FLOATING IN DREAMS

For a few years now I have mostly been on a wheat free diet. Back in 2013 I discovered wheat messed too much with my system and that’s when I started experimenting with substituting wheat. By now I have found quite a few products that I love using instead of wheat. Wheat is still the standard in most products though, so it sometimes takes a little bit of effort to make these work, but in the end these are all useful foods I keep in my cupboard at all times.

The only thing I’ve not been able to sub is bread. I’ve tried many different varieties, but it’s just not the same. Hence I didn’t list any substitutes for that as I will still eat bread from time to time if I especially fancy a sandwich or am eating out. Finding these products has enabled to be less of a fussy eater. As long as my regular meals are wheat free I can deal with the odd bit of wheat every now and again.

Quinoa – for those moments where you wish to have pasta, couscous or potatoes but would like to go for a healthier option. I love using quinoa as a filling in salads. You can find a recipe here.

Oats – are great and very versatile. I have to be careful which oats I buy though. Best is gluten free, but some brands of regular oats also work for me. It seems that as long as I don’t buy the cheapest brands I’m good. I love oats for breakfast, but you can also be more creative and turn them into cookies. You can find the cookie recipe here.

Almond flour – or almond meal is a great substitute for baking. It is especially great in brownies, but also works in cookies and heartier recipes as it is also a great addition for thickening up sauces or for adding a crust to your chicken. You can find a brownie recipe here.

Coconut flour – is by far my favorite substitute in baking. It is less wet than almond meal and I find it therefore a lot easier to use. I have used it mostly to make wheat, gluten and sugar free banana bread, but I have also used it to make pancakes and an apple crumble. You can find the banana bread recipe here.

Rye – is great for substituting wheat in crispbread and other bread like options. I love having rye crisp bread with avocado and a boiled egg and lately I’ve been topping it with hummus as well. Another way I love to have rye is in rye bread, preferably with cheese and lots of mustard, which you can see here.

Pasta – must be the easiest product to sub kind for kind. If you forego eating wheat you can always opt for a different type of grain. Spelt is becoming more and more popular, but I prefer kamut, or simply use spiralized veggies to make pasta. I have posted many pasta recipes on here, one of them you can find here.

Other grains – substituting wheat with different grains is definitely a good way of not using any wheat. You can use steel cut oats to sub wheat in homemade bread or other baked goods. I also love using buckwheat either in its chunky groat form to make porridge or in a more finely milled version to make the wheat free pancakes you can find here.

Do you substitute wheat?
If so, what are some of your favorite recipes?