People eat gluten-free for a variety of reasons: celiac disease, intolerance, or for general good health. Eliminating such a ubiquitous compound from your diet can be challenging, so a number of food producers have begun manufacturing alternatives to traditionally wheat-based foods.
These products don’t appeal to everyone, however, due to their higher cost and processed content. Fortunately, there are a number of simple, affordable substitutes you can create using only vegetables.
Instead of noodles: Zucchini or Spaghetti Squash
- Using a julienne slicer, create long shreds of raw zucchini. These can be stir-fried or briefly boiled (one minute) and topped with sauce.
- Instead of lasagna noodles, use a mandoline to create thin slices of zucchini. Layer as you would noodles in lasagna or casseroles.
- Tip: To reduce the moisture in the zucchini “noodles” before you cook, lightly salt them and place between paper towels or cheesecloth for 15 minutes.
- Instead of spaghetti noodles, simply bake a spaghetti squash and top with the sauce of your choice.
Instead of bread: Leafy Greens
- Use lettuce, kale, or other greens to wrap burgers instead of using buns.
- Use large-leaf greens to create wraps in lieu of sandwiches and tacos.
Instead of crackers or chips: Vegetable slices
- Skip the crackers and dunk slices of cucumber, carrot, or other vegetables into the dip of your choice.
- If you have a dehydrator, you can create crispy chips from sliced sweet potatoes, zucchini, carrots, parsnips. Simply slice, lightly salt, and dehydrate.
Instead of croutons: Nuts
- To add some crunch to your salad, opt for high-protein nuts instead.
With a few simple swaps you will be well on your way to eating a lighter, healthier, less processed gluten-free diet. Have any clever substitutions of your own? Share them in the comments!
