Wheat free staple foods

When anyone decides to cut out a food from their diet, no matter the reason, the first thing we do is look for replacements for it. I’ve seen vegans looking for ways to fill the void of having no yoghurt and myself, I have been trying to fill the void that is wheat. For more than 2 years now I have been sustaining myself on a mostly wheat free diet for reasons which I documented in this old blog post. When I first started cutting out wheat, I had plenty of foods to try out, but by now, I’ve falling into a routine and I have a set of foods that I always buy.

There are many other ways in which you can avoid using wheat in your meals and my choices aren’t limited to what I’m showing you today. Products not mentioned are for instance buckwheat grouts (for porridge), almond and coconut meal (for baking) and many other foods that I eat from time to time. What this post is all about is showing you the foods I will always store in my cupboard and fridge no matter what. In other words: my staple, go-to-can’t-live-without-it foods.

Wheat free muesli (Bio Today)

I get this from my bog standard supermarket. They have an aisle with organic foods and one day I found this. It is 100% wheat and refined sugar free and is absolutely delicious. It has replaced my need for keeping sunflower and pumpkin seeds in the house at all times.

Chestnut meal crackers

From my organic supermarket I make sure to keep a supply of chestnut meal crackers. These are also free of sugars and consists of rice, chestnut and sea salt. Three ingredients and that’s it! And they are deliciously crunchy, unlike other wheat free options I’ve tried.

Plain rice cakes (organic)

I go between rice cakes and Dutch rye bread from my organic supermarket. I love these if I’m craving some sort of ‘sandwich’. I usually have this with some cheese, but I find that rice cakes also make a great pairing with jam or honey. My latest find? Serving two hard boiled eggs on top with a sprinkle of salt. So yummy!

Flax seeds

Because you run the risk of eating to little fiber on a wheat free diet, I make sure to have 2 table spoons of flax seeds every day. This has truly been a game changer for me. It literally keeps the motor running.

Spinach

My favorite leafy green veggie? Spinach. It adds texture and flavor to salads, is filled to the brim with nutrients and is a great all rounder. This works hot or cold in both salads and stir fry dishes. And of course paired with some pineapple this makes for a great base for a green smoothie too.

Beetroot juice

I don’t own a juicer, but if I did I would probably be trying to make this myself. For now I’m just sticking to organic beetroot juice which I like as it is sweet and quite filling. I have this every morning before I go to work and have a real breakfast on the train. It fills me up enough to keep me going until I can have a proper breakfast about 1 hour later, and I feel it ‘jumpstarts’ the system too.

Bananas

Where would I be without bananas? These yellow bundles of deliciousness are so versatile. I eat them straight up, use them to make pancakes and sweeten my baked goods with them. They add texture and flavor to anything you put it with. Whether it is to your morning yoghurt or your favorite muffin: a banana will always be a good idea.

Eggs

A food that I started eating more of since I went wheat free are eggs. Again, eggs are versatile and very filling. You can have them boiled, fried, stir fried, poached, etc and that is just when you eat them straight up! When you combine them with veggies or fruits they can make a great meal on its own and can even be turned into a muffin for a quick on the go breakfast.

Full fat yoghurt

When you cut carbs you need to get your energy from somewhere and in my case I try to balance it out by eating full fat products. I cook using real butter or coconut oil and my morning yoghurt is full fat. It fills you up for longer and it tastes much better too. Did you know that full fat yoghurt usually contains fewer sugars than the leaner versions?

Peanut butter

Another versatile and a bit of a naughty ‘food’, if you can call it that. But peanut butter is a food I can no longer live without. I’ve always loved it, but never did I know that you can use this to bake cookies, as a dip for apple slices, add flavor to Asian style dishes, stick it in smoothies and my favorite: eat it straight up with a spoon.

Have you ever cut food(s) from your diet? How did you replace them? Or if you haven’t what food could you never live without?