Hi I'm Tarynne Mingione, Registered Dietician at Swedish Hospital and gluten-free for over
three years. Welcome to News You Can Use.
I'm frequently asked, "Is it possible to maintain a balanced gluten-free diet?" Yes, it definitely
is. The diet can be overwhelming and it requires constant and permanent attention, but hopefully
some of these tips that I'm going to give you will make your life a little bit easier
and your diet more nutritious.
My first suggestion would be to shop the perimeter of the grocery store; this is where you find
fresh fruits and vegetables, unprocessed meats, poultry, seafood, dairy and eggs. Often times
nuts and seeds, legumes and whole grains, including gluten-free, can also be found here.
If you're picking up items around the perimeter of the grocery store you'll end up with a
shopping basket of balanced whole foods that are unprocessed and naturally gluten-free.
My second suggestion is to follow the My Plate model. Fill half of your plate with fruits
and vegetables, one quarter with grains, one quarter with proteins and then include one
form of dairy. If you're consuming mostly unprocessed foods then your attention really
just needs to be focused on the grain section.
Rather than simply exchange wheat for corn or potato explore a variety of gluten-free
flours such as amaranth, arrowroot, bean flours, buckwheat, corn, flax, millet, nut flours,
potato, quinoa, sorghum, soy, tapioca, teff and wild rice.
My last suggestions is to become familiar with the gluten free section and products
in your local grocery store, but don't depend on these packaged foods to serve as the staples
in your diet.
I hope you're able to use some of these tips to create an enjoyable and balanced gluten
free diet.
