Gluten Free Menu

Gluten is a substance present in grains such as wheat, rye and barley. Gluten is not dissolved in water and gives the dough an elastic-like texture. Gluten is known to cause digestive complications such as celiac disease.

Transforming your restaurant menu or family diet into a gluten free menu is not so easy. It requires paying extra attention to food pack labels and doing a lot of research on making your very own gluten free menu that fits your preferences at an affordable price. Since the gluten free menu has earned a lot of attention from the public, many restaurants in the United States have now taken it to include specially catered gluten free items in their price lists. Grains, which are commonly found in all gluten free menu items are: corn, potato, soy beans, tapioca, millet, dhal, carob and arrowroot. Therefore, including these grains or products made of these grains ensures that you are consuming gluten free menu. However, avoiding wheat, rye, and barley does not guarantee that you are safe from gluten. Many processed foods contain ingredients that turn into gluten in the digestive process. Some of these ingredients are: stabilizers, malt, food starch, flavoring and hydrolyzed plant protein. Usually, the list of ingredients of a particular food is found on the wrapper. Therefore, careful reading of labels may avoid you accidentally consuming gluten, which will lead to a lot of physical discomfort. Furthermore, staple foods that must be included in any gluten free menu are: rice, potatoes, fresh fruits and vegetables, unseasoned fish and meat, canned fruits and vegetables without syrup.

Going gluten free may seem impossible at first as wheat products are found in abundance in most of our daily meals. However, it is possible to replace gluten rich items like bread, dairy products, processed meat and cakes with gluten free recipes. Gluten free bread can be made with rice flour, corn starch and soy flour. Adding a slice of gluten free bread to your breakfast of an omelet with your favorite topping produces a healthy, well balanced breakfast. Salads dressing is a common avenue for gluten to be added to your diet. Many seasonings  available in the market contain gluten ingredients. Making your own home made dressing with ingredients such as vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil ensures that your salads remain as healthy as possible. Experimenting with routine food items will make you realize that your gluten free menu can be exciting, inexpensive and palatable all at the same time.