A gluten-free diet is a health 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 pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.
Gluten is a complex of plant proteins (prolamins, glutenin) found in grains such as wheat, oats, rye, etc.
What is the diet indicated for?
Using a gluten-free diet is a prerequisite for treating conditions such as:
- celiac disease;
- gluten intolerance (in severe and uncommon forms);
- disease of sensitive intestine;
- 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:
- This 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 increases the reproduction of pathogenic bacteria.
- It disrupts digestive processes as a result of the adhesion of villi to the walls of the small intestine, which are designed to digest and assimilate proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
- Autoimmune diseases are caused by 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 cells of the thyroid gland, heart, and nervous system. Thus autoimmune thyroiditis, type 1 diabetes mellitus, dermatitis, infertility and early menopause occur.
The presence of gluten-containing foods in the diet is manifested by frequent stool disorders (constipation, diarrhea), flatulence, frequent edema, caries, as well as ulcers on the oral mucosa and frequent skin rashes.
In most cases, gluten intolerance causes iron-deficiency anemia, which is manifested by persistent fatigue, brittle nails, hair loss and weight loss.
List of allowed and prohibited products
To maintain a gluten-free diet, two categories of foods are excluded from the diet: those with a lot of gluten in the composition (for example, wheat bread) and those with hidden gluten (for example, mayonnaise, Ketchup, etc. ).
On the gluten-free diet, the following foods are excluded from the diet:
- cereals, namely wheat, rye, oats, barley;
- Products from these cereal flours, including bread, lavash, cakes, cookies, cereal breads;
- cereals (oatmeal, rolled oats, bulgur, pearl barley);
- bran from these cereals;
- products with a small amount of wheat flour in the composition (bouquet cubes, soy sauce, buckwheat noodles, sausages and canned food, crab sticks, mayonnaise, ketchup, tea bags, yoghurts, ice cream);
- chocolate, store jam, caramel;
- kvass, beer and other alcoholic beverages made from cereals;
- coffee with flavors and additives, decaffeinated coffee;
- Products with "traces of gluten" due to production, namely table vinegar, food starch, semolina, some types of cheese, dried spices and spices, and so on.
Due to the presence of hidden gluten in the food, the diet will not be effective, since inflammatory processes in the intestines do not stop even with a negligible amount of gluten in the food. It is necessary to carefully study the composition of the product on the package. Some manufacturers label their ownLabeled as "Contains Trace of Gluten".
If you follow a gluten-free diet, you can include gluten-free foods in your diet, namely:
- vegetables and fruits;
- legumes, soy;
- buckwheat, sorghum, quinoa, flax, rice;
- milk and dairy products of domestic production;
- meat and fish;
- seafood;
- vegetable and animal fats;
- Yeast, spices, soy sauce.
Weekly Gluten Free Diet Menu
A sample menu for a week should include 4 or 5 meals every 2-3 hours. Diets on a gluten-free diet may include cereal, vegetable, meat and cheese dishes, and use of fruits and berries as snacks. is done as.
Monday
- Breakfast: cottage cheese with banana and berries, tea;
- lunch: buckwheat soup with meatballs, pilaf, tomato salad;
- Afternoon snack: apple, 25 g nuts;
- Dinner: Vegetable bites with 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 cheese pancakes in almond milk, cocoa;
- lunch: tomato soup, meatballs in broth, vegetable salad;
- Afternoon snack: 3 tangerines, pumpkin seeds;
- Dinner: Baked 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 g raspberries, walnuts;
- Dinner: cottage cheese cake with banana, sour cream.
Friday
- Breakfast: corn tortilla with banana puree, compote;
- lunch: fish soup, vegetable stew, baked chicken with spices;
- Afternoon snack: Fruit puree with homemade yogurt;
- Dinner: Cheese casserole and berry sauce.
Saturday
- breakfast: pumpkin porridge, coffee;
- lunch: borscht, veal cabbage rolls, green salad;
- Afternoon snack: mixed fruit;
- Dinner: cottage cheese with honey.
