1. Wheat free cooking begins at the grocery store. It sounds simple, but if you don’t put an item in your cart, it won’t end up in your home. Be vigilant about checking labels at the grocery store. Make sure you screen items for wheat, and exclude rye and barley ingredients as well. Most people who have issues with wheat have trouble with these grains as well.
2. Plan on spending more time in the kitchen, at least at first. As you learn about wheat free cooking, you may find that you need to spend a little more time in the kitchen. Many of the products designed for convenience also contain gluten or wheat based ingredients. Eliminating these items means that you may need to make your own substitutes at home.
3. Familiarize yourself with wheat free cooking styles and ingredients. Preparing things at home means adapting recipes to include gluten free ingredients. In some cases, you can simply replace a wheat based item with a gluten free one. Pasta and flour are both available in gluten free versions specifically made for wheat free cooking.
4. Get to know your health food store and farmer’s market. Your local health food store will carry a large variety of gluten free items like frozen breads and pizza shells, allowing you to easily prepare items at home. Wheat free cooking can include making sandwich fillers for gluten free rolls, and toppings for gluten free pizza shells.

Your farmer’s market will carry a large array of fruits and vegetables, items that are already gluten free. Choosing fresh food grown locally is more healthy for anyone, and is an essential part of wheat free cooking.

5. Learn what items are naturally gluten free: potatoes, rice, corn, and quinoa are all whole grains that don’t contain wheat or gluten. Plan your wheat free cooking and menus around these wholesome items for best results.
If you or someone in your family has recently been diagnosed with a condition that requires a gluten free diet, consider switching the entire family to a wheat free lifestyle. This allows you to do wheat free cooking for everyone at once, and will cut down on your kitchen time. A gluten free diet is usually a healthy diet, so switching everyone to s wheat free plan can give your entire family a healthy boost as well.

Frozen gluten free pizza: This type of pizza is the most convenient, it is also the most expensive type you can get. Using a pre-made gluten free pizza from the table allows you to get dinner on the table in minutes, without messing up your gluten free regimen. The downside of frozen is that if you don’t like the sauce or toppings included on the pizza, it is difficult or impossible to remove them. If you find a brand you like, keep a frozen pizza or two on hand in the freezer, just in case.

Pre-made pizza crust: You can purchase a premade gluten free pizza crust, and assemble  your own pizza at home. Pre-made crusts can be actual pizza crusts, or you can add your pizza toppings to a gluten free tortilla or wrap for a thin crust pizza.  Premade gluten free pizza crusts are more economical than frozen ones, and allow you to fully customize your pizza.

Pizza crust mix: Gluten free pizza crust mix is a powder that you mix with oil and water to create a pizza crust at home. This is one of the more economical ways to make gluten free pizza at home. It will take a little longer to make a pizza in this manner, so it is a good idea to make more than one crust at a time. You can save the other crusts for later use. Look for a pizza mix labeled “certified gluten free” for best results.

Pizza toppings: If you are making your own gluten free pizza at home, make sure your sauce and toppings are gluten free as well. You can buy mozzarella and shred it on your own, or use pre-shredded cheese, just make sure that no starches are used in the shreds to prevent clumping. If you are in doubt, shred the cheese yourself.

If you buy premade crusts, or a gluten free pizza crust mix, remember to use them for making other items as well. Premade mixes are ideal for making garlic bread, Stromboli, calzones, and other pizza related treats. You can also use mixes to make crusts or bases for other dishes as well.

Gluten free pasta is pasta that has been created from ingredients that are naturally gluten free. Using a gluten free pasta allows people with Celiac disease or related disorders consume dishes like macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, and lasagna without triggering symptoms later.

Gluten free pasta can be made from rice, tofu, quinoa, and corn. Look for gluten free pasta that has been prepared in a gluten free environment for best results. If you are just starting a gluten free diet plan, try a few different types first, and see if you have a favorite.

How do you use gluten free pasta?

You can use gluten free pasta just like you use regular pasta. Add to boiling water, and cook for the recommended amount of time. Cooking time will vary, depending on the ingredients your gluten free pasta is made from. Pastas made from tofu cook in a minute or two, pastas made from quinoa or rice need to cook a little longer. Experiment until you find a cooking time you like, gluten pastas are just like the real thing, so they can be served either al dente or fully cooked.

Different gluten free pastas are better for different uses:

Quinoa pasta: This is a sturdy pasta that is good for most Italian style dishes, and stands up well to baked dishes too.

Whole Grain Quinoa: You can also use whole grain quinoa as a pasta substitute in soups or couscous style side dishes. As an added bonus, quinoa is packed with protein and fiber as well.

Rice or corn pasta: This can be more fragile, so doesn’t perform as well in baked dishes. You can use these in dishes that you add sauce to just before serving, or that will be topped with other ingredients.

Tofu based pasta: Tofu based pasta, also called shirataki, can be a little rubbery, so it performs best alongside other ingredients. You can add this type of pasta to a stir-fry, or use for Asian cooking for best results. You can find shirataki in the refrigerated tofu section of your supermarket.

