If you’re looking for family-friendly wheat free meals, this post is for you! We’ve included recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as delicious wheat free treats and desserts you’ll wish you tried sooner. Many of these recipes are naturally gluten, dairy, and sugar free, and since you can meal prep many of these ahead of time, they make the perfect weeknight dinners as they can be reheated in a pinch!
Wheat Allergy vs. Celiac Disease
While the symptoms of a wheat allergy are similar to those of celiac disease, there are some key differences between the two. Many people overcome wheat allergies over time, whereas celiac disease is a chronic autoimmune disorder. A wheat allergy is a temporary immune reaction to one or more wheat proteins, whereas celiac disease causes damage to the lining of the small intestines over time, resulting in diarrhea, bloating, weight loss, fatigue, and anemia. Untreated celiac disease can also prevent the small intestine from absorbing nutrients, which can interfere with growth and development in children and lead to other health challenges in adults.
5 Tips for Cooking Wheat Free Meals
Before we jump into our favorite wheat free meals, here are some helpful wheat free cooking tips and tricks!
1. STORE WHEAT FREE FLOUR IN THE FRIDGE OR FREEZER
Gluten and wheat free flours tend to have a shorter lifespan than traditional flours. Be sure to read labels carefully and take note of the expiration date as well as how you should store your flour substitutes to ensure they remain fresh.
2. TRY DIFFERENT SPICES AND FLAVORINGS
Gluten and wheat free flours typically have a distinct taste to them, which can take some getting used to so choose recipes that call for flavors you like. Vanilla and cinnamon are great as these tend to mask the taste of the base flour you’re using. You can increase the amount of your flavor of choice if desired.
3. FOLLOW RECIPES PRECISELY
While cooking lends itself to experimenting with ‘a little bit of this and a little bit of that’, baking is much more precise. Swapping out or omitting ingredients can completely ruin your baked goods. Start by following existing recipes precisely, and once you get a sense for the science behind eliminating wheat, you’ll be much more successful at taking an existing recipe and making it wheat free.
4. ADD MOISTURE AND STRUCTURE IF NEEDED
If you’re attempting to convert one of your favorite recipes into a wheat free meal or treat, you may need to add a little moisture. If your recipe already calls for ingredients such as eggs, oil, pureed fruits, yogurt, or cottage cheese, you may need to increase the amount slightly so your finished product doesn’t turn out too dry. You can also replace white sugar with brown sugar, or use a sugar substitute such as honey or agave to add moisture. In the absence of gluten, increasing the amount of wet ingredients in your recipe will also give structure to your baked goods so they don’t turn out too dense and crumbly.
5. INCREASE YOUR LEAVENING AGENT
Gluten doesn’t just give structure to baked goods – it helps them rise as well. If you’re adapting a traditional recipe into a gluten free dessert, you will want to increase the amount of baking soda or baking powder you use by about 25%.
30 Family-Friendly Wheat Free Meals
We have curated our favorite wheat free meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as snacks and desserts below. Be sure to check ingredient labels to confirm you are choosing wheat free options, and if you are looking for a list of foods to avoid if you have a wheat allergy, THIS POST is a great resource!
10 Wheat Free Meals for Breakfast
Allergy Friendly Pancakes | MOMables
Gluten Free Waffles | Gluten-Free Palate
Gluten and Dairy Free Breakfast Muffins | The Loopy Whisk
Gluten Free Blueberry Lemon Breakfast Casserole | Mama Knows Gluten Free
Gluten Free Breakfast Casserole | Gluten-Free Palate
Sheet Pan Bacon Breakfast Potatoes | Allergy AWESOMENESS
3-Ingredient Flourless Breakfast Bars | The Big Man’s World
Blueberry-Lemon Donuts | The Peachee Pear
Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls | Life After Wheat
Overnight Egg Bake | FOODAL
10 Wheat Free Meals for Lunch & Dinner
Cauliflower Rice Tabbouleh | The View From Great Island
Gluten Free Chinese Honey Chicken | Whitney Bond
Gluten Free and Vegan Singapore Noodles | Off The Wheaten Path
Gluten and Dairy Free Taco Bake | Tumble into Love
Gluten Free Meatloaf | Gluten-Free Palate
Gluten Free Pizza | Ela Vegan
Gluten Free Orange Chicken | Mama Knows Gluten Free
Creamy Cauliflower Chicken Baked Pasta | Meaningful Eats
Healthy Gluten Free Chili Mac | Whole New Mom
Chicken Tortilla Soup | Life Made Simple
10 Wheat Free Desserts
Oat Fudge Bars | The Infinebalance Food Blog
4-Ingredient No Flour Monster Cookies | The Big Man’s World
Almond Butter Quinoa Blondies | Eating Well
Easy Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles | Chemistry Cachet
Gluten Free Mini Doughnuts | Becky Excell
The Best Sugar Free Chocolate Chip Cookies | The Sugar Free Diva
Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes | The Hidden Veggies
Brownie Bites | Go Dairy Free
Gluten Free Thumbprint Cookies | Texanerin Baking
Gluten Free Blueberry Pie Bars | Ambitious Kitchen
If you or your child has a wheat allergy, I hope you enjoy this collection of wheat free meals!
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