Eating a balanced diet is important for everyone to stay fit and healthy. Even if you are following a strict gluten free diet, you still need to eat the right selection of foods to ensure that you are getting all the energy and nutrients that your body needs.

The essentials of healthy eating

Most meals should be based on starchy foods to give you energy. Rice and potatoes are naturally gluten free, and you can also include gluten free pasta and bread to meet your energy needs.

It’s recommended that you eat five portions of fruit or vegetables a day, and the good news is that all fruit and vegetables are naturally gluten free. Try to limit your intake of fat, especially saturated fats, cut down on foods that are high in sugar and avoid adding salt to your meals

Key nutrients in a gluten free diet

Alongside the essentials of healthy eating that apply to everyone, people who have been diagnosed with coeliac disease need to make sure that their diet provides enough of certain key nutrients that their body needs. These include fibre, iron and calcium.

1. Fibre – fibre is an essential part of our diet and helps to keep the digestive system in good working order. People on a gluten free diet often do not eat enough fibre, as they have eliminated gluten-containing cereal grains from their diet.
   You can add extra fibre to your diet in the form of jacket potatoes, brown and wholegrain rice, fresh fruit and vegetables, dried fruit and nuts. Many gluten free breads are also fortified with extra fibre. Most of the Glutafin bread range is high in fibre.
2. Iron – around 25% of people are anaemic (low in iron) when they are first diagnosed with coeliac disease as the damaged villi cannot absorb sufficient iron. Iron is essential for creating the red blood cells that transport oxygen around the body and also plays a role in the immune system. It’s important for people with coeliac disease to boost their iron intake, particularly when first diagnosed, in order to replenish their iron stores.
   Iron can be found in red meat, eggs, leafy greens, dried fruit, nuts and seeds.
3. Calcium – if you have coeliac disease, your body will require more calcium than the general population, as your body will not have absorbed enough before you were diagnosed. Calcium is needed to build strong bones and avoid osteoporosis, especially in later life.
   You can get calcium from dairy products, like milk, cheese and yoghurt, tinned fish with bones in, green leafy veg and citrus fruit. Glutafin flour mixes and breads are fortified with calcium to help you reach your daily requirement.
4. Vitamin D – maintaining a healthy level of vitamin D not only boosts the immune system, but also helps the body to absorb calcium from your diet.
   Your body makes vitamin D naturally during the sunny spring and summer months, but during the autumn and winter months, or if you spend a lot of time indoors any time of year, you should consider taking a supplement of 10 micrograms of vitamin D every day.

Remember, there are plenty of healthy, naturally gluten free foods that you can eat as part of your balanced diet, including fresh meat and fish, fruit and vegetables, rice, pulses and potatoes. Specialist gluten-free foods, including  Glutafin breads and mixes can help to add variety to your diet and also help to boost your intake of essential nutrients.

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