A gluten-free diet has been massively popular calorie control worldwide, despite the fact that 1 in every 70 Australians has coeliac disease. Many of us have been diagnosed with gluten intolerance, sensitivity, allergies, and inflammation, making switching to a gluten-free diet a healthier, life-sustaining choice of living, translating to our mental and physical well-being.

So, about to cut out gluten? This article contains a number of gluten-free diet tips to help you throughout this journey of health and fitness.

Let’s start with a plan.

Plan Ahead

A gluten-free diet requires a lot of planning, research and, most importantly- motivation. Here is a list of tips that can help you power through.

• Find a gluten-free support community: There are many gluten-free support groups and online forums. Consider joining the community to know more about the diet and helpful discussions. You can also consult with a professional dietitian and nutritionist to keep track of your healthier eating habits and lifestyle.

• Make a list of naturally gluten-free foods: At the initial stage of the dietary plan, you may think there’s no natural, gluten-free food. But as a matter of fact, the list of raw, gluten-free goods is quite long. The list goes up to natural proteins like red meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, and more from citrus fruits and starchy vegetables! Making a list of natural, gluten-free foods in different categories will help you map out the dietary plan and daily consumption.

• Research for substitutes: Now that you have already cut many ingredients from your diet plan, it is essential to identify all the processed gluten-free substitutes and alternatives and substitutes along with the natural sources to prepare a well-balanced diet plan.

Become Pro at Checking Labels

It can’t be stressed enough how important it is for you to understand food backs at the back of any canned or processed food item. Food labels are legal and valid statements for consumers to choose the right gluten-free items. Here are some of the suggestions to help you be more expert in food label checking.

• Check the GF certification seal: The first thing you should consider while buying a gluten-free food product is to check the “gluten-free” label. Australia’s gluten-free food labelling is 3x more standard than most other countries. This labelling implies the food has no detectable gluten and it’s safe for celiac consumption. If the food or beverage package has neither a gluten-free label nor a certification seal, you may have to check each of the ingredients carefully.

• Know about ingredients that always contain gluten: Avoid all the products containing barley, malt, wheat, rye, bread stuffing, and graham and wheat starch. Double-check if the product includes modified wheat starch, it may be labelled as gluten-free since it’s been processed to remove gluten and most likely be safe for consumption.

• Educate yourself about hidden sources of gluten: It’s not rare to find sources of gluten in packaged foods and supplements you least expect. Without prior knowledge, non-specific ingredients like natural flavours, vegetable protein, soy sauce, bran, couscous etc., may seem harmless. But when you’re on a gluten-free diet, these items are a big NO!

• Look for 3rd party certification: If you see a third-party gluten-free certification label at the back of the food package, you can rest assured that the food is gluten-free. These certificates are strictly designed to endorse legitimate gluten-free product claims and standardise gluten-free products, supplements and beverages.

Be Aware of Cross-Contamination

Following a strict gluten-free diet can be more complicated than you initially anticipated. Whether you’re diagnosed with coeliac disease or not, even a tiny amount of gluten can trigger the risk of cross-contamination, despite the surge in gluten-free labelled foods. Here are a few steps you can reduce the possibilities of gluten cross-contamination in your kitchen.

• Make use of pantry labelling: Keep all the gluten-free ingredients in a separated pantry with proper labelling or dedicate an entire pantry section for all the gluten-free products.

• Implement a “double-dipping” policy: Make a strict rule of not dipping food items more than once in the dipping sauce, butter, jam or spread, if you have no other choice but to share with your family. Even a few crumbs can potentially do the damage.

• Have a spare toaster and dishes: Using the same toaster, utensils and serving dishes for multiple purposes is one of the most common sources of gluten cross-contamination right in your kitchen. Make sure you have a separate toaster, fryer and dishes to serve guests.

• Keep the kitsch shelves and cabinets clean: Even a shredded grain can accidentally ruin your whole gluten-free kitchen set-up. So consider giving your kitchen surfaces, sinks and cabinet shelves a thorough rise on every alternative day and old fashioned spring cleaning on every alternative day.

Be Mindful About Restaurant Dining

Dining out or attending a social event is quite stressful when you’re on one of the most challenging dietary plans ever! Even restaurants that offer gluten-free meals cannot dismiss the possibility of cross-contamination. The easy but unrealistic solution to this problem is avoiding restaurants and social events. So here are some advice you may follow regarding restaurant dining.

• Mention your dietary restrictions: When you’re at the restaurant, consider talking directly to the chef or kitchen manager and share your nutritional plans, tolerance levels and cross-contact concerns. Many restaurants produce gluten-free, vegan meals for customers with gluten sensitivity and celiac disease. But then again, it’s essential if you directly talk about your diet to the restaurant authority, so they are extra cautious in not putting your health at risk.

• Do your research: Before you go to a restaurant or confirming your reservations, check the restaurant website or look up online if the restaurants have gluten-free options. For catered events, directly call ahead of time to check if they provide gluten-free alternative meals.

• Look for specific training and protocols: These days, most chain restaurants have strict gluten-free, vegan food serving guidelines with trained chefs. Select your restaurants based on the food safety conditions and training establishments.

Order Vegan Desserts Online!

Gourmet vegan desserts, completely free from gluten and dairy ingredients, are enriched with nutritional value and scrumptious taste. With all the natural, healthier, high-fibre, protein-induced alternatives, you can have guilt-free, freshly made gourmet dessert indulgence any time of the day without hesitation while being on a gluten-free diet! Preparing gluten-free, vegan desserts at home from scratch, however, is not as easy. You have to go through each alternative gluten ingredient, and a single mistake might cause inflammation, digestion problems and more.

There are many authentic gourmet desserts, gluten free vegan Christmas pudding and chocolate delicacy places online. Instead of risking your chance with the dessert ingredients, you can order these handmade traditional and contemporary vegan desserts, carefully prepared with low-cholesterol and high protein, mineral alternatives- equally suitable for vegans and lactose intolerants.