If you suffer from gluten intolerance or gluten sensitivity, it may often seem very difficult at first glance to avoid gluten and find gluten-free foods. This is because most people eat breakfast cereals.
However, there is now a wide range of gluten-free breakfast options. In this article, we will show you what gluten is and how you can recognise the symptoms of coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity. We will also provide you with various recipe ideas for a healthy, gluten-free breakfast.
Gluten-free breakfast – discover here
What is gluten?
Gluten is a protein found in many types of grain. In itself, gluten is not bad because it is very useful due to its ability to bind ingredients. This is because gluten makes dough really sticky and ensures the right consistency in various baked goods, such as bread.
However, there are people who do not tolerate gluten particularly well. When this is the case, it is referred to as gluten intolerance or gluten sensitivity.
What are the differences between gluten intolerance and gluten sensitivity?
Gluten intolerance, also known as coeliac disease, is an autoimmune disorder. This means that when gluten is consumed, the body produces antibodies that attack the small intestine. This causes people with gluten intolerance to experience various symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain or diarrhoea.
In contrast to gluten intolerance, the symptoms of gluten sensitivity are not as severe and consuming gluten does not lead to the formation of antibodies. In addition, small amounts of gluten tend to be harmless and it is only when gluten is consumed in larger quantities that various symptoms such as chronic fatigue, headaches or digestive complaints occur.
What to look out for in a gluten-free breakfast
For many people, avoiding gluten at breakfast time seems particularly difficult, especially when it comes to choosing gluten-free alternatives. This is because most types of bread contain gluten. Only well-stocked supermarkets or bakeries now offer gluten-free bread. Most breakfast products, such as sweet or savoury spreads, also often contain gluten-containing grains. If you suffer from coeliac disease, you should strictly avoid gluten. Therefore, when buying products containing grain, you should always look for the ‘gluten-free’ seal – in other words, gluten-free!
5 recipe ideas for your gluten-free breakfast
1. Delicious chia pudding – guaranteed gluten-free
A simple breakfast option with a short list of ingredients that you can easily prepare without gluten is chia pudding. Chia seeds are well known as a superfood and will keep you full for a long time. Since the chia pudding consists only of chia seeds and milk or plant-based drink, it is quite easy to avoid gluten. Here you will find a delicious recipe for making the pudding yourself:
2. Gluten-free porridge
If you like a warm breakfast, you can of course eat porridge – and in no time at all you can whip up a very healthy breakfast. One option is to use pseudograins such as amaranth, buckwheat or quinoa as the basis for your porridge. Here you will find a simple recipe for quinoa porridge:
Of course, if you're gluten intolerant, you can still enjoy a delicious oat porridge. It is important to make sure that the oats you use are gluten-free. At Verival, you will find a wide range of different gluten-free porridges. The oats they contain are gluten-free because the oats are specially grown, harvested and processed. This ensures that the gluten-free oats do not come into contact with oats that contain gluten.
If you have discovered your love for porridge, you can of course also prepare it with millet – because millet is gluten-free and super digestible and there are many gluten-free recipes based on millet.
3. Real vitamin bombs: gluten-free smoothie bowls and smoothies for your gluten-free diet
If you like to eat a lot of fruit for breakfast, smoothie bowls are a perfect gluten-free breakfast option. You can simply blend the fruit of your choice and then refine the breakfast bowl with various toppings, such as nuts or seeds.
4. gluten-free overnight oats
Overnight oats are also perfect for your gluten-free breakfast. Simply use gluten-free oats or porridge mixtures as a base. Our Verival Bircher Porridge consists of gluten-free oat groats and is therefore also suitable for people with coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity. Find out how to prepare a delicious gluten-free muesli, such as a Bircher muesli, without any gluten at all:
Have a gluten-free breakfast now!
5. The new porridge trend: gluten-free pudding oats
If you like pudding, you'll love this breakfast recipe: pudding oats. In this recipe, the classic porridge is refined with pudding powder, making it very creamy. Of course, you can use gluten-free oats here too.
As you can see, it's not difficult to have a gluten-free breakfast and there is a wide range of different recipes to choose from. You can find more gluten-free recipe inspiration and tips for a healthy diet here.
By the way: if you like eggs, you can of course eat scrambled eggs, fried eggs and the like even if you have a gluten intolerance.
Good to know: Which types of grain naturally produce gluten-free flour? These are millet, amaranth, buckwheat, corn and rice.
Frequently asked questions
What can I eat for breakfast if I am gluten intolerant?
There are many delicious recipe ideas for chia pudding, gluten-free porridge, gluten-free smoothie bowls and smoothies or gluten-free overnight oats. Eggs (scrambled eggs, fried eggs,...), bread made from gluten-free grains, fresh fruit, nuts, rice pudding, natural and cream cheese,... can also be on your list.
Is yoghurt gluten-free?
Yes, natural yoghurt is gluten-free. However, you have to be very careful with all products that have been further processed. This also applies to fruit yoghurt. So it's best to always choose natural yoghurt – and then refine it yourself.
Which oats are gluten-free?
Oat flakes contain little gluten. There are also completely gluten-free oat flakes available to buy. You just have to ask around and you will find them in well-stocked specialist shops. Millet, rice and maize flakes are actually gluten-free cereal flakes.
What bread can you eat if you are gluten intolerant?
There is now a good selection of gluten-free bread, rolls and baked goods available in shops. However, it is a good idea to make your own gluten-free bread, because then you can be sure of the ingredients and it is also a little cheaper. Flours such as wheat, rye, spelt and barley are off limits. Only cereals such as millet, rice, corn, amaranth and buckwheat are suitable. With oat flour, you also have to make sure that it is not contaminated with gluten-containing cereals.
How do you get gluten-free oats?
When growing the oats, it must be ensured that no gluten-containing grain has been grown here before. There are constant checks during the growth of the oats and other types of grain must be removed immediately. Strict controls are also in place during processing to ensure that there is no contamination from gluten-containing grains (e.g. in the area of the processing machines). So gluten-free oats are available in shops for people with coeliac disease.
Does coffee contain gluten?
No. Pure roasted coffee beans are gluten-free. So you can enjoy your coffee without worrying if you have a gluten intolerance. As a precaution, you should avoid ready-made coffee, instant drinks and coffee from vending machines.
Are cooked potatoes gluten-free?
A very clear YES! Potatoes are gluten-free - like many other foods. These include: fruit, vegetables, fat, oil, eggs, lightly processed dairy products, meat, fish, rice, millet, buckwheat, corn, quinoa, amaranth and also legumes (such as beans, lentils, peas,...). As a versatile food, potatoes are a good companion for people with coeliac disease.
Which cheese is gluten-free?
Most types of cheese are well tolerated by people with gluten intolerance. Plain cream cheese, mozzarella, plain goat's and sheep's cheese and many other types of cheese such as Emmental, Gouda or Parmesan can be enjoyed without any problems. It is important to always observe your own body and develop a sense for it. This way, you can also handle smaller ‘gluten doses’.
