When going gluten free, one of the first things people do is think about all the tasty food they can eat. Trying new food is an exciting time and it doesn’t have to become overwhelming. There are some alternative items and a few naturally gluten free items available. As for the alternative items, you won’t know straight away what you like and what you don’t. Whilst part of the fun is experimenting with new food, make it easy on yourself and make small changes to start with. There’s no point filling your cupboard with awesome gluten free alternatives if you realistically won’t use them.
Here are 10 things you can do when switching over to gluten free food;
1) GO THROUGH YOUR CUPBOARD
Identify the items you have that you want to keep that are gluten free and put the rest to one side. Are they things you can give away to friends and family or a food bank?
2) DOUBLE CHECK PRODUCTS
Are you sure the items you have kept are gluten free? Gluten hides in products. Some of the sneaky ones include, sauces, ice cream, canned food, gravy and marinades. Doesn’t hurt to double check. You can also check out my quick list to see some of the sneaky foods that may have gluten in them.
3) CLEAN
This applies to the shelves in your pantry and you can also take this time to do a thorough clean of your appliances and dishes as well if you like.
4) MAKE A MEAL LIST
Keep it really simple. Make a list of meals you like to make. Then write an ingredients list of what you need to make these meals. Can they be made from naturally gluten free items? Do you require a gluten free alternative to make these dishes? Think of staples in your pantry and how you can realistically use them in your new lifestyle. Also consider what you still have in your pantry from your clean out.
5) MAKE A SHOPPING LIST
Now that you know exactly what is in your cupboard, the meals you enjoy and what you require to make them, make a list of what you will buy. If you have sorted your cookware as well, make a list for items you need to buy so you can cook safely.
6) FIND HOMES FOR YOUR NEW ITEMS
Once you’ve sorted through your cupboards, take the opportunity to put everything back in an organised way that will work for you. If you are in a shared house, make sure your gluten free items are kept separately in a designated area of your choice. I personally have a shelf. That way there is no confusion as to which items are gluten free and which ones aren’t. Also keep pans etc separate from those that are used for cooking meals with gluten in them.
7) TIME TO TRY SOME RECIPES
As you may not love every gluten free alternative you try, it’s important to make your practice recipes as easy as possible for you to make. This is so you can gain confidence cooking them and don’t get left with lots of unusual ingredients you won’t use again. As I said at the start of the blog, it’s a time to try new things but don’t go overboard with purchasing things you don’t need.
8) COOKING ALTERNATIVE GLUTEN FREE FOOD
Alternative versions of food that are gluten free, for example gluten free pasta, comes in so many options. Keep in mind, things like gluten free pasta are made from different ingredients to flour pasta; therefor, there is a difference in the method of cooking and cooking times. You will notice a big difference in gluten free baking for example. So follow recipes while you are learning how to use alternative gluten free products, watch videos or just find out for yourself how new items cook.
9) LEARN ABOUT SHELF LIFE
Fresh food is the best food! Gluten free grains and in turn products of gluten free baking have a shorter shelf life. So, I would suggest buying smaller quantities at a time of ingredients that go bad quicker. When making baked goods, keep en eye on them if you put them in the pantry as they don’t last as long. Freezing baked items is a good idea to as many will thaw out nicely.
10) COOK SEPARATELY
If you have to prepare a meal with gluten in it alongside a gluten free meal, make the gluten free meal first. Completely. You don’t want any accidental cross contamination, especially with the accidental use of utensils in both dishes. Remember this also applies with batch cooking. For example remember to use fresh pots and water when making paster and fresh oil when frying both gluten free and food with gluten in them.
Savy’s Kitchen 