Gluten Free Foods to include in Your Food List This Season

What is Gluten?

Not until recently I never knew or heard of the word gluten, a deeper walk into the world of nutrition, introduced gluten to me.  Gluten is actually  a rare form of protein found mostly in wheat endosperm.   What makes gluten worth noting is its usually unnoticed negative effects on the health of some individuals, over time. Below are 19 foods that are gluten free to include in your diet this season.

1.  Bananas:

Bananas are usually found in their natural form and is among top gluten free foods to look for especially if you have irritable gut.  They possess uncommon carbs known as disaccharides which usually provide a quick form of energy.  They are good  if you are walking out or just back from a long walk and need quick replenishment of electrolyte and energy.  It is easily digestible and low in sodium, calming the stomach if troubled.  It is rich  in important minerals, and vitamins especially those of the B group.

2.  Egg.

  Eggs, especially Chicken eggs are nutrient dense and surprisingly, its gluten free too.  Its loaded with important nutrients, like vitamins A, D, K and E .  It is low in calorie despite its nutrient density.  It is a source of protein too and helps you meet your body's nutrient requirement for the day without gluten.

3.  Milk:

Another delicious but controversial food is milk.  Though it is difficult to rank today's milk as a totally natural food as we usually advocate, but it is almost practically impossible to have it 100% natural especially in today's toxic environment, it incidentally ranked among the gluten free foods.  Some  prefer goat's milk, which is not as available as the common cow's milk.  but whichever, milk is another nutrient dense food that is gluten free.  It is a food we begin eaten from childhood  and even at the evening of our lives when our digestion and teeth are no longer taking all that we desire to eat.  Milk is one food that the elderly still admits, though in reduced quantity.  They desire it daily, as it contains most nutrients like calcium, magnesium, zinc and other vitamins needed at old age.

4. Millet 

Millet is another common food rich in fibre but easily digestible and yet gluten free.  With celiac disease, you get to enjoy this delicacy more often. It is rich in B vitamins and other antioxidants which help build a healthy body.  If you ferment your millet, It will also aid its digestion and serve as probiotics as well as  helping strengthen the gut.


5. Chicken

  Chicken is an everyday food item for non-vegans. It imparts a rich source of nutrition with a high protein content which ample amounts of fat depending upon the way you are preparing it, and it is gluten-free.  Most people choose to fry the chicken, if you want to enjoy its health benefit as a gluten free food.  Then just season, roast or boil your chicken, it fills you for longer, thereby providing the atmosphere for weight loss and blood sugar regulation
 

6. Yogurt

Derived from milk,  has all the beneficial curative qualities in addition to favorable amounts of active probiotic bacteria which are very important for intestinal digestion. Yogurt is a more refined and carb free derivative of milk.  So many experts favor it over  milk. One bowl of yogurt daily is enough for a maintained intake of calcium, iron and fat soluble vitamins. It is better if you can prepare your yugort,  many yugort are laden with sugar, flavorings, and coloring that rob the health  food of its benefits.

7. Olive Oil

Olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is an incredible source of  Omega3 and  Omega 6 fatty acids. Besides, it has unsaturated fatty acids and very little cholesterol.    It is also loaded with anioxidants and anti-inflammatory diseases. That makes olive oil the most popular and most frequently recommended oil to use in cooking. It is one of the best oils with balanced profile of mono unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.  Excellent for cooking and salads.  It is also in the non gluten list.  You can try it on your potatoes and salads.

8.  Apples

Another popular fruit is the apple which is also ranked in this list. They are best eaten with the peels particularly green apples.  It is loaded with magnesium, iron and vitamin C to boost your immune system.  Apples are easily digestible and helps with constipation.  It is one fruit you can easily carry along even on your journey.

9. Avocados:  

 Many are still wondering why such a fruit with fats should be in the list.  Research will continue on that,  It is better to try including avocados into your diet and see how it feels,  its actually not as fatty as it looks, If you ask, I rather say they are fat in nutrients composition.  Its a supper food with no gluten.  When next you see an avocado, do not pass by, if you do not like the taste, send them to your mother or grandmother, persuade her to eat it and feed you back how she feels after the supper food.  Truly the "Taste of the Pudding is in the eating "

10.  Nuts:

Most nuts like peanut, walnuts, coconuts are among the gluten free foods you can safely consume in moderation without much concern for sensitivity.  However; some have expressed concern with peanuts, however when taken in moderation most still enjoy peanut due to its numerous health benefits.  Coconut is high in naturally occurring saturated fat, but not dangerous anyway.  Other nuts include walnuts, and cashew nuts.