No matter what type of gluten free pasta you prefer, by including pasta as part of your gluten free dining plan will give you many more options to choose from, and allow you to mimic normal recipes with ease. Keeping gluten free pasta on hand in your pantry ensures that you can quickly assemble a meal that suits your dietary needs, without sacrificing taste.

There are several ways you can substitute the gluten laden foods in your diet for gluten free ones, and still feel like you are eating “normal” meals. Keep in mind, “gluten free” means no wheat, barley, or rye. You can use potato, rice, corn, quinoa, and other grains. Most gluten free diets can contain oats, but your results may vary, so be aware if oats are acceptable for your family or not.

Here are some great ideas for substituting gluten free foods, so you can enjoy the “normal” foods you love:

Pie Crusts: You can make pies that are savoury, like quiches, and sweet, like pumpkin or apple by replacing the flour based crust with a potato, rice, or gluten free cookie crust. To use potato or rice, melt 1/3 cup butter and pour over shredded potatoes or prepared rice. Press the rice or potatoes firmly into a pie crust, and pre-bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Fill with a savoury filling, and bake as directed. The potato or rice will act as a pie crust, eliminating the need to use a wheat based crust.

Cookies: Need a sweet crust for a pie or a base for bar cookies? Buy commercially made gluten free cookies, and crush them up. Mix with º cup melted butter and press firmly into a pie or cookie pan. You can use this method for cheesecakes, lemon bars, magic cookie bars and more.

Pasta: Substitute commercially made quinoa or rice noodles for pasta in your favourite dishes. In general, quinoa pasta works better in baked dishes like mac and cheese or baked ziti, and rice noodles are better for more delicate dishes like stir fries.

Tofu: Use tofu to replace gluten based thickeners. You can also buy shirataki, a gluten free noodle, in the tofu case at most supermarkets. Shirataki is great for Asian dishes and spaghetti.

Quinoa: Quinoa is naturally gluten free, and can be used as a grain (you prepare it just like you prepare rice). You can also purchase pasta and “flour” made from quinoa. If you need to complete a recipe that calls for a small amount of wheat flour, you can substitute quinoa flour instead. Examples are sauces that begin with a roux, soups that require thickening, or cheese based dishes that use flour to reduce clumping. Quinoa flour is also great for baking, but it is better to use a recipe designed for quinoa flour than attempt to substitute it for wheat flour.

Low Carb foods: Sometimes, items designed for low carb dieters are also gluten free. Whole foods that are recommended for low carb dieting like meats, eggs, cheese, and salad veggies are naturally gluten free. You can also buy commercially made low carb products, but you do need to read the labels carefully. Some of these items are made in facilities that process traditional foods, and those very sensitive to trace amounts of gluten should not try them.

With practice, substituting gluten free foods for suspect ones becomes routine. Don’t overlook naturally gluten free foods as you search for substitutes, and remember that you can use commercially made “gluten free” foods in other ways to get the results you need.

Luckily, there are more choices than ever before in the grocery store. You don’t have to look far to see the “gluten-free” labels to make your choices. Some people are only interested in avoiding the gluten due to Celiac Disease of wheat intolerances but others also are looking for ingredients that are free of other ingredients like dairy, corn, soy or potatoes. The trick to gluten free cooking is having the right ingredients on-hand to use in all your favourite recipes.

Start with a basic baking and pancake mix that is gluten free and modify it to suit your needs. For ease of incorporating into your recipes, you will have a big advantage if you measure it just like regular flour. One to one substitutions are easier to make without mistakes. If you are newly diagnosed, expect to spend some time looking for the best products for your needs and read every label to ensure there are no ingredients that you are avoiding like dairy or nuts. Gluten free cooking is not difficult, you just need to make sure you screen all of your ingredients for gluten before you start.

Although some sources will tell you that you can safely eat products with oats, others consider them risky because of the likelihood that they have been cross-contaminated with wheat crops. To be certain, you can now find oats that are being grown and milled by independent farmers as “certified gluten-free”.

If you live in a small area where there aren’t many choices for shopping for gluten free products, going online will give you the variety you need. You will find a number of sites dedicated to those who need gluten free cooking and foods with tips, reviews, and recommendations for products. This will help you make your choices based on other’s experiences rather than having to order a variety of products to find the right one for your taste.

If you don’t have a problem with cane allergies, then don’t sacrifice the sugar in your baking. You probably aren’t going to use and eat enough to cause a problem and it makes a world of difference to the way your baked goods turn out. Try using organic brown sugar, it will provide sweetness and moisture to your goodies. Cane sugar also works great in GF cookies and other baked goods. .

For dairy-free recipes, organic light coconut milk is a versatile substitute. It works equally well in sauces and in whipped recipes. Just make sure it doesn’t have a high concentration of Guar gum or it can act as a laxative!

There are many tried-and-trued products that you can use as staples in your pantry for gluten free cooking. Experiment to find which items you enjoy working with, and eating, and you will be an expert at gluten free cooking before you know it!