla with banana puree, compote;
- Lunch: fish soup, boiled vegetables, grilled chicken with spices;
- Afternoon snack: fruit puree with homemade yogurt;
- Dinner: cottage cheese casserole and berry sauce.
Saturday
- Breakfast: pumpkin porridge, coffee;
- Lunch: borscht, beef cabbage rolls, green salad;
- Afternoon snacks: a variety of fruits;
- Dinner: cottage cheese with honey.
Sunday
- Breakfast: hummus with carrots and bell peppers, tea;
- Lunch: okroshka on homemade kefir, fish casserole, salad;
- Afternoon snacks: strawberries, currants, raspberries;
- Dinner: French beef, peppers and tomato salad.
For a child
A gluten-free diet is a must for children with celiac disease, autism and gastrointestinal disease. For additional indications (e. g. , iron deficiency anemia and other pathologies of nutrient absorption), a gluten-free diet is prescribed for children under 3 years of age.
Gluten-free foods for children can be not only healthy, but also delicious, because, although there are some exceptions of flour and cereal products, many vegetables, fruits, meat and fish dishes remain in the diet of children.
Example menu for children for 3 days:
Day 1
- Breakfast: omelet with rice porridge, bananas;
- Lunch: cheesecake with fruit topping, compote;
- Lunch: borscht with sour cream and gluten-free croutons, dried fruit candies;
- Afternoon snacks: chicken meatballs, fresh vegetable salad;
- Dinner: homemade cake with honey, milk.
Day 2
- Breakfast: sweet rice casserole with bananas and strawberries;
- Lunch: homemade noodles, compote;
- Lunch: buckwheat soup with meatballs, fruit jelly;
- Afternoon snacks: fruits;
- Dinner: cottage cheese with nuts and honey.
Day 3
- Breakfast: cereal porridge with pumpkin, compote;
- Lunch: berry jelly, gluten -free muffins;
- Lunch: soup with broccoli, zucchini and potatoes with herbs, stew, apples;
- Afternoon snack: cottage cheese casserole with oranges, compote;
- Dinner: minced meat and rice meatballs, homemade tomato juice.
An important condition for proper digestion and movement of food through the gastrointestinal tract during a gluten-free diet is the consumption of plant fiber from fruits, vegetables and grains.
Slimming
Losing weight with a gluten -free diet occurs by eliminating gluten -containing carbohydrates quickly from the diet. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the caloric content of the product.
A gluten-free diet for weight loss will help to lose weight by 2-3 kilograms a week, provided that the optimal daily caloric intake is optimal, there is no overeating and the following principles are adhered to:
- eat food 4 times a day without snacks;
- drink 1. 5-2 liters of water a day;
- there is an adequate amount of fresh vegetables and dairy products;
- limit cereal consumption to 200 grams (raw) and high -calorie nuts to 25 grams per day;
- excluding the use of sugar, pure fructose and any sugar substitutes, as all these products cause increased appetite;
- do not eat 3 hours before bedtime.
After completing the diet, limit the consumption of baked goods, sweets and sodas with sugar, as sugar and white flour lead to rapid weight gain.
Delicious recipe
The menu for gluten-free foods, as a rule, consists of meat, vegetable and dairy dishes. To expand your diet, you can use gluten -free recipes and baked goods using a variety of gluten -free flours.
Chicken breast meatballs with mashed potatoes
Cooking requires 1-2 chicken breasts, salt, black pepper, oil for frying, 0. 5 kg of potatoes, 50 grams of sour cream for dressing.
Peel the potatoes, add water, salt and boil until soft. At this time, the breast should be washed, cut into thin slices across the fibers, beat each part on both sides, salt and pepper.
Drain the water from the pot with the prepared potatoes, add sour cream and puree with a blender. Place the mashed potatoes on a plate, sprinkle with dill and start cooking the meat.
The pieces are cooked in a hot pan with butter, fry the meat on both sides for 2-4 minutes. It is important not to dry the meat, however, as the meat will become dry and hard.
Chicken meatballs are presented to the side dish as soon as they are cooked and served.
Rice flour sponge cake in a slow cooker
To prepare the biscuits, you need 6 eggs, 180 grams of sugar, 150 grams of rice flour, vanillin, lemon peel, butter or vegetable oil for lubrication.
First of all, it is necessary to separate the whites from the yolks and intensively beat the egg yolks with sugar and vanilla for 4-5 minutes, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture doubles in volume. Then, in a separate bowl, the whites are crushed for 8 -10 minutes into a dense foam. After that, the lemon peel and rice flour are put in the yolks and mixed well with a spoon. Gradually, the protein is incorporated into the dough until the mass becomes homogeneous.
The bowl for the multicooker is greased with oil, the dough is poured and placed on baking mode for 40-50 minutes, depending on the model of the multicooker. Check the readiness of the biscuits with a match.
Gluten Free Corn Flour Muffins
To make muffins, you need 170 grams of cornflour, 90 grams of cornflour, three eggs, 100 ml of milk, 100 grams of butter, 150 grams of sugar, one tablespoon of baking powder, and vanillin.
First you need to mix the dry ingredients: flour, starch, baking powder. Next, in a separate bowl, you need to beat the eggs, sugar and vanillin until the sugar dissolves and bubbles appear, add the softened butter, warm milk and beat again. Next, you need to mix all the ingredients until smooth and pour into a mold.
The muffins are baked in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.
For a gluten -free diet to be effective, it is necessary to completely eliminate prohibited foods and adhere to lifelong nutritional principles.