Gluten free meal ideas?

AZorychta

I am trying to go gluten free and I normally last 2-3 days before caving. I find that I get really hungry and my stomach is never satisfied. Do you have any gluten free meal ideas that still give you energy and your not starving a half an hour later?

scookiemonster

Actually, since I went gluten free two months ago, I find that I get hungry with less frequency, not more.

Some of it depends on why you're doing it. I cut out gluten because I suspected I had a gluten intolerance and it seemed the only way to really know was to go on an elimination diet and see if it helped my symptoms. I did, it did, so here I sit, gluten-free. My understanding from my reading is that a gluten intolerance can cause your body to not full absorb the nutrients in your food when gluten is present because it irritates your intestines, so cutting out the gluten allows your body to heal and get more out of the food you eat so that you need less of it. Seems to be working for me. That being said, if you're not sensitive to gluten, it won't have that effect on you.

What kinds of foods have you been eating gluten free? I think I eat better now without gluten than I did with it - the only issue I've faced is trying to eat out at certain types of restaurants and those days when it would just be so much easier if I could just pack a darn sandwich for lunch (there are gluten free breads, but I haven't found any that appeal to me, and peanut butter and jelly just isn't so great on a gf wrap).

Just remember, the only things you can't eat when gluten-free are those that are based in wheat, rye, and barley. While that may initially feel like a huge part of your food options, the vast majority of foods out there have no gluten: all fruits and vegetables (including potatoes, corn, etc, which I find satisfy some of my need for starchiness in my diet), other grains such as rice, oats, and quinoa, pretty much all proteins (meat, fish, poultry, beans, tofu, dairy, eggs...). I've found it easy to locate gf pasta as well.

So, what can you eat? Steak and potatoes. Omelettes for breakfast (or on a weekday when I'm in a rush, I'll cook up two eggs and serve with a thick slice of tomato each and some cheese). Cheese (oh, glorious cheese). Fruits. Vegetables. Salads with all the fixings (just no croutons or fried chicken). Chocolate (as long as it's not a candy bar with cookies or crunchies in it). Roasted salmon with a side of asparagus. Tonight I made stuffed peppers with sweet Italian sausage and parmesan cheese. Crepes made using coconut flour and stuffed with ricotta and strawberries. Waffles made with almond meal instead of wheat. Lunch today was rice noodles in a spicy asian broth. Roasted chicken with vegetables. Rolled eggplant stuffed with meat and cheese. Sushi (Just make sure you bring your own gf soy sauce or find a place that has it. When I know I'm going for sushi I throw a bottle of it in my purse. Weird, maybe, but keeps me from getting horrible headaches and stomach upset while still enjoying my sushi). I keep a stash of lara bars on hand (love the cookie dough flavor) for when I need something between meals.

It really depends on what you like to eat and what kinds of foods you're looking for, but I've found very little that I can't either just eat as is, eat with a few adjustments, or find a decent substitute. The biggest struggle for me (other than eating out in certain restaurants) is bread and other baked goods, but I can use gf wraps for sandwiches, and cakes, pies, cookies, muffins, etc.... well... they're a rare treat for me anyway, and I'm sure with some experiment I'll come up with something.