What Is Gluten-Free?

EatingWell (see below for pictured recipes)Giving up foods containing gluten, the protein found in wheat, barley, and rye -- yes, that means traditional breads, beers, and pizzas -- may be a choice for some people who want to cut carbs and drop a few pounds.

But for those with celiac disease, which is a serious intolerance to gluten that can cause small-intestine damage, a gluten-free diet is an essential way of life. It's not a cure, but it's a way to make the symptoms vanish and to maintain good health.

The Rise of Gluten-Free Living

In the U.S. alone, reports the Mayo Clinic, there are 2 million people (or about 1 in 133 people) with celiac disease, four times as many sufferers as there were 50 years ago. The cause of this increase is still uncertain, but the result has been a boom in gluten-free foods and resources for those who suffer from celiac disease, as well as those who've given up gluten for other reasons. (See Gluten-Free Books, Blogs and Resources, below.)

May is National Celiac Disease Awareness Month, the ideal time to talk about gluten-free eating, offer you gluten-free recipes, which are delicious in their own right, along with some of the latest information and resources about the gluten-free life. (For more on celiac disease, search AOL Health for celiac disease and visit the National Institutes of Health Celiac Awareness Campaign website.)

Can a Gluten-Free Diet Benefit Those with Other Diseases?

Research continues on the subject. Despite anecdotal evidence and certain studies that claim the removal of dietary gluten benefits those with autism, ADHD and autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Lupus, the jury is still out within the scientific community. A recent report by The University of Texas at Austin's Meadows Center Autism Spectrum Disorders Institute concluded that there isn't yet scientific evidence to support that claim in the case of autism.

Which Foods Contain Gluten?

At first blush, that seems simple: products that contain wheat, barley or rye. But in addition to wheat flour, semolina pasta and traditional cakes, there's a world of foods that surprisingly contains wheat gluten, including some soups and gravies, salad dressings, nondairy drinks, potato chips, French fries, even soy sauce (there's wheat in the caramel coloring). For a guide to gluten-free ingredients and foods that may contain hidden gluten, see download the NIH's Celiac Disease Chart (PDF).

What to Watch for on a Label if You a Have Gluten Intolerance

When you buy a box of cereal, a bag of frozen French fries, or just about anything that's not homemade, look at the label to see if wheat is in the ingredients list, or if "Contains wheat" appears at the end of the list. The FDA's Food Allergen and Consumer Protection Act requires that manufacturers' labels contain this information. Depending on the severity of your gluten intolerance and your doctor's advice, you might need to go the extra step of choosing foods specifically labeled "gluten-free" and that are processed in a gluten-free facility.

What's Cooking in the Gluten-Free Kitchen?

There are countless options for people who can't eat wheat and gluten, including store-bought flours for baking, many of which contain sorghum, rice flour, tapioca, and xanthan gum. The combination of flours provides texture in bread that gluten usually offers. Beth's All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour from the Gluten-Free Pantry company is a popular choice.

Gluten-Free Recipes

Below are suggestions, with recipe links, for gluten-free meals. For many more ideas, browse all of KitchenDaily's Gluten-Free recipes.

GLUTEN-FREE BREAKFAST RECIPES
Forget the toast -- you can still have the eggs and home-fries. Try a potato and kale frittata, a purple berry smoothie or a fruit salad with yogurt. Or if you're on the run, have a bowl of buckwheat flakes or a rice-based cereal. Oats, by the way, are tolerated by some people who are gluten-intolerant, but if you experiment with oats, check with your doctor first and then try a tiny amount to see how you react to eating them.

GLUTEN-FREE SNACK RECIPES
Read the labels before you grab a handful of potato chips; they may contain wheat products. The same goes for many other packaged snacks, though the store-bought gluten-free options are constantly growing. For homemade treats, toss together a wheat-free snack mix of gluten-free corn Chex, pumpkin seeds, and Parmesan cheese. Stir up a tasty dip, the smooth eggplant-based Middle Eastern baba ghanouj or make your own quinoa-and-fruit power bars.

GLUTEN-FREE LUNCH RECIPES
Remember that rice is on the "good foods" list, so cook up a sweet-chile and tofu fried rice, or a pad thai made with rice noodles. Salads, such as cobb salad with buttermilk dressing, are also a good choice.

You can still make sandwiches with homemade gluten-free bread, or with one of the store-bought varieties. Try this gluten-free bread recipe from blogger Gluten-Free Goddess. Serve it with a bowl of Japanese soba noodle soup (be sure to choose a gluten-free variety of these buckwheat noodles).

GLUTEN-FREE DINNER RECIPES
Steaming bowls of ratatouille will make all the vegetable lovers happy, as will chilled bowls of Greek summer gazpacho. For meat lovers, try the classic combination of pork and fruit in pork chops with sweet potatoes and apples or the rustic flavors of golden-garlic chicken cutlets. Fish (unbreaded) is a lean gluten-free choice; try our recipes for broiled fish fillets with coriander-cumin mayonnaise or the classic Italian fish stew, cioppino.

GLUTEN-FREE DESSERT RECIPES
A piece of fruit or a fruit-based dessert, such as warm fruit salad, are easy choices. But if you crave something a little more dessert-like, try a flourless peanut-butter cookie, a chocolate-mousse pudding or a grilled banana split.