gluten free familyA mum's blog about gluten-free living in Australia

There is nothing like churning out several chocolate cakes in a single day to focus one on matters of health (watch this space for the results of our mega cake-mix bake-off!)

Especially given that it was only a couple of weeks ago that I blogged about the potential nutritional deficiencies those on a gluten free diet may face.

So now I have fibre on my mind. I was surprised to learn at the time that gluten-based wholegrains like wheat, rye and barley make up a good part of the fibre component of a normal diet.

Most gluten free carbohydrates, on the other hand, are made from refined or lower-fibre sources such as white rice flour, potato starch and corn starch.

There are some high fibre gluten free wholegrain sources such as brown rice, corn, flax, millet, sorghum, teff, and wild rice, uncontaminated oats and the so-called pseudograins: amaranth, buckwheat, and quinoa. Taste and texture is the main issue here.

So unless you are a very sophisticated gluten free cook, the fibre of the gluten-containing wholegrains must be replaced in other ways.  For us, those ways have to be acceptable to kids.

So as usual, I have been digging around online for some education and inspiration.

There is no quick-fix to be had apparently. Most of the yummy fibre-packed snacks like breakfast cereal and muesli bars are also packed with gluten.

Of course fruit and veges are a no brainer in the fibre stakes, but if your little ones are also sensitive to the natural pesticides in these called salicylates (one of mine is), you may also have to look to other sources.

However it is worth noting that dates, raisins, sultanas pack a good fibre punch as do potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Of the gluten free wholegrains, brown rice holds potential for us. Until now it has boomeranged on me but I am determined to persist and I am now in the market for some yummy kid-friendly recipes.

Quinoa apparently makes a great side dish in place of rice but would the kids like it? We will have to experiment more with these exotic grains and will keep you posted.

They do like popcorn (no surprise there) and oats in the form of porridge. These are great fibre sources though not everyone can handle the latter (see our blog on the topic of oats).

Legumes such as chickpeas, kidney beans and baked beans are also high in fibre. I am thinking hommous, nachos and good old baked bean jacket spuds may now figure more prominently on the menu.

Nuts and seeds are also a high fibre snacking source. I plan to try out almonds and also sunflower seeds. Apparently peanut butter is also a good fibre source (and peanuts too of course).

Some suggested adding to your cooking a high fibre gluten free ingredient called Inulin. I also spotted an ad in a health magazine for Chia seeds which can be used in the same way. And when I searched these out online, Acacia Fibre was also often mentioned. I can’t vouch for any of these but they could be worth a try when your inspiration fails you.

Likewise, the traditional fibre supplements, Metamucil (based on psyllium) and Benefiber (based on wheat dextrin) both claim to be gluten free.

Apparently fibre should be increased in the diet gradually.

MB

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