DIY EAT GLUTEN FREE (GF) by Kimberly Donavan, Contributing Writer

Gluten Free (GF)? What the heck? No wheat, rye, barley? Maybe oats? No MSG? No 'Spice Blends'? What's hydrolyzed yeast, and don't even tell me I can't have a beer or cocktail!

Check those ingredient listing, as now most will have an allergen alert in bold. Wheat will be listed in bold if it is in there, but remember to check for rye and barley too.

When I first discovered I had issues with gluten I discovered that if I concentrated on changing one meal at a time it was much more manageable. Breakfast being the first, and most important meal of the day was where I started.

Working and being pressed for time, I tried to do make ahead breakfasts that I could grab and go or I would run the risk of not having anything at all.

For me, organic oatmeal, eggs, fruit, dairy are all good options. I tend to stay away from boxed cereal as there are sugars to contend with, not to mention it’s a processed food with added preservatives and questionable flavorings. For breakfast burritos, using scrambled egg instead of meat, on corn, coconut or rice tortillas are another option, as are egg sandwiches on Gluten Free (GF) Bread.

Experiment and find a good pancake mix/blend that you like and mix a double batch. Freeze the extra between pieces of waxed paper and stuff in a zip top baggie. In the morning, a quick cycle in the toaster and you’re ready to go. Sometimes I add a scoop or two of protein powder to the mix to amp them up. Once warmed, a smear of jam or nut butter and you're ready to face the day.

This refrigerator oatmeal recipe is by far my favorite. There are so many variations and add ins. Nuts, raisins, goji berries are favorites in my home. While the recipe indicates that they should be used within a day or two, I usually make a weeks worth at a time. Use up what you have in the refrigerator and cupboard. It’s fast, easy and inexpensive. And that’s the good thing. Oats are always questionable if you are GF. Many times, the oats are ground on the same mills used to process other grains (wheat) and the oats become contaminated. There are now dedicated GF oat mills, so check for that. And it's true that oats have a protein similar to one in wheat, so close that some folks just cant tolerate them. Everyone is different. Experiment. If you can't use oats in the recipes below, try other grains. Do you remember cold rice with brown sugar and milk as a kid? Millet and sorgum are other grains to experiment with.

A quick lunch is also a VERY good thing because I am sure that you, like me, have a million and one things to do and stopping to fix a wholesome lunch isn’t always one of them. Working in a food market, it seemed that I was always grabbing a frozen “something” and it finally dawned on me to make my own. The second meal below are the Gluten Free Rice Bowls.

Just like the oatmeal, I make the rice bowls a weeks worth at a time, and put them in the freezer. During the week I can set one out earlier in the day and by lunch time it will be thawed and ready to be put in the microwave (if you prefer) for a few minutes. Voila! Lunch on the go!

P.S. The best thing I did was invest in a rice cooker. Best $20 I ever spent six years ago.

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

In a half pint (1 cup) jar, add oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds, and honey. Put lid on jar and shake until well combined. Remove lid, add fruit, add-ins, spices and stir until mixed throughout. Return lid to jar and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. Eat chilled.

VARIATIONS

APPLE PIE

**210 calories, 4g fat, 48g carbs, 8g fiber, 11g protein***

BLUEBERRY MAPLE

**215 calories, 4g fat, 48g carbs, 8g fiber, 12g protein**

COCOA-BANANA

**245 calories, 5g fat, 56g carbs, 10g fiber, 13g protein**

PEANUT BUTTER BANANA

**264 calories, 5g fat, 55g carbs, 8g fiber, 15g protein; **

FRUITY VANILLA

*** Please note , BASIC calorie counts are based on honey, and skim milk. Please adjust accordingly if using whole milk and/or stevia. Also, please remember to add the counts for the particular jam/spread and fruit used in the Fruity vanilla.

Gluten Free Rice Bowls make a quick lunch or a nice side dish for dinner.

Cook your rice according to your cooker’s (or the package) instructions.

Divide rice evenly into your containers, and 1/2 to 3/4 cup per container. I usually get about 6-10 per one pound package of rice, depending on the kind of rice.

Spritz the rice with Braggs (or other) and pile on your veggies. Give the veggies another spritz, and pop on the lid, freeze or refrigerate till you’re ready.

These are incredibly versatile, considering all the add-in’s and/or spices options available. A sprinkling of curry and a bit of chicken is really tasty, as is cheese or nutritional yeast. A chopped, hard boiled egg and some Tamari and you just made Chinese take-out (or should I say "take-in") with no preservatives, no added sodium and no hidden MSG (mono-sodium-glutamate).

Kimberly Donavan
DrStandley.com Contributing Writer
www.bekindbewell.com
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I'm a farm girl foodie (currently working toward my ND certification) with food allergies. I am happy to share my tips and tricks to make your life healthier and happier.

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