(Surviving) a Gluten Free Meal

Gluten free mealI grew up in the country. We raised cattle, had a few pigs, and the dairy farm was right around the corner.  My mother didn’t hesitate to bake break every day, fill our plates with bacon in the morning or give us whole milk to drink.  So when my brother brought home (and later married) a girl with celiac disease that couldn’t have any gluten I didn’t know what to think.  That was the first time I had a gluten free meal and it was not good…………… but it got better.

Gluten Free Grains

There are recipes that I think you just can’t make good without gluten.  I don’t care what they say.  You are never going to have fluffy, doughy gluten free white bread rolls and don’t believe anyone who says you can.  But there are recipes and products made from gluten free grains that are amazing.  I remember these multi grain gluten free crackers that my mom would buy for my sister-in-law.  They were so good I used to get in trouble for eating all of them.  So stop trying to make the same regular recipes with the gluten removed.  Try gluten free grains.  They are different but every bit as good as wheat.  Gluten free cornbread is delicious if made right.  I haven’t met anyone who doesn’t like a slice of hot buttered cornbread.   Brown rice is gluten free and three billion people worldwide depend on rice for daily nutrition.  They can’t be wrong.  If you haven’t heard of Quinoa, pronounced “keen-wa”, or have heard of it be think it is a fad, it is all the rage in health food circles but it also has a 2-3 year shelf life and is high in protein.

Survival Gluten Free Meals

In the military I spent a couple months eating nothing but MREs and the first thing I learned was the MREs that I liked; the pork rib (picture the Mcrib from Mcdonalds) and the MREs that I couldn’t stomach; the egg omelet (no one likes the omelet).   Once I knew what I liked I always wheeled and dealed to get the MRE I wanted.  The same rule applies for emergency gluten free meals.    If you have to eat gluten free meals when you are camping, hiking, or preparing for an emergency just remember, there are good gluten free options out there you just need to find them and don’t even dare try to make gluten free bread from gluten free grains every day for yourself, or your gluten intolerant guest, spouse, or loved one.   It won’t be pretty and they will hate life.

Garrett Cox