A gluten-free diet is a healthy food in which all foods containing gluten are excluded from the diet. The diet is prescribed for diseases of the endocrine and nervous systems, as well as for pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.
Gluten (gluten) is a complex of plant proteins (prolamins, glutenins) found in cereals such as wheat, oats, rye, etc.
Who is the diet for?
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.
The use of foods containing gluten for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and neurological pathologies 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 impairs digestive processes due to the adhesion of the villi to the walls of the small intestine, which are designed to digest and assimilate proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
- Causes autoimmune diseases due to the immune system releasing antibodies against gluten molecules, which attack not only the gastrointestinal tract, but also gluten-like proteins in the cells of the thyroid gland, heart andof the nervous system. This is how autoimmune thyroiditis, type 1 diabetes, dermatitis, infertility and early menopause occur.
The presence of foods containing gluten in the diet is manifested by constant disturbances of the stool (constipation, diarrhea), flatulence, frequent edema, cavities, as well as the appearance of ulcers on the oral mucosa andconstant rashes.
In most cases, gluten intolerance causes iron deficiency anemia, which manifests as constant fatigue, brittle nails, hair loss, and lack of weight.
List of authorized and prohibited products
To maintain a gluten-free diet, two categories of food are excluded from the diet: with a lot of gluten in the composition (for example, wheat bread) and with hidden gluten (for example, mayonnaise, ketchup, etc. ).
As part of a gluten-free diet, the following foods are excluded from the diet:
- cereals, namely wheat, rye, oats, barley;
- flour products of these cereals, including bread, lavash, cakes, cookies, cereal bread;
- cereals (oatmeal, oatmeal, bulgur, pearl barley);
- the bran of these cereals;
- products with a small amount of wheat flour in the composition (bouillon cubes, soy sauce, buckwheat noodles, sausages and preserves, crab sticks, mayonnaise, ketchup, tea bags, yogurt, ice cream);
- chocolates, store jam, caramel;
- kvass, beer and other alcoholic drinks made from cereals;
- coffee with flavors and additives, decaffeinated coffee;
- products showing "traces of gluten" due to manufacturing, namely table vinegar, food starch, semolina, certain types of cheese, dry seasonings and spices, etc . ;
Due to the presence of hidden gluten in food, the diet will not be effective, since inflammatory processes in the intestines do not stop even with an insignificant amount of gluten in food. It is necessary to carefully study the composition of the product on the packaging. Some manufacturers label their labels as "Contains traces of gluten".
If you are on a gluten-free diet, you can include gluten-free foods in your diet, including:
- vegetables and fruits;
- legumes, soybeans;
- buckwheat, sorghum, quinoa, flax, rice;
- milk and dairy products of domestic production;
- meat and fish;
- Seafood;
- vegetable and animal fats;
- yeast, spices, soy sauce.
Gluten-free weekly diet menu
A sample menu for a week should include 4 or 5 meals every 2-3 hours. A gluten-free diet can consist of cereal, vegetable, meat and cottage cheese dishes, and fruits and berries are used as a snack.
On Monday
- Breakfast: cottage cheese with banana and berries, tea;
- Lunch: buckwheat soup with meatballs, pilaf, tomato salad;
- Afternoon snack: apple, 25 grams of nuts;
- Dinner: chop with vegetable salad.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: rice porridge, coffee with soy milk;
- Lunch: broccoli puree soup, gluten-free pork balls;
- Afternoon snack: banana, 5 pieces of almonds;
- Dinner: cottage cheese casserole with berries.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: pancakes with cottage cheese and banana with cottage cheese, cocoa with almond milk;
- Lunch: tomato soup, meatballs in broth, vegetable salad;
- Afternoon snack: 3 mandarins, squash seeds;
- Dinner: baked duck, salad of fresh vegetables.
Thursday
- Breakfast: omelet with herbs and cheese, tea;
- Lunch: rice soup with meatballs, gluten-free bread, baked fish with broccoli;
- Afternoon snack: 150 grams of raspberries, nuts;
- Dinner: banana cheesecakes, sour cream.
Friday
- Breakfast: corn tortillas with mashed bananas, compote;
- Lunch: fish soup, vegetable stew, baked chicken with spices;
- Snack: fruit puree with homemade yogurt;
- Dinner: casserole of cottage cheese and berry sauce.
Saturday
- Breakfast: pumpkin porridge, coffee;
- Lunch: borscht, veal cabbage rolls, green salad;
- Afternoon snack: assortment of fruits;
- Dinner: cottage cheese with honey.
