Nutritious and Delicious Gluten Free Grains & Flours
Which Grains Have Gluten?
Grains with wheat and gluten are off limits if you have Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance. We hear so much about eating lots of whole grains for a healthy, high fiber diet, but what do you do when wheat and gluten is poison to you? Even though all wheat flour, rye, barley, and triticale are off limits, there are some really tasty grains you can eat. Just because you can’t have gluten doesn’t mean that healthy whole grains are gone for good.
The following contain gluten or wheat and are not permitted on a gluten free diet:
Wheat, semolina, seitan, spelt, rye, wheat germ, wheat grass, matzo, mir, kamut, graham flour, rusk, fu, emmer, farina, einkorn, durum, dinkle, bulgar, couscous, and barley. Here’s a list of foods with hidden gluten.
Gluten Free Flours
Gluten free flours are very different from wheat flours that contain gluten. When baking with gluten free flours, it’s best to combine 3 or 4 types of flours into a blend. Xanthan gum or guar gum should be added to provide the binding agent that is usually present in gluten-containing flours. Gluten free flours don’t hold together well, and are usually very dense otherwise. Gluten free flours each lend their own flavors to recipes, so experiment until you find your favorite blend. Soon, the thought of wheat flour will just seem boring!
Nut flours are high in fiber and can be a healthy alternative to wheat flours. Nut flours, like almond flour are sweet and commonly used in cakes, breads, and pastries. Nut flours are simply ground very fine to form a flour. Coconut flour is made by grinding coconut into a fine flour-like substance. It is also sweet, and used in baking. Teff flour comes from a grain related to the millet family. It is used in making an Ethiopian bread. Teff is becoming a popular addition to many gluten-free flour blends. Both brown and white rice flours are the most popular staples of gluten free flours. Most gluten free flour blends utilize rice flour. Tapioca flour is a great thickener for puddings, gravies, and is a great addition to any flour blend. Potato starch flour, millet, sorghum, arrowroot, soy, fava beans, garbanzo beans, and taro are also used in making gluten free flours.
Gluten Free Grains
Finding healthy gluten free grains is important to a healthy gluten free diet. For many people, rice is the staple grain of the gluten free diet. Brown rice is a whole grain that is nutritious and high in fiber. Quinoa is a great gluten free grain. Whole grain quinoa makes a tasty hot cereal with a nutty, yet mild taste. Corn meal is free of gluten and used in many gluten free diets, although it can be cross contaminated if milled with wheat. Check labels before you buy corn meal. Grits made from hominy make a great side dish or cereal. Some other gluten free grains include buckwheat, risotto, corn, and popcorn. When buying buckwheat, check to be sure it isn’t a baking mix that is mixed with wheat flour. Pure buckwheat is gluten free, but buckwheat baking mixes are likely to contain wheat flour.
While finding gluten free grains may be challenging, it can be done. Gluten free grains can actually add more variety and nutrition to your diet than ever before.
Resources
This post is part of the series: Overcoming the Challenges of a Gluten and Wheat Free Diet
It can be quite a challenge for people with gluten intolerance or Celiac Disease to find delicious, nutritious gluten free foods. Gluten free products are expensive, and gluten and wheat free grains are a little harder to find, but with a bit of effort and guidance it can be done.