If you suffer from a gluten intolerance or gluten sensitivity, it may often seem very difficult at first glance to abstain from gluten and to find gluten-free foods. This is because most people eat cereal foods for breakfast.
However, there is now a wide range of gluten-free breakfast options . In this post, we will show you what gluten is, what symptoms you can recognize from celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. We'll also introduce you to various recipe ideas for a healthy, gluten-free breakfast .
What is gluten?
Gluten is a protein found in many grains. In itself, gluten is not bad, as it is very useful due to its ability to bind ingredients. Because gluten makes the dough really sticky and ensures the right consistency in various baked goods, such as bread.
However, there are people who do not tolerate gluten very well. If this is the case, it is called gluten intolerance or gluten sensitivity.
What are the differences between gluten intolerance and gluten sensitivity?
Gluten intolerance, also called celiac disease, is an autoimmune disease. This means that when the body consumes gluten, it produces antibodies that attack its own small intestine. As a result, people with a gluten intolerance have various symptoms such as flatulence, abdominal pain, or diarrhea.
In contrast to a gluten intolerance, the symptoms of a gluten sensitivity are not as severe and the consumption of gluten does not lead to the formation of antibodies. In addition, small amounts of gluten are rather harmless, and it is only with a higher consumption of gluten that various complaints such as chronic fatigue, headaches, or digestive complaints occur.
What to look for with a gluten-free breakfast
Especially at breakfast , it does not seem easy for many to do without gluten-containing foods and to access gluten-free alternatives. That's because most breads contain gluten. Only well-stocked supermarkets or bakeries now offer gluten-free bread. Most breakfast products – such as sweet or savory spreads – also often contain cereals that contain gluten. If you have celiac disease, you should strictly avoid gluten. Therefore, you should always pay attention to the "gluten-free" label when buying cereal products – i.e., gluten-free!
5 recipe ideas for your gluten-free breakfast
1. Delicious Chiapudding – guaranteed gluten-free
A simple breakfast option with a short list of ingredients that you can easily prepare without gluten is Chiapudding. Chia seeds are known to be a superfood and will keep you full for a long time. Since the Chiapudding consists only of chia seeds and milk or plant drink, it is easy to do without gluten. Here is a delicious recipe that you can use to make the pudding yourself:
Chia seed pudding with raspberries
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 pack of vanilla sugar
- 100 ml milk or plant drink
- Fresh raspberries
Preparation
-
Pour the chia seeds and vanilla sugar with milk or a vegetable drink of your choice.
-
Puree fresh raspberries and wholly or partially mix with the pudding.
-
Leave to swell in the fridge for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
-
Garnish as desired with berries and chia seeds or coconut flakes.
Tip
Nutritional values
2. Gluten-free porridge
If you like to have a hot breakfast, you can of course also eat porridge – and in no time, you have conjured up a very healthy breakfast. One possibility is that you use pseudocereals, such as amaranth, buckwheat, or quinoa, as the base for your porridge. Here's a simple recipe for a quinoa porridge:
Recipe: Quinoa porridge with berries
Ingredients
- 70 g quinoa
- 150 ml plant milk
- 2 tbsp agave syrup
- 50 g berries
- 15 g walnuts
Preparation
-
Put the quinoa in a pot with twice the amount of liquid and let the quinoa simmer in about 10 minutes.
-
After 10 minutes of cooking, add the plant drink and the agave syrup to the pot and simmer for another 10 minutes.
-
Once your quinoa porridge is ready and has a creamy consistency, turn off the heat and add the berries and stir in.
-
The best way to taste the quinoa porridge is to add some agave syrup if necessary.
-
As a topping you can use different nuts; we have taken walnuts here. Coconut flakes are also suitable.
Of course, you can also enjoy a delicious oatmeal with a gluten intolerance. It is important that you ensure that the oatmeal is gluten-free. At Verival you will find a wide selection of different gluten-free porridges . The oatmeal it contains is gluten-free, as the oats it contains are specially grown, harvested, and processed. This can ensure that the gluten-free oats do not come into contact with gluten-containing oats.
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. Proper 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 way to have a gluten-free breakfast. You can simply mix fruit of your choice and then refine the breakfast bowl with various toppings, such as nuts or seeds.
Smoothie bowl with berries
Accessories
-
Blender
Ingredients
- 1 frozen banana
- 200 g berries
- 150 ml plant-based drink
- 1 tbsp flaxseed
- 2 tbsp oatmeal
Preparation
-
Put all the ingredients in a blender and mix them well until a creamy consistency is formed.
-
Then place the smoothie in a bowl.
-
You can refine the smoothie bowl with toppings of your choice.
