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A turkey and cheddar panini on gluten-free
bread can't be beat for a quick and easy lunch! |
Not long after I was diagnosed with celiac disease, a friend
said to me, “Oh, I’d die if I couldn’t have bread!” But celiac disease is not a
death sentence. Trust me, you
can live without wheat, barley and rye and the
foods that contain them.
While it isn’t always easy, and you will definitely miss
many of your favorite foods, eating completely gluten-free is very doable—and,
if you give yourself time to learn a few new skills (like reading food labels
and roasting vegetables, for example) and to acquire a few new tastes, you might even find
that you are eating much healthier on your gluten-free diet than you were
before your diagnosis.
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Chicken salad with fruit and cheese is
also a simple favorite! |
If eating gluten-free seems overwhelming to you at first,
follow my best tip: Figure out a couple of simple meals that you can
always enjoy for breakfast and a couple
that you can
always enjoy for lunch.
Then keep those items on hand at all times. My go-to breakfasts are yogurt and
applesauce, gluten-free oatmeal, or bacon and eggs with a side of fruit. My
lunch favorites are turkey and cheddar paninis (on gluten-free bread, of
course), chicken salad (made with my own home-made mayo), or a green salad with
my favorite toppings (avocado, tomato, cheese, boiled egg and gluten-free
dressing). I eat these nearly every single day.
Having your breakfast and lunch “fixings” already available
simplifies your day and gives you more time to research interesting dinner recipes,
collect the necessary ingredients, and prepare your evening meal, where variety
is more important and (hopefully) time is more plentiful.
