3 Gluten-Free Meals We're Drooling Over
Are you looking for some gluten-free meals that are big on nutrition but also easy to make? You’ve come to just the right place. Sure, you can find all kinds of different types of ready-made gluten-free products in the supermarket -- there are more options out there for gluten-intolerant folks and Celiacs than ever before -- but isn’t there something so satisfying about cooking your own food from the comfort of your kitchen? Plus it's way healthier for you in the long term.
Sticking to a gluten-free meal plan can make it easier to stick to a healthy lifestyle, especially if your goal is to lose weight or gain muscle. Instead of processed products with a seemingly endless list of ingredients, when you make your own gluten-free meals you can control exactly what goes into what you’re eating.
Plus, you’ll One of the best things about making your own gluten-free meals from scratch is that you’ll undoubtedly save some money. Don’t worry -- just because you make homemade food doesn’t mean it needs to be time-consuming! Let’s check out just how easy it can be.
Foods to include in a gluten-free meal plan
Making a gluten-free meal plan can be simple if you know what kinds of foods to include in your balanced diet. Some healthy gluten-free foods to add include:
Brown rice
Potatoes
Beans and legumes
Quinoa
Amaranth
Fresh fruit and vegetables
Meat and poultry
Seafood
Almond flour for baking
Oats (see sidebar)
For our fellow 8fitters, you can easily configure your meal plan to be gluten-free. In your app’s settings, choose the foods you wish to exclude from appearing in your recipes (in this case, bread and wheat products) and we'll narrow it down for you automatically.
3 easy gluten-free meals
To matters easy peasy, we’ve curated gluten-free meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that you can include as part of your gluten-free meal plan. For more inspiration, be sure to check out some of the many gluten-free recipes inside the 8fit app.
Breakfast
Blueberry Flax Quinoa
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp ground flax seeds
- ¼ cup blueberries
- pinch of salt (optional)
- ½ cup quinoa (uncooked)
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Method
- Rinse and dry quinoa and set aside.
- Melt the oil in a pot over medium heat.
- Add the quinoa and cook, frequently stirring until toasted and golden brown (about 5 minutes).
- Next, add the almond milk and a pinch of salt (optional) and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed for about 15-20 minutes.
- Fluff the quinoa with a fork then serve in a bowl.
- Top with fresh blueberries, flax, and cinnamon. Enjoy!
Lunch
Yoga Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ tsp coconut oil
- ½ onion (medium sized)
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 ¾ tsp ginger (grated)
- Pinch of chili flakes
- ½ tsp cayenne
- Pinch of salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ cup red lentils (dry)
- ½ cup diced tomatoes (no added salt or sugar)
- 1 ¼ cups fresh or frozen vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, green beans)
- ½ cup water
- 1 Tbsp mixed herbs (frozen or fresh)
Method
- Wash and prepare your veggies if you're using fresh ones.
- Cut them into bite-sized pieces.
- Peel the onion and garlic -- mincing both.
- Heat coconut oil in a pot, and add the onion and garlic. Lower the heat and cook for around 3 minutes until the onions have softened.
- Add the ginger, chili, cayenne, salt and cinnamon, cooking for another 3 minutes, continuously stirring so they don't burn.
- Add the lentils, diced tomatoes, veggies and water.
- Cover and simmer until the lentils are cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
- If it's too dry, add a little water -- depending on how much liquid the lentils absorb.
- Add herbs and let it cook for another minute.
- Serve in a bowl and enjoy.
Dinner
Spicy Turkey Tacos
Ingredients
- ½ tsp olive oil
- ½ medium size onion
- ½ fresh chili pepper
- 1 ¼ tsp fresh cilantro
- ½ avocado
- 3 oz ground turkey
Method
- Heat a large pan to medium heat. Add olive oil.
- In the meantime, peel and chop onion. Remove seeds and slice pepper. Wash and chop cilantro. Peel and chop avocado.
- Add onion, pepper, and ground turkey to pan.
- Cook it all together about 8 minutes, or until the turkey is nearly cooked through.
- Add seasoning (salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder) and water. Stir. Reduce heat and allow to simmer about 5 minutes, until most of the moisture reduces and the flavorings thicken up.
- Serve onto toasted corn tortillas and top with cilantro and avocado.
Like the above recipes but have a craving for something sweet? Be sure to check out our gluten-free desserts article here to finish off with a bang!
