If you’re looking for family-friendly wheat free meals, this post is for you! We’ve included recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as delicious wheat free treats and desserts you’ll wish you tried sooner. Many of these recipes are naturally gluten, dairy, and sugar free, and since you can meal prep many of these ahead of time, they make the perfect weeknight dinners as they can be reheated in a pinch!
Wheat Allergy vs. Celiac Disease
While the symptoms of a wheat allergy are similar to those of celiac disease, there are some key differences between the two. Many people overcome wheat allergies over time, whereas celiac disease is a chronic autoimmune disorder. A wheat allergy is a temporary immune reaction to one or more wheat proteins, whereas celiac disease causes damage to the lining of the small intestines over time, resulting in diarrhea, bloating, weight loss, fatigue, and anemia. Untreated celiac disease can also prevent the small intestine from absorbing nutrients, which can interfere with growth and development in children and lead to other health challenges in adults.
5 Tips for Cooking Wheat Free Meals
Before we jump into our favorite wheat free meals, here are some helpful wheat free cooking tips and tricks!
1. STORE WHEAT FREE FLOUR IN THE FRIDGE OR FREEZER
Gluten and wheat free flours tend to have a shorter lifespan than traditional flours. Be sure to read labels carefully and take note of the expiration date as well as how you should store your flour substitutes to ensure they remain fresh.
2. TRY DIFFERENT SPICES AND FLAVORINGS
Gluten and wheat free flours typically have a distinct taste to them, which can take some getting used to so choose recipes that call for flavors you like. Vanilla and cinnamon are great as these tend to mask the taste of the base flour you’re using. You can increase the amount of your flavor of choice if desired.
3. FOLLOW RECIPES PRECISELY
While cooking lends itself to experimenting with ‘a little bit of this and a little bit of that’, baking is much more precise. Swapping out or omitting ingredients can completely ruin your baked goods. Start by following existing recipes precisely, and once you get a sense for the science behind eliminating wheat, you’ll be much more successful at taking an existing recipe and making it wheat free.
4. ADD MOISTURE AND STRUCTURE IF NEEDED
If you’re attempting to convert one of your favorite recipes into a wheat free meal or treat, you may need to add a little moisture. If your recipe already calls for ingredients such as eggs, oil, pureed fruits, yogurt, or cottage cheese, you may need to increase the amount slightly so your finished product doesn’t turn out too dry. You can also replace white sugar with brown sugar, or use a sugar substitute such as honey or agave to add moisture. In the absence of gluten, increasing the amount of wet ingredients in your recipe will also give structure to your baked goods so they don’t turn out too dense and crumbly.
5. INCREASE YOUR LEAVENING AGENT
Gluten doesn’t just give structure to baked goods – it helps them rise as well. If you’re adapting a traditional recipe into a gluten free dessert, you will want to increase the amount of baking soda or baking powder you use by about 25%.
