Gluten free, easy

With an estimated 1 in 70 Australians suffering from coeliac disease, diagnosis of the condition is often fraught with worries about how to stick to a gluten-free diet.  But Connect Health & Community Dietitian, Angela, says it is getting easier by the day to get and stay healthy.

Coeliac disease causes your body to have an immune response to gluten - the protein found in wheat, barley and rye.  The treatment is a strict gluten-free diet and this can seem daunting.

But, thankfully it is becoming easier to follow gluten free routine.  As well as more food products becoming available, Angela says there are now plenty of handy tools to help with shopping, eating out and finding recipes.

Here are just a few she recommends:

GLUTEN FREE EATING DIRECTORY - If you love to going to restaurants (or for the moment, getting their takeaway) a restaurant finder could come in handy.  The phone app has many features, including a ‘near me’ option that uses the GPS on your phone to find your location and pull up eateries closest to you. The Search function gives you the option to search via name, location or type. And of course, it allows you to add your favourites, so when we can dine out again, you can sit in an enjoy the ambiance as well.

COELIAC SOCIETY AUSTRALIA APP - This is a comprehensive app for ingredient checking.  It does cost $9.49, but is monitored and updated by the society regularly.  There are free apps available, including ‘Is It Gluten Free?’ and ‘Gluten Free Guide’.

GO SCAN: While not specifically gluten-free focussed, this is a product-checking app that is handy if you are on the run. The Go Scan app allows you to create an account. You can set your preferences to your dietary needs and save them.  You can also use the camera on your phone to scan a barcode and find out all the information about the product.

You can also use ‘Health Switch’ to filter for gluten-free products.

And for those of us who are looking to cook up a gluten-free storm with all our extra home time, you can seek recipe inspiration from the ‘Gluten Free Lifestyle Recipes’ app available on AppStore.

With so much yummy inspiration, you’ll never run out of ideas.

If you are new to following a gluten-free diet, or need some assistance in applying the gluten free diet to your lifestyle, an Accredited Practicing Dietitian can help.

Call Connect Health & Community today on 03) 9575 5333 to arrange a consultation with a Dietitian.

Source: Aussie coeliac