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Saturday 7 September 2024

How to cook gluten-free food the whole family will love

How to cook gluten-free food the whole family will love.

I share this article from Becky Excell which I think many readers will find helpful, especially if a member of your family has coeliac disease, or is gluten intolerant. Many are tempted to make two different meals, but sometimes there is no need!

“Multiple dishes for the same meal is an age-old issue, often with the 'one awkward person' (me!) being the person who has to end up eating a separately prepared meal from everyone else,” says Excell. We all know our weekly food shop is far more expensive than it used to be, in fact the Office of National Statistics says it increased by 25% between January 2022 and January 2024.

Unfortunately, for those on a gluten-free diet, it gets worse with Coeliac UK explaining ‘the weekly food shop suitable for a gluten free diet can be as much as 35% more expensive.’

There are ways to cut down on the time, money and effort required if cooking family meals though, says gluten-free chef Becky Excell…

Make gluten-free mains the norm

“This was the case in our house for many years after I started a gluten-free diet and it can be extremely time consuming, stressful, more expensive and result in a lot of washing up. It also often makes the person with dietary requirements feel like a problem or a hassle!

“For me, the solution has always been to just make the entire dish gluten-free and nine times out of 10, not only is it possible, but nobody would notice the difference.

For example, no one would ever know my Yorkshire puddings were gluten-free (recipe here). Nor my gluten-free flatbreads (recipe here). So naturally, there's no need to make a 'special batch' just for one person. That way, everyone's happy and normality is restored!”

There are, of course, many dishes that are naturally gluten-free and will appeal for family meals such as this Hot honey chicken and sweet potato traybake (see here), and this salmon traybake, (see here). The salmon traybake being lower in carbs!


Pair pricier gluten-free substitutes with budget ingredients

When buying your gluten-free specialist ingredients consider whether you’ll be able to use them regularly in your cooking to make them worth the spend.

“Some gluten-free ingredients can cost considerably more than their gluten-containing counterparts, but it's likely that most of the dishes you love eating at home only require a small amount of those costly ingredients - such as gluten-free soy sauce, gluten-free plain flour or cornflour (for thickening sauces) or gluten-free breadcrumbs,” says Excell.

Then, it’s a case of pairing these pricier ingredients with budget ingredients.

“Some of the most family-friendly dishes are those which are largely comprised of affordable ingredients like tinned tomatoes, tinned beans, potatoes and other veg, which is why you see them in so many family meals and it’s so common to see them on our plates.

“Luckily, with a few gluten-free swaps it’s easy to turn these regular ingredients into family friendly meals.”

You can read more of Becky's article here

If you are looking for low carb / keto gluten free recipes find some here

Dear reader, articles within this blog are provided for general information only and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional.

Not all recipes within this blog may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic (more about this here) and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan

29 comments:

Susan Kane said...

All great suggestions. My daughter is gluten intolerant.

peppylady (Dora) said...

I'm not sure if I ate gluten free food or not.

Tom said...

...at this point gluten free doesn't affect me.

Jeff said...

While no one is gluten intolerant in my home, we had to deal with a diary allergy with my daughter which did create some issues, but we worked around it. However, she loves carbs from gluten filled bread and pasta.

Catarina said...

A very appealing meal!

J.P. Alexander said...

Gracias por los consejos. Te mando un beso.

Elephant's Child said...

Thank you. How I wish preparing one meal was the norm here. I am vegetarian and my partner is emphatically not.

gluten Free A_Z Blog said...

Great post! my granddaughter is gluten-free and her mom and dad only eat gluten-free to support her in the house and out.

Rustic Pumpkin said...

nothing to do with special dietary requirements, my dear friend said her kitchen was like a short order diner because no one wanted the same thing at dinner!
Hope you have a peaceful weekend. Debbie

Margaret D said...

Good advice Jan. Thank you.

jabblog said...

That's a really interesting article.

Donna said...

That salmon looks wonderful...and an interesting read! Thanks sweet friend!
hugs
Donna

Jo said...

We're lucky that we don't have anyone with intolerances here, there seems to be so many recipes around though now for those who have them, which is good.

Victor S E Moubarak said...

Sounds tasty. Never tried gluten free.

God bless.

Caroline said...

Hi Jan, thank you for visiting my blog. How do you do ? The meal is looking good. Have a nice weekend.

CJ Kennedy said...

that salmon bake looks especially yummy

Pam said...

my prob with gulten, is of course the taste. In my mind, if it don't taste like I think it should, I don't eat it. And anything that calls for fat free, diet, light, sugar free (but is sweet) I can't do....it affects my Fibro

VENTANA DE FOTO said...

Nunca he tenido problema en casa con el gluten.
Un abrazo.

Bill said...

Good suggestions, thank you, Jan.

eileeninmd said...

The salmon traybake looks delicious!
Have a great weekend.

♥ Łucja-Maria ♥ said...

Thank you very much for this informative post. This food looks very appetizing.
Hugs and greetings:)

Debbie said...

i always wonder about gluten free...would i benefit from it!! i don't seem to have any physical symptoms when eating gluten!!

Ananka said...

It certainly is on the rise. I used to be that odd one out back 15-20 years ago with my milk intolerance....back then it was much harder for both milk and gluten sufferers. I remember having to go to a wee organic health food shop for free from dairy stuff. Things are so much better and easier now.

MELODY JACOB said...

Great post! Becky Excell offers some practical tips for making gluten-free cooking more manageable and less costly for families. Her advice on making gluten-free meals the norm and pairing pricier ingredients with budget-friendly ones is spot-on. This approach not only simplifies meal prep but also ensures everyone can enjoy the same delicious dishes without feeling like a hassle.

Wishing you a happy weekend. I just shared a new post please read: https://www.melodyjacob.com/2024/09/how-to-style-prepreworks-stretchy-slim-round-neck-knit-vest.html.

William Kendall said...

Good information, Jan.

baili said...

I think gluten intolerance is serious issue of this era .
I appreciate your recipes for gluten free diet. Will check them hopefully

Dewena said...

Hello Jan, I printed out both the salmon tray baked recipe and the sweet potato chicken tray baked recipes as these are both exactly what I'm looking to add to my rotation of menus. I regularly use about 8 salmon recipes and am always on the lookout for something a little different as wild caught salmon is my favorite protein. These look so easy to prepare for two people with a little leftover for next day's lunch!

Conniecrafter said...

We have found the starting of going low carb has been a bit expensive but now it is averaging out

Teresa said...

Como siempre genial todo lo que nos cuentas. Besos.