11.  Cocoa

Cocoa which is the main ingredient in chocolate is another nutrient dense food from plant origin in the gluten free food list.  It can be mixed with your oat for a variety, milk,  soyabean powder or strawberries.  It is a nutrient dense food that can be consumed daily.  I prefer bitter unsweetened cocoa for all my recipes requiring chocolate or cocoa.

12. Cucumbers
Cucumber is another versatile vegetable. It is rick in important minerals like vitamin K. Cucumber is one of the best gluten free foods that can be consumed anytime of the day, with its  high water content, it beats constipation and calms the entire body lowering blood pressure as well. Cucumber tastes better when mixed with other fruits like apple, pawpaw or watermelon.

13. Mushrooms:
Mushroom is an ancient food that is gradually gaining popularity due to resent research showing its health benefits.  Mushrooms are quite safe to be added to your list of gluten free foods. Mushrooms not counted among green vegetables, but they make great addition to any gluten free diet.

14. Fermented Cassava Flour (Garri)

Fermented cassava flour (Garri) may not be popular among some cultures, but in Nigeria and most West African countries, it is a popular fast food both for drinking with cold water and peanut or preparing a paste for swallow with any soup of your choice.  Garri is easily digestible and does not produce gas in the stomach like most foods do.  It is gluten free and there is no fear for any sensitivity when you take it in moderation.  It is rich in fibre and high in energy.

15. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are not exactly a food independently, but they are added to lots of recipes because of their flavor and high content of potassium and minerals. The fact is that tomatoes belong to the fruit family. However, with tomatoes, one has to be vigilant. Over-consumption causes oxalate accumulation in the kidneys which might become the potential cause of kidney stones. Apart from that there are no issues with tomatoes and they serve as  one of the  best gluten free foods.


16. Grapefruit

Grapefruit is a citrus fruit. This class is popular due to its incredibly high quantities of vitamin C and antioxidants. Grapefruit are not energy food, but they prevent diseases like scurvy or osteomalacia. You can also enlist them to your list of gluten free foods. Their pulp as well as the inner peel has loads of fibers which ease digestion. In the absence of most cereals, you have to increase intake of parallel fiber sources to compensate for the potential deficiency.

17. Green Beans

Green Beans are rich sources of protein. Not exactly vegetable, green beans are actually legumes. They have incredible caloric content in the form of proteins in addition to non metabolic nutrients like Vitamin C, Vitamin K, magnesium, potassium and dietary fibers. It’s a great gluten free food to take especially if you find your options cut short by celiac disease. Make a soup with beans and you will love it as a healthy delicious meal

18. Asparagus

It is a vegetable but it is more commonly seen as a salad additive. Asparagus add crunch and flavor to your normal boring salad and it also has an incredibly high content of folates. It is best consumed raw in order to reap its health benefits. Better chopped in the salad as cooking steals most of the Vitamin C and folate content along with most of the other vitamins present in this energy rich diet.

19. Coconut Oil

 Though high in saturated fats.  The type of fats found in coconut are mainly of a special kind comprising mainly of papric acid, medium chain fatty acids and lauric acids.  All these are immune boosters and disease fighters.   We are now understanding more facts about the nature of fats in coconut, which was thought to increase cholesterol.

Other foods free from gluten include:

Dates
Kiwi
Lemons
Limes
Papaya
Oranges
Plantains
Water lemons
Vegetables
Eggpland
Guava
Lettuce
Onions
Garlic
Cabbage
Beans
Honey
Herbs
seeds
Potatoes
Brown rice
Almond flour
Flaxseed
Turkey
Okro etc


These are not all the foods, however it is compiled to enable us make better food choices this season.  Ensure you consume more natural foods than processed and packed foods this season to stay healthy.


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