How difficult is it to maintain a gluten-free vegetarian diet?

Question by Paranormal Kitty: How difficult is it to maintain a gluten-free vegetarian diet?
Would still include eggs (free range from local farm) and dairy, but I think I am gluten-intolerant and would like to go gluten free to see if I feel better. Do you have any tips? Will this be very difficult? I really do not want to eat my animal friends 🙁

Best answer:

Answer by TofuMan
Hi you can do it – others do. I don’t know if you have brands of products like Orgran where you live, but these are often gluten free and vegan and cover everything from pasta, to cakes to biscuits (cookies if you are in US?)

A lot of ‘meat replacement’ products do use wheat because the gluten in it is a strong sticky protein and provide the texture the manufacture is looking for.

But you don’t have to have a burger or a sausage to get protein, obviously you can use soya protein products, some of which can be used like meat in many recipes (and these usually are just soya and no wheat products in them like TVP chunks and mince) but you can also get protein shakes that are soya based, or even hemp based. You can also use quinoa and amaranth as very good protein sources that will keep you going without wheat. My wife who is from Peru, where quinoa is traditionally eaten makes some really tasty and simple meals with it – the Incas built their empire on quinoa!

The main thing is you will obviously find a lot of products in the shops are a problem and that you will miss bread. There are gluten free bread mixes out there that combine many types of flours and a few binders to make an alternative. If you look up ‘coeliac disease’ where people have a really serious problem with gluten you will quickly come across ideas about food.

It certainly could get tricky at times, but I hope the links I have put below will help you.

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Blended Bites - Gluten Free!