Wheat Allergy Foods
Shopping with wheat allergies is not half as bad as it appears.
The first couple of times you have to pay close attention to every product's ingredients which will inevitably make the shopping process longer.
You'll also notice that your grocery bill will be slightly higher when you're adhering to a wheat free diet.
However, don't fret! Although there isn't much you can do about your increased food bill, there are some general tips that will help make the shopping experience faster.
The first tip when shopping for wheat allergy foods is to generally assume that any ice cream, soups, sauces, salad dressings and/or any other pre-made product that needs a solidifier or thickener probably contains gluten, the protein that causes wheat intolerance or allergies.
Products that do not contain gluten usually have bold advertising on their labels, but you should still check the label anyway, just to be sure.
Also, most powdered soups contain gluten as a thickener, so you should be aware of that as well.
When shopping for products that are wheat based, such as breads, crackers and other pre-made baked products, you should carefully review the label and verify that wheat is an ingredient.
Pre-made substitutes include rice crackers and corn chips (made without hydrogenated oil), brown rice tortillas, corn meal pizza crusts and rice cakes.
Bread that can be eaten includes rye and brown rice bread, wheat free hotdog and hamburger buns.
Other options include wheat free baking and pancake mix and numerous types of rice flour and meals.
Another tip is to buy organic products whenever possible.
This is because most organic products do not use wheat (but not all, so read the label) and they also utilize more prominent letters to indicate that they are "gluten-free".
This in turn, makes the decision and shopping process easier.
Also, organic products do not typically contain ingredients that are irradiated, exposed to pesticides or antibiotics, so they possess those added health benefits.
As previously indicated, organic products are usually more expensive than non organic products.
Cooking with wheat free products is also different, but not difficult.
Wheat substitute flours, such as buckwheat flower or rice flower, as well as maize actually taste slightly better than enriched, bleached flower, but they do not rise, so baking bread can be problematic.
Other tips for cooking include using maize or corn starch as a thickener in sauces and gravies.
There is virtually no difference between sauces and gravies that are thickened with four or corn starch.
Lastly, there are numerous cookbooks in print that provide access to hundreds of wheat free recipes.
They also usually have dietary suggestions and frequently outline ways to make the diet interesting and innovative.
A good place to find these books is at a local bookstore and on the internet and the good books out there quickly rise to the top.
In conclusion, shopping and cooking with wheat free products can be challenging and certainly require a little diligence.
With patience, however, this new approach can be quickly adopted.
The only limitation is really your imagination!
The first couple of times you have to pay close attention to every product's ingredients which will inevitably make the shopping process longer.
You'll also notice that your grocery bill will be slightly higher when you're adhering to a wheat free diet.
However, don't fret! Although there isn't much you can do about your increased food bill, there are some general tips that will help make the shopping experience faster.
The first tip when shopping for wheat allergy foods is to generally assume that any ice cream, soups, sauces, salad dressings and/or any other pre-made product that needs a solidifier or thickener probably contains gluten, the protein that causes wheat intolerance or allergies.
Products that do not contain gluten usually have bold advertising on their labels, but you should still check the label anyway, just to be sure.
Also, most powdered soups contain gluten as a thickener, so you should be aware of that as well.
When shopping for products that are wheat based, such as breads, crackers and other pre-made baked products, you should carefully review the label and verify that wheat is an ingredient.
Pre-made substitutes include rice crackers and corn chips (made without hydrogenated oil), brown rice tortillas, corn meal pizza crusts and rice cakes.
Bread that can be eaten includes rye and brown rice bread, wheat free hotdog and hamburger buns.
Other options include wheat free baking and pancake mix and numerous types of rice flour and meals.
Another tip is to buy organic products whenever possible.
This is because most organic products do not use wheat (but not all, so read the label) and they also utilize more prominent letters to indicate that they are "gluten-free".
This in turn, makes the decision and shopping process easier.
Also, organic products do not typically contain ingredients that are irradiated, exposed to pesticides or antibiotics, so they possess those added health benefits.
As previously indicated, organic products are usually more expensive than non organic products.
Cooking with wheat free products is also different, but not difficult.
Wheat substitute flours, such as buckwheat flower or rice flower, as well as maize actually taste slightly better than enriched, bleached flower, but they do not rise, so baking bread can be problematic.
Other tips for cooking include using maize or corn starch as a thickener in sauces and gravies.
There is virtually no difference between sauces and gravies that are thickened with four or corn starch.
Lastly, there are numerous cookbooks in print that provide access to hundreds of wheat free recipes.
They also usually have dietary suggestions and frequently outline ways to make the diet interesting and innovative.
A good place to find these books is at a local bookstore and on the internet and the good books out there quickly rise to the top.
In conclusion, shopping and cooking with wheat free products can be challenging and certainly require a little diligence.
With patience, however, this new approach can be quickly adopted.
The only limitation is really your imagination!
