glutenfreefoodieguide

Cheers to 4 years of Glutenfreefoodieguide 🎉🥂

Today officially marks 4 years since I created this page and started sharing my journey as a coeliac. I never knew I would reach out to so many people around the world through this platform, and I am so grateful to have crossed pathways with so many amazing people through this page.

Recently, I have had to make the choice of spending less time here due to work but also to be able to be more present in my life, and let me tell you - I love it this way. Having said that, I will still share food items, recipes, and places to eat whenever I do have time for that.

Thank you so much to all my followers and supporters. I appreciate you all so much. 💕

Sarika

Current cravings: My aunts homemade chicken biryani.

For those who aren't familiar with this dish, biryani is a mixed rice dish, and it's actually considered one of the most popular dishes in South Asia. A biryani is usually made with rice, some sort of meat, and let's not forget the spices.

One of my aunties makes the absolute best biryani ever, without doubt. I have had my fair amount of biryani even from restaurants, but nothing beats my aunties homemade biryani, which is full of delicious flavours and love.

And for those wondering, yes, biryani in general is completely gluten free and coeliac safe. The only thing to keep in mind is that a traditional dum biryani (which is a very specific kind of biryani) includes covering the gap between the pot and the lid with a wheat flour paste.
If you ever come across this specific kind, please ensure you ask how it was cooked, as the traditional way of making this does include wheat. However, I am also aware that a lot of restaurants serve dum biryani, but cook it without the wheat glue, so you might actually be able to give it a try if you inquire properly.

Any other biryani lovers here? 😍

Tortilla pizza 🍕

This right here is such a quick and easy snack or dinner to make. It's also a very convenient dish when tracking macros in food, but not only that, it's such a fun way to include children in the kitchen on days we're time is short.

All you need to make tortilla pizza is your favourite tortilla, tomato sauce, cheese, and whatever toppings you prefer.
I always use store bought tortillas to make these, and my favourites are GF tortillas from / .

My advice to get the best result is to brush the tortillas with olive oil, season them, and bake for a minute or two prior to adding tomato sauce and toppings. I then bake them again until the cheese is melted. You can make these in the oven and airfryr. Both works perfect, in my opinion.

Catch & Co
📍 New Plymouth, NZ

Earlier this year, my husband and I went on a weekend trip to Stratford, and our way back, we decided to stop in New Plymouth. I am so happy we made this stop as I found the best gluten free fish and chips. The fish and chips from Catch and Co are hands down the best gluten free option I have had so far in New Zealand. The portions aren't the biggest, and I have to say it's quite an expensive experience, but it's totally worth it. The staff is helpful and has knowledge around coeliac safety, which makes this little shop on the ocean view parade street in New Plymouth a must visit for coeliacs.

All in all, I had a fabulous experience at Catch & Co, and I will definitely go back.

Food: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Service: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Burger Fuel 🍔🍟

If you're ever looking for a good burger and chips option, which is coeliac safe in New Zealand, I have to recommend .

I won't say all their branches are safe, so always ask or call in advance, but the ones I've been to have been great with both prapering my burger in a safe way and reassuring me they use separate fryer for chips.

Their burgers and chips are absolutely great. I basically LOVE the gluten free burger bun they use. It's honestly top tier.

HELL Pizza 🍕

One of my absolute favourite spots for take away pizza's has to be . HELL Pizza used to be accredited, but from what I know, they changed that back in 2023.

Regardless of not being accredited, I still get their pizza and have never experienced any troubles. I know a lot of my fellow coeliacs here in NZ still eat their pizza, too, and I know for a fact that a lot of HELL Pizza owners still continued with the great measures to assure coeliac safe pizza to not loose costumers when the change happened.
To all HELL Pizza owners who continued with the strict rules of preparing coeliac safe pizzas: Thank you 😊

I know a couple of HELL Pizza locations that are safe. These locations are based on my own experience and my fellow coeliacs experiences they have mentioned in the Coeliac Disease New Zealand group on Facebook.
These locations are: Titirangi, Wigram, Bishopdale, Papamoa, Dinsdale, Pukekohe, and Botany.

