Eating gluten free is easy these days, with so many options available in supermarkets and health food stores. Care is recommended when choosing GF products and check the ingredients list. Many processed foods masquerading as healthy options with 'gluten free' 'sugar free' & 'FODMAP friendly' plastered on the packaging are actually chock full of preservatives and chemicals that are not real food. When reading the ingredients, if you don't recognise the name of something, chances are its an added flavour or preservative that feeds gut inflammation (the very thing we are trying to avoid when eating gluten free!)
Bread
I love fresh baked bread dripping in butter, always have. And not eating gluten often means missing out on this pleasure. I have tried almost all the different GF options out there and they are generally rubbery, or only edible when eaten straight from the toaster. However, Almond Road have made GF bread to die for. Based in Byron Bay, these guys are legit.
I do also have a couple of really good homemade GF bread recipes, which, when I have the time, I love to prepare, because then I get to enjoy the fresh out of the oven, still hot, dripping with butter type bread!
Again, check the ingredients. I have never seen a decent brand sold in the supermarket so visit your local healthfood store or wholefoods market for better choices.
If you are looking to reduce gluten and are not celiac, you may tolerate a good quality 24-36 hour fermented sourdough (although not in excess). We are fortunate on the Sunshine Coast, to have many local bakeries to get high quality fermented sourdough. The long fermentation of sourdough and the bacteria present breakdown some of the gluten making this a lower gluten choice but not gluten free.
Crackers
Rice crackers are everywhere, all the supermarkets have their own brand versions, nice and cheap. Most are rubbish however, with added flavourings that are far from natural. Ceres Organics make some of the best with natural ingredients at a good price and then there is also Orgran and Rozas that are less easy to find but so delicious and full of good stuff.
Pasta & Noodles
This is an easy one, in the health food section of the supermarket, there are GF pastas and generally these are made from rice and quinoa. Nothing else added!! Such an easy swap and you cant tell the difference. Then it gets more fancy as you check the health food stores, you can get pastas and noodles made from sweet potato, edamame beans, black beans etc the list is endless and the ingredients lists are not!
Eat Wholefoods!
A simple one! Eat potatoes, sweet potatoes and pumpkin. Delicious complex carbohydrates and no gluten. If you're worried about not feeling 'full' if cutting out wheat products, include these in your meals along with wholegrains such as rice, quinoa and buckwheat. Rely upon high quality protein sources for that 'full' feeling and eat a diverse array of wholefoods.
Flours
There are so many GF flours, buckwheat, rice, almond, coconut. And if you are searching for a GF version of a classic recipe, just google it! This way, you will be provided with the exact ratios of GF flours and binding agents to provide a delicious consistency. For example, my banana bread, totally GF and made from wholefoods but you could never just sub a GF flour into a traditional recipe and expect it to work as they perform differently due to their lack of gluten.
Sauces/Dressings
Soy is traditionally made with wheat, but GF versions are readily available. Again, check the ingredients list. However, I only recommend being this cautious with gluten if you are celiac or are currently experiencing a high level of gluten intolerance. If you are simply looking to reducing inflammation and follow a healthier diet, then a little bit of traditional soy wont be the problem.
There are NO bought dressings I recommend, as dressings are so simple to make. All you need is a high quality extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar and mustard for a simple salad dressing. Things can get fancy with red wine vinegar and oregano for a greek dressing and then just play with combinations of oil and vinegar or butter! And you are set.
It has become far too easy to rely on gluten products for every meal of the day, toast for breakfast, sandwich for lunch and pasta for dinner. The cumulative load is the main issue here. Once you get the hang of it, eating gluten free is easy and something I recommend to all my clients. Generally, by getting into the habit of reading ingredients list and being mindful about reducing gluten overall, you find yourself eating a diet with more wholefoods and less processed. The fewer processed foods, the less chance of hidden preservatives and flavourings that actually feed inflammation.