The demand for gluten free food has been on the rise for quite some time now. There are loads of reasons for people wanting to go gluten free1. Some people do it because of health problems. Some decide to become gluten free because they want to cut excess carbs from their diet. Regardless of why you want to go gluten free, you need to know where to start. Following a gluten free diet can be a lot harder than you might think. This is thanks to the fact that you can find gluten in a number of common food items.
Fortunately, we now have meal delivery services with gluten free options. These companies go the extra mile to source ingredients that are free of gluten. Some of the companies that offer gluten free options (such as ActivEats) often hold certifications for producing gluten free food. You can always get in touch with these companies and develop a gluten free meal plan with them.
Before we get into looking at gluten free meal plans, let’s talk about gluten for a bit.
What is Gluten?
Gluten is a kind of protein that is commonly found in wheat, rye, and other kinds of grains. Gluten is what gives wheat flour its stretchy texture. This protein is a lot like glue; it holds food together. Most people know that gluten is present in wheat flour. However, this isn’t the only place to expect to find gluten. This protein can be found in some food items.
Gluten is a relatively harmless substance. However, some people have a natural intolerance for gluten. People with gluten intolerance can experience adverse consequences if they ingest gluten. This is why people with gluten intolerance need to be careful about what they eat. Eating gluten can be life-threatening in some cases. The problem with gluten is that it’s hard to avoid. You can find gluten in various grains, oats, and even in salad dressings. Sadly, not many people are educated about gluten. This makes sticking with a gluten free diet a lot tougher. You need to have a keen understanding of what includes gluten in order to avoid this protein.
Finding a Gluten Free Meal Delivery Service
Nowadays you can find a large number of meal delivery companies. These businesses have been on the rise as more people have been looking for easier ways to eat healthy2. A typical meal delivery service offers a practical way of eating healthy. Their business depends on sourcing quality ingredients so they can put healthy and nourishing food in your plates. Some Meal Delivery companies let you customize your meal plans to an extent. Some only let you pick from a few different kinds of weekly plans. These companies try to offer as much variety in their meal plans as possible. Some companies offer exclusively vegan and gluten free plans as well. If you want to adopt a gluten free diet, you should try going for a company that has a gluten free meal plan. For people who are really strict about avoiding gluten, you can even check whether a company has a certification to verify their claims to being gluten free or not.
If you can’t find a gluten free meal delivery service that operates in your area, you shouldn’t despair. You can always look for other meal delivery services. There are plenty of businesses that are not strictly gluten free, but they are willing to tweak their meal plans a bit. For instance, you can request for customizations and have normal meals altered. If a company allows for it, you can have them replace iffy ingredients with alternatives that are strictly gluten free.
Another thing that you can do is find a meal delivery company that clearly lists all of its ingredients. Some companies also label allergens. Going through the list of ingredients and possible allergens can be a great way to find out whether a dish is gluten free or not.
Try Going Gluten Free Yourself
If you cannot trust meal delivery companies, you can try making meals yourself. Sourcing gluten free ingredients by yourself can be really tricky. But you don’t necessarily have to do that on your own. You can simply turn to meal delivery services that deliver ready to use ingredients. This option might be more appealing for some people. You get all the ingredients you need and you have complete control over what goes into your food. You can sign up with a company that deals in gluten free items. They will take care of procuring all the ingredients for you. All you have to do is receive the ingredients and use them to make what you want. This option isn’t ideal for people who aren’t skilled in the kitchen. But it certainly helps you save time. You can enjoy the perks of having a meal delivery service without having to lose control over the food you eat.
Surprising Benefits of Gluten Free Meal Delivery Services
Meal Delivery Services have a bunch of benefits to offer. Other than the obvious time and energy saving, you also get to enjoy high quality meals. This benefit is especially felt in gluten free meal plans. People often have trouble making gluten free meals. You have to work with different ingredients that you aren’t familiar with. Baking gluten free foods is especially difficult.
Many gluten free beginners have a hard time with cooking. With a meal delivery service, you also get access to different recipes that can really help you figure out gluten free cooking. You can always skip the entire hassle of cooking by going for a company that delivers ready to eat meals.
If you stick with a company that is certified gluten free then you can deal with health conditions a lot more easily. You and even your family can find a source of healthy food that you don’t have to double check before you eat.
- Saturni, Letizia, Gianna Ferretti, and Tiziana Bacchetti. “The gluten-free diet: safety and nutritional quality.” Nutrients 2.1 (2010): 00016-00034. ↩︎
- Lappalainen, R., et al. “Difficulties in trying to eat healthier: descriptive analysis of perceived barriers for healthy eating.” European journal of clinical nutrition 51.2 (1997): S36. ↩︎
Last Updated on by Sathi