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Eliminating gluten from your diet can offer significant health benefits. But it is no small undertaking. If you are trying for the first time to eliminate gluten from your diet, you may well be in a bit of a panic. Most of us eat gluten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as for snacks and dessert. You may be wondering what is left for you to eat. Take comfort in the fact that the gluten-free way of life has become much more common over the past decade or so, and many, many people have traveled this road before you. They have discovered that you can eat well and thoroughly enjoy your food while still eliminating gluten. This book will show you how to follow in their footsteps.

In this book, you’ll find information that will help you adopt a gluten-free lifestyle as easily and painlessly as possible. You’ll gain an understanding of what gluten is. You’ll learn which foods contain gluten and how to avoid them. You’ll also learn the cooking techniques necessary and master the tools you’ll need to go gluten-free, including dozens of fantastic recipes for delicious, healthy, budget-friendly, and family-friendly foods that you’ll be able to enjoy.

While many gluten-free cookbooks and websites rely on complicated or time-consuming cooking techniques and expensive or hard-to-find ingredients, this book provides recipes that are quick and easy and use ingredients that are both affordable and easy to find. All the recipes in the book are easy to prepare, and none will require you to search the ends of the Earth or pawn your prized possessions for special ingredients.

The book is divided into two parts. Part 1 tells you all you need to know to understand the gluten-free diet and get started on making the transition in your own life. It explains what gluten is, why some people cannot eat it, and what the health benefits of eliminating it from your diet are. It also provides a detailed guide to getting started on a gluten-free diet, including lists of foods to eat and foods to avoid, and tips for making the transition as easy as possible. Finally, it offers guidance on what kitchen tools you’ll need to stock up on, how to save time while cooking, how to convert standard recipes to be gluten-free, and how to bake gluten-free.

The editors of this book understand that while health is the goal of a gluten-free diet, simple and delicious recipes are the path to success. Part 2 offers more than 120 quick and easy gluten-free recipes prepared in less than 30 minutes. These dishes are a cinch to make, highly nutritious, family-friendly, easy on the budget, and full of flavor. You’ll also find time-saving tips, ingredient tips, and cooking tips tucked in with the recipes to make things even easier. With these recipes, you can begin your gluten-free life eating delicious and satisfying meals.

A gluten-free diet, at its most basic, is a diet that excludes gluten and all foods that contain gluten, such as wheat, barley, rye, and triticale (a wheat-rye hybrid). The goal of such a diet is to reduce the inflammation that gluten causes in the digestive system of individuals with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.

If you have a mild gluten sensitivity, you might be able to get away with a little exposure now and then, but for those with serious allergies or immune responses such as celiac disease, any amount of gluten carries an enormous health risk. The true gluten-free diet involves eliminating every speck of gluten from your diet—even the trace amounts that may be present due to cross-contamination (when a gluten-free food comes into contact with gluten), the small amounts of gluten in foods like soy sauce and malt vinegar, and even traces of gluten that may linger in medications or herbal supplements.

The gluten-free diet, then, involves eliminating all foods that obviously contain gluten, such as commercially prepared bread, pasta, cereal, and many snack foods and processed foods. It also involves reading labels and snooping out hidden sources of gluten in foods typically not associated with grains, such as mustard, soy sauce, and chewing gum.

So standard breads, cakes, cookies, and other baked goods; standard soy sauce and tamari sauce as well as foods that contain them; most cereals, including many oat-based cereals; and anything containing any form of wheat, barley, rye, or triticale are all out of the diet.

Right about now, you may be thinking, “Wait, doesn’t that cover just about everything?” It’s true that the modern American diet relies heavily on wheat and other grains that contain gluten, but there are plenty of other types of delicious foods that are entirely gluten-free: Fresh vegetables and fruits, meat, fish, seafood, eggs, nuts, and seeds are all on the gluten-free menu. Plus, there are now loads of gluten-free alternatives to choose from in the supermarket and health food store.

With a bit of research, vigilance, and careful shopping, you can still enjoy most of your favorite foods. Rather than feeling deprived, you will likely find that you feel better than ever because you are eating foods that support and heal your body rather than stimulate it to fight against itself.

