Diet Health - Gluten Free Grains - Health

To have celiac disease, or gluten intolerance, in the United States would be like being allergic to rice in China. Why? Because in America grains like wheat, rye, oats, and barley are used to make most of the popular foods like pasta, pizza, and bread.

As most of us know, diet health is crucial for your well-being. These major grains listed above contain natural carbohydrates, which give the body energy, or fuel. Without eating any grains you will find yourself feeling lethargic.This obviously can create some frustration for those that are gluten intolerant. However, there are ways around it. You just need to educate yourself and learn what other things you can use to substitute into your diet for the major Western grains. Some of these alternative grains are healthier anyway.

Gluten-Free Grains For Your Diet Health

While the following grains are gluten-free when you use them as substitutes in your diet the taste of what you prepare will vary slightly from the original. But with time and experimenting with things like spices and flavorings you can get your gluten-free meals to taste just as good as anything else.

You will be able to find these grains in most supermarkets, specialty super markets, and health food stores. The first gluten-free grain is buckwheat.

I know it is confusing, but "Buckwheat" doesn't have any wheat in it. Buckwheat can be found at most grocery stores and health food stores. Buckwheat can be a great substitute in waffles and pancakes.

The second gluten-free grain is quinoa. Quinoa is a rice-like grain from South America that can be used as a substitute in virtually any couscous, rice, or pasta recipe. Be aware that cooking with quinoa and learning the proper portions takes some getting used to.

The next gluten-free grain is one the first ever cultivated grains. It is known as millet. This grain is inexpensive and should be easy to find at your local health food store. You should also be able to easily find millet bread. This bread is delicious and makes a great substitute.

Then you have corn. Obviously you can just eat it as is or you can use corn flour as a substitute for regular flour. Corn starch is another type of gluten-free grain substitute.

The last common grain substitue is Sorghum. Sorghum looks like sugar cane, can be used as a sweetener, and can be used to make gluten-free beer. It is also used as an ingredient in ice cream.

Less Known Grains

Some other grains, although more difficult to find are also gluten-free and can be used as wheat substitutes for your diet health. They include:* Amaranth* Teff (a small Ethiopian grain found within the ancient Pyramids and still used as a primary dinner ingredient in Egypt) * Montina (sometimes called Indian rice grass)* Wild Rice

Your best place to find these grains is at some type of specialty ethnic grocery store or market. If you are gluten intolerant I hope you can use some of the above suggestions to help you find gluten-free substitutes for your diet health.