A gluten-free diet is a healthy food in which all gluten-containing foods are excluded from the diet. The diet is prescribed for diseases of the endocrine and nervous systems, as well as pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.
Gluten (gluten) is a complex of plant proteins (prolamines, glutenins), which are found in cereals such as wheat, oats, rye, etc.
Who is the diet for?
The use of a gluten-free diet is a prerequisite for the treatment of conditions such as:
- celiac disease;
- gluten intolerance (in severe and atypical forms);
- irritable bowel syndrome;
- autism, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis;
- anemia in children under 3 years.
The use of gluten-containing foods in 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 blood.
- It disturbs the balance of the intestinal microflora and leads to increased multiplication of pathogenic bacteria.
- Disrupts the digestive processes as a result of the adhesion of hairs on the walls of the small intestine, which are designed to absorb and assimilate proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
- It causes autoimmune diseases due to the fact that the immune system secretes antibodies against gluten molecules, which attack not only the gastrointestinal tract, but also gluten-like proteins in the cells of the thyroid gland, heart and nervous system. Thus, autoimmune thyroiditis, type 1 diabetes, dermatitis, infertility and early menopause occur.
The presence of gluten-containing foods in the diet is manifested by persistent stool disorders (constipation, diarrhea), flatulence, 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 manifests itself with constant fatigue, brittle nails, hair loss and weight loss.
List of permitted and prohibited products
To maintain a gluten-free diet, two categories of foods 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. ).
In a gluten-free diet, the following foods are excluded from the diet:
- cereals, namely wheat, rye, oats, barley;
- flour products from these cereals, including bread, lavash, pastries, biscuits, cereal bread;
- cereals (oatmeal, oatmeal, bulgur, pearl barley);
- bran from these cereals;
- products with a small amount of wheat flour in the composition (diced broth, soy sauce, buckwheat noodles, sausages and canned food, crab sticks, mayonnaise, ketchup, tea bags, yogurt, ice cream);
- chocolates, store jam, caramel;
- yeast, beer and other cereal spirits;
- coffee with aromas and additives, decaffeinated coffee;
- products with "traces of gluten" due to production, namely table vinegar, food starch, semolina, certain types of cheese, dry spices and condiments, etc.
Due to the presence of hidden gluten in the diet, the diet will not be effective, as inflammatory processes in the intestines do not stop even with a small amount of gluten in the diet. 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 follow a gluten-free diet, you can include gluten-free foods in your diet, namely:
- vegetables and fruits;
- legumes, soybeans;
- buckwheat, sorghum, quinoa, flax, rice;
- home-made milk and dairy products;
- meat and fish;
- Seafood;
- vegetable and animal fats;
- May, spices, soy sauce.
Gluten-free weekly diet menu
An example menu for a week should consist of 4 or 5 meals every 2-3 hours. A gluten-free diet can consist of cereals, vegetables, meat and cottage cheese, and fruits and berries are used as a snack.
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: cutlet with vegetable salad.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: rice porridge, coffee with soy milk;
- Lunch: broccoli puree soup, gluten-free pork dumplings;
- Afternoon snack: banana, 5 almonds;
- Dinner: casserole of cottage cheese with berries.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: pancakes with cottage cheese and banana, cocoa in almond milk;
- Lunch: tomato soup, meatballs in broth, 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, baked fish with broccoli;
- Afternoon snack: 150 grams of raspberries, walnuts;
- Dinner: cheese cakes with banana, sour cream.
Friday
- Breakfast: corn tortillas with banana puree, compote;
- Lunch: fish soup, vegetable stew, roasted chicken with spices;
- Afternoon snack: fruit puree with homemade yogurt;
- Dinner: casserole of cottage cheese and forest sauce.
Saturday
- Breakfast: pumpkin porridge, coffee;
- Lunch: borsch, beef cabbage, lettuce;
- Afternoon snack: a variety of fruits;
- Dinner: cottage cheese with honey.
Sunday
- Breakfast: hummus with carrots and peppers, tea;
- Lunch: homemade kefir crumbs, fish casserole, salad;
- Afternoon snack: strawberries, blackcurrants, raspberries;
- Dinner: French meat, pepper and tomato salad.
For a child
The gluten-free diet is mandatory for children with celiac disease, autism and gastrointestinal diseases. For additional indications (eg iron deficiency anemia and other pathologies of nutrient absorption), a gluten-free diet is prescribed for children under 3 years of age.
Gluten-free food for children can be not only healthy but also delicious, because despite the exclusion of a number of flour products and cereals, the child's diet remains a lot of vegetables, fruits, meat and fish dishes.
Sample menu for children for 3 days:
Day 1
- Breakfast: omelette with rice porridge, banana;
- Lunch: cheese with fruit topping, compote;
- Lunch: borsch with sour cream and gluten-free croutons, dried fruit cakes;
- 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: soup with broccoli, zucchini and potatoes with herbs, stew, apple;
- Afternoon snack: cottage cheese casserole with orange, 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 use of plant fiber from fruits, vegetables and grains.
Weight loss
Weight loss with a gluten-free diet is done by eliminating fast gluten-containing carbohydrates from the diet. In this case it is necessary to take into account the caloric content of the products.
A gluten-free diet for weight loss will help to lose weight by 2-3 kilograms per week, provided that the optimal daily calorie intake is optimal, there is no overeating and the following principles are followed:
- eat food 4 times a day without snacks;
- drink 1, 5-2 liters of water a 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, as all these products cause increased appetite;
- do not eat 3 hours before bedtime.
After completing the diet, limit the use of baked goods, sweet and carbonated drinks with sugar, as sugar and white flour lead to rapid weight gain.
Delicious recipes
The gluten-free menu usually 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
For cooking you need 1-2 chicken breasts, salt, pepper, frying oil, 0, 5 kg of potatoes, 50 grams of sour cream for dressing.
Peel the potatoes, add water, salt and cook until soft. At this time, the breast should be washed, cut into thin slices across the fibers, break each piece on both sides, salt and pepper.
Drain the water from the pot with the prepared potatoes, add the sour cream and mash with a blender. Put mashed potatoes on a plate, sprinkle with dill and start cooking the steaks.
The cutlets are prepared in a heated pan with butter, and the meat is fried on both sides for 2-4 minutes. However, it is important that the meat does not dry out, as the steaks will become dry and tough.
The chicken meatballs are arranged to the garnish immediately after cooking and served.
Sponge cake with rice flour in a slow cooker
To make the biscuit, you will need 6 eggs, 180 grams of sugar, 150 grams of rice flour, vanilla, lemon peel, butter or vegetable oil for lubrication.
First of all, it is necessary to separate the egg whites from the yolks and intensively beat the yolks with the sugar and vanilla for 4-5 minutes, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture doubles in volume. Then in a separate bowl beat the egg whites for 8-10 minutes on a thick foam. Then add the lemon zest and rice flour to the yolks and mix thoroughly with a spoon. Gradually, the proteins are introduced into the dough until the mass becomes homogeneous.
Grease a multicooker bowl with oil, pour the dough and put it in the baking mode for 40-50 minutes, depending on the model of the multicooker. Check the readiness of the match biscuit.
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 and vanilla.
First you need to mix dry ingredients: flour, starch, baking powder. Then in a separate bowl beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla until the sugar dissolves and foam appears, add softened butter, warm milk and beat again. Then you need to mix all the ingredients until smooth and pour them into molds.
Bake the muffins in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.
For a gluten-free diet to be effective, it is necessary to completely eliminate forbidden foods and adhere to the principles of nutrition throughout life.