Avoiding gluten is absolutely essential for those with Coeliac Disease but ‘taking a break’ from gluten containing foods such as wheat, barley and rye can be really helpful for many people. Gluten is increasingly linked to a range of health conditions including auto-immune diseases so excluding them, even for a short period, can be an effective clinical strategy. We have become very reliant on the gluten-containing grains in the West, especially wheat, and giving these products up can be a challenge for some. There are now lots of alternatives and the range of breads, flours and pastas in supermarkets and health stores is expanding all of the time – great news for all of us.
I find that identifying a gluten free bread for the occasional sandwich or ‘on toast’ meal is often a real priority for people who are transitioning to a gluten free diet. I have an inherent suspicion of any ‘fresh foods’ with very long use-by dates so I avoid many of the long-life breads which I haven’t found very palatable anyway. Being a ’breadhead’ myself , I have gone to great lengths to find acceptable alternatives for my clients and find myself on a long term mission to find a gluten free bread which is light and bears some resemblance to ‘the real thing’. There are some great recipes for home made gluten free bread ( more in a future blog on this) but I am more frequently asked for recommendations for ready made breads. We can never expect these breads to have the elasticity of wheat based breads but I’m pleased to report that I am really quite impressed with the new range of Genius breads which are available in Tescos and soon to be in Asda and Waitrose. ( I have no connection with the company by the way…just in case you were wondering!)
Genius has won three awards already since it’s launch 6 months ago including the Most Innovative Product from Coeliac UK. The range consists of small, fresh brown and white loaves developed by a professional chef who has two children with food allergies. They are by far the best ‘ready made & in the supermarket’ gluten free breads I’ve tasted so worth a try – toast a slice to have with that lovely scrambled egg breakfast or to dip in your soup.
If you have experience of any fantastic gluten free products please let me know…
Tags: Coeliac, Gluten Free