How to cook gluten-free food the whole family will love.
I share this article from Becky Excell which I think many readers will find helpful, especially if a member of your family has coeliac disease, or is gluten intolerant. Many are tempted to make two different meals, but sometimes there is no need!
“Multiple dishes for the same meal is an age-old issue, often with the ‘one awkward person’ (me!) being the person who has to end up eating a separately prepared meal from everyone else,” says Excell. We all know our weekly food shop is far more expensive than it used to be, in fact the Office of National Statistics says it increased by 25% between January 2022 and January 2024.
Unfortunately, for those on a gluten-free diet, it gets worse with Coeliac UK explaining ‘the weekly food shop suitable for a gluten free diet can be as much as 35% more expensive.’
There are ways to cut down on the time, money and effort required if cooking family meals though, says gluten-free chef Becky Excell…
Make gluten-free mains the norm
“This was the case in our house for many years after I started a gluten-free diet and it can be extremely time consuming, stressful, more expensive and result in a lot of washing up. It also often makes the person with dietary requirements feel like a problem or a hassle!
“For me, the solution has always been to just make the entire dish gluten-free and nine times out of 10, not only is it possible, but nobody would notice the difference.
For example, no one would ever know my Yorkshire puddings were gluten-free (recipe here). Nor my gluten-free flatbreads (recipe here). So naturally, there’s no need to make a ‘special batch’ just for one person. That way, everyone’s happy and normality is restored!”
There are, of course, many dishes that are naturally gluten-free and will appeal for family meals such as this Hot honey chicken and sweet potato traybake (see here), and this salmon traybake, (see here). The salmon traybake being lower in carbs!
Pair pricier gluten-free substitutes with budget ingredients
When buying your gluten-free specialist ingredients consider whether you’ll be able to use them regularly in your cooking to make them worth the spend.
“Some gluten-free ingredients can cost considerably more than their gluten-containing counterparts, but it’s likely that most of the dishes you love eating at home only require a small amount of those costly ingredients – such as gluten-free soy sauce, gluten-free plain flour or cornflour (for thickening sauces) or gluten-free breadcrumbs,” says Excell.
Then, it’s a case of pairing these pricier ingredients with budget ingredients.
“Some of the most family-friendly dishes are those which are largely comprised of affordable ingredients like tinned tomatoes, tinned beans, potatoes and other veg, which is why you see them in so many family meals and it’s so common to see them on our plates.
“Luckily, with a few gluten-free swaps it’s easy to turn these regular ingredients into family friendly meals.”
If you are looking for low carb / keto gluten free recipes find some here
Dear reader, articles within this blog are provided for general information only and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. Not all recipes within this blog may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic (more about this here) and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.
All the best Jan
