There are some people who need to avoid gluten in their diet for certain reasons such as allergies and those who have celiac disease. Their body would have adverse reaction when they take in gluten. To avoid those reactions, they need to switch to a gluten-free diet as soon as they discover the symptoms.

Some people might think that a gluten-free diet is complicated to maintain. However, it is relatively easier to maintain compared to other types of diet. If you’re still starting out, here is a simple guide to help your diet transition smoother and less daunting.

Know the Foods You Can and Can’t Eat

Aside from knowing the foods to avoid, one way to make any diet transition more manageable is to learn more about the foods you can eat. When you know which foods are safe to eat, it is easier to plan out meals and shop within your diet perimeters.

Gluten is mainly found in grains such as wheat, barley and rye which you should totally remove from your diet. However, there are gluten-free grains you could eat such as rice, corn, quinoa, buckwheat, sorghum, flax, chia, and many more. There are also oats that are labelled as gluten-free which is safe for you to eat. You could even find gluten free muesli options perfect for quick breakfast or snack.

Check Food Labels

One way to be sure that you’re shopping gluten-free foods is to simply check the label. Packaged foods are labelled if they are gluten-free or not. Even though you’re already buying a certain brand for a long time, it is still important to check the label since ingredients can change any time. If the food has no label, you could still check the list of ingredients. If you find ingredients that contain gluten such as wheat, cross the item off your list.

Explore Gluten-Free Recipes

If you’re still starting a gluten-free diet, there are some foods that you might not have tried before especially those uncommon ones such as sorghum. Although there are many foods that you can’t eat, there is still a wide variety of great recipe options that would fill in your gluten-free diet. Try to experiment with gluten-free ingredients in your cooking or look for new recipes that is safe for you to eat. Mexican and Indian cuisines have a lot of gluten-free ingredients and recipes that you might not even aware of.

Aside from exploring new options, always remember those naturally gluten-free foods that you could easily find around you – fresh meat, fish, poultry, fruits and vegetables, plain dairy products, nuts and legumes. Learn more about the meals you could prepare using those gluten-free ingredients and you’ll definitely have an endless option of delicious and safe dishes you could enjoy.

It might be challenging at first when you’re still starting your gluten-free diet. However, once you get to know more about this different diet, it is actually a lot easier to maintain plus you’ll also notice that it is typically healthier than your usual diet.