The gluten-free diet is essential to treat and manage celiac disease. Celiac disease is a severe autoimmune disease; sufferers can become extremely ill when they eat even trace amounts of gluten.

When a person who has celiac disease consumes gluten, it triggers an autoimmune reaction, treating the protein as a foreign substance. In addition to attacking the foreign invader, however, the immune system also starts to attack normal tissue, particularly in the lining of the small intestine. This leads to inflammation and other gastrointestinal symptoms. It may also affect the body’s ability to absorb nutrients, including vitamins A, D, E, and K, as well as iron, calcium, protein, and fat. Nutritional deficiencies are a fairly common result of celiac disease, leading to other problems, such as osteoporosis, fatigue, delayed growth, and more.

Celiac disease that is not treated can lead to other autoimmune disorders, including type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, anemia, osteoporosis, infertility and miscarriage, neurological conditions such as epilepsy and migraines, and intestinal cancers.

According to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, an estimated 1 percent of the US population has celiac disease—although that number may rise because it is also estimated that 83 percent of Americans who have the disease are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.

Many people who don’t have celiac disease have some level of gluten sensitivity or intolerance, also known as non-celiac gluten sensitivity. These people cannot tolerate gluten and have symptoms similar to those with celiac disease, but they do not experience the same intestinal damage seen in people with celiac disease. According to the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research, gluten sensitivity affects approximately 6 percent of the US population, or 18 million people.

Gluten sensitivity can cause unpleasant symptoms, including gastrointestinal problems (gas, bloating, diarrhea, and/or constipation); fatigue or “brain fog” after consuming gluten; neurological symptoms such as dizziness or loss of balance; hormone imbalances that can lead to premenstrual syndrome (PMS), polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS—an imbalance of female sex hormones), or unexplained infertility; migraines; chronic fatigue; fibromyalgia; inflammation and swelling or pain in the joints; and mood disorders such as anxiety, depression, mood swings, or attention deficit disorder.

Get tested before you go gluten-free. If you think you might have a gluten sensitivity or celiac disease—for instance if you’ve found that when you eat gluten, you develop gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, cramping, gas, bloating, or constipation—see a doctor and get tested for celiac disease before you eliminate gluten from your diet. This is because after you eliminate gluten from your diet, the diagnostic test might not be able to detect celiac disease, even if you have it.

Gluten is a type of protein found in certain grains, including wheat, barley, rye, and triticale. It is a component of most standard baked goods, and for good reason: It’s what gives dough its elasticity and rise and the chewy, spongy texture we crave. Gluten is found in many other processed foods, as well, since manufacturers use these grain products and isolated gluten for consistency, texture, and flavoring in many foods.

To eliminate gluten from your diet, you’ll have to go further than eliminating breads, cookies, and cakes. You’ll need to learn how to identify gluten in the foods you buy and consume. Any foods that contain wheat, barley, rye, or triticale are obviously off-limits. But some foods you might not expect also contain gluten.

Gluten is in a lot of food products that are not grain-based, such as malt vinegar, soy sauce, many oats and products containing oats, and even some lunch meats, nutritional supplements, and medications. Commercial condiments such as mayonnaise, mustard, barbecue sauce, and ketchup may use gluten as a binder and stabilizer. Tomato sauce and tomato paste often contain gluten, as well. In all these foods, gluten will not be listed on the label.

Other products may be dusted with or processed with flour or made on equipment that is dusted with flour. These include chewing gum, candy bars, and yeast. And wheat may be an additive in everything from ice cream to corn- and rice-based cereals. Gluten can even turn up in household products. Art supplies and household adhesives often contain gluten, as do many cleaning agents and toiletries.

To identify gluten in foods, be sure to read labels carefully. First, look for the obvious—wheat, barley, rye, or triticale. But while products containing wheat must list wheat on their label, be aware that food producers are not required to disclose ingredients that are made from barley or rye. Many food additives, both natural or artificial, contain gluten. Learn what they are and keep that list handy when you’re reading labels.

