Guest Post: Tasty Substitutes for a Gluten-Free Diet
Photo courtesy of redorbit.com
Today I’d like to introduce you to my very first guest blogger, Marcela de Vivo. Marcela De Vivo is a freelance writer in the Los Angeles area. Her background is in marketing but as a mother of a son with special dietary needs, she enjoys sharing her knowledge on health & wellness. You can follow her at prayfornathan.org.
Let’s be real, we can’t all eat a strict and healthy diet 100% of the time. Sometimes we crave rich comfort foods. But being gluten-free can pose a bit of a problem in this scenario since you can’t simply order a pizza in from your local pizzeria. This is why we’ve come up with a list of the yummiest alternatives for those on a gluten-free diet.
Corn Tortillas or Brown Rice Tortillas for Bread
Deli meats can be slimy without bread and may generally not keep you as full if only eaten with a piece of cheese. Corn tortillas can be warmed up on the stove or quickly heated up in the toaster oven to make your “sandwich” feel a bit more fancy too.
Baked tortillas tend to get very crunchy, much like the consistency of chips. Try cutting them up into triangular pieces, baking and then uses them as a base for some yummy nachos with the toppings of your choice!
Mashed Potato or Cauliflower for Pizza Crust
If you mix mashed potatoes and gluten-free flour, you’ll create a great mixture for the base of your pizza. About 1/4c. potatoes and 1/4c. flour should make enough for a personal-size serving. If you’re looking to cut calories, try cauliflower instead of potatoes. Try using purple or other color cauliflowers to give your pizza a little more pizzaz and unexpected coloring.
Photo courtesy of averagebetty.com
Lettuce Leaves for Tortillas in Tacos
Lettuce leaves are a great alternative to flour tortillas in burritos or even fried corn tortilla shells. You can still add all the fixings you’d like. Using lean ground turkey instead of red meat will make your meal even lighter and healthier that you’d imagined.
Photo courtesy of nutritiouseats.com
Chopped Nuts for Granola to Top Off Yogurt
Unfortunately, most granola is produced in factories that use gluten in a lot of their other products so it’s just not a safe bet to eat granola if you are required to be on a gluten free diet for allergy reasons. Chopped almonds, peanuts, pecans or any other nut you might like are a good choice when avoiding packaged granolas.
You can roast almonds in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil and cinnamon for an all natural extra added sweetness. This is much healthier for you than the artificial sugars added in most granolas today.
Photo courtesy of twopeasandtheirpods.com
Black Beans for Flour in Brownies
Everybody loves to indulge in brownies at some point in their life, or many just make them for a special occasion like a birthday. Ditch regular flour for black beans and you’ll hardly notice the difference. It’s just an added bonus that you’re throwing in a ton of extra protein in a classically unhealthy dessert.
Spaghetti Squash for Pasta
A huge dish of pasta is one of the most delicious things you can enjoy in this world, but if you have to avoid gluten, you need to take special precautions for your pasta. Instead try baking or boiling spaghetti squash and serving it up with your favorite sauce and meat toppings.
