Anonymous wrote:Off topic, perhaps, but why in the world would you try to do this if you are not really gluten intolerant? Dumb idea to simply do it for "diet" reasons.

Gluten is an inflamatory food along with dairy, sugar etc. I am not gluten intolerant but had to go gluten free as part of a diet plan to reduce inflamation in my body. These foods increase estrogen and excess estrogen in my body is a reason i have severe endometriosis. There are many benefits of goind gluten free even if one is not alergic to the gluten.

Agree with the others, gluten-free does NOT equal a healthy diet. But if you want or need to do it, here are my tips.

Focus on protein & produce- meats, dairy, fruit, veggies, nuts, eggs. Our GF dinners include a meat, veggie, salad, and a small scoop of rice or other grain such as quinoa. Potatoes or corn also work for a starchy side.

Good snacks include yogurt, cheese, veggie sticks & hummus, nuts & dried fruit, celery sticks & peanut butter. Most tortilla chips and potato chips are GF, check the labels if you need to avoid small amounts from cross-contamination.

Breakfast: Oatmeal is also good; again, check labels for possible contamination. Corn or rice based cereal such as Chex. Bacon & eggs (mix chopped veggies into scrambled eggs).

There are some good substitutes out there - rice noodles, corn tortillas, some GF bread products aren't bad (Schar brand is our fav). You'll just have to try the different ones to see what you like.

breakfast: yogurt or egg or sliced cheese and apples
lunch: salad with all sorts of things
dinner: meat or fish and veggies, baked potato, tonight: shrimp and guac.
dessert: chocolate
snacks: almond, string cheese, oranges

you get used to it and each much more nutrient dense foods. I'm not celiac but when I don't eat wheat I'm not swollen or arthritic or moody, so it's worth it for me!

A lot of gluten free foods are bad for you, manufacturers add other things to make the texture and flavor closer to regular products. Those other things are worse for you than wheat... It so I am told by my SIL who has celiacs.

Anonymous wrote:Off topic, perhaps, but why in the world would you try to do this if you are not really gluten intolerant? Dumb idea to simply do it for "diet" reasons.

+1

Off topic, perhaps, but why in the world would you try to do this if you are not really gluten intolerant? Dumb idea to simply do it for "diet" reasons.

Quinoa is a good alternative

^^ to be clear, rice and potatoes are on the list of foods NOT to eat.

If you are trying to lose weight, you need to add potatoes and rice to the list. I found that it really wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. I filled up faster with protein and stayed satiated. Here are some things I eat in addition to typical meat proteins:

--Nonfat Greek yogurt with fresh fruit and some chopped almonds
--quinoa: I make it with lots of things. You can go to Pinterest and find tons of recipes. For lunch i often bring Stuffed peppers with quinoa, black beans, onions and some cheese.
--carrots, other veggies & hummus
--salad with. Edamame (protein)
--cold lentil salads
--sweet potatoes
And ice cream!!! No wheat in that!

Anonymous wrote:Potatoes -- baked potatoes as a base for toppings,

Mexican food with corn tortilla, or wrap sandwiches with corn tortillas

Corn on the cob

Rice based things

Portabella Mushrooms make delicious pizza crust

Eating all this stuff is not good for you and will not help you lose weight. If you do not have Celiacs disease or are wheat-intolerant ( and few are), you can eat wheat products and still lose weight, Just cut down your carbs, eat lots of vegetables.

If you're concerned about celiac disease, please get tested before you give up wheat so you can have accurate results. Wheat is not inherently bad for you and just going gluten free isn't necessarily healthier.

BTW, you can lose weight on the Twinkie Diet:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html

Thanks PPs

It's way easier than you think, especially if you don't have to be super strict / worry about cross contamination.

For blogs, check out Gluten Free Girl - she has some cookbooks out too. Lots of options at the bookstore too, and if you're willing to buy a meal plan, the fresh 20 has a GF option.

As to what you eat instead, fruits/veggies/dairy/meats/nuts are all fine, and if you're looking for grain substitutes there are plenty of options there too - rice, potatoes, quinoa, etc. If you want pasta, there are a bunch of good GF options there too - our kids still eat a lot of pasta with Parmesan, it's just the GF kind now.

But here's some recent meals:
-pork tenderloin with sweet potatoes and caprese salad
-roast chicken with roasted veggies and potatoes
-take out Chinese made with GF soy sauce
-GF pizza and salad
-fajitas in corn tortillas

Potatoes -- baked potatoes as a base for toppings,

Mexican food with corn tortilla, or wrap sandwiches with corn tortillas

Corn on the cob

Rice based things

Portabella Mushrooms make delicious pizza crust

I saw this post in another thread: "I have just given up the obvious...baked goods, pasta, bread, crackers, pizza, wraps, quesadillas, and so forth".

I am trying to give up wheat too, for diet / health reasons, but I just can't imagine what do I eat instead. For those who gave up wheat, can you post what foods you do eat? Are there any good websites or books on this that you could recommend?