Your best defense is to know what’s in the product and how it’s made—and you can’t always tell that just from reading the label. Contact the manufacturer; there’s almost always a phone number and a website on the label. Or else stick with products that are labeled as gluten-free.

Watch out for cross-contamination. Even trace amounts of gluten can be dangerous for someone with celiac disease. If you or someone in your household suffers from celiac, be diligent about avoiding cross-contamination (gluten from one source being transferred to another). Use separate toasters for gluten-free and regular breads. Don’t share flour sifters or storage containers between gluten-free foods and grains with gluten. And never dip gluten products into foods—such as hummus, peanut butter, or jam—that will be consumed by those who are gluten-free.

If you have celiac disease, the only treatment is a gluten-free diet. Avoiding gluten means avoiding the symptoms that appear when you eat it—and heading off the health risks associated with untreated celiac disease.

If you have an allergy or sensitivity to gluten, the gluten-free diet may offer a variety of health benefits, from improved gastrointestinal health to increased energy levels. For people with a mild to moderate gluten sensitivity, eating a gluten-free diet may improve overall well-being, trigger weight loss, improve digestion, boost energy levels, and improve focus and mental clarity.

If you suffer from chronic digestive problems, including gas, cramping, diarrhea, or constipation, eliminating gluten from your diet may help. People with some degree of gluten sensitivity can reduce the frequency and severity of these symptoms by going gluten-free.

People suffering from even mild gluten sensitivity may experience headaches, mental fogginess, difficulty focusing, and even depression as their body reacts to gluten by attacking its own tissues and causing inflammation in the nervous system. This can lead to mood disorders such as depression or anxiety. Similarly, gluten interferes with the body’s absorption of the protein tryptophan, which is responsible for a general sense of well-being and relaxation. Without tryptophan, a person can experience depressed mood. As a result, eliminating gluten can improve mental clarity and mood.

Gluten sensitivity can cause inflammation in the digestive tract that interferes with digestion and the absorption of important vitamins and minerals, such as iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamins B₁₂ and D, zinc, folate, niacin, and riboflavin. Deficiency in these nutrients often leads to feelings of fatigue and muscle weakness. For many, eliminating gluten can lead to improved energy levels and increased vigor.

Eating gluten can cause an autoimmune reaction in those who are sensitive to it. One common symptom of this reaction is inflammation and pain in the joints, including the hips, knees, and back. Eliminating gluten from the diet can help reduce this joint inflammation and pain.

There is much debate about how—and even whether—going gluten-free leads to weight loss, but many people do lose weight when they switch to a gluten-free diet. In her article published by the Huffington Post, registered dietician Katherine Tallmadge argues that the weight loss is not due to the gluten-free diet but simply due to the fact that going gluten-free limits the foods available, leading you to eat less and lose weight.

According to Dr. Mark Hyman, wheat stimulates the appetite, leading you to eat more than you would if you skipped the wheat. Wheat consumption may also stimulate insulin production, which leads to fat storage. But the fact remains that there is anecdotal data that eliminating gluten from your diet can help you shed some extra pounds. If your decision to go gluten-free is motivated by a desire to lose weight, it is certainly worth a try.

While there are numerous potential benefits of a gluten-free diet, there are some caveats, as well. Sufferers of celiac disease must eliminate gluten from their diet to manage their symptoms and keep themselves healthy. Even people with mild gluten sensitivity may find that they feel worlds better after they eliminate the gluten in their diet. But gluten-free is not a cure-all and can’t be relied on, by itself, to preserve or promote good health for everyone.

A gluten-free diet can be extremely healthy, but that doesn’t mean gluten-free foods are necessarily health foods. In fact, many gluten-free substitutes—for breads, bagels, pastas, and the like—are actually less nutritious than the standard versions. That’s because the manufacturers often replace whole wheat and other whole grains with less nutritious grains, such as white rice, which contain fewer vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.

Makers of many gluten-free foods replace whole grains—wheat, barley, and rye, for instance—with highly processed grains and then boost the fat and sugar content to make up for the loss in flavor. As a result, these gluten-free products are not only lower in nutrition but also higher in calories—empty calories. Be sure to read nutrition labels and eat a balanced diet.

