Need to cook without wheat? There can be many reasons that you need to eliminate wheat and related foods from your diet, including food allergies and conditions like Celiac Disease. Eliminating wheat sounds easy enough on the surface, but once you get started, you need to be vigilant. Many of the traditionally prepared products at your grocery store actually contain wheat and so do some of your favorite recipes! You can keep these potential allergens from your plate, and your stomach, by following a few simple tips:

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.