Are you considering a dairy and gluten free diet? Learn these practical tips on How To Go Gluten and Dairy-Free to help you successfully transition to a gluten-free and dairy-free diet and lifestyle!
This post provides general information about gluten-free and dairy-free diets and should not be taken as medical advice.
In this post I’ll share actionable tips to help you start and maintain a gluten-free and dairy-free diet. You’ll learn what you can eat on a dairy and gluten free diet, strategies to help you manage the transition, and solutions to common challenges that people face when starting this diet.
Pro Tip: Every recipe on Heal Me Delicious is gluten-free and dairy-free! Get inspired to make delicious dairy free and gluten free foods with these 15 Easy Dinner Recipes.
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As the creator of an online dairy-free and gluten-free baking school and someone who lives with food allergies and an autoimmune disease, I know just how challenging and daunting it can be to navigate a special diet! Whether you’re curious, just beginning your gluten and dairy-free journey, or looking for support for better diet compliance, these tips are meant to ease your transition so it’s successful and even enjoyable!
How To Go Gluten and Dairy-Free
There are many reasons folks decide to go gluten and dairy-free. From addressing health conditions like some inflammatory and autoimmune diseases to managing food allergies, intolerances, or sensitivities to personal preference and ethics, the motivations behind your decision may affect how strictly you adhere to the diet. The strategies and tips below can help you make informed choices and keep you on track. Once you understand what gluten and dairy are, you’ll know what foods to eat and avoid to maintain this diet.
What Is Gluten?
Gluten is the general term for the proteins glutenin and gliadin found in wheat, barley, rye, triticale (a cross-breed of rye and wheat), and all of their derivatives. This includes pastas, breads, many breakfast cereals, pretzels, crackers, and also baked goods like cakes, cookies, pies, and donuts. It’s present in condiments like teriyaki and soy sauce, in Brewer’s yeast, and in drinks like beer and malt. Gluten makes dough stretchy and is responsible for the structure, chewiness, and overall texture of foods containing gluten.
People with certain health conditions like celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and wheat allergies need to completely eliminate gluten from their diet. Additionally, some individuals with gluten sensitivity or intolerance avoid gluten to reduce their symptoms.
What Is Dairy?
Dairy refers to the milk and milk by-products from mammals, particularly cows, sheep, goat, buffalo, and camels. This includes butter, buttermilk, cheese, cottage cheese, cream, ghee, kefir, ice cream, yogurt, and whey. Nutritionally, dairy provides vitamins, minerals, and proteins. In cooking and baking, it adds a rich and creamy texture and flavor to various dishes including baked goods and also desserts like cakes, cookies, breads, waffles, pancakes, donuts, milk chocolates, barfi, flan, panna cotta, pasta sauces, curry sauces, gravies and in drinks like milkshakes, lattes, and hot chocolate.
Some folks with milk allergies, lactose intolerance, or casein sensitivity need to avoid dairy completely.
How to Go Gluten Free and Dairy-Free
The most obvious tip is to remove, avoid, and not consume any gluten or dairy. But in reality, it’s much more difficult to implement and can often be overwhelming. These actionable steps can help you ease into a gluten-free and dairy-free diet. Not every one of these tips may be feasible or applicable to your situation, but will help you have a good idea of how to begin and manage this journey.
Educate Yourself on Gluten and Dairy Sources
Knowing what foods contain gluten and dairy is the best way to avoid them. Identify ingredients like wheat, barley, rye, and oats (if not certified gluten free) for gluten, and check for milk, lactose, casein, and whey for dairy. Look for hidden sources of gluten and dairy in soups, sauces and salad dressings, processed foods, deli meats, spice blends and bouillon cubes, and medications and supplements. Other terms that can indicate gluten include ingredients like modified starch, hydrolyzed protein, natural and artificial flavorings, and natural and artificial food colorings. Additional terms which can indicate dairy are casein, caseinate, lactose, milk solids, lactalbumin, lactoglobulin, and lactoferrin.
Purge Your Kitchen
Creating a supportive environment by removing all foods with gluten and dairy makes it easy to avoid eating gluten and dairy at home. Clearing your fridge and pantry make it easier to stick to your diet and reduce the temptation of eating gluten and dairy-containing foods. Of course, depending on the reasons why you are going gluten and dairy-free, it may be easier and more feasible to gradually eliminate foods rather than go cold turkey.
