Friday, June 7, 2013

What does a gluten-free breakfast look like???

Hi everyone! I have had a lot of questions lately about what does eating gluten-free look like? I thought I would tackle one meal at a time.  Because breakfast is the first meal of the day, that's where I have decided to begin.  Now, to begin, make a list of what you normally eat for breakfast.  If it's cereal or oatmeal, the good news is, there are plenty of gluten-free cereals out there and a few gluten-free oatmeal brands to choose from.  In the cereal isle of just about every grocery store is Chex cereal.  http://chex.com/Recipes/GlutenFree.aspx?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=chex+gluten+free&utm_term=gluten%20free%20chex%20cereal  And not to be left out in the gluten-free product race, Post cereals are joining along, too! http://postfoods.com/our-brands/pebbles/?gclid=CPrL9sug0rcCFSVk7AodCjgARg.  
And one of our favorite brands of cereals, that can usually be found in the organic section of regular grocery stores, is Nature's Path http://shop.naturespath.com/Gluten-Free/c/NaturesPath@GlutenFree.
And another brand found in the organic section is http://www.glutino.com/products/cereals/apple-cinnamon-cereal/ .  Their products are AMAZING! And so many to choose from!

Now, what about oatmeal? There are some brands that say "gluten-free" that are only gluten-free because of their ingredients, NOT because of anything else.  Meaning, there may be cross-contamination.  For those of you that have Celiac or allergies, this could be a serious problem.  Bob's Red Mill gluten-free products have been known to be a problem for those with these diseases.  Here are two articles that address this issue: http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/glutenfreegrains/f/Is-Oatmeal-Gluten-Free.htm  and http://www.celiac.com/categories/Celiac-Disease-and-Oats%3A-Are-They-Gluten%252dFree%3F/.  Being oatmeal loving people, we have look at the facts and decided to find those products that are certified gluten-free. This next product is one we LOVE!! It's one I have found at Kroger, Whole Foods and honestly, I've ordered in online when I can.  https://www.bakeryonmain.com/Products/Store/tabid/135/categoryid/8/instantoatmeal/Default.aspx?categoryid=8.  There are a lot of flavors and they are delicious!! 
The next brand is one found at Kroger, Whole Foods and online, also.  It's one I have sent with my son while he's hiking the Appalachian Trail.  He loves them, too!  http://www.glutenfreedafoods.com/oatmeal.html

Please take the few minutes to check out the links and see for yourself! Take a deep breath and remember, you're not going to have to go through this alone.  I am here.  And if it helps, fruits are gluten-free and a great way to start the day! And if you're concerned about fiber or getting the vitamins and protein you need (or your child needs), try making a smoothie with bananas, spinach (I promise you won't taste it!), a non-dairy milk of your choice, some kind of peanut butter (and if you're allergic use sunflower butter), a splash of cinnamon, a TBSP of honey or agave nectar, some blue berries, strawberries and maybe even a little bit of pineapple, some ice, and waa-laa, you'll have one healthy breakfast!!! And just to add to your benefit, 1 cup of spinach has 0.9grams of protein. A banana has 1.3 grams of protein.  One strawberry, just 1, has 0.1grams of protein (and no one eats just one!). Blue berries, well 1 cup has 1.1grams of protein.  And hold on to your hats, because a pineapple, well it has 4.9grams of protein!!!

So, there you go! You're set for a yummy gluten-free breakfast that will not only fill your belly, but feed your body the nutrients it needs to keep moving!!

Have a great gluten-free day!!  And as always, thanks for joining me!!

Caroline

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