7-Day Gluten-Free Diet Plan

People suffering from Celiac disease must avoid foods containing the protein gluten, which is found in certain grains like wheat, barley and rye. In individuals with Celiac disease, gluten causes a reaction in the small intestine resulting from the inability to absorb nutrients in food. There are a number of places on the Internet that provide a wide variety of gluten-free recipes in all categories.

What is Celiac Disease?

• Celiac disease is also called gluten-sensitive enteropathy, celiac sprue and non-tropical sprue and tends to run in families. According to Dr. Shelley Case, "it is a multi-system, multi-symptom disease with serious implications." Celiac disease can lead to osteoporosis, depression, behavior problems, anemia and stunted growth in children. According to WebMD, it is suggested that anyone who suspects they have Celiac disease see a doctor for a professional diagnosis before trying a gluten-free diet since the markers of the disease are deposited in the bloodstream.

Breakfast

• RecipeCzar.com has hundreds of gluten-free recipes and the recipes for this meal plan can be found on the website (see Resources for a link).
  Sunday--Seriously Fluffy Gluten-Free Pancakes
  Monday--Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal
  Tuesday--Gluten-Free Granola with Walnuts and Mulberries
  Wednesday--Eggs in Tomato Cases
  Thursday--Potato Parsley Pancakes
  Friday--Custom Fruit Salad
  Saturday--Spanish Omelet

Lunch

• The following lunch recipes that includes videos on how to prepare the dishes these recipes can be found on ifood.tv
  See resources for a link.
  Sunday -- Gluten-Free Pizza
  Monday -- Sushi
  Tuesday -- Mediterranean Dolmas
  Wednesday -- Risotto
  Thursday -- Tuna Pasta Salad
  Friday -- Grass-fed burger
  Saturday -- Black bean burritos

Dinner

• The recipes for these tasty dishes, along with shopping lists, can be found at theglutenfreeweek.com (see Resources for a link). The one-dish meals that are included here can be augmented with a side salad, gluten-free bread and/pasta as well as your choice of vegetable.
  Sunday -- Roast Chicken, Rice Pilaf, Zucchini and Squash
  Monday -- Szechuan Peanut Noodles with Broccoli
  Tuesday -- Ricotta Stuffed Chicken, Rutabaga and Carrot Puree, Salad
  Wednesday -- Beef Stew
  Thursday -- Stuffed Green Peppers
  Friday -- Barbecue Chicken, Rice Pilaf and Spinach
  Saturday -- Thai Chicken Curry

Snacks

• At recipezaar.com there are more than 2,000 gluten-free recipes in this category. Below are just a few of the recipes available:
  Chewy Granola Bars (Gluten-free, vegan, egg free and dairy free)
  Ants on a log (gluten-free and peanut free)
  Vanilla cupcakes with chocolate (gluten-free and sugar-free)
  Chocolate chip cookie bars (gluten-free and dairy free)
  Pumpkin spice muffins (gluten-free and dairy-free)
  Dense Delicious Brownies (gluten-free and dairy/casein free)