Ep 205 New Year, Healthier Gluten Free

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

The beginning of a new year is often an opportunity for many of us to re-evaluate what we are eating, and take some time to re-set.  I invited Cinde Little the everydayglutenfreegourmet.ca on the podcast to give me some ideas of ways to add more variety, and flavour into my gluten free diet.  Cinde is well known for her recipes blending the flavours of different ethnic cuisines that focus on healthy ingredients.  Here are links to some of the recipes we talked about –

Buddha Bowl – https://www.everydayglutenfreegourmet.ca/fw-recipe-slug/buddha-bowl/

Socca – https://www.everydayglutenfreegourmet.ca/fw-recipe-slug/socca/

Tandoori Chicken – https://www.everydayglutenfreegourmet.ca/fw-recipe-slug/gluten-free-tandoori-chicken/

East Indian Menu that includes the Tandoori Chicken, Dal, Raita etc –https://www.everydayglutenfreegourmet.ca/gourmet-dinner-club-an-east-indian-menu/

Sausage Vegetable Pasta – https://everydayglutenfreegourmet.ca/recipe/sausage-vegetable-pasta/

Zucchini Noodles with Cherry Tomatoes – https://everydayglutenfreegourmet.ca/recipe/zucchini-noodles-with-cherry-tomatoes/

Everyday vegetable stir fry – https://www.everydayglutenfreegourmet.ca/fw-recipe-slug/gluten-free-everyday-vegetable-stir-fry/

Recipe Round Up of Homemade Soups – https://www.everydayglutenfreegourmet.ca/round-up-of-homemade-soups/

Or this one you mentioned Noodle Soup with Peanut Sauce – https://www.everydayglutenfreegourmet.ca/fw-recipe-slug/gluten-free-noodle-soup-with-peanut-sauce/

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

Many of us are striving for a healthier gluten free diet, which brings me back to my lifelong struggles with my weight. 

It was in the early 1990’s that I first started reading labels, before I needed to read them for gluten.  At the time, my label reading consisted mostly of the “claims” made on products.  The “big” claim I was searching out was “low-fat”, “reduced fat”, and even “fat free”.  I was encouraged by my mother-in-law, who, at the time was very concerned about preparing a low-fat diet for her and my father-in-law.  I was thrilled to find her fridge filled with low or lower fat options for some common foods that I liked, but always felt guilty eating.

I jumped into low fat with both feet.  At the time, I was not yet diagnosed with celiac disease, so I didn’t really think very much about what I was actually putting in my body.  Within a few years, I was diagnosed celiac and my label reading expanded to the ingredient list and eventually the nutrition facts label.  Once I learned to look for whole ingredients, less processed ingredients, fewer ingredients, and words I could pronounce, I began to re-evaluate my choices of low-fat versions of foods.

Firstly, many low-fat versions of processed foods contain lots of chemicals and some contain gluten, not present in the regular version.  Secondly, the low-fat version is often only just a little bit less fat than the regular version, but made with some unpronounceable ingredients taking up the slack.  And thirdly, for the few years I was eating low-fat, I didn’t lose any weight.  The low-fat versions didn’t encourage me to eat smaller, healthier portions, only to substitute into my already not-so-healthy meals.

Being a gluten free baker, I understand about the importance of “mouth-feel” and “moisture-retention” that make the difference between an appealing product and one you could easily pass on.  Formulating low-fat versions of common foods was a fad that played to our belief that all fat was bad for your diet.  We, or at least I know better now.  There is a place in our diets, gluten free, vegan, or “regular” for fats, just maybe not as much of it as we have become accustomed to. 

Nowadays, I rarely pay attention to the “claims” on foods, unless that claim is for “gluten free” and I go straight to the ingredient and nutritional labelling to make my buying decisions.  There is one product that I do truly enjoy the low-fat version of and that is cheddar cheese – I like a drier cheese, not old and tangy, but just drier, and the low-fat version, made with lower fat milk is the one I like best.  That’s the thing about fads, you can drop them over time, but you always have the option to keep the bits you liked.