Read Ingredients Lists and Food Labels
Always read the ingredients lists carefully to check for gluten and dairy. Look for clearly labelled terms like “Gluten-Free” and “Dairy-Free” and their corresponding symbols on food packaging. Labels with “Parve” or “Vegan” indicate that it’s dairy-free, while “Certified Gluten-Free” is safe even for those with severe gluten allergies and celiac disease, with less than 20 parts per million. Labels with “Paleo” and “Whole30” also indicate that packaged foods are both gluten-free and dairy-free.
Additionally, most grocery stores have a “health food” aisle with dairy and gluten free foods, making them readily available. Research and try different gluten-free and dairy-free brands to see what you like. Some of my favorites include Siete Foods for gluten-free and dairy-free cookies and chips, Pascha Chocolate and Lovebird Grain-Free Cereals.
Focus on Whole Foods
No need to feel hungry or deprived on a gluten and dairy-free diet! There are still so many more options of what you can have then what you can’t. Prioritize fresh fruits and vegetables, unprocessed meat and poultry, seafood and fish, legumes like peas, beans and lentils, seeds, nuts, and soy. Eating a wide variety of nutrient-dense foods creates a well-balanced diet, preventing any nutrient deficiencies once you’ve eliminated gluten and dairy. Eating fresh, whole foods will also make it easier to avoid gluten and dairy in processed foods.
Cook At Home
This is the best way to control ingredients, ensuring they’re gluten and dairy-free, and prevent cross-contact. Experiment with ingredients and recipes to experience the widest variety of this diet possible without feeling restricted. Moreover, it’s the most cost-effective way to enjoy a gluten and dairy-free diet.
Avoid Cross-Contact
This is a particular concern for folks with food allergies or celiac disease. Cross-contact occurs when a food allergen accidentally transfers from one food containing that allergen to another food that doesn’t. For example, if a gluten-containing food accidentally comes into contact with a gluten-free food. Unlike cross-contamination of bacteria or viruses, cooking at high temperatures will not ‘kill’ or eliminate the allergen. Thus, someone with that food allergy can still have a severe reaction. To avoid cross-contact, use separate cooking utensils, cutting boards, dish ware and utensils, cookware, cleaning sponges, and even appliances like toasters for your gluten-free and dairy-free food.
Meal Plan and Prep
Plan out your meals in advance with a weekly menu. This makes it easier to make and stick to a shopping list without feeling overwhelmed in the supermarket or getting tempted to purchase non-compliant foods. Prep meals by washing and cutting vegetables, cooking grains, seasoning meats, and preparing versatile dishes like sauces or dressings. Batch cooking and freezing meals ahead of time ensures that you have meals easily available, especially during the busy week.
Shop for Alternatives
Gluten-free grains include amaranth, buckwheat, certified gluten-free oats, corn, millet, quinoa, rice, sorghum, and teff. Starchy vegetables and tubers like potatoes, sweet potatoes, squashes, yams and cassava are also excellent substitutes for gluten-containing grains and pastas. Popular dairy alternatives include almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, soy milk, and their derivatives in dairy-free and vegan butters, yogurts, cheeses, creams, and ice creams. There are also many options for gluten-free dairy-free pastas and cereals.
Maintain a Food Journal
Keep track of your meals and how you feel both physically and emotionally as you begin this journey. This can help identify patterns, symptoms you may experience and how you react to certain foods, as well as help you cope emotionally with this change. It’s especially helpful for folks who decide to go gluten and dairy-free due to health concerns in determining whether the diet works for them and identifying any other food triggers. Moreover, tracking any improvements you may experience once you eliminate gluten and dairy can be very rewarding and motivate you to keep at it!
Get Support
Making these significant diet and lifestyle changes can have a huge emotional impact, especially in the beginning. Rely on family and friends for emotional support, as well as with practical implementation if possible. Having loved ones prepare and share your meals with you can be very encouraging and empowering. Creating a positive and inclusive experience around your new diet and lifestyle can make it easier to maintain in the long run. You can also seek support in online communities and forums from people going through the same thing as you. This solidarity and support on your journey can also ease the transition.
Consult an Expert
Work with a registered dietician or certified nutritionist for advice and support. They can create a gluten and dairy-free diet plan to ensure you’re meeting your nutritional needs. In addition, you should consult with your healthcare provider before beginning any diet, especially if you have specific health concerns.
List of Gluten and Dairy Alternatives
Be prepared! Stocking your fridge and pantry with common gluten-free and dairy-free substitutes makes it easier to adhere to the diet with readily available, compliant foods and ingredients to make a variety of gluten-free and dairy-free dishes.
- Gluten-Free Flours: almond flour, arrowroot starch, cassava flour, certified gluten-free oat flour, chickpea flour, coconut flour, green banana flour, rice flour, sweet potato flour, tapioca starch, tigernut flour.