My advice would always be to call the branch beforehand or talk to them upon arrival as owners and staff can change. From my experience, the branches that do have secure measures have trained staff and will assure you and explain how they keep the food safe.

My go-to office snacks as a coeliac ✨️

One thing I have learnt over the years as a coeliac is to always have GF snacks on me when I am out and about.

It keeps me safe from getting hungry when there aren't any coeliac safe options available, and I just love quick snack options on the go!

My current favourites to keep in my office are:
- brown rice crackers (BBQ flavour) from
- knot pretzels from
- snacka balls from

These are staples I keep in office, in my car, and often in my bag just to ensure I cater for my own needs if I don't find any other options. I love all these three items so much. It's kind of hard not to eat too many 😂

What's your favourite go-to snack?
And do you bring safety snacks when out and about as a coeliac?

How recover from fatigue that is related to gluten?

Well, one thing is clear, there is not a simple answer. Fatigue caused by gluten needs a multifaceted approach as there are a lot of factors all together that will need to be looked into to ensure an improvement. Nutrition is a big thing, so focus on a balanced diet and ensure you drink enough water. Take a deep breath and slow down when needed. Stress can impact our well-being in so many ways and can unfortunately result in long-term chronic fatigue. It's therefore important to slow down and get the right amount of rest and breaks to get on track.

Exercise is great even though you feel tired. Even just a couple of minutes is enough to help the body start its own recovery process, and it can positively impact our sleeping routines (7-9 hours should be our goal).

[All recommendations shared are based on information provided by Coeliac New Zealand as of May 2024]

Kvæfjordkake: The world's best cake

This cake right here is known as"Verdens beste kake" in Norway, which literally translates to "the world's best cake." This cake is a common cake to serve at parties in Norway, including on the 17th of May on the Norwegian Constitution Day.

This cake is a Norwegian sponge cake baked with meringue and almonds on top. It's a luxurious and dreamy cake that definitely has earned its title of the world’s best cake, specifically amongst norwegians. It's filled with a delicious whipped cream and vanilla custard layer in the middle. This cake is so easy to assemble and is a winner for any occasion.

In Norway, I've usually made this cake using flour from .nordics while here in New Zealand, I've used the plain flour from .

To make this cake you need

Sponge cake:
125 room tempered butter (soft)
130g granulated sugar
4 egg yolks
125g gluten free flour (plain)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 tbsp milk (I use coconut milk)

Meringue:
4 egg whites
180g granulated sugar
10-20g sliced almonds
(add according to your preferences)

Cream fill:
350g vanilla custard
250 ml/ 1 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 170 degrees.

Start off by whisking the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy in a medium sized bowl. Add the egg yolks one at a time while whisking. Once its mixed well add GF flour, vanilla extract, baking soda and milk. Whisk it all together until well combined and set aside. The batter will be sort of thick

Now, over to our meringue. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the egg whites until foamy. Add in sugar, little by little, and keep whisking until stiff peaks form (a glossy look). Set aside while you slice the almonds to sprinkle on top of the cake.

Cover an oven tray with parchment paper and gently spread the sponge cake batter thinly and as even as possible. You want to spread it as far as possible to the edges (maintain the rectangular shape). Pour over the meringue gently and spread it across the sponge cake batter. There is no need to make it flat and nice on top as the peaks on the meringue represent the Norwegian mountains. Sprinkle sliced almonds and place the tray in the middle rack in the oven for about 20-25 minutes. Please ensure you keep an eye on this cake the last 5-10 minutes, as you want to make sure the meringue is perfectly cooked - dry and lightly golden on top.

Once baked let the cake cool down. Prepare the whipped cream by whisking heavy cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold the cool vanilla custard into the whipped cream. Assemble the cake by cutting it in half and placing on half if it on a cake tray with the meringue side down. Gently spread the cream mix over the cake and cover the filling with the second layer of cake, keeping the meringue side up (sponge layer down).

This cake is ready to serve immediately after making, but it's just as tasty after keeping it chilled for an hour or so before serving. You can keep this cake in a refrigerator for about 3 days.

