GF Nutrition
Celiac Disease and Gluten Free Nutrition Gluten free doesn’t necessarily mean healthy. Many pre-made baked goods, mixes and flours are not enriched with vitamins and nutrients like their wheat based counterparts. Products made with traditional gluten free flours are also very low in fiber and tend to be higher in saturated fats. In today’s age of convenience and fast foods many are suddenly required to create gluten free meals with little prior cooking experience and no knowledge of nutrition. Unfortunately, the gluten free diet is not covered in the training of most dieticians and nutritionists. So how do we figure out how to eat healthily and not just safely? How can we thrive instead of just survive? Several things can make the process of healthy gluten free eating more difficult for us. • Relying on pre-packaged foods • Limited cooking skills/experience • Unwilling to try new foods • Trying to replace favorite foods with gluten free substitutes Most of these things are within our power to change. If we can change our mindset about how we eat, what we eat can be easier than you think. We need to start with a different view of eating. • Eat whole, fresh foods • Experiment with recipes • Eat something you have never tried before • Find new naturally gluten free favorite foods When first diagnosed with celiac disease, many will be deficient in iron, the B vitamins, calcium, D, and magnesium, as well as fiber. The long term gluten free diet tends to continue to be deficient in fiber, folate, B-6 and B-12. It is better to get these from a balanced diet rather than supplements whenever possible. You can create a custom food pyramid for yourself by going to www.mypyramid.gov and answering a few simple questions. This will give you the basics for creating a balanced diet. Then, since only one food group naturally contains gluten, we really only need to focus grains and how to incorporate them into our diet in a safe and healthy way. A typical 2000-calorie diet will include the following daily amounts from each food group. Your caloric needs and daily portions will vary based on sex, age, activity, weight, etc. • Grains – 6 oz. (at least 3 oz. whole grains) • Vegetables – 2 ½ cups • Fruits – 2 cups • Milk – 3 cups • Meat & Beans – 5 ½ oz. Of course, any diet should be limited in fats, sugars and salts. Most of your fats should be from nuts, fish and vegetable oils rather than butter, margarine, shortening or lard. When incorporating grains into the diet we need to look beyond the usual rice, potato, and tapioca starch so many early gluten free products were and still are based on. Grains like quinoa, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, teff and wild rice can all be used whole as side dishes or ground as flour for baking. They add nutrients, fiber and protein that are missing from traditional wheat alternatives. Other options for added fiber would be montina, beans, brown rice and flax seeds. You can also add fiber to your diet by eating more fruits and vegetables. Good sources of nutrients: Calcium Milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream, sardines, salmon, broccoli, spinach, almonds, figs, calcium fortified soy milk and orange juice (Osteopenia and osteoporosis are common in people with CD.) Iron Meat, fish, poultry, nuts, seeds, legumes, dried fruit, eggs, amaranth, quinoa Folate Broccoli, asparagus, orange juice, liver, legumes, bean flour, flax, peanuts, walnuts, sesame and sunflower seeds B12 Liver, eggs, milk, meat, poultry, fish and seafood
Celiac Disease and Gluten Free Nutrition Gluten free doesn’t necessarily mean healthy. Many pre-made baked goods, mixes and flours are not enriched with vitamins and nutrients like their wheat based counterparts. Products made with traditional gluten free flours are also very low in fiber and tend to be higher in saturated fats. In today’s age of convenience and fast foods many are suddenly required to create gluten free meals with little prior cooking experience and no knowledge of nutrition. Unfortunately, the gluten free diet is not covered in the training of most dieticians and nutritionists. So how do we figure out how to eat healthily and not just safely? How can we thrive instead of just survive? Several things can make the process of healthy gluten free eating more difficult for us. • Relying on pre-packaged foods • Limited cooking skills/experience • Unwilling to try new foods • Trying to replace favorite foods with gluten free substitutes Most of these things are within our power to change. If we can change our mindset about how we eat, what we eat can be easier than you think. We need to start with a different view of eating. • Eat whole, fresh foods • Experiment with recipes • Eat something you have never tried before • Find new naturally gluten free favorite foods When first diagnosed with celiac disease, many will be deficient in iron, the B vitamins, calcium, D, and magnesium, as well as fiber. The long term gluten free diet tends to continue to be deficient in fiber, folate, B-6 and B-12. It is better to get these from a balanced diet rather than supplements whenever possible. You can create a custom food pyramid for yourself by going to www.mypyramid.gov and answering a few simple questions. This will give you the basics for creating a balanced diet. Then, since only one food group naturally contains gluten, we really only need to focus grains and how to incorporate them into our diet in a safe and healthy way. A typical 2000-calorie diet will include the following daily amounts from each food group. Your caloric needs and daily portions will vary based on sex, age, activity, weight, etc. • Grains – 6 oz. (at least 3 oz. whole grains) • Vegetables – 2 ½ cups • Fruits – 2 cups • Milk – 3 cups • Meat & Beans – 5 ½ oz. Of course, any diet should be limited in fats, sugars and salts. Most of your fats should be from nuts, fish and vegetable oils rather than butter, margarine, shortening or lard. When incorporating grains into the diet we need to look beyond the usual rice, potato, and tapioca starch so many early gluten free products were and still are based on. Grains like quinoa, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, teff and wild rice can all be used whole as side dishes or ground as flour for baking. They add nutrients, fiber and protein that are missing from traditional wheat alternatives. Other options for added fiber would be montina, beans, brown rice and flax seeds. You can also add fiber to your diet by eating more fruits and vegetables. Good sources of nutrients: Calcium Milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream, sardines, salmon, broccoli, spinach, almonds, figs, calcium fortified soy milk and orange juice (Osteopenia and osteoporosis are common in people with CD.) Iron Meat, fish, poultry, nuts, seeds, legumes, dried fruit, eggs, amaranth, quinoa Folate Broccoli, asparagus, orange juice, liver, legumes, bean flour, flax, peanuts, walnuts, sesame and sunflower seeds B12 Liver, eggs, milk, meat, poultry, fish and seafood