Research reports that eating a gluten-free diet may result in a diet that supplies little iron, folate, niacin, zinc and fiber. This isn’t a surprise since gluten-free ingredients in packaged products typically consist of cheap basics like white rice and tapioca, not whole grains like quinoa or amaranth. In addition, gluten-free packaged foods are usually not fortified with B vitamins or other nutrients like conventional packaged foods are. Although “gluten-free” products may help you to control your symptoms, they may not be helping you to eat a healthy, nutritionally adequate diet.
As a Registered Dietitian, I encourage clients with celiac disease or gluten-sensitivity to eat fresh, naturally gluten-free foods rather than processed gluten-free alternatives found on supermarket shelves. There are plenty of naturally gluten-free foods to choose from…fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, low-fat dairy products, lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, amaranth, quinoa, millet, wild rice, and brown rice. However, with busy schedules, the need for convenient, packaged foods can leave people who need to eat a gluten-free diet with nutritionally inadequate options. Below you will find some options and tips that you can use to supplement your intake of naturally gluten-free foods.
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If you eat this: |
Try this instead: |
Add even more nutrition by: |
| Cream of white rice | Gluten-free oats*, Cream of Brown Rice, Cream of Buckwheat, quinoa flakes, or Bob’s Red Mill Mighty Tasty Gluten-Free Hot cereal | Mixing in some nuts, seeds, fruit or ground flaxseed. |
| Rice Chex or similar rice-based cereal | Nature’s Path Sunrise Multigrain or Crunchy cereal
Nature’s Path Whole O’s cereal |
Mixing in some fresh berries |
| Gluten-free cookies or sweets | KIND bar
Lara bar Udi’s Chocolate Chip Muffin Top Or if you make your own treats, start using brown rice flour, teff or quinoa in recipes |
Check out Bob’s Red Mill for gluten-free flours and mixes that are high fiber and tasty! |
| Rice pasta | Lentil pasta
Pastariso’s fortified pasta Tinkyada Vegetable Brown rice pasta |
Add some vegetables to the pasta sauce |
| Gluten-free pretzels | Mary’s Gone Pretzels
Air popped popcorn Nuts Baked kale chips |
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| Rice cakes or rice crackers | Mary’s Gone Crackers French Meadow Multigrain bread (toast it to add crunchiness) | Spread some natural peanut or almond butter on these! |
* Not all oats are gluten-free! These brands are gluten-free: Cream Hill Estates Gluten-free oats, Avena Foods Only Oats, and Glutenfreeda Gluten-Free oats.
