Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat, semolina, and spelt. It’s essential for baking and is part of what holds breads together so they don’t fall flat like a pancake.
It’s also used as a thickener and binder in soups, stews, and even lunch meats. As you’ve discovered, a small (but rising) percentage of the population doesn’t digest it well and can suffer from bloating, stomach pain, and diarrhea as a result.
To keep eating big, you’ll need to rely on alternate grains like rice, buckwheat, millet, flax, and quinoa. Potatoes, corn, and tapioca are common gluten replacements, so look for breads that contain these ingredients instead of wheat.
Oats do not contain gluten, but they’re often processed in facilities that also process gluten-containing grains, so they’re often accidentally contaminated with gluten. Finally, switch to fresh, thinly sliced chicken breast to make sandwiches.
SAMPLE DIET
Here is a gluten-free diet for all your daily meals:
Breakfast:
– Quinoa porridge made with:
- ½ cup quinoa (dry measure)
- 1 tbsp heavy cream
– Scrambled eggs made with:
- 5 egg whites
- 3 omega-3 eggs
Lunch:
– Two turkey sandwiches, each made with:
- 2 slices Udi’s Gluten-Free bread
- 200g chicken breast
- 1 slice tomato
- 1 slice red onion
- mustard
- ¼ avocado
- fresh baby spinach
Post-Workout Shake:
– 25g hydrolyzed whey protein mixed with 50g dextrose
Meal Replacement Shake:
– Strawberry-banana smoothie made with:
- 3 scoops vanilla protein powder
- 1 banana
- 2 cups strawberries
- 40g almonds
Dinner:
– 250g lean steak
– ½ cup brown rice (dry measure)
– 2 cups broccoli florets
– ½ cup brown rice (dry measure)
– 2 cups broccoli florets
BY MIKE ROUSSELL, PH.D