The following items can be consumed liberally on your Gluten Free Diet (go organic and local with your whole- food choices wherever possible; flash frozen is fine, too):
Gluten Free Foods to Be Eaten Liberally
- Healthy fat: extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil, coconut oil, grass-fed tallow and organic or pasture-fed butter, ghee, almond milk, avocados, coconuts, olives, nuts and nut butters, cheese (except for blue cheeses), and seeds (flaxseed, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds).
- Protein: whole eggs; wild fish (salmon, black cod, mahi mahi, grouper, herring, trout, sardines); shellfish and mollusks (shrimp, crab, lobster, mussels, clams, oysters); grass-fed meat, fowl, poultry, and pork (beef, lamb, liver, bison, chicken, turkey, duck, ostrich, veal); wild game.
- Vegetables: leafy greens and lettuces, collards, spinach, broccoli, kale, chard, cabbage, onions, mushrooms, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, sauerkraut, artichoke, alfalfa sprouts, green beans, celery, bok choy, radishes, watercress, turnip, asparagus, garlic, leek, fennel, shallots, scallions, ginger, jicama, parsley, water chestnuts.
- Low-sugar Fruit: avocado, bell peppers, cucumber, tomato, zucchini, squash, pumpkin, eggplant, lemons, limes.
- Herbs, Seasonings, and Condiments: You can go wild here as long as you watch labels. Kiss ketchup and chutney goodbye but enjoy mustard, horseradish, tapenade, and salsa if they are free of gluten, wheat, soy, and sugar. There are virtually no restrictions on herbs and seasonings; be mindful of packaged products, however, that were made at plants that process wheat and soy.
Gluten Free Foods to Be Eaten in Moderation
The following can be used in moderation (“moderation” means eating small amounts of these ingredients once a day or, ideally, just a couple times weekly):
- Non-gluten grains: amaranth, buckwheat, rice (brown, white, wild), millet, quinoa, and sorghum. (A note about oats: although oats do not naturally contain gluten, they are frequently contaminated with gluten because they are processed at mills that also handle wheat; avoid them unless they come with a guarantee that they are gluten-free.) When non-gluten grains are processed for human consumption (e.g., milling whole oats and preparing rice for packaging), their physical structure changes, and this increases the risk of an inflammatory reaction. For this reason, we limit these foods.
- Legumes (beans, lentils, peas). Exception: you can have hummus (made from chickpeas).
- Carrots and parsnips.
- Whole sweet fruit: berries are best; be extra cautious of sugary fruits such as apricots, mangos, melons, papaya, prunes, and pineapple.
- Cow’s milk and cream: use sparingly in recipes, coffee, and tea.
- Cottage cheese, yogurt, and kefir: use sparingly in recipes or as a topping.
- Sweeteners: natural stevia and chocolate (choose dark chocolate that’s at least 70 percent or more cocoa).
- Wine: one glass a day if you so choose, preferably red.
Here’s a sample shopping list:
- Shredded Coconut
- Paostachal
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Hempseeds
- Chia seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Olive Oil (extra virgin)
- Coconut Oil (virgin)
- 100% Grass Fed Beef
- Pasture Range Eggs, * never buy Pasteurized eggs*, or anything pasteurized!
- Avocado
- Free Range Turkey
- Free Range Chicken
- Mixed Greens
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Wild Salmon
- Berries (in moderation)
- Onions
- Garlic
- Bell Pepper, red, yellow, orange
- Black Pepper
- Goat’s Cheese
- Fresh turmeric
- Fresh ginger
- Fresh mushrooms
- Cauliflower
- Chard red and green
- Celery
- Leeks
- Radishes
What kind of diet do you want? First what do you want to accomplish, from your diet, what is your health like, and what is the diet your eating at present. All good questions that need to be answer before you start.