Sunday
- Breakfast: hummus with carrots and peppers, tea;
- Lunch: okroshka on homemade kefir, fish casserole, salad;
- Afternoon snack: strawberries, currants, raspberries;
- Dinner: French meat salad, peppers and tomatoes.
For a child
A gluten-free diet is essential for children with celiac disease, autism, and gastrointestinal illnesses. For additional indications (for example, 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 tasty, because, despite the exclusion of a number of flour and grain products, many vegetables, fruits, meat and fish dishes remainin the child's diet.
Sample menu for children for 3 days:
Day 1
- Breakfast: omelet with rice porridge, banana;
- Lunch: cheesecakes with fruit garnish, compote;
- Lunch: borscht with sour cream and gluten-free croutons, candies with dried fruits;
- Afternoon snack: chicken meatballs, fresh vegetable salad;
- Dinner: homemade cakes with honey, milk.
Day 2
- Breakfast: sweet rice casserole with banana and strawberries;
- Lunch: homemade noodles, compote;
- Lunch: buckwheat soup with meatballs, fruit jelly;
- Afternoon snack: fruit;
- Dinner: cottage cheese with nuts and honey.
Day 3
- Breakfast: millet porridge with pumpkin, compote;
- Lunch: berry jelly, gluten-free muffins;
- Lunch: broccoli soup, zucchini and potatoes with herbs, stew, apple;
- Afternoon snack: casserole of white cheese with orange, compote;
- Dinner: minced meat and rice balls, homemade tomato juice.
An important requirement for proper digestion and movement of food through the gastrointestinal tract during a gluten-free diet is the use of plant fibers from fruits, vegetables, and grains.
Slimming
Weight loss on a gluten-free diet is accomplished by eliminating fast carbohydrates containing gluten from the diet. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the calorie content of the products.
A gluten-free diet for weight loss will help to lose weight 2-3 kilograms per week, provided that the optimal daily calorie intake is optimal, there is no overeating and the following principles are observed:
- eat food 4 times a day without snacks;
- drink 1. 5-2 liters of water per day;
- there is a sufficient amount of fresh vegetables and dairy products;
- limit the use of cereals to 200 grams (raw) and high-calorie nuts to 25 grams per day;
- exclude the use of sugar, pure fructose and any sugar substitutes, since all of these products cause an increase in appetite;
- do not eat 3 hours before bedtime.
After completing the diet, limit the use of baked goods, sweets and sodas with sugar, as sugar and white flour cause rapid weight gain.
Delicious recipes
As a rule, the menu of gluten-free foods consists of dishes based on meat, vegetables and dairy products. To expand your diet, you can use gluten-free recipes and baked goods that use 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 tender. At this point, the breast should be washed, cut into thin slices through the fibers, beat each piece on both sides, salt and pepper.
Drain the water from the pot with the finished potatoes, add sour cream and mash with a blender. Put the mashed potatoes on plates, sprinkle with dill and start cooking the chops.
The chops are cooked in a hot pan with butter, frying the meat on both sides for 2-4 minutes. However, it is important not to dry out the meat, as the chops will become dry and tough.
Chicken meatballs are laid out on the side dish immediately after cooking and served.
Rice flour sponge cake in a slow cooker
To prepare a cookie you will need 6 eggs, 180 grams of sugar, 150 grams of rice flour, vanillin, lemon zest, butter or vegetable oil for lubrication.
First of all, it is necessary to separate the whites from the yolks and intensely beat the 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 inverted for 8-10 minutes into a dense foam. After that, lemon zest and rice flour are added to the yolks and mixed well with a spoon. Gradually, proteins are introduced into the dough until the mass becomes homogeneous.
A bowl for a multicooker is greased with oil, the dough is poured and put in the baking mode for 40-50 minutes, depending on the model of the multicooker. Check the readiness of the cookie with a match.
Gluten Free Corn Flour Muffins
To make muffins, you need 170 grams of corn flour, 90 grams of cornstarch, three eggs, 100 ml of milk, 100 grams of butter, 150 grams of sugar, a tablespoon of baking powder andvanillin.
First you need to mix the dry ingredients: flour, starch, baking powder. Then in a separate bowl you need to knock down the eggs, sugar and vanillin until the sugar dissolves and foam appears, add the softened butter, hot milk and beat again. Then you need to mix all the ingredients until smooth and pour into molds.
Muffins are baked in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 20 minutes.
For a gluten-free diet to be effective, it is necessary to completely eliminate prohibited foods and adhere to dietary principles throughout life.