Tuesday, February 8, 2011

gluten freed.

since 2008, i've gotten a few new nicknames, closely associated to my lifestyle.
gluten-free gleave, "gfg" (gluten-free girl), etc. came about my freshman year in college as i was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance. for those of you who don't know, gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and sometimes oats. being lactose intolerant also, easily finding food to eat can be a bit tricky at times.
in fact, a common question that i get these days is, "so, what can you eat?"

well, there actually is a lot that i can eat! and the gluten-free market it growing every day... it just takes a bit more work to prepare the food and a lot more money to buy it.
but having a happy belly/body makes eating gluten/dairy free completely worth it-- believe me!

i've decided to start a new little series on my blog, showing you more often what i can eat and what i do eat-- to prove that the gluten-free lifestyle isn't so bad!
i know when i first was diagnosed, i struggled to find food to eat (and literally only ate omelets and hamburger patties for the first few months), so maybe i can help some gf newbies out there too in the process... who knows?

so to answer that question i'm always getting, "what do you eat?," here goes meal one:

Mixed Berry Gluten-Free Oatmeal
DSC_0058
this is the perfect breakfast because it's a good source of whole grains, protein, and fruit. plus, it keeps me pretty full for the morning and makes my heart oh, so happy! it is an easy, 1-and-a-half-minute meal.

1/2 cup bob's red mill gluten-free oatmeal
1/8 cup silk almond milk
1 tbsp light maple syrup (be careful with these... some contain gluten)
1/3 cup frozen mixed berries (i buy the kirkland brand... te amo, costco)

microwave the gluten-free oatmeal with 1/3 cup of water (i generally just eyeball it) for one minute. add the remainder of the ingredients; mix around until berries begin to soften, and enjoy!


a gluten-free tip: a lot of times, when searching for foods that are gluten-free but aren't necessarily labeled "gluten free", be careful to look for the following gluten-containing ingredients:
-malt, malt extract, barley malt, oats (due to cross contamination), wheat, rye, and barley... carmel color can also be a culprit (though generally isn't these days).

to my gluten-free friends out there, what is your favorite gf recipe?

1 comment:

Mary said...

I am a big fan of this post - it makes me happy to have an example of someone who has figured out how to meet nutrition and enjoyment needs when eating within diet restrictions! 10 points to you from the proud RD. ;)