Cooking for Celiac Disease

Celiac disease patients experience a digestive disorder that forces them to follow a specific diet. Celiac disease patients show digestive problem with food that has gluten in it, like wheat, barley and rye. Therefore cooking for patients with celiac disease patients can be a challenge.

A gluten- free diet means avoiding food that contains gluten like bread, pasta, cereal, cookies and a lot of processed food that has wheat, barley or rye. If that is your staple food then you have change your lifestyle or find alternative ingredients. To keep diversity in their diet, celiac patients can still enjoy bread and pasta made out of potato, rice, soy, or bean floor. Nowadays, it is easier since there are already manufacturers who sell gluten free bread, pasta and other food. Meat, fish, rice, fruits and vegetables does not contain gluten so these will be okay to include in your diet. 

The disadvantage of having celiac disease is the difficulties of eating out. Following a strict diet makes it more difficult for celiac patients to buy lunch or food in the school cafeteria or food stalls near your work. The best way, therefore, is to prepare your own food to bring along with you. You could contact the manufacturers or restaurants that make gluten free food, but that can be quite troublesome if the location is quite far from you school or work. 

Consulting a dietician or a health care professional specializing in food and nutrition can help people learn about the new diet. There are also support groups made of celiac patients and their families that can help the patients to establish their new life.

Some people may think that cooking food for celiac patients is very much boring and routine. This just means that you’ve been cooking the same food over and over again and have not actually expanded on your repertoire. There are many ways of cooking a great meal without risking the person’s health. Look at it this way, now is the time to explore other dishes. 

Some celiac patients still cook the food that they eat before they were diagnosed, but they replaced some ingredients with gluten content with ingredients that are pure, uncontaminated and gluten free. Celiac patients come up with different ways to make up an eventful meal without violating their diets. One example would be cooking a Blueberrry cake. Replacing the ingredients with Nearly Normal All Purpose Flour and gluten-free baking powder will be enough for persons with celiac disease. 

So the rest of the ingredients like granulated cane sugar, eggs, milk, fresh blueberries, unsalted butter, and cinnamon will be fine. Celiac disease won’t be triggered by these ingredients. 

Preparation would still be the same. Preheating the oven to 375 degrees or 350 degrees for convection an oiling a 9 inch springform pan and putting any extra in a small oiled 6 inch square baking pan or casserole would, of course be necessary. You need to combine Nearly Normal All Purpose Flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk. Toss the berries, pour the batter into the prepared pans, and set aside. Bake the small pan for approximately 40 minutes and the springform for 50 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of each pan comes out clean. You get the point. 

The trick is to determine which alternative ingredients to use and which food do not contain gluten. Cooking for persons with celiac disease can be challenging, but with enough research, trials, and imagination, you can come up with a meal that is enjoyed by everyone in the family.