Enjoy this delightful piece of Norwegian history.

COELIAC AWARENESS 2024

With world coeliac awareness day, 16th of May, and coeliac awareness week in New Zealand (10-16th of June) coming up quickly, I wanted to share a little about my journey. Especially since the topic for the awareness week in NZ is caring about people with coeliac disease.

My journey with coeliac disease has been a rough one. When I first got the symptoms and went into hospital to get my test done, I was very ill. I used weeks to recover, and I remember the anxiety creeping up on me regarding how I would manage to live in a world full of gluten. My biggest concern was how my family and friends would cope and I struggled a lot with guilt for having people cater for my needs or not being able to eat in time because with me being coeliac we couldn't just eat anywhere at any time.

The first years were the hardest ones, and now, 10 years into my journey, I feel so much more confident in my choices, regardless of people's opinions. I wish I could tell my newly diagnosed self that things would be alright and that people who really love me will go above and beyond to ensure my safety and well-being.

I am truly blessed to have family, friends, and colleagues who have always cared about me and made me feel included in all possible ways ❤️

PS: ALWAYS TAKE CARE OF THOSE YOU LOVE 🙏🏼

Open sandwich - my favourite!

Nothing beats proper open sandwich, in my opinion. Eating open sandwiches like this is such a huge part of the culture in Norway and quite big around Europe in general. I grew up eating these kinds of sandwiches, and I absolutely love it.

For those who aren't familiar with this, an open face sandwich is basically a slice of bread or toast with one or more food items on top. In Norway, we refer to this sandwich as "brødksive med pålegg" which translates to a slice of bread with topping. You can use any kind of bread to make these kinds of sandwiches, but one of my current favourites is the paleo almond and linseed bread from . The flavour and texture of this bread are perfect, and it works so well for an open sandwich.

What's your take on open sandwiches? Is it a yey or nay?

[Gifted]

Oslo Raw - one of my favourite spots in Norway!
📍Oslo, Norway

I know I have shared on my page several times before, but here we go again, as I'm currently craving their amazing food, and they deserve all the love ❤️

Oslo Raw is a raw food café in the Frogner district in Oslo with organic vegan food, as well as coffee, juice, and smoothies. They specialise in making healthy sweets and bakes, and everything is made onsite without any refined sugar, gluten, and dairy. Having the possibility to pop by here as a coeliac and know the food is safe is such a pleasure, and I can't recommend their cafes enough regardless of being vegan, coeliac, or dairy free. This place is just worth the trip anyway.

Food: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Service: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Raw cake (brownie) 🌱 🍫

Still not over how amazing this vegan and gluten free brownie mix from turned out!

Raw cake isn't for everyone from my experience, but I love raw cakes, and this specific mix was a hit for me.

As raw cakes aren't made using heat, like traditional cakes, they are eaten cold and often don't contain any kind of animal products. I feel like the fact that raw cakes are made with a blend of nuts, seeds, coconut, cacao, fruits, and natural sweeteners is one of the main reasons people don't like it. Nuts especially isn't for everyone, but I fell in love with rawcakes many years ago, and I do appreciate these kind cakes as well.

What's your experiences and thoughts on raw cakes?

Are you looking for a healthier dinner option? Well, I got you sorted. Here's my take on a healthier burger dinner that's easy to put together and don't hold back on flavours.

Burger is amongst one of my favourite things to eat, but I don't settle for any processed patties. I always make my own burger patties to make sure my meal is as healthy and nutritious as possible.

To make this delicious burger dinner with homemade crispy potato wedges you need:

■ 130g ground beef or chicken
■ 270g potatoes
■ 1 tbs olive oil
■ 16g cheese (low-fat)
■ 35g low fat curd cheese/quark
■ 8g tomato sauce (zero sugar)
■ 1/2 red capsicum
■ lettuce
■ 1 tsp salt
■ 1tsp garlic powder
■ 1tsp lemon herb mix

Cut the potatoes in equal sized wedges and add them into a bowl. Add 1 tsp olive oil and massage the oil in. Add preferred spice and cook the wedges in a preheated oven on 200°C. Whilst the potato wedges are cooking,you can add the ground beef/chicken into a bowl and add 1tsp salt, 1tsp garlic powder, and 1tsp lemon herb mix. Mix the spices into the meat and divide the meat into two equal parts. Make two round patties and cook these in a nonstick pan on medium heath. While the burgers are cooking,cut the capsicum and toss these in the pan next to the burgers. Add cheese on top of the burgers and serve burgers on top of lettuce instead of bread. Mix quark/curd cheese and tomato sauce/ketchup in a tiny bowl, and you'll have yourself a delicious dipping sauce.

