How To Create a Gluten Free Kitchen
Today I am sharing some tips on how to create a gluten free kitchen. This post is for anyone who wants to cut out gluten from their diet but doesn’t know where to begin.
Let me start off by introducing myself. I’m Kristina-I have lost over 70 pounds and have kept it off for well over 16 years. I’m not a dietician however I do know a lot about eating clean, fueling my body properly, and gluten intolerance.
My Beginning of my Health Journey
Back when I started my health journey in 2000, I exercised a lot and ate balanced to lose the weight. I swapped things out for like “fat free” or ground turkey instead of ground beef. I was reading labels to know serving size and calories.
With the bulk of my weight loss in the early stage, I never cut food groups (or even thought about it).
Learning More About Nutrition
It wasn’t until around 2012 when I started learning a little more in depth about nutrition. Though I was active and a healthy weight, I felt bloated and I was tired all the time.
After really analyzing what I ate, I saw I still seemed to have a lot of processed food in my diet. When learning more about gluten and how it can affect the body, I started to wonder if gluten was contributing to some of my issues.
Going Gluten Free
What I used to be able to eat in my twenties, I couldn’t necessarily enjoy the same in my thirties (and now in my mid forties).
As a test, I decided I would cut out gluten. I started out with eating things that were naturally gluten free such as rice, quinoa and potatoes. That helped but I felt like I needed to fine tune it some more.
I continued to read labels, I saw gluten was in a lot of sauces and things you would think would be gluten free (but these are processed foods) .
How To Create a Gluten Free Kitchen
Here are 7 tips to get your kitchen set up for gluten free success.
- First grocery shop for whole and unprocessed foods. Fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, seeds and healthy fats are naturally gluten free. A key tip for this is to think about shopping on the outer parts of the store where everything is fresh versus the aisles where everything is processed. Eating whole foods is going to help take the guess work out of whether or not something contains gluten.
- Check all your sauces in the pantry, read labels and then replace with alternatives if needed. You will be shocked by how any bottled sauces (and canned soups) contain gluten.
- You will want to replace any flours or boxed breadcrumbs, etc. Companies like Bob’s Red Mill have an excellent selection of gluten free flours.
- Think about what kind of food you normally eat. Bread and pasta for the most part contain gluten. Nowadays, there is a good selection of gluten free options on the market. Be sure to read the labels that it is 100 percent gluten free.
- Check all of your spices. Whole spices are gluten free but spice blends may contain gluten.
- Invest in some gluten free cookbooks. Some people associate gluten free as bland, gross and all things negative. I am here to advocate that gluten free is indeed delicious and just as tasty as ever! The key to that is knowing how to season, replace, cook and bake yummy gluten free recipes.
- You may not want to hear this- but liquor can contain gluten. If you have liquor at home, check the labels.
Thinking about Going Gluten Free?
Going gluten free isn’t for everyone and not every one needs to avoid gluten. The reason I eat mainly gluten free is because I was noticing horrible bloat, I have a history of digestive issues and I have arthritis. Avoiding gluten for me, helps immensely with inflammation in the body. And by reducing the inflammation, it helps with arthritis pains.
Though I am not diagnosed with celiac disease, I am considered to have a gluten sensitivity. However I know people with celiac. This has been scary for them because their side effects are more intense and they can potentially get very sick if they come into contact with gluten. If you think your symptoms are more serious than just bloat, don’t hesitate to be seen by your doctor or other healthcare professional.
Got your kitchen gluten free ready? Be sure to try my Blueberry Buckwheat Muffins !
