Gluten Free Diet Plan - Comprehensive Guide 

Gluten is a kind of protein found in grains like wheat, rye, barley etc. Gluten-free diet helps take care of medical conditions that can be caused by this particular protein group. That is not all! A lot of people are opting for this diet form as it also helps with weight loss.

Here are some things that you need to know about a gluten-free diet:

1) You will be required to make an alteration in your overall eating habits. The amount of protein, fiber, vitamins, carbs, all will have to be adjusted to this diet form.

2) A gluten-free diet can not only help you manage your celiac condition or your wheat allergy, it will also help you with other issues like diarrhea, bloating, irritation etc. caused due to gluten sensitivity.

3) When you buy packaged food, do be careful and read the labels. The contents are usually mentioned in the ingredient list.

4) Because our aim is to avoid gluten, you will, in the process, have to avoid breads, cakes, fries, cereals, pasta, hot dogs, cookies, croutons, salad dressing, snack foods like tortilla chips etc.

5)In case you need to go out for dinner or lunch, always remember that most restaurants either go out of their way to help you get a gluten-free meal or already have something of that sort on their menu. Do your research and do not shy away from asking. In case you are certain that the restaurant is not equipped well, keep your meal ready at home.

6) As a result of following this diet, you might risk iron, calcium, fiber or folate deficiency. Check with your physician before you get on any supplements and check for the alternatives.

7) A gluten-free diet can be slightly more expensive than others. Do a cost-benefit analysis before you jump into it. If you absolutely have to follow a strict regime, do a little research and find out cheaper alternatives to all the expensive options. You will be surprised with how much money you will be able to save.

Let us look at some diet tips that will help you make your diet plan:

a) Grains that you may include are buckwheat, corn, cornmeal, flax, millet, quinoa, rice, and tapioca and gluten-free flours like rice, soy, potato and bean. Grains that you must avoid are wheat, oats, barley and rye.

b) Include eggs, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds etc. in your diet.

c) Foods that are not processed must be included in your diet. Meat, poultry, fish, and seafood are crucial in a gluten-free diet.

d) As far as alcohol is concerned, beer, lagers, malt beverages etc. are not gluten-free, whereas wine, hard ciders and liquor are gluten-free. Be wise when you are choosing your drink.

e) When you are inspecting the labels, it is obvious that you will have to look for terms like wheat, barley and rye. Apart from that, you must also look for words like malt and hydrolyzed vegetable protein. Avoid food items that include these ingredients.

f) If you are a cereal lover, you will definitely be disappointed. But this cloud has a silver lining. Corn and rice-based cereals can and must be included in your gluten-free diet routine.

Let us look at a gluten-free meal plan that you may follow. Note that this is just to give you a general idea as to what your diet might look like. Feel free to change and alter the menu.

Breakfast:

Gluten-free pudding

1) Chia pudding with chia seeds, Greek yogurt, vanilla extract and any fruit of your choice.

2) Vegetable Omelet.

3) Gluten-free toast with eggs and avocados.

4) Banana smoothie made with banana, mixed berries, Greek yogurt and milk.

5) Moong dal chilla with chutney.

6) Sprout salad.

7) Brown rice dhokla.

Lunch:

Brown Rice

1) Quinoa salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach and avocados.

2) Black beans, baked potato and broccoli.

3) Chickpeas salad with herbs.

4) Black beans and quinoa bowl with salsa, vegetables, avocado and cheddar cheese.

5) Cauliflower masala with bajra roti.

6) Vegetable stir-fry with brown rice.

7) Potato patty with chutney.

8) Spicy lentil and veggie soup.

9) Brown rice with mixed raita and vegetable salad.

Snack:

Almonds

1) Hard-boiled eggs.

2) Dried almonds.

Also, read 5 Proven Health Benefits of Almonds (Badam)

3) Apple with peanut butter.

4) Banana with peanut butter.

5) Hummus with carrots or cucumbers.

6) Unsweetened almond milk and raspberries.

Dinner:

Mushrooms

1) Mushroom and spinach cooked and served with gluten-free tortillas.

2) Mac and cheese made with gluten-free pasta.

3) Garlic mashed cauliflower.

4) Sautéed mushroom and broccoli.

5) Cooked brown rice, chickpea curry and steamed broccoli.

6) Grilled mushroom with brown rice and some salad.

7) Bajra roti, mixed vegetable curry and curd.

8) Tofu palak, dal and brown rice.

9) Vegetable and black bean soup.

10) Gluten free pasta.