How many gluten free friends do we have there (show of hands)? For our latest entry in the Healthy and Healthy series, we have gluten-free recipe guru and photographer Lindsey Love from the Dolly and Oatmeal blog. She discovered that a gluten-free diet is not automatically healthy. Many gluten-free flours, mixes, and foods can be loaded with additives, gums, and starches that do little to nourish your lifestyle. Lindsey has discovered many gluten free whole grains that have great taste and texture to use in your everyday cooking. Here she shares her wisdom with us—and be sure to check out her new book, Chickpea Flour Does It All, for amazing recipes using whole wheat chickpea flour (like this queso dip!). Kudos to Lindsey for a beautiful book of creative recipes that make eating healthy gluten-free a breeze. (Above, Lindsey’s Raspberry Yogurt Crumble.)
Hi! I’m Lindsey Love from the blog Dolly and Oatmeal. While running my food blog full-time, I’m also a freelance photographer and food stylist, and the author of my first cookbook, Chickpea Flour Does Everything. I have been eating gluten free for almost 6 years now and I have found that this lifestyle has made me a happier and healthier person. But it wasn’t without some trial and error that I arrived at a healthy gluten-free diet that keeps me as energetic as possible.
When I started my gluten-free journey, I was strictly gluten-free and regularly ate snacks like pretzels, crackers, and cookies. But I often found myself with abdominal pains similar to those I felt before I became a friend. I quickly discovered that many of these pre-packaged snack foods were made with large portions of potato and corn starch, xanthan gum, white rice flour, and tons of sugar. This led me to a healthier, gluten-free diet.
Flatbread with spring onions and peas
gluten facts
But first, let’s understand gluten. Gluten is a protein found in many flours, including wheat, rye, spelled, and barley flour. Protein acts as a binder or glue and imparts elasticity to dough and pasta. Ever come across a cookie or bread recipe that tells you not to overwork or overmix your dough? In fact, if you overwork your gluten, like kneading dough, that elasticity only gets harder, creating a dense loaf of bread, for example.
Now that we know more about gluten, we can now assess why so many additives are used to reproduce it in gluten-free products. Because gluten-free flours are just that, they don’t have the glue-like protein that flours containing gluten do. Ever since they have become more common, all kinds of gluten-free products have flooded the market. It’s both a good thing, although not great.
This is great because most people have a wide variety of options, whether it’s at a grocery store or a restaurant. The downside is that with the influx of people diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, the market has been inundated with products that try to mimic traditional gluten-containing products, and you’re left with a lot of sugar as a result. added, starches, processed gums and flours that contain little or no nutritional integrity.
Summery socca salad
Switch to gluten-free whole grain products
As I mentioned above, when I first started a gluten-free diet, I would regularly eat prepackaged snacks with those processed gums, starches, and sugars, and I would often have stomachaches. I knew there had to be a way to get more nutrients into my baked goods and snacks, so I tried to look more closely at the ingredients. while my book Chickpea flour does everything Emphasize lots of chickpea flour (duh), if not, most recipes include lots of whole grain gluten-free flours, which is something I rely on in my everyday pantry. Here are a few things I’ve found useful:
- Gluten-free whole grain flours: It doesn’t matter if you’re gluten-free or not, your diet has been shown to be more complete when your diet consists of whole grains. The same applies to gluten-free flours. Quite simply, gluten-free whole grain flours like oatmeal, sorghum, and chickpea flour all contain a large amount of the nutrients our bodies depend on: protein, minerals, fiber, and healthy fats. Gluten-free non-whole wheat flours found in gluten-free flour mixes, gluten-free cookie or cupcake mixes, or gluten-free pizza mixes tend to be high in carbohydrates that provide no nourishment to your body. requires what may end up exhausting you. There are whole grain mixes, but be sure to pay attention to the ingredients!
- Corn Starch vs Arrowroot: Cornstarch is used in a variety of baked goods, sauces, and sauces to make baked goods lighter, and used to make mash for sauces and sauces. But the process of making cornstarch is highly processed, which puts a strain on the digestive system. This is where arrowroot powder comes into play. Arrowroot powder is naturally derived from a bulbous plant that is peeled, crushed, sieved and dried into the powder we buy from the grocer.
- Gum (xanthan, guar etc.): Gums like xanthan gum are used to bind gluten-free baked goods and give them elasticity. And for many people, they have little or no impact on their overall well-being. However, for those with digestive issues (like me and many others), gums can irritate the intestines. When you buy ready-to-eat meals, there’s not much you can do other than avoid gummy foods in what you buy. But for homemade products, I use psyllium husk powder for pizza dough, sweet baked goods, and bread instead. Psyllium husk powder is a form of plant fiber sold in capsule or powder form and can usually be found in the vitamins and supplements section of your grocer or market.
Whether you’re struggling or not, incorporating gluten-free whole grains into your diet will not only provide you with more nutrients, but will add texture and flavor to your cooking and baking.
A few of my favorite gluten-free whole grain recipes:
Strawberry, oat and cocoa muffins
