As promised, I woke up this morning eager to talk about fiber.... the most challenging part to a gluten free diet. When I was first diagnosed, I racked my brain trying to figure out how I was going to eat bread that didn't taste like cardboard. The first loaf I bought was from Sobey's and it crumbled in my hand before I could even taste it. This was the first breaking point, and also the time when I realized there had to be a better way to eat. Lucky for me, it was also at this time that companies started making decent frozen breads.
Frozen breads are a great, quick way to make sandwiches and toast, but if you're looking for a fiber filled, great tasting bread I recommend buying a bread maker. Not only can you tweak the recipes to your liking, but you also get to smell fresh baked bread every week! You should always cook your bread on the quick setting, for light crust; the reason being that GF flours have different properties than normal flour. Its also nice that companies have started making their machines with a GF options, which allows the bread to cook up very nicely. Here is a links to GF bread makers:
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00820639000P
This link is to the sears website, and the Cuisinart brand of bread maker. This one is particularly good, with a great price tag. $150 is generally the average price for a good bread maker!
** have patience when attempting to first make bread, you may encounter some problems such as flat bread, overcooking or under cooking, these problems can all be fixed by changing the amount of yeast, water and cooking time, most cook books will help you figure out what your problem may be: I recommend Betty Hagman's Gluten Free Gourmet series**
Moving on to cereal! Most GF cereals have very little fiber, due to the fact that they are made primarily from rice or corn. This means that they are also highly ranked on our glycemic index(GI) chart ( this means that corn and rice have a tendency to elevate our blood sugar levels). I won't go into detail now, but in general, we want to be eating foods with a low or moderate GI.
That being said, great alternatives are: oats, quinoa and buckwheat. Most grocery stores and specialty food stores have cereals made with these grains.
Quinoa is a nutty grain, packed full of protein and fiber. It is also very versatile and can be used as a replacement for rice or potatoes. Quinoa may look weird to cook at first, but the general rule is 1 cup quinoa, 2 cups water and 15 mins of boiling/simmering time. You can also find quinoa flakes which require very little prep time: simply add hot water, mix and eat!
Oats must be from a wheat free producer, and some celiacs still have problems digesting oats, and therefore I would recommend to limit your intake. A great company is Speerville Oats (http://www.speervilleflourmill.ca/product_list.htm) and Creamhill Estates (http://www.creamhillestates.com/en_order.php). I always add nuts and seeds to my oatmeal to make it that much better! try adding a little chopped apple or banana for a change.
Buckwheat flour is great to use in pancake mix and baking, but be careful because pre-made mixes containing buckwheat, tend to also have wheat flour. It is always wise to look for that GF symbol or writing. Buckwheat can also be bought in its unprocessed form and cooked up to make cereal.
I have also found satisfaction in drinking smoothies for breakfast, because they are jam packed with protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Its a great way to start your day! I simply add some frozen fruit, Vega smoothie powder (or your choice of protein supplement), soy milk and blend! I like the Vega supplement because it is plant based and mixes really well with fruits ( check out my links to learn more about the Vega products).
Well that's a lot of information in one post, so I'm going to end it with a yummy recipe from the book Thrive (http://www.amazon.com/reader/0738212547/180-7062401-5090211?%5Fencoding=UTF8&ref%5F=sib%5Fdp%5Fpt#reader)
Toasted Apple Almond Cereal
Toasted Almond Cereal:
1 apple, chopped
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup GF oats or quinoa (cooked)
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup Vega Smoothie Supplement
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
mix 1/2 cup flax oil with 1/2 molasses and add to dry mix.pour out onto baking sheet, and cook at 250 for 1 hour, let cook, break apart and store in fridge.
This cereal is so great in the morning!
And for those of you with kids, look for cereals and waffles from Nature's Path: http://www.naturespath.com/. These can usually be found at the Superstore and other chain grocery stores. I turn to them for convenience and a little treat (I love the Peanut Butter Panda Puffs).
Have a great Gluten-Free day!
Cheers,
Ally
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