As you see here, by choosing ingredients that are lower in fat, higher in protein and making the patties at home it's so easy to have a healthy meal that doesn't hold back on flavours at all. Eating healthy doesn't mean eating tasteless food or starving yourself at all. It's all about healthier options and how you prepare your food .

Don't forget to save this recipe,and I hope you enjoy this meal just as much as me!

Zucchini noodles with chicken is an underrated combination that I highly recommend! Here, I've made a Asian inspired zoodle dish with chicken and vegetables cooked in ginger and soy sauce. For a crunchy texture, I've added some peanuts.

One of the main reasons why I love zucchini noodles, also known as zoodles, is because it's naturally gluten free and a healthier option to other GF pasta alternatives. I really appreciate using fresh and naturally gluten free alternatives in my diet as a coeliac. Zoodles are so simple to make if you have the right kitchen tool, like a spiralizer. You can easily buy zoodles from a store if that's more convenient, but if you want a fresher taste and texture, you should definitely make these noodles at home.

One of my best tips will be to make sure you don't overcook the zoodles. Zucchini is high in water (95 %), so keep on mind that your intention is to heat them up and not to “cook" them, as you'll end up with a soggy mush.

Have you tried zoodles?

Gluten free Afghan Cookies 🍪

How have I not tried these before?
These Afghan crunch keto cookies from are absolutely amazing and totally guilt free. They fit perfectly into a healthier lifestyle with only 95 calories and 1.2 g carbs.

The taste is incredible, perfectly balanced with a chocolate and coconut flavour, not to mention how they are super crunchy. I love how each cookie is wrapped separately, so it's convenient to bring along as a mid-day snack or just a snack on the go (which I highly recommended for us coeliacs - talking from experience). I think the best part for me is that these are keto, GF, wheat free, dairy free, contain no added suger, no eggs, and are FIANZ approved halal. In other words, Justine's are providing cookies for a wider audience, and it makes me so happy how they are so inclusive as a company.

These cookies are available in Countdown/Woolworth and Chemist Warehouse in Auckland and Waikato area. You can also purchase these online directly from Justines webpage or other online companies here in NZ that provide your typical supplements, etc, within the fitness world.

Ad/Annonse

Thank you for all the kind messages from the coeliac community in NZ ❤️

I appreciate you all so much. I have had several people reach out to me regarding wanting to do the oats challenge here in NZ.

It's very important that you guys follow the recommendations from Coeliac NZ when it comes to collaborating with your medical specialist and dietitian before introducing ‘pure’ or ‘gluten free’ oats into your diet.

Have a blessed Sunday 🙌🏼

GF protein rolls

📢 Alert: These rolls contain GF oats as oats are certified safe in Norway when they are labeled GF. Oats are not considered safe for coeliacs in Australia or New Zealand, but can be overseas. If you are making this recipe for someone else, please check their stance on oats for their safety.

It's been a while since I've shared my favorite protein rolls recipe, so here we go again. This recipe is very simple and only requires five ingredients.

To make these rolls, you need:

● 250 g cottage cheese (low-fat)
● 160 g GF oats (or ground oats/oat flour)
● 2 medium-sized eggs
● 1 tbsp baking soda
● a pinch salt

I usually start off with mashing the cottage cheese. After this, I add in the eggs and mix it all together. I then add in the dry ingredients and divide the dough into 10 equal parts. This dough is very sticky, but don't worry about that as it's exactly how it's supposed to be. Bake the rolls on 180 degrees for about 20 minutes. As you can see, in the first and third pictures, I haven't mashed