Can you be a gluten Free Vegan? Of course you can!

If you are on a gluten free diet and wish to reduce or eliminate animal products from your diet, that is possible also.

Whereas a vegetarian may still eat fish, poultry, game, cheese and eggs a vegan, or strict vegetarian will not. Other animal food products such as eggs, milk, gelatine, honey, animal fats and rennet will also be off the menu. Add celiac to the mix and in addition, wheat, barley and rye will need to be avoided.

The cost of a gluten free vegan diet

But what about the time it takes to prepare and cook non-meat based meals? If you have been used to popping pre-prepared meals into the microwave and sitting down to eat them minutes later, then yes, this way of life may take a little longer. But it will certainly be healthier and there are ways to streamline things.

Will you get enough protein?

You may have been brought up to consider that a meal consists of meat, two veggies and a glass of milk, perhaps accompanied by a thick slice of bread. In fact without the meat portion a meal might seem incomplete, a reasoning that meat producers are keen to endorse - after all they want to continue selling their produce!

In fact. the normal western diet generally consists of too much protein, and along with it a high fat content.

We have also come to look on bread. and other baked goods. as an essential part of our daily requirements. Transitioning to a gluten free vegan diet may therefore take some getting used to, but it will pay dividends for your health in many ways.

Meat Replacements for the gluten free vegan

Tofu

There is also research that claims soy foods can help reduce certain types of cancer, including breast cancer. This is said to be due to the levels of phytoestrogens called isoflavones contained within the beans.

Pulses

If you are introducing these for the first time, however, be aware that you may suffer increased flatulence or bloating due to their high fibre content, so take it slowly. You might want to start with those considered more digestible, such as adzuki beans, split peas and lentils.

If you have never cooked with legumes before the Vegan Weight Loss Web site has simple cooking instructions and some low fat bean recipes you might want to try. Most of them are gluten free. You might also like to check out my tasty recipe for mexican dip.

Quinoa

It can be eaten in place of rice or couscous, and can also be ground into a useful gluten free flour for baking. For more information check out my page on quinoa.

Dairy replacements

Non-dairy milks

You can replace cow or goats milk with soy, rice or nut milks, which can be purchased from health food shops and some grocery stores. Avoid Rice Dream, as the manufacturer uses barley to polish the rice, rendering it non-gluten-free. You might want to try making your own, for example my Almond Milk recipe.

Egg replacements

When baking try grinding 3 teaspoons flax seeds in a coffee grinder and whisking into boiling water. Then leave it to stand for 5 minutes before using in place of the eggs..

You might want to check out Tyler's site for information on the health benefits of flaxseed oil.

Gluten free vegan health benefits

There are health advantages to becoming a vegan, in addition to this. A vegan diet is low in fat and higher in fibre than a "normal" diet, which helps to reduce obesity, heart disease and high blood pressure. It can also help you to avoid certain bowel cancers, a disease that undiagnosed coeliacs are more at risk of, than the general population. Reducing your chances of diet related diabetes is also important as type 2 diabetes often goes hand in hand with coeliac.

If you have decided that becoming a gluten free vegan or vegetarian is the way forward for you, please remember to contact your dietitian first. Then you can look forward to a healthier way of life.

For more information . . .

For more information about the vegan and vegetarian diets the vegetarian hub is also a useful place to visit.

You may also find the free Gluten free vegan cookbooks that can be downloaded from vitalita.com useful. They were developed by a professional chef and include some wonderful recipes. The books are in pdf format and contain over 300 pages so may take a while to download. Enjoy!

Gluten free vegan recipes on this site

For some of these you would need to substitute vegetable stock or a vegan spread or cheese for the ones mentioned in the recipe.

Ground rice with apples

coconut raisin pudding

Apple Crumble

Celery, Apple and Walnut stuffing

Cranberry rice stuffing

Sage and onion stuffing

Almond milk recipe

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

Pioneer Nutritional Gluten-Free Vegetarian Calcium/Magnesium (90 Tablets)

Gluten free food list

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Gluten free flour

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