- Gluten-Free Grains: amaranth, buckwheat, corn, millet, quinoa, rice, sorghum, and teff.
- Dairy-Free Milks: almond milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, flax milk, hazelnut milk, hemp milk, macadamia nut milk, oat milk, rice milk, and soy milk.
- Dairy-Free Cheeses: almond cheese, cashew cheese, nutritional yeast, soy cheese, vegan and plant-based cheese.
- Butter Substitutes: coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, palm shortening, vegan and plant-based butters.
- Gluten and Dairy-Free Pasta: lentil pasta, quinoa pasta, rice pasta, sweet potato pasta.
- Gluten-Free Baking Essentials: gluten-free baking powder, baking soda, xantham gum.
- Gluten and Dairy-Free Snacks: popcorn, rice cakes, gluten-free dairy-free crackers, meat sticks/beef jerky, nuts, seeds, olives, dried fruit, and dairy-free/vegan chocolate.
- Gluten and Dairy-Free Condiments: gluten-free tamari, mustard, salsa, hot sauce.
- Gluten-Free Vinegars: apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar.
- Legumes & Pulses: beans, chickpeas, lentils, peas.
- Canned Goods: applesauce, coconut butter, coconut cream, pumpkin puree, sweet potato puree, tomato paste.
- Vegetables: frozen and fresh.
- Fruits: frozen and fresh.
- Meat & Poultry: fresh, frozen, canned, and dried.
- Seafood & Fish: fresh, frozen, canned, and dried.
- Soy: tofu, tempeh.
Gluten and Dairy-Free Menu
Still feel intimidated and not sure where to begin? Kick-start your journey with these gluten and dairy free meal options:
- Breakfast: Vegan Carrot Cake Overnight Oats, Sheet Pan Butternut Squash Hash, Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, Maple Breakfast Sausages, Vegan Gluten-Free Banana Bread, or this Wild Blueberry Beet Smoothie.
- Lunch: Gluten-Free Tortillas with Gluten-Free Meatballs and Wild Leek Pesto, Creamy Chicken Soup, or Stuffed Sweet Potato Cakes.
- Snack: Sweet Baked Plantains with Bacon, Trinidadian Citrus Chow, Vegan Queso Cheese Dip with gluten-free tortilla chips, Tuna Patties, or sip on some Gluten-Free Bone Broth.
- Dinner: Coconut Curry Salmon with rice and Sautéed Kale Salad, Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Meatloaf with Vegan Potato Salad and Shaved Vegetable Salad, or this One-Pan Chicken and Orzo.
- Dessert: Gluten-Free Vegan Brownies, Peach Ice Cream, or Gluten-Free Vegan Shortbread Cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Once you know what you can and can’t have, you can successfully navigate eating out with planning and communication.
Firstly, you can research gluten-free and dairy-free restaurants in your area. Or, if you’re going somewhere that’s not specifically gluten and dairy-free, look at the menu online in advance. You can even call ahead to ask what options are suitable or if they can make substitutions.
At the restaurant, share your dietary requirements with servers. Ask about the ingredients and how dishes are made to ensure there are no hidden sources of gluten or dairy. Let them know if cross-contact is an issue for you.
Let your friends and family know about your diet so they can be mindful of having options available at gatherings. Share some of your favorite gluten-free dairy-free recipes, and don’t be shy to bring your own dish! These gluten-free and dairy-free Healthy Thanksgiving Appetizers are guaranteed crowd-pleasers and are perfect for any occasion.
Stock up on gluten and dairy-free foods so you don’t reach for non-compliant snacks or treats. Whole foods and unprocessed snacks like fresh and dried fruits, veggie sticks, nuts, and seeds are always handy when you’re hungry or to keep cravings at bay.
Learn to make homemade gluten and dairy-free versions of your favorite foods to satisfy cravings while adhering to the diet.
Explore gluten-free dairy-free snacks and treats available at various groceries. Research restaurants, health food stores, or bakeries that offer gluten and dairy-free options of foods you miss. Knowing where to find suitable alternatives makes it easier to maintain this diet when eating out or shopping.
Craving sweet treats? Check out these 17 Gluten-free Dairy-free Desserts.
Gluten-free and dairy-free alternatives often cost more than their conventional counterparts. Manage costs by focusing on whole, unprocessed foods, buying in bulk, and when items are on sale. Cooking at home is also more cost-effective than buying specialty pre-packaged foods or eating out.
Gluten-free baking often requires blending gluten-free flours with gluten-free binders and leavening agents to mimic the texture of baked goods with gluten. Learn gluten-free baking techniques in my online course, The Basics.
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