If you’re coeliac or gluten intolerant, or on a gluten free diet for health reasons, you might have heard these intelligent quips once or twice. This is usually followed by a pitying look and something along the lines of ‘poor you, you cannot eat anything!’ Anyone following a gluten-free diet knows that this isn’t true. It is certainly challenging, especially when you’re on the go and in areas where it is hard to find a shop selling GF snacks, but it is not impossible.
Smoothies are a Great Gluten Free Alternative
First things first. Always have a good breakfast. A smoothie prepared the day before will suffice if you’re in a hurry, and all you need is some fruit, milk and a blender, and of course a reusable bottle. My go to favourite is this delicious peanut butter banana smoothie:
PEANUT BUTTER AND BANANA SMOOTHIE
- 1 banana (doesn’t necessarily have to be ripe. Could be frozen)
- ½ tablespoon peanut butter
- 100ml almond /rice milk
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder, for that caffeine kick
Gluten Free Salads ought not be Dull
In my bag you will always find a packet of breadsticks or crackers, a small bag of cereal with some nuts/ dried fruit and a handful of seeds. The mixture always varies and when I have a couple of minutes at home, I also like to stock up on flourless mini muffins. You will never find a sandwich in my lunchbox, but a quinoa or a millet salad, or a lentil pattie with a side of greens and potatoes.
This normally means that I need to carry a cooler bag around with me, but I’ve never really found any problem with that, because my stomach should always come first! Whenever I have nothing delicious to dig into, or on the off chance I forget my lunchbox, I always regret it, as I end up eating whatever I find, which is normally crisps or chocolate. Worse still are the days I have to stop at a restaurant and spend a fortune on a salad or steak because they are the only available safe alternatives on the menu.
PESTO MILLET SALAD (Serves 4 as a side dish)
Ingredients
- 1 cup millet, raw
- 1 yellow pepper, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 red / green chilli pepper, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 medium carrot, grated /thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons pesto
- 1 large can tuna, in sunflower oil (optional)
Directions
- Boil 1 cup millet with 2 cups of water. Cook until all the water is absorbed and the millet is fluffy.
- Chop all the vegetables as instructed above, and sauté in olive oil until soft.
- Mix the cooked millet with the vegetables and mix in the pesto. Serve warm or cold. You can add a can of tuna if you wish.
Serving suggestion: You can serve the salad in half a bell pepper as a side dish.
© 2016 – VIDA Magazine – Rebecca Bugeja
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