Sunday
- Breakfast: hummus with carrots and capsicum, tea;
- lunch: okroshka on homemade kefir, fish casserole, salad;
- afternoon snack: strawberries, currants, raspberries;
- Dinner: French meat, pepper and tomato salad.
for a child
A gluten-free diet is a must for children with celiac disease, autism, and gastrointestinal diseases. For additional indications (for example, iron deficiency anemia and other pathologies of nutrient absorption), under 3 years of ageA gluten-free diet is prescribed for children.
Gluten-free diet for babies can be not only healthy, but also tasty, because despite the exclusion of many flour products and cereals, a lot of vegetables, fruits, meat and fish dishes remain in the baby's diet. .
Sample menu for babies for 3 days:
day 1
- breakfast: rice porridge, omelet with banana;
- Lunch: cheese cake with fruit topping, compote;
- Lunch: borscht with sour cream and gluten-free croutons, dried fruit dessert;
- Afternoon snack: chicken meatballs, fresh vegetable salad;
- Dinner: Homemade cake with honey, milk.
second day
- Breakfast: Sweet Rice Casserole with Bananas 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 herbs, stew, apple with broccoli, zucchini and potatoes;
- 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 use of plant fiber from fruits, vegetables and grains.
slimming
Losing weight with a gluten-free diet consists of eliminating fast carbohydrates containing gluten 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 2-3 kg per week, provided that the optimal daily calorie intake is optimal, there is no overeating and the following principles are followed:
- eat 4 meals a day without breakfast;
- Drink 1. 5-2 liters of water per day;
- have 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 increase appetite;
- Do not eat 3 hours before bedtime.
After completing the diet, limit the use of baked goods, sweets and soda with sugar, as sugar and white flour lead to rapid weight gain.
tasty food
Menus of gluten-free foods, as a rule, include meat, vegetable and dairy dishes. To expand your diet, you can try gluten-free recipes and baked goods using a variety of gluten-free flours. can do.
Chicken Breast Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes
Cooking requires 1-2 chicken breasts, salt, pepper, oil for frying, 0. 5 kg of potatoes, 50 g of sour cream for dressing.
Peel the potatoes, add water, salt and boil till they become soft. At this time, the breast should be washed, cut across the fibers into thin slices, seasoning each piece on both sides, salt and pepper.
Drain the water from the pot with the prepared potatoes, pour sour cream and puree with a blender. Place the mashed potatoes on plates, sprinkle with dill and start cooking chops.
The chops are cooked in a hot skillet with butter, frying the meat on both sides for 2-4 minutes. It is important not to overdry the meat, however, as the chops will become dry and tough.
Chicken meatballs are put on a side dish immediately after cooking and serving.
Rice Flour Sponge Cake in a Slow Cooker
To make a biscuit you will need 6 eggs, 180 grams of sugar, 150 grams of rice flour, vanillin, lemon zest, butter or vegetable oil.
First, it is necessary to separate the whites from the yolks and intensively beat the yolks with sugar and vanilla for 4-5 minutes, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture doubles in volume. Then, a separateIn the bowl, the whites are lowered into a dense foam for 8 -10 minutes. After that, lemon zest and rice flour are added to the yolks and mixed thoroughly with a spoon. Gradually, the proteins into the doughis introduced until the mass becomes homogeneous.
A bowl for a multi-cooker is greased with oil, flour is poured and put on the baking mode for 40-50 minutes, depending on the model of the multi-cooker. Checking the readiness of the biscuit with a matchDo it.
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 vanillin.
First you need to mix dry ingredients: flour, starch, baking powder. Next, in a separate bowl, you need to beat eggs, sugar and vanillin until sugar dissolves and foam appears, softened butter, add hot milk and whisk again. After this, you must mix all the ingredients until smooth and pour into molds.
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 follow dietary principles throughout life.