In recent times, people have been embracing eating foods that are free from gluten. Gluten is a naturally occurring protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. It helps give foods their texture, flavor, and shape. The gluten from whole wheat grains is not bad for healthy people who can tolerate it, however, it is better to avoid it in wheat that has been refined
You would ask, why would you want your child or any other person to go gluten-free? Eating food with gluten for some individuals can trigger a severe autoimmune response or other unpleasant symptoms that are brought about by gluten sensitivity. You can avoid gluten for the below reasons:
- If you have Celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disease that causes damage to the small intestine from the consumption of gluten
- If you are gluten intolerant, which is a gastrointestinal irritation that comes up from the consumption of gluten
- If you have a Wheat allergy
- If you have Gluten ataxia which is a very rare neurological autoimmune disorder that causes the body to attack parts of the brain in response to gluten
Symptoms associated with gluten intolerance may include abdominal pain, anemia, bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and joint pains among others.
For these reasons being on a gluten-free diet means becoming a label reading expert when you go shopping or when having a meal plan. A lot of foods have gluten; including biscuits, cakes, or bread.
When making gluten-free snacks here are some options you can consider;
| Natural yogurt | Peanut butter energy balls |
| Fruits/Fruit salads | Granola bars |
| Sweet potato fries | Dried fruits |
| Seeds (sesame, chia, sunflower, flax, pumpkin, etc | Nuts |
| Granola parfait | Boiled eggs with kachumbari |
| Popcorn | Vegetable salads |
| Boiled/roasted maize | Roasted arrow roots, yams or sweet potatoes |
| Ugali fries | Millet chocolate cookies |
Try out this recipes with your family
https://winniespurehealth.co.ke/recipes/peanut-energy-balls/
