If you have a sensitive stomach, the chances are you've looked into a few different low-allergy diets. While you've likely heard of a gluten free diet, following a grain free diet is a bit more novel of a concept. Though these diets may sound similar, there is one main difference. While any food free of grains is also free of gluten, foods free of gluten may still contain grains. Still not sure if you entirely understand? The Bob's Red Mill food experts are here to help. In this article, we'll answer the question "what is a grain free diet," discuss the benefits of going grain free, and provide tips on how to make transitioning to a grain free diet easier. Let's get started!
What Iis a Grain Free Diet?
A grain free diet is one in which all foods that contain grains, as well as those derived from them, are eliminated. This exclusion involves popular gluten containing grain foods like barley, rye, wheat, and spelt, as well as gluten free foods like rice, oats and corn.
While eliminating these foods is enough for some, many individuals choose to take their diets a step further and remove ingredients derived from grains as well—like high fructose corn syrup, corn flours and rice syrup. In short, if you're hoping to follow a grain free diet, you'll need to start by eliminating all grains, no matter what form they are found in.
How to Follow a Grain Free Diet
If you've read this far and are a bit overwhelmed by the many foods you'll need to eliminate, don't stress. Once you correctly identify the grain-filled ingredients and recipes you enjoy weekly, you can better determine how to replace those ingredients with grain free ones. With more and more individuals choosing to follow a grain free diet, finding substitutions and replacements for traditional recipes has become much easier.
To follow a grain free diet properly, foods like bread, pasta, muesli, cereal, oatmeal and other types of cereal grains will need to be replaced with grain free food. Luckily, many grain free diets allow you to enjoy small amounts of pseudocereals like quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat. While these foods can be enjoyed similarly to grains, they are not considered grains themselves.
When following a grain free diet, there are many restrictions surrounding grain-containing foods. However, there is very little regarding non-grain-based foods like fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, eggs, fats and dairy. As long as your body reacts well to the foods above, it's perfectly fine to enjoy them on a grain free diet.
What Iis the Purpose of Removing Grains From Your Diet?
Lately, many individuals are beginning to link digestive inflammation levels to grain consumption. Like gluten intolerance, people who have a slight grain allergy, gluten sensitivity, or those that have celiac disease, may experience undesired side effects when eating them.
For most, following a grain free diet is a way to ease digestive issues, boost gut health and relieve inflammation. Though having a grain free lifestyle is not for everyone, if upon trying it, you notice your digestive problems disappear, then the benefits of removing grains will surely outweigh the costs.
What Iis the Downside of Removing Grains From Your Diet?
Now that you've learned the potential benefits of going grain free, it's time to learn about some of the cons. When beginning a grain free diet, it's crucial that you make nutrition your primary focus. Whole grains are rich in B vitamins, minerals and fiber—all nutrients that are essential to your health. By eliminating all whole grains, you run the risk of not getting enough of these crucial nutrients which in return could negatively impact your health. As with any significant health change, it's essential to consult a health professional first when starting a grain free diet. By doing so, you can determine which foods you'll need to supplement into your diet to ensure that you're receiving all the necessary vitamins and minerals.
What Foods Can You Enjoy on a Grain Free Diet?
We've talked about the importance of eliminating grains and grain-based ingredients when following a grain free diet. Now, it's time to talk about what you can enjoy. Contrary to popular belief, grain free diets are pretty expansive and allow for several different kinds of gluten free food to be enjoyed. Here's a list of our favorite foods to eat on a grain free diet.
- Fruit
- Vegetable
- Dairy
- Meat
- Nuts
- Fish
- Legumes
- Seeds
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Non-grain based flours
- Fats
- Amaranth
- Buckwheat
- Quinoa
- Millet
What Can't You Eat on a Grain Free Diet?
We've mentioned that grains are completely off-limits when following this type of diet. But what exactly qualifies as a grain. While this list doesn't encompass all grain-containing foods, it's a good representation of the most popular grain-filled ingredients you'll want to avoid.
- Cereal
- Bread
- Pasta
- Rice
- All-purpose flour
- Corn
- Oatmeal
- Crackers
- Pancakes
- Sorghum syrup
- Corn Syrup
- Corn Flour
Tips for Following a Grain Free Diet
While trying out and sticking to any new diet is a challenge, once you get the hang of it, going grain free is easier than it sounds. Plus, if eating grains has negatively impacted your gut health, you'll love how great your body will feel after eliminating them. To help boost your grain free success in the kitchen, we've rounded up a list of tips and tricks you can use to make following a grain free diet easier.
Plan Ahead
The key to success, especially when following a diet, is to plan ahead. After you've determined which foods you can eat and which to avoid, it's time to begin meal prepping for the week. When planning out meals, there are various methods to do so. If you enjoy cooking on the weeknights, take time at the beginning of the week to develop a list of grain free recipes to try each day. Or, if you're hoping to cut down on time you spend in the kitchen, make time on the weekend to cook your favorite grain free recipes in bulk and freeze them for the week ahead.
Find New Ways to Wrap Your Food
If you're a fan of tortillas, there are several ways that you can continue to make your favorite wrapped foods entirely grain free. Grain free flours like Almond Flour and Organic Amaranth Flour can be used to make tortilla variations like these Keto Tortillas and Amaranth Tortillas. Or, you can skip the cooking part altogether and wrap your food in crunchy lettuce like iceberg or romaine. Aside from being sturdy enough to hold your food, lettuce is a great option when you're craving a more refreshing meal.
Make More Than You Need
If you're not passionate about meal prepping at the beginning of the week, an easy way to plan future grain free meals is to double up on the recipes you make. Doubling up on your favorite grain free dinner and freezing the leftovers is an excellent way to ensure that you have a grain free lunch or dinner to reach for later on. Additionally, having prepared grain free dishes in the fridge can help you avoid the temptation to eat out.
Keep Fruits and Veggies Stocked
Once you eliminate grains from your diet, fruits and vegetables will make up many of the ingredients in your recipes. There are many ways you can use fruits and vegetables to replicate some of your favorite recipes. Fruits and veggies can be turned into delicious and healthy grain free baked goods or dessert options like these Avocado Mousse Tartlets or spiralized and used as noodles that serve as a grain free version of pasta. Keeping your favorite fruits and vegetables stocked in the kitchen will help add variety and nutrients to your meals.
Don't Sleep on Crockpot Recipes
When beginning a gluten free diet, the crockpot will quickly become your cookware of choice. Choose a grain free recipe like this Crockpot Shredded Chicken Fajita Chili and pair it with a salad for a dinner that's overflowing with nutrients and flavor. An easy way to make mess-free and grain free meals, because all ingredients are added to and cooked in the crockpot, you'll have fewer dishes to clean after dinner is finished!
Keep Essential Grain Free Ingredients On -Hand
Once you learn which grain free foods you use most, try to keep them stocked in your kitchen. Doing so will ensure that you always have a handful of ingredients to reach for when you're creating a recipe. To help you get started, here's a list of our favorites.
- Coconut Flour
- Almond Flour
- Honey
- Arrowroot Starch
- Coconut Sugar
- Maple Syrup
- Paleo Baking Flour
Now that you know the basics of a grain free diet, it's time to try it out for yourself. Whether you're interested in eliminating grains to reduce inflammation or increase gut health, we hope that this article has provided you with the information needed to get started. Use the tips above to stay on track and make your health a priority. From everyone at Bob's Red Mill, we wish you a healthy and happy day!
