People suffering from food allergies or food sensitivities have a very hard time with everyday foods and creating menus that will not bother them. Wheat allergies are a very common allergy or sensitivity to have.
For those trying to lose weight, a wheat allergy or wheat sensitivity causes even more problems. Wheat contains gluten, which is what causes so many problems for people. Gluten is also found in other types of grain, but wheat contains the most.
When dieting, finding foods that will be good for you, provide you with the best nutrition and still help you with the intolerance of wheat is difficult. Whole wheat breads are a very common food listed in many menus that are found for dieting. Because Mediterranean foods are based with warm comfort foods, finding recipes that do not contain wheat or gluten is difficult.
Here is a sample recipes that do not contain wheat or gluten.
Mediterranean Style Omelet:
Ingredients: one medium tomato, diced; one bell pepper, any color; /4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped; two cloves garlic; two green onions, chopped; one teaspoon extra virgin olive oil; one teaspoon lemon juice; one tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped; two tablespoons skim milk; four eggs; one tablespoon fresh herbs, chopped.
Directions:
– Combine tomato, bell pepper, olives, garlic, green onions, olive oil, lemon juice, and parsley in a small bowl. Let sit for a few minutes.
– Combine eggs, milk, and herbs in another bowl, and whisk.
– Heat non-stick fry pan or specific omelet pan, and add half the combined egg mix.
– Reduce heat, cook for 1 or 2 minutes.
– When omelet has browned around the edges and the top has lost most of its moisture, add half of the vegetable mix, to one side only of the omelet.
– Add half the feta cheese.
– Gently fold omelet over to cover the cheese and vegetables, creating a half circle.
– Cover the pan and cook for about another minute.
– Turn off heat and allow omelet to sit a little longer until warmed through.
– Then gently slide onto plate.
A sample menu for a Mediterranean wheat free menu would include for:
– Breakfast skim milk, banana, almonds, olive oil, and margarine. Most Mediterranean menus include whole wheat toast and cereal, however for those with a wheat intolerance this would not work. Try going to a health food store and purchasing bread and cereal that are gluten free.
– For lunch the menu would include a salad made from spinach, mushrooms, romaine lettuce, and radishes, with a dressing made from balsamic vinegar and olive oil and then a bowl of lentil soup. A hard roll can be included if one can purchase those from the health food store selling gluten free items.
– Dinner includes wheat free pasta, tomatoes, parmesan cheese, mushrooms, zucchini, sweet peppers, white beans, garlic, red wine vinegar, garlic, and grapes.
When looking for a menu that fits your weight loss goals while maintaining the wheat free diet or wheat intolerance, substitutions often have to be made. When making substitutions for the foods containing wheat, be sure to check the nutrition and caloric content of the foods that are added.
