Whether you have celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, or are simply cooking for someone who does, navigating gluten-free cooking doesn't have to be complicated. Much of the world's greatest food is naturally gluten-free — and with the right knowledge, even traditionally wheat-heavy dishes can be adapted beautifully.
Understanding Gluten
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and sometimes oats (through cross-contamination). It provides the elastic structure that makes bread chewy and pasta hold together. Removing it requires understanding what gluten was doing structurally and finding alternatives.
For celiac disease, even trace amounts matter. For gluten sensitivity, the threshold varies by person. Know your situation before cooking.
Naturally Gluten-Free: An Enormous World
Most whole foods are naturally GF:
- All fresh meats, fish, and seafood
- All fresh vegetables and fruits
- All legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas)
- Rice, quinoa, millet, corn, buckwheat, teff, amaranth, sorghum
- Potatoes and root vegetables
- Dairy: milk, cheese, yogurt (check flavored varieties)
- Eggs
- Nuts and seeds
Much of the world's cuisine — Indian dal and rice, Mexican tacos on corn tortillas, most Asian rice-based dishes, grilled meats with vegetables — is naturally gluten-free. Focus here first.
Hidden Sources of Gluten
Always check labels for:
- Soy sauce: Contains wheat. Use tamari (GF soy sauce) instead.
- Many bottled sauces and marinades
- Flours in soups: Thickened with flour roux
- Modified food starch (from wheat)
- Malt and malt vinegar (from barley)
- Imitation meat, sausages, and hot dogs
- Some chocolates and candies
- Certain medications and supplements
- Shared cooking water: Pasta water contaminating GF pasta; shared fryers
Gluten-Free Flour Alternatives
For baking and thickening:
- Rice flour: Mild, white — good base for GF blends
- Almond flour: Rich, nutty, moist — great for cookies and cakes. Cannot substitute 1:1 for wheat flour.
- Coconut flour: High-fiber, very absorbent — use much less than wheat flour
- Oat flour (certified GF): Mild, works in pancakes, muffins, cookies
- Tapioca/arrowroot starch: For thickening sauces — works like cornstarch
- Cornstarch: GF thickener for sauces, soups, and gravies
- Commercial GF flour blends: Cup4Cup, Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 — designed to work like AP flour in most applications
GF Baking Challenges
GF baked goods often need a binder to replace gluten's structural role. Common solutions:
- Xanthan gum: Small amounts (1/4 tsp per cup of flour) binds GF dough
- Psyllium husk: Especially good in bread — creates a bread-like texture
- Extra eggs: Increase structure and binding
- Flax or chia "eggs": For vegan GF baking
💡 Gluten-Free Cooking Tips
- "Naturally GF" is always better than "adapted GF" — build meals around rice, potatoes, legumes, and vegetables
- Tamari can substitute for soy sauce in virtually every application
- Use arrowroot or cornstarch to thicken sauces and gravies
- GF pasta cooks differently than wheat pasta — test earlier and don't overcook
- For celiac disease, use dedicated GF cookware to avoid cross-contamination