Have you ever wondered what gluten or gluten free is and whether a gluten free lunch will fill you up?. Below we will explain everything you need to know about gluten and gluten-free.
What is gluten?
Gluten is a general name for the proteins found in wheat (wheatberries, durum, emmer, semolina, spelt, farina, farro, graham, KAMUT® Khorasan wheat and einkorn), rye, barley, and triticale – a cross between wheat and rye. Gluten helps foods maintain their shape, acting as a glue that holds food together.
Gluten is a great for keeping the elasticity in food intact while fermenting. Some companies also use gluten because it allows food products to stick together and become more chewy.
What does it mean to be gluten free?
Gluten-free: A gluten-free diet is a diet that excludes foods containing gluten.
Who needs to be gluten free?
A gluten-free diet can help manage symptoms of celiac disease and other medical conditions associated with gluten.
Gluten Free Meals are great for healthy people too
This type of diet also has gained popularity among people without gluten-related medical conditions. The claimed benefits of the diet are improved health, weight loss and increased energy.
Your health care provider or a dietitian can help you make appropriate dietary choices to maintain a well-balanced diet.
Benefits of eating a gluten free diet
A gluten-free diet will help to prevent this type of joint pain but take steps to ensure that you do not ingest even a small amount of gluten as it can result in a recurrence of your symptoms.
Do you have to be celiac to be on a gluten free diet?
You don’t have to be diagnosed with celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity to reap the benefits of a gluten-free diet. In fact, everyone should try it. The benefits really are that good. The top recommendation I received from my Naturopathic Doctor was to experiment with a gluten-free diet to decrease my intense seasonal allergies.
Food delivery companies now provide a range of delicious meals which are gluten free. Cooked Up has introduced delicious gluten free menus which are prepared by qualified chefs and delivered fresh to your home.
Below are 2 meals which you can find on their website. As you can see being gluten free does not mean you compromise on taste or on a range of meals you can eat.
Coconut Fish Curry with Curry Leaves, Turmeric & Tomato
Brown Rice
Hoki Fish
Coconut Cream (coconut cream
stabilizers (xanthan gum e415, guar gum e412, carrageenan e407)), Cherry Tomatoes Onion
Cauliflower, Green Beans, Water, Lime Juice, Garlic, Ginger, Tomato Paste, Chicken Booster, Turmeric
Cumin, Sweet Paprika, Salt, Curry Leaves, Chilli Flakes.
Steak and Peppercorn with Potato Mash, Peppercorn Sauce & Green Peas
Potato
Steak
Peas
Milk
Water, Cream, Butter, Salt, Green Pepper, Beef Seasoning Soup Base
White Wine Vinegar, Parisian, Dijon, Flaked Onion, Garlic powder, Thickener (1422), Dried Parsley.
Here is another gluten free delicious recipe you can try at home.
 Gluten-Free Pizza Crust or Flatbread
Ingredients
1 cup of warm water
Half teaspoon white sugar
2 teaspoons yeast
2 cups gluten free flour
Half cup of rice flour
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon unflavoured gelatine powder
Half teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
Step 1. Whisk water and sugar together in a bowl. Whisk in yeast. Let stand until yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 10 minutes.
Step 2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 3. Combine gluten-free flour, rice flour, Italian seasoning, xanthan gum, gelatine, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Whisk vinegar and olive oil into the yeast mixture; pour over flour mixture. Mix on high speed until a wet, sticky dough forms, about 6 minutes.
Step 4. Transfer dough to the prepared baking sheet. Lay another sheet of parchment paper on top; smooth out dough to fill the baking sheet. Let dough rest, about 10 minutes.
Step 5. Bake in the preheated oven until dough puffs up, 5 to 10 minutes. Peel parchment paper off the top. Continue baking until dough is golden brown and edges are cooked through, about 20 minutes.
You can always try making gluten-free meals at home but if you want a convenient way of enjoying ready-made gluten free meals, Cooked Up is ready to deliver your meal that is big on taste and also big on results.