Gluten-Free All-In-One For Dummies. Dummies Consumer

a health standpoint), you’re likely to find that those foods become less important to you. And considering that they’re really not very good for you, that’s a good thing.

      Whether you’re a kitchenphobe or a foodie, living a gluten-free lifestyle offers you an enormous selection of foods and ingredients to choose from.

Planning and preparing

      Putting together smart and healthful gluten-free meals is a lot easier if you plan ahead. Walking through a store, perusing restaurant menus, or (gasp!) sitting in a bakery with a growling tummy isn’t exactly conducive to making good food choices.

      

Give yourself a healthy advantage by planning and even preparing meals in advance, especially if your busy schedule has you eating away from home frequently. If you know you’ll be pressed for time at breakfast or lunch, make your meals the night before, and bring healthful gluten-free snacks in resealable plastic bags.

      One of the coolest things about adopting a new dietary lifestyle is exploring new and sometimes unusual or unique foods. You may never have heard of lots of gluten-free foods and ingredients, many of which not only are gluten-free and delicious but also are nutritional powerhouses. With the new perspective on food that the gluten-free lifestyle can offer you, you may find yourself inspired to think outside the typical menu plan, exploring unique and nutritious alternatives.

Shopping shrewdly

      The healthiest way to enjoy a gluten-free lifestyle is to eat things you can find at any grocery store or even a farmer’s market: meat, fish, seafood, fruits, and nonstarchy vegetables (see Book II, Chapter 3 for more tips on shopping). If you want to add canned, processed, and even junk foods to your shopping list, you can still do most of your shopping at a regular grocery store, and you can even buy generics.

      If you hope to enjoy the delicious gluten-free specialty products that are available these days, you can find them in health food aisles or at health food stores or specialty shops. Or you can shop in your jammies on one of the many Internet sites specializing in gluten-free products.

Considering your kitchen

      For the most part, a gluten-free kitchen looks the same as any other kitchen – without the gluten, of course. You don’t need to go out and buy special gadgets and tools, and with only a couple exceptions, which we cover in Book II, Chapter 2, you don’t need two sets of pots, pans, utensils, or storage containers, either.

      If you’re sharing a kitchen with gluten, you need to be aware of some contamination issues so you don’t inadvertently glutenate (contaminate with gluten) a perfectly good gluten-free meal. Keeping your crumbs to yourself isn’t just a matter of hygiene, but it can mean the difference between a meal you can eat and one you can’t.

      

Some people find having separate areas in the pantry or cupboards for their gluten-free products helpful. This idea is especially good if you have gluten-free kids in the house, because they can see that you always have on hand lots of things for them to eat, and they can quickly grab their favorite gluten-free goodies from their special area.

Cooking outside the recipe box

      Give someone a recipe, you feed ’em for a meal. Show them how to make anything gluten-free, and you feed ’em for a lifetime. The point is, you can make anything gluten-free, and you’re not constrained by recipes or the fact that you can’t use regular flour or breadcrumbs. All you need is a little creativity and some basic guidelines for using gluten-free substitutions, which you can find in Chapter 4 of Book II.

      If you’re a die-hard recipe fan, never fear – you find all kinds of recipes in Books III through V. Most of them are super simple to follow but leave your guests with the impression that you spent all day in the kitchen (and being thus indebted, they may volunteer to do the dishes).

      Getting Excited about the Gluten-Free Lifestyle

      Most people who embark on a gluten-free lifestyle are doing so because of health issues – and that means they have little or no choice in the matter. When people are forced to make changes in their routine, especially changes that affect what they can and can’t eat, they’re not always so quick to see the joy in the adjustments.

      If you’re a little gloomy about going gluten-free, you aren’t alone. But prepare yourself to read about the scores of reasons to be excited about the gluten-free lifestyle (for you impatient types, feel free to skip to Chapter 6 of this Book for a jump-start on the “Kumbaya” side of being gluten-free).

“A” is for adapting your perspective on food

      If you’ve been eating gluten for a long time – say, for most of your life – then giving up foods as you know them may seem like a tough transition at first. Besides the obvious practical challenges of learning to ferret out gluten where it may be hidden, you have to deal with emotional, physical, social, and even financial challenges.

      You have to do only one thing to learn to love the gluten-free lifestyle, and that’s to adjust your perspective on food just a tinge. You really don’t have to give up anything; you just have to make some modifications. The foods that used to be your favorites can still be your favorites if you want them to be, just in a slightly different form.

      Or you may want to consider what may be a new and super-healthful approach for you: eating lean meats, fresh fruits, and nonstarchy vegetables. Again, you may have to tweak your perspective a bit before the diet feels natural to you, but it is, in fact, natural, nutritious, and naturally nutritious.

Savoring gluten-free flavors

      People who are new to the concept of being gluten-free sometimes comment that the diet is boring. When we ask what they’re eating, their cuisine routine usually centers on carrots and rice cakes. Who wouldn’t be bored with that? That type of a diet is appalling, not appealing.

      A healthful, gluten-free diet doesn’t have to be boring or restrictive. You’re not constrained to eating 32 individual portions of fruits and vegetables each day, like a rabbit nibbling nervously on carrots. If you enjoy bland foods, snaps for you. But if you think gluten-free has to be flavor-free, you’re in for a pleasant surprise.

Getting out and about

      You don’t have to let the gluten-free lifestyle hold you back from doing anything you want to do. Well, okay, there are some things you can’t do – like eat a pizza from the place around the corner or devour a stack of gluten-laden donuts. But as far as your activities and lifestyle are concerned, you can – and should – get out and about as you always have.

      For the most part, ordering out isn’t as easy as walking into a restaurant and asking for a gluten-free menu. But eating at restaurants is definitely doable, and getting easier every day; you just need to learn to special order, tune in to contamination concerns, and ask – chances are getting better all the time that they may actually have a gluten-free menu. Traveling is a breeze when you master eating at restaurants (and get a handle on language considerations, if you’re traveling abroad). Going to social events just requires a little advance planning, and holidays may barely faze you after you get the hang of going out in gluten-free style. Chapter 6 of Book I gives you more information on being gluten-free when you’re out and about.

Raising kids to love the lifestyle

      Lots of ideas are key in raising happy, healthy, gluten-free kids. Some of the highlights include giving them control of their diet from day one, always having yummy gluten-free treats on hand, reinforcing the benefits of the gluten-free lifestyle (if you need some crib notes, see Chapter 6 of Book I), and remembering that they’re learning how to feel about the lifestyle from you. Promoting an optimistic outlook can instill a positive approach in them.

      By the time your kids are teens, they should be in full control of the diet. The most you can do is help them understand the diet and, just as important, the implications if they choose not to follow it. Young