If you or someone in the family has to avoid gluten in foods, don’t panic. You can still enjoy a wide variety of healthy and delicious foods, you just need to be a little more careful (and remember to take your glasses to the supermarket – you’ll need to read the fine print on labels in the future).

With a little experimenting you’ll find it easy to substitute ingredients in recipes that previously used gluten-containing ingredients and to use more fresh, rather than processed, ingredients.

And fortunately, all Jalna Yoghourts, Yoghourt On The Go and Vitalize contain no gluten, so you can continue to enjoy your favourite dairy foods on their own or in any recipes.

What & Where is Gluten found?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and oats (but not rice or corn), and all the foods made from these grains. Wheat and wheat products are used in a surprising number of processed foods, but luckily the range of gluten free foods has increased in recent years.

There are strict food labelling regulations for gluten in food so you can readily identify which foods to avoid.

Which Foods are OK?

You can still enjoy all these foods, as they contain no gluten:

• Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dried beans & pulses
• Fruit, vegetables, fresh herbs & spices
• Milk and cheese
• All Jalna Yoghourts and drinks
• Rice, rice noodles, rice bran, most rice crackers, rice flour, maize and polenta, corn flour (make sure it is made only from corn as some corn flours are made from wheat)
• Single ingredient herbs, spices, salt & pepper

• Gluten Free foods - yes, today there are plenty to choose from in the supermarket, as well as from specialty stores and from on-line suppliers. Everything from gluten free pastas, cereals, biscuits and crackers, bread, plus cake, biscuit, pancake and pizza mixes

Naturally gluten-free cereal products include:

• Amaranth
• Arrowroot
• Buckwheat
• Cornflour (from maize)
• Cornmeal
• Corn tortillas
• Lentil flour
• Malt-free rice and corn breakfast cereals
• Millet meal
• Most pappadums
• Polenta
• Potato flour
• Psyllium
• Quinoa
• Sago
• Soya flour
• Soy-based lecithin
• Taco shells 

• Tapioca.

Cooking Without Gluten

You may find these tips useful:

• Use colour coding to separate mixing bowls/cutting boards/oven trays and serving platters to avoid contamination with gluten
  
  
• Use fresh herbs and spices and lemon or lime juice to add flavour, rather than processed ingredients which may contain gluten
  
  
• Try to serve meals everyone in the family can enjoy, rather than having separate food with no gluten – it will save so much time and effort
  
  
• Concentrate on fresh foods, rather than processed ones which may contain gluten. Fruits and vegetables in season are more tasty – and cheaper – anyway
  
  
• Using Jalna Yoghourts as a marinade or sauce for meat dishes adds flavour, keeps the food moist and avoids processed sauces which may have added gluten
  
  
• When entertaining, separate foods for serving – vegetables, meat, breads, salads, sauces or gravies in separate bowls mean people can choose which to select and avoid gluten-containing foods without being embarrassed
  
  
• Keep experimenting – even if your first attempts using substitutes aren’t completely successful, with a little patience you’ll find the perfect combination with practice
  
  
• Add to your menu repertoire – many of the recipes on Jalna’s web site are gluten free.
  
  
• Try adding more gluten-free baking powder to cakes and add an additional egg to pancake batters when you are using gluten-free flour.
  
  
• Make your own flour substitutes (suggestions from the Victorian Government’s Better Health Channel web site):

Self-raising flour – two tablespoons potato flour, sufficient white rice flour to make it up to one cup, half a teaspoon of bicarbonate soda, half a teaspoon of cream of tartar, one teaspoon of xanthan gum (or guar gum). 
Plain flour – combinations include: two cups rice flour, two thirds cup potato flour and one third cup tapioca flour; equal portions of soya flour and cornstarch (from maize); equal portions of soya flour and potato flour; equal portions of soya flour and rice flour.
Sweet pastry – 60g cornstarch (from maize), three quarters cup milk powder, one and a half cups coconut, 120g melted butter. Baking powder – one quarter cup bicarbonate soda and half cup cream of tartar.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Enjoy these meal suggestions, all with no gluten, from Jalna’s recipe selection:

Steamed Egg Custard with Shiitake Mushrooms & Natural Yoghourt

Serves 4
 
Oil spray
2 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/2 onion, chopped
8 eggs 
300g Jalna Fat Free Natural or BioDynamic Organic Yoghourt
salt & pepper to taste
2 slices gluten free bread
8 chives 

• Spray the pan with oil.  Lightly sauté the mushrooms and onions. Whisk the egg, Jalna Yoghourt and seasoning. Divide mushroom, onion and egg mixture between 4 moulds. Steam for 8 minutes or until egg is set. Toast the bread and serve with egg custard. Garnish the custard with chives

Homemade Chicken, Mango and Cashew Nut Sausage with Mint Yoghourt Dip

Serves 4

200g chicken tenderloin
100g Jalna Fat Free Berry Fruit Yoghourt
2 tablespoons chopped cashew nuts
1/4 small mango (50g), peeled and finely diced
Salt & pepper
100g Jalna Fat Free BioDynamic Organic Yoghourt
5 peppermint or mint leaves, thinly sliced
Pinch paprika

• Mince chicken in food processor.
• Mix in Berry Fruit yoghourt, nuts, mango and salt and pepper to taste. Shape small handfuls of mix into 4cm long sausages, wrap in foil and steam for 10 minutes. 
• When cool enough to handle, grill or panfry until golden.

• Combine BioDynamic Yoghourt, mint, paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Serve sausages with mint yoghourt.

Greek Salad with Tangy Yoghourt Dressing

Serves 4
 
Ingredients per serve:
Lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber,
40g feta cheese
& 1/3 cup black olives
with 90g sliced cooked lamb fillets
& Tangy Yoghourt Dressing

Tangy Yoghourt Dressing
¾ cup Jalna Fat Free Natural or BioDynamic Organic Yoghourt
1 tablespoon each lemon and lime juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste

• Combine all dressing ingredients; season according to taste.  Drizzle over Greek salad.

Berry Fruit Yoghourt Rice Dessert

Serves 4-6

1 egg white
1 teaspoon sugar
400g Jalna Fat Free Berry Fruit Yoghourt
3 cups cooked medium grain rice
pinch cinnamon
50g fresh raspberries
50g fresh blueberries
50g fresh blackberries

• Whisk egg white and sugar until meringue texture. 
• Mix Jalna Yoghourt, rice and cinnamon.  Lightly fold in meringue and fresh berries and refrigerate.

• Serve in colourful coffee cups for a fun dessert

Eating Out

• As many foods are made with gluten-containing ingredients, always ask what’s in meals when you are eating out. It’s worth searching out restaurants and cafes that offer a range of gluten-free meals - the Coeliac Society web sites list a number.
  
  
• Simple meals – grilled fish or meat and vegetables or salads - without sauces or gravies are good choices.