Getting Enough Fiber in Your Gluten-Free Diet—Some Helpful Tips

As healthy as it is cutting out the gluten allergen from your diet, you may find yourself experiencing the effects of insufficient fiber. Rice flours and the starches commonly used in gluten-free diets are lower in fiber than many gluten-containing grains. It is important to realize and meet the challenge of getting enough fiber in your new diet, and it’s easy, too.

One grain I highly recommend is quinoa. It is a great source of fiber and can be used in many tasty dishes. Not only is quinoa high in fiber, yielding seven grams of fiber per serving, as added bonus, it’s also high in protein with a whopping fourteen grams per serving. Check out quinoa flour which is great for making pizza dough and bread. I often like to eat quinoa by itself in the mornings as a gluten-free alternative to oatmeal.

Brown rice is also a great alternative to gluten-containing alternatives with three grams of fiber per serving. Brown rice retains the most nutrients of any variety of rice; whereas white rice loses some of the nutrients while it’s processed, brown rice holds onto its nutrients and fiber. This high-fiber substitute can be enjoyed in soups, puddings, and stir-fries, as well as on the side.

An important way to get enough fiber is by eating lots of fruits and vegetables, which are thankfully gluten-free. A simple salad, containing spinach leaves, broccoli, carrots, and tomatoes, adds seven grams of fiber to your meal. Apples make a great, high-fiber snack. For dessert or along with a meal, a fruit salad can add three to five grams of fiber. I also recommend dates, which have around four grams of fiber per serving.

You should shoot for twenty-five to thirty-five grams of fiber a day. Not only will you continue to reap the benefits of a gluten-free diet, but you’ll be able to enjoy the healthy advantages of a well-balanced diet high in fiber!

Article Courtesy: Tina Turbin

A note from G-Free Foodie: To prevent clumping some chopped dates are treated with an ingredient that may contain gluten.  Look for whole dates, pitted dates, or date sugar, and as always, read the ingredients list.