Changing your diet, accommodating other people’s dietary needs or detoxing can be overwhelming. Here are some helpful tips for eating gluten and dairy free focusing on low cost, from scratch and healthy ideas!
Why Gluten and Dairy Free – My Story
I have only recently began eating this way. As a rule I do not promote cutting out food groups unless it is necessary. I believe eating a healthy, well balanced diet is so important. So why am I eating gluten and dairy free? My little son Jack recently began breaking out in a serious eczema rash on his face, nappy area, under his arms and knees and behind his ears. Despite trying all the natural creams, homeopathics his eczema was still flaring up. So I decided to reach out to my Naturopath. She supported me in identifying inflammatory foods in my diet (as I am completely breastfeeding Jack). To start the most common is gluten and dairy. At first this was so daunting to completely reconfigure what we eat. However, I have noticed improvement in Jack’s skin and a definite flare up if I cheat here and there =)
Store Bought Swaps for eating Gluten and Dairy Free
We are so blessed to have amazing selection of nut milks, gluten free pastas, breads, flour and so much more right in our local grocery store! I love trying a range of coconut, almond and macadamia milks with my morning coffee! Buckwheat pancakes and gluten free pasta is also delicious. From my experience the way they make gluten free food today is so much better than even a few years ago! Some things to look out for in your products include a lot of added sugar. Sometimes food that is “Free” from gluten and dairy is bulked up by sugar or preservatives and foods that aren’t really foods e.g. numbered ingredients. As a rule buying food that is whole, or has less than 10 ingredients and all the ingredients are foods you can recognize really helps.
So here is the long and short of it. Buying from the shop can be so helpful for eating gluten and dairy free. Look for preservative free and whole food products. Avoid foods with random numbered ingredients or bulk out with sugars!
CHeck out my delicious gluten free recipes!
From Scratch eating Gluten and Dairy Free
Although the local grocery stores contain so much variety, eating gluten and dairy free is just plain more expensive! I love my fresh breads but paying 6-8 dollars per loaf is just not in the grocery budget. So I love to make my own at home! I pick up most of my pantry staples from 2 Brother Foods and the Pantry Man. Using my Thermomix (contact me to learn more about thermomix!) I am able to mill down nuts and seeds to create flours for all of my cooking needs. I can search for pretty much any recipe in a gluten and dairy free version! By cooking from scratch I can save money and ensure I am cooking healthy food for my family. My favourite recipe books for gluten and dairy free are Jo Whittons Quirky Cooking and Life Changing Food Cookbooks!
Converting your Pantry to eating gluten and dairy free
It is seriously scary changing your diet! However, converting your pantry can be easier than you think. If you are able to create your own flours or seed mixtures you can stock only the whole foods and convert them as needed. For example instead of having almond flour, whole almonds and almond milk you can stock just whole almonds and chop or create the different varieties as needed. Don’t try doing it all at once. Start with what you need for a few simple recipes or staples in your home. Have fun experimenting. If there is only one member of your family who is gluten and/or dairy free you do not need to change every one’s diet or completely rid your pantry of these items. Try adding a few gluten and dairy free options and go from there.
Eating a whole food diet is the easiest way to eat gluten and dairy free
Not only is eating gluten and dairy free easiest on a whole food diet, it is so much better for you. If you are cutting out a lot of the processed food in your home you will most likely find it so much easier to eat gluten and dairy free. Thankfully many of us only have to cut out one of these food groups which makes it even easier. I’m not going to say you will be able to make this change over night. But working at make simple changes every week will help you on this journey! Get creative in the kitchen. Invest in a wholefoods cookbook and jump on youtube for some inspiring ideas.
I have created a bunch of whole food and healthy gluten and dairy free recipes. Try a few and let me know what you think!
Replacements for Wheat Flour
- Almond flour
- Rice flour
- Coconut flour
- Oat flour (be sure they are certified gluten free oats)
- Chickpea Flour
- Sweet potato flour
- Gluten-free all-purpose flour
- Quinoa flour
Replacements for milk:
- Nut Milk (Almond milk/cashew milk/hemp milk)
- Oat milk (again, make sure they’re gluten-free oats)
- Coconut milk
- Soy milk – Only organic as this can be grown with MSG!
- Macadamia Milk – My absolute favourite
- Coconut yoghurt
- Cashew cheese
Easy Gluten and Dairy free Snack Ideas
- Popcorn! Super yumm, you can buy this with low salt and no butter so its a healthy option too
- Hommus or roasted beetroot dip
- Nuts
- Nut butter, lemon butter or jam on gluten free bread or paired with sliced fruit like apples, bananas or pears.
- Chocolate Coconut custard – I made a yummy version using cacao powder in my thermomix for dessert and it was such a treat!
- Bliss balls
- Leftovers
- Dried fruit or banana chips – be careful in over indulging due to the high sugar content =)
- Tortilla corn chips and salsa
- Gluten Free granola or muesli bars
- Rice cakes with avocado, tuna, or tomato and basil. (get creative!)
- Apple sauce
- Raw slices are my favourite too!
What are you gluten and dairy free tips
I am definitely new to this world of dietary restrictions. I’d love to hear your tips for eating gluten and dairy free!
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