Kimberly A. Tessmer - The No-Wheat Cookbook: Easy, Delicious Recipes for a Wheat-Free Diet

Series Editor, Kimberly A. Tessmer, RD, LD

Avon, Massachusetts

I dedicate this wonderful collection of wheat-free recipes to all the people who must diligently work each day to ensure they are eliminating wheat from their diet. I hope that these recipes will make life a bit easier and a lot tastier. I also dedicate this cookbook to both my late mom, Nancy Bradford, and my late father-in-law, Fred Tessmer, who both loved to cook and were great at it!

We normally hear that wheat is good for us. So why would you need a wheat-free cookbook? That sounds like a fair question, doesnt it? Dietitians have educated us on how important it is to consume a well-balanced diet. Over the last decade we have been informed how crucial it is to incorporate more whole grains and wheat into our daily lives as part of a healthy well-balanced diet. Whole wheat most definitely contains vital complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, but unfortunately some people are not able to take advantage of these many nutritional perks. There are many people that have an allergy and/or intolerance to wheat. In fact, a wheat allergy is one of the most common food allergies in children. Although allergies are not the only reason some people go wheat-free, it is one of the main reasons.

Treatment for wheat allergies is avoiding all wheat. This sounds simple, but it can be a difficult adjustment to your daily diet. Wheat is a main ingredient in many foods including breads, pasta, cakes, crackers, cookies, cereals, beer, condimentsthe list goes on. It can be an obvious ingredient in some foods and a hidden ingredient in others. Sometimes just a visit to a restaurant, a friends house, and even your own kitchen can prove hazardous to the uninformed. Each ingredient list and food label must continually and thoroughly be inspected, and a well-thought-out approach must be initiated to safeguard against foods containing wheat.

It is hoped that this book will demonstrate that you dont have to make drastic changes to your lifestyle to eat a wheat-free diet once you know and understand the facts. For instance, there are many alternative ingredients to wheat flour including corn, rice, almond, and even coconutjust to name a fewthat allow you to still prepare breads, cakes, cookies, and other favorite foods. These alternative flours will make your meals taste just as delicious without noticing the difference. And just as there are alternatives to wheat flour, there are tasty alternatives to many other food products that contain wheat.

Though it is vital to be thoroughly educated by a nutritional professional, such as a registered dietitian, as you begin your wheat-free diet, this cookbook can be a great additional resource to help you get started with a variety of delicious meals, soups, desserts, and snacks that you and your family will enjoy!

Important Note: Many foods within this cookbook are marked wheat-free. The ingredients of these foods must be analyzed by brand to ensure they are wheat-free. All companies create different versions of different foods, so you must check food labels carefully and never assume that a food is wheat-free. It is a smart idea to get in the habit of checking all foods, whether you know they are wheat-free or not, including those within each recipe of this book.

As you begin a wheat-free diet, you may feel discouraged and severely restricted in what you can and cant eat. Adjusting to a wheat-free diet doesnt have to be as overwhelming as you might think. With the publics growing awareness that food allergies are on the rise, ingredients supporting a wheat-free lifestyle are now becoming easier to find. Visit your favorite supermarket or specialty store and youre sure to find loads of alternatives to wheat. There are also many websites that cater to those with food allergies and that carry specialty ingredients and food products. With proper education from a healthcare professional such as a registered dietitian and a little research and experimentation, youll discover it can actually be fun and easy to cook delicious, healthy, wheat-free meals for the whole family.

It can be normal to feel overwhelmed when you are told that you need to follow a wheat-free diet. Many of your concerns and questions are legitimate. You may be asking, Will I need to radically change my lifestyle? What will I be able to eat? Will I have to sacrifice flavor and foods that I love? What will I feed my family? There is no question that you will need to alter your lifestyle in some ways and that you will need to eliminate all wheat from your diet. However, the changes dont need to be as radical as you might expect, and you will be able to manage your new lifestyle, and eventually, even come to embrace it. And dont worry, there is no need to sacrifice your favorite delicious mealsthere are many substitutions for wheat that will make your meals taste like you have always remembered them.

There are some people who must medically follow a wheat-free diet due to a severe allergy or an intolerance. However there are also people of all ages and from all walks of life that choose to live wheat-free. Some studies have shown that wheat may cause inflammation in the body for some people, which can lead to several chronic illnesses, so many people give up wheat in order to help reduce inflammation and feel better.

Wheat allergies can sometimes be confused with celiac disease. Although there are a few similarities, these two conditions are very different disorders with very different treatments. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder in which one particular protein found in wheat, called gluten, causes an abnormal immune system response within the small intestine. It affects one out of every 133 people in the United States and is a lifelong condition. There is no cure for celiac disease and the only treatment is a strict 100 percent gluten-free diet. Gluten is not only found in wheat but in barley and rye as well. Gluten is the part of flour that gives dough its structure and leavening abilities. Gluten can be found in a wide variety of foods including baked goods (such as breads, cookies, and cakes), pasta, cereals, sauces, soups, seasonings, candy, preservatives, and even some medications.

For people with celiac disease, consuming any amount of gluten will set off an autoimmune response that causes the destruction of the villi within the lining of the small intestines as well as the destruction of digestive enzymes. Their body produces antibodies that attack the small intestines, causing damage, debilitating symptoms, and illness. The destruction of the villi results in the bodys inability to absorb nutrients that are needed for good health such as carbohydrates, protein, and fat, as well as essential vitamins and minerals. In turn these nutritional deficiencies can deprive the brain, nervous system, bones, liver, heart, and other organs of the nourishment they need and cause many types of serious health issues and illnesses. People with celiac disease can suffer with a host of symptoms, and it varies greatly from individual to individual. Symptoms can include but are not limited to recurring abdominal bloating and pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, iron deficiency anemia, nutritional deficiencies, edema, excessive gas, chronic fatigue, weakness, depression, bone or joint pain, muscle cramps, constipation, balance problems, migraine headaches, seizures, memory issues, dental defects, infertility, and failure to thrive in children. As stated above, there is no cure for celiac disease. It is a permanent reaction to gluten, and individuals with the disease must completely avoid any foods containing wheat, barley, or rye for life.