Gluten free meals, no matter how appetizing you try to make them, will never cease to be less appealing than their gluten rich counterparts. It can be more punishing if you had to switch to a gluten free diet after you have relished all the guilty pleasure cuisines that are rich in gluten.
People switch to a gluten free diet due to many reasons. Some develop celiac symptoms. Celiac symptoms often develop at the age of fifteen to twenty. Although genetic, there are a very few cases where celiac disease has developed out of gluten rich food consumed over a long period of time.
Whatever the reasons maybe, you can always follow these steps to stay put on healthy gluten free meals;
Be aware:
Gather all the information you can, about gluten-free diet. There are hordes of websites that provide information on gluten-free ingredients and recipes. You may find some of them to be inaccurate and random so, be ready to sift through and fish out the relevant information that you think might help you preparing a healthy gluten-free meal for yourself.
Bake your own bread:
Yes, as absurd as it may sound, you can break your own bread as there a number of bread making (or baking) machines available in the market that you can buy one for your home. Get gluten free bread making ingredients from stores and bake one for yourself, if you are skeptical buying bread products from stores even though they are labelled as gluten-free.
Don’t let calcium sneak out:
Once switched to a gluten-free diet, consuming dairy products is a big no-no as they contain large amount of gluten. So, you have very little options for your daily dose of calcium. Skipping calcium from your daily meals for a long term can lead to osteoporosis. In cases like these, canned sardines, shrimps, and boned salmon are a great source of calcium. For vegetarians, collard greens, turnip greens are calcium-rich alternatives.
Have a varying diet:
It is one of those traits that, once you are restricted or denied to eat something out of a medical condition, you tend to get paranoid and get the urge to eat exactly what you are told not to. A gluten- free diet leaves you with very less options to eat and all you do search for substitutes that (hopefully) are equally appetizing as their gluten-rich counterparts. In cases like these, try varying your diet so that you get all the nutrients to stay healthy.
Whole grains to the rescue:
Excluding wheat rye and barley, there are a whole bunch of grains such as buckwheat, quinoa, millet and brown rice that can help you get your daily dose of antioxidants and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, selenium and vitamins and niacin.
We are a coffee-drinking nation and every form of the beverage – decaf, regular, expresso, latte, cappuccino, macchiato and ristretto is consumed everyday by millions of us. It’s the first thing we need in the morning and the last (for some) after dessert. Black, with cream, with sugar, no sugar, flavored, each of us has a preference with regard to strength. Nespresso’s taken heed of this and given us a gift in a pod with the Nespresso capsules. Available in the regular Arabica and Robusta capsules, they have some amazing seasonal flavors as well.
Nespresso capsules are hermetically sealed in a capsule that holds 5-7 gms of coffee – enough for one serving of coffee. They offer five ranges in Ristretto (25ml), Espresso (40 ml), Lungo (110 ml), Decaffeinated (40 ml and 110 ml) or Flavored (40 ml).
The variations in Nespresso coffee capsules Ristretto range are:
Ristretto Origin – Made from South and Central American Arabicas, it has toasted flavors with cocoa notes and woody undertones.
Ristretto Origin India – A blend of the finest Arabicas with a smidgen of Robusta from Southern India, this full-bodied coffee has hints of spices.
Ristretto Intenso – A strong blend of South and Central American Robustas and Arabicas, the Ristretto Intenso is a full-bodied coffee with a creamy texture and peppery notes.
The variations in Nespresso coffee capsules Espresso range are:
Espresso Origin Brazil: A pure Arabica coffee, it has a mild sweet flavor.
Espresso Leggero: A blend of South American Arabicas and Robusta, it has smooth notes of cocoa and cereal.
Espresso Forte: Exclusively made from South and Central American Arabicas, it has an intensely roasted balance of espresso and fruity notes.
The variations of Nespresso coffee capsules Lungo range are:
Lungo Leggero: Lightly roasted East African, South and Central American Arabicas, with mild notes of jasmine is what makes up this delicious brew.
Lungo Forte: A complex mix of South and Central American Arabicas, this coffee has heavy roasted notes with a slight hint of fruit.
Lungo Origin Guatemala: A mix of Arabica and washed Gourmet Robusta coffee, Lungo Origin Guatemala is smooth and well balanced with dry and malty cereal notes.
The variations of Nespresso coffee capsules in the Decaffeinated range are:
Espresso Decaffeinato: Dark roasted South American Arabicas with a touch of Robusta enhances the cocoa flavors and roasted cereal undertones of this decaffeinated espresso.
Lungo Decaffeinato: This is a slightly more complex blend of separately roasted South American and East African Arabicas. It includes toasted cereal and sweet notes with subtle and floral hints of East African Arabicas.
The variations of Nespresso coffee capsules Flavored range are:
Espresso Vanilla: This silky-flavored coffee is the result of a base of Espresso Forte, which is a complex and heavily-roasted blend of South and Central American Arabicas and a slightly caramelized aroma of vanilla. Espresso Caramel: On a base of Espresso Forte, this complex and intensely roasted blend made from South and Central American Arabicas has the sweetness of caramel.
Here are a few easy and healthy recipe ideas that are both quick to make and light to digest on hot summer days. With very few ingredients, the preparation of these recipes is a breeze. So go on, enjoy these easy, healthy recipes that are brimming with nutrition and taste heavenly too!
Greek Cucumber Rolls
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Directions
This is popular among easy and healthy recipes. Slice cucumber into thin flat strips using a vegetable peeler and arrange them in slices of two on a clean tray. Smear the hummus on top of each slice, then toss some feta cheese, black olives and cut tomatoes on each of the cucumber strips. Squeeze a little lemon juice and sprinkle some finely chopped dill and cilantro. Finally, roll the strips, serve the Greek cucumber rolls and see them being gobbled up by the young and old alike!
Flavorful fettuccine pasta with vegetables
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Directions
Cook the fettuccine pasta according to the directions on the label. In a thick bottomed pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the chopped garlic and shallots. After about a minute or so, add the other vegetables along with salt and toss them gently for a few minutes. The vegetables must cook and be crunchy at the same time. When they are done, add the cooked pasta, Parmesan cheese, and some freshly ground black pepper to it and mix well. Serve this flavorful fettuccine pasta with vegetables for lunch or dinner as a filling, yet light meal.
Sunshine juice
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Direction
Squeeze juice from the oranges and blend the strawberries in a juicer. Then in a pitcher, take the orange juice, strawberry juice, and chilled water together and mix well. Refresh yourself with this yummy sunshine juice with ice cubes on a hot day.