4. Gluten-free overnight oats
Overnight oats are also perfect as a breakfast option for your gluten-free breakfast. Simply use gluten-free oatmeal or porridge mixtures as a base. Our Verival Bircher Porridge is made from gluten-free oatmeal and is therefore also suitable for people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. You can find out how to prepare a delicious gluten-free cereal – such as a Bircher cereal – without gluten here:
Bircher breakfast in a glass
Ingredients
- 30 g Bircher Porridge
- ½ apple
- 3-4 tbsp. yogurt
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- Milk
Preparation
-
Let the porridge boil briefly with milk or water, turn back the stove and let it steep for about 3 minutes. Then pour into a glass.
-
Cut the apple into cubes and simmer with a little milk and cinnamon until the apple pieces become a little soft.
-
Add a few tablespoons of yogurt, such as Greek or plain yogurt, to the porridge.
-
Finally, add the apple pieces as a 3rd layer to the glass and top with a few cashews.
Video
Nutritional values
5. The new porridge trend: gluten-free pudding oats
If you enjoy eating pudding, you'll love this breakfast recipe: Pudding Oats. In this recipe, the classic porridge is refined with custard powder and thus very creamy. Again, you can of course fall back on gluten-free oatmeal.
Vanilla pudding oats with almonds and berries
Ingredients
- 70 g oatmeal
- 25 g pudding powder (vanilla)
- 200 ml plant-based drink
- 350 ml water
- 25 g protein powder (to your liking)
- 1 tsp. maple syrup
- 15 g whole almonds or ground
- 50 g berries
Preparation
-
First of all, put the oatmeal in a pot together with the custard powder, the protein powder, the water, and the milk.
-
If you want, you can add some more maple syrup to sweeten it.
-
Bring to the boil and stir well with a whisk until the mixture begins to thicken. At first, the mass will be very liquid, but after a few minutes, it will gradually become thicker.
-
When the mixture begins to thicken, turn off the heat and continue stirring for another minute.
-
Then remove the pudding oats from the stove and leave them to stand for about 2 minutes.
-
Finally, place the pudding oats in a bowl and top with almonds and berries. Of course, you can also use other fresh fruit.
As you can see, it is not difficult to have a gluten-free breakfast, and there is a wide range of different recipes. You can find more gluten-free recipe inspiration and tips for your healthy diet here.
By the way: If you like eggs, you can also go gluten-free with scrambled eggs, fried eggs, and more.
Good to know: Which cereals naturally provide gluten-free flour in the first place? These are millet, amaranth, buckwheat, corn, and rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I eat for breakfast in case of gluten intolerance?
There are many delicious recipe ideas for chiapudding, gluten-free porridge, gluten-free smoothie bowls, and smoothies or gluten-free overnight oats. Eggs (scrambled eggs, fried eggs,...), bread made from gluten-free cereals, fresh fruit, nuts, rice pudding, and cream cheese can also be on your list.
Is yogurt gluten-free?
Yes, natural yogurt is gluten-free. But with all products that have been further processed, you already have to pay very close attention. The same applies to fruit yogurt. So it is best to always use natural yogurt - and then refine it yourself.
Which oatmeal is gluten-free?
Oatmeal is low in gluten. You can actually buy completely gluten-free oatmeal. All you have to do is ask in detail and you will find what you are looking for in the well-stocked specialist retailer. In fact, gluten-free cereal flakes are millet, rice, and corn flakes.
Which bread can you eat if you are intolerant to gluten?
There is now a good selection of gluten-free bread, rolls, or baked goods in the trade. However, it is a good idea to make your own gluten-free bread because then you are not only on the safe - gluten-free side when it comes to the ingredients, but it is also a bit more cost-effective. Flours such as wheat, rye, spelt, and barley are taboo. Only cereals such as millet, rice, corn, amaranth, and buckwheat are considered. With oatmeal, you also have to make sure that it is not contaminated with gluten-containing cereals.
How do you get oatmeal gluten-free?
When growing the oat, it must be ensured that no grain containing gluten has been grown here before. There are constant checks during the growing of the oat and other cereals must be removed immediately. Strict controls also apply to processing so that contamination by gluten-containing cereals does not occur (e.g., in the area of processing machines). For example, gluten-free oatmeal is commercially available for people suffering from celiac disease.
Is there gluten in coffee?
The pure and only roasted coffee bean is gluten-free. So you can enjoy your coffee without worry if you suffer from a gluten intolerance. Ready-made coffee, instant drinks, and vending machine coffee should be left out as a precaution.
Are cooked potatoes gluten-free?
A very clear yes! Potatoes are gluten-free - just like many other foods. These include fruits, vegetables, fat, oil, eggs, low-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 celiac disease.
Which cheese is gluten-free?
Most cheeses are well tolerated by people with gluten intolerance. Cream cheese, mozzarella, goat and sheep cheese, and many other cheeses such as Emmental, Gouda, or Parmesan can be enjoyed without any problems. It is always important to observe your own body and to develop a feeling for it. This is how you can deal with smaller "gluten cans".
