6 Gluten Free Grains You Can’t Live Without

Have you been newly diagnosed with Celiac disease? Do you feel like you’re starving because you have no idea what you can and can’t eat without having an attack of stomach pain, bloating and nausea?

Well, the fact is, there are many different grains that are naturally gluten free and can easily replace your normal gluten based foods.

Yes it will take time, patience and effort but once you have gone gluten free you will feel a million times better and your gluten free diet will become second nature before you know it.

Feeling like the odd one out?

Even though you may feel like an odd ball, gluten intolerance also known as Celiac disease is actually becoming very prevalent in Australia.

Now Celiac disease is being diagnosed in 1 of every 50 adults and it’s still on the rise! Gluten intolerance is most prevalent in western countries, because of the amount of wheat based products that we consume.

You can find gluten in all sorts of foods that you would least expect, like tomato sauce or canned soups. In Japan and China, Celiac disease is almost non existent because their diet is based so heavily on rice.

Do I really need to eat gluten free all the time?

Even though Celiac disease won’t kill you, it can greatly impact your health later down the track if you decide against a gluten free diet.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease which means your immune system will start to attack your own tissue and destroy it, in this case, it is your small intestine that is destroyed.

As a result of this immune attack, inflammation will occur which will begin to produce some characteristic symptoms of Celiac disease such as bloating, stomach cramping, diarrhea and vomiting.

If you continue to eat gluten rich foods, the little projections that stick out from your small intestine called villi begin to get destroyed.

Instead of the villi standing nice and tall they end up small and flat, which means you don’t absorb vitamins and minerals from your food as easily as you should. Your body then doesn’t get the nutrients it needs to work at its very best causing you to feel very tired and sick!

Gluten free grains

Discover 6 gluten free grains that are great to use in gluten free diets.

1. Rice

This is a gluten free grain which is really affordable, tastes great and is easy to cook! Rice is a great staple in a gluten free diet. It can come in white rice, basmati or jasmine rice as well as brown rice.

Brown or basmati rice are the healthier options as they are naturally higher in fibre and are not as refined therefore containing more minerals than just white rice.

2. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa)

This grain is a complete protein as it contains the eight essentials amino acids that the body needs to receive from the diet. It is also high in Calcium, Iron, and is a good source of vitamin E and B vitamins.

If using the grain, it can be cooked like rice in boiling water or a rice cooker. It is great as a replacement of cous cous, it can be eaten in salads, casseroles or in soups. Quinoa flakes are also available which can be cooked similar to oats to make a porridge for breakfast.

3. Amaranth

This is a highly nutritious grain, it is a great source of fibre, essential amino acids and minerals. You can buy it puffed which is ideal for cereals or the whole grain that can be cooked like rice. It tends to have a sticky texture compared to other grains when cooked.

4. Corn

This grain has a multitude of uses and is a definite staple in a gluten free diet. You can use cornmeal for making cornbread, and tortillas or you can use cornflour to thicken soups, sauces and stews. Corn makes up the majority of Mexican dishes such as burritos, tacos and enchiladas which is wonderful for gluten avoiders!

5. Buckwheat

Even though its name may suggest it contain wheat, its actually gluten free. Buckwheat is a fruit derived from the same family as rhubarb.

You can use buckwheat flour to make buckwheat pancakes, puffed buckwheat in cereals or the whole grain. It is high in fibre, protein, B vitamins and it is great for keeping your blood sugar levels balanced.

6. Millet

Millet is a gluten free grain, rich in B vitamins, Magnesium, Potassium, lecithin, methionine, Phosphorous and vitamin E. You can use puffed millet in cereals similar to buckwheat and amaranth. The flour can also be used in combination with other flours to make bread.

Be Careful! Gluten could be playing hide and seek

When purchasing the above grains, even though they are naturally gluten free, the products you purchase may have been processed on the same machinery used for gluten foods.

So keep on the look out for cross contamination! To be on the safe side stick to only foods that say on the label ‘gluten free’ even if it’s a gluten free grain.

Thanks to the prevalence of gluten food intolerances there are now numerous wheat and gluten replacements found in your local supermarket or health food store ranging from bread, cereal and cookies to spaghetti in a can!

These are great if you have little time to cook your own meals, but don’t get into the habit of basing your whole diet on these quick gluten free foods, as they are still processed and are often high in sugar.

To have a balanced nutritious diet, try and eat a variety of the gluten free grains particularly quinoa, millet, buckwheat and amaranth that are very high in fibre, protein, minerals and vitamins.

Gluten free recipe books are perfect to begin enjoying these 6 gluten free grains. You can purchase them from any good book store or online.