Since white rice and other highly processed grains are often used as substitutes for whole grains, gluten-free products are often much lower in fiber than the originals. When going gluten-free, be sure to eat a diet that is rich in whole, high-fiber foods like beans and whole (gluten-free) grains like quinoa, brown rice, and amaranth.

Many people switch to a gluten-free diet to lose weight, but it’s not uncommon for people to gain weight when going gluten-free. This is likely due to the fact that many newly gluten-free dieters choose gluten-free replacements for their favorite foods, such as breads, bagels, crackers, pasta, and cookies. While these foods may be of limited nutritional value to begin with, the gluten-free versions are often even less nutritious but higher in calories. As a result, many gluten-free foods are lower in vitamins and minerals and higher in carbohydrates, fat, and calories than their counterparts with gluten. And that is not a recipe for weight loss.

The gluten-free product market has expanded exponentially in recent years. These days, just about every supermarket has a section devoted to gluten-free foods, from pasta, crackers, and soy sauce to cereals, cookies, and cakes. Be warned that gluten-free products are generally significantly more expensive than the foods they are meant to replace. Learn to cook gluten-free versions of your favorite foods at home, or better yet, stick to whole foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, beans and legumes, nuts and seeds, and meat, poultry, and fish.

Right about now, you might be feeling a little depressed. The list of foods you have to give up to embrace a gluten-free lifestyle is long and surely contains some of your favorites. The good news is that there are many wholesome, delicious, and extremely nutritious foods that you may eat. Here are some of the many foods that you may enjoy on a gluten-free diet.

Gluten-free grains, including amaranth, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, rice, sorghum, and teff

Gluten-free starches, including arrowroot, flaxseed, potato, sago, soy, and tapioca

Eating gluten-free means avoiding all foods that contain gluten, such as wheat, barley, and rye. The list of foods that may contain these ingredients is long and contains many foods you might never suspect. Here some foods to avoid while following the gluten-free diet.

Crackers, pretzels, cookies, and other snack foods that are not certified gluten-free

Grains and flours that contain gluten, including atta, barley, bulgur, dinkel, durum, kamut, einkorn, emmer, farina, farro, graham, rye, semolina, spelt, triticale, and wheat

1. Focus on what you can eat, not on what you can’t. Rather than getting down about how miserable your life is going to be without pasta, bread, cakes, and cookies, embrace all those foods you can still eat (rice, quinoa, potatoes, cheese, fresh fruit, and so on). Have fun discovering gluten-free substitutes.

2. Learn to love your kitchen. Yes, you can eat out and still eat gluten-free, but it isn’t easy. Learning to cook a few fantastic gluten-free dishes and mastering the use of a handful of gluten-free alternative ingredients will transform your meals from dreary exercises in deprivation into fun adventures of discovery.

3. Get used to planning ahead. Make lists, do your grocery shopping, plan your meals in advance, pack lunches to take with you to work or school, and make sure you always have gluten-free snacks on hand.

4. Enjoy healthy fats. Fat gives you a feeling of fullness and satisfaction, so don’t skimp on it when you are transitioning to a gluten-free diet. Just make sure to choose healthy monounsaturated fats that are full of omega-3 fatty acids. Good sources of healthy fat include avocadoes and avocado oil; coconut, coconut milk, coconut cream, coconut oil, and coconut butter; nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, and so on); and nut and seed butters.

5. Embrace a wide variety of fresh foods. Don’t jump into the gluten-free life by stocking up on gluten-free bread, crackers, and cookies and continuing to eat just as you always have, minus the gluten. For one thing, gluten-free substitutes are often loaded with fat and sugar (to make up for the flavor lost when the wheat is cut out). They are also expensive and often less nutritious than their whole-grain counterparts. Instead, ease into the gluten-free lifestyle by loading up on the wide variety of fresh, healthy foods that are still available to you. Visit your local farmers’ market and stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables. Buy fresh meat, chicken, eggs, dairy, and fish, which are naturally gluten-free.