What is a gluten free vegan diet?

There is a lot of talk about going gluten free and plant-based these days. You’ve probably been targeted by ads for some kind of snack or meal delivery service that offers gluten-free vegan diet options — enough to make you wonder if there’s something to cut out regular bread and pasta.

If random ads, influencers, and members of your monthly brunch group are cutting out gluten, why shouldn’t you? Actually, there are legitimate medical reasons to remove gluten from your diet, but a gluten-free vegan diet may not benefit you unless you are one of those people. Let’s explore why one might need to go gluten-free, what nutrients you might be missing out on, and what’s okay to eat.

What is a gluten free vegan diet?

If you follow a gluten-free vegan diet, then you don’t eat anything that contains gluten or animal-based ingredients.

Gluten is a type of protein found in wheat, including wheat berries, farro, durum, semolina, spelt, einkorn, Kamut, and wheat protein, which is used to make seitan and other types of plant-based meats. Gluten is like a stretchy binder that holds food together. Without it, the dough for pizza, bread, flour tortillas, pasta, and more would fall apart—although many gluten-free foods these days are almost indistinguishable from their gluten-free counterparts.

Bread and pasta are staple foods for many, but for the estimated 2 million people in the US with celiac disease, the gluten in these foods triggers an immune response. Celiac disease is an inherited autoimmune disorder where eating gluten can cause painful bloating, diarrhea or abdominal pain. Internally, gluten causes the body to attack the villi, the threadlike appendages in the small intestine that aid in nutrient absorption.

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According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, if ignored, this condition can lead to a higher risk of coronary artery disease, small bowel cancers, iron deficiency anemia, and other autoimmune disorders, such as diabetes Type 1. A lifelong gluten-free diet is the only known treatment plan for celiac disease.

Gluten may also be avoided due to gluten intolerance, known as non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). If you eat gluten when you have NCGS, you may experience bloating and abdominal pain, but it is much less aggressive than celiac disease and does not have the same long-term health effects. It is not an allergy or autoimmune disorder, and its exact causes are still unknown, but it affects an estimated six percent of the US population.

If you suspect you have a gluten intolerance, your healthcare provider may run tests to confirm it, including testing you for a wheat allergy and asking you to follow an elimination diet where you avoid all gluten. Unless you have a medical reason to avoid gluten, cutting it out of your diet will offer you no nutritional benefits.

Complications of a gluten-free vegan diet

The good news is that if you have to avoid gluten, you won’t be depriving yourself of any essential nutrients. But, because this is a plant-based diet, it does not contain vitamin B12, which is found in meat, eggs and dairy products. This important vitamin is essential for the formation of red blood cells and DNA as well as the function and development of brain and nerve cells.

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RELATED: Can a vegan diet help symptoms of autoimmune disease?

Vitamin B12 is added to some vegan products, such as fortified cereals, plant-based milk, and nutritional yeast, but since this is not the standard, you may need to get your vitamin B12 from supplements.

It is recommended that you consult your doctor or nutritionist before making any major changes to your diet.

What can you eat on a gluten-free vegan diet?

Figuring out what is okay to eat on a gluten-free vegan diet is less complicated than understanding what falls under the umbrella of keto or paleo. Going gluten-free may seem like cutting out carbohydrates, which give your body the energy it needs to get through life, but there are plenty of carb-heavy foods that are okay to eat. .

Just avoid animal products and anything with gluten. Some things can be difficult to find – a gluten-free vegan pizza that you like, for example – but, it’s relatively unrestricted except in extreme cases where you must avoid any foods that are not made in a dedicated gluten-free environment. avoid

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Although not a comprehensive list, below is a general idea of ​​gluten-free vegan foods:

Alliums: Onions, garlic, shallots, chives, green onion, leeks
chili peppers: Bird’s eye, Korean hot peppers, serranos, jalapenos, Kashmiri, Anaheim, poblano, Scotch bonnet, habanero, gochugaru, red pepper flakes, chili powder
Drinks: Coffee, tea, juice, kombucha, wine, most cider, coconut water, water
Fresh herbs: Basil, cilantro, parsley, oregano, curry leaves, perilla, rosemary, thyme
Results: Apples, bananas, berries, melons, oranges, grapes, peaches, pears, lemon, lime
legumes: Beans, lentils, peas, peanuts, edamame
Mushrooms: Button, portobello, shiitake, enoki, maitake, oysters, king oysters
Nuts and seeds: Almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds
Oils: Canola oil, extra virgin olive oil, walnut oil, sesame oil, avocado oil
Plant-based proteins: Tofu, tempeh, gluten free vegan meat
Tubers: Potatoes, yams, jicama
Vegan Cheese: Anything certified gluten free – most should be
Vegetables: Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery, cabbage, leafy greens, sea vegetables
Whole and ground spices: Black pepper, cumin, coriander, allspice, turmeric, paprika, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg
Whole grains: Oats, rice, quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, teff, corn, sorghum

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Gluten-free packaged foods are also fair game. These include gluten-free bread, wraps, pizza, pasta, 100 percent buckwheat soba, cereal, snacks, candy, and chocolate. Most types of vinegar, miso paste, tamari, and many sauces are gluten-free.

Look for anything that is certified gluten-free, which means the product was made in a dedicated facility to avoid the risk of cross-contamination. This is safe for people with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten intolerance. Sometimes, even naturally gluten-free foods can trigger a reaction in people if they are produced on shared equipment with gluten-containing ingredients. For example, some oats are not considered gluten-free because of this.

What can you not eat on a gluten-free vegan diet?

Gluten is quite widespread in foods, especially in restaurants, but apart from that, there are no other major restrictions. Here is a general list of things to avoid on a gluten-free vegan diet:

Animal products: Meat, dairy, eggs, fish, shellfish, honey
Drinks: Beer, ale, lager, stout, plus whiskey, bourbon, and gin made from wheat, barley, or rye
Grains and flours: Wheat berries, barley, farro, rye, spelt, flour, semolina, hard cheese
Packaged foods: Bread, bagels, pasta, wraps, cereals, frozen waffles, flour tortillas, pizza, pasta, ramen, udon, croutons, certain vegan meats
Snacks: Pretzels, pita chips, crackers, cookies
Sauces: Soy sauce, barbecue sauce, salad dressings, roux-based sauces

Remember: if you have celiac disease, NCGS, or a wheat allergy, you should always read the ingredient list to make sure a product is completely free of traces of gluten.

Kat Smith is a Queens-based, New York-based freelance writer and editor who loves to cook and find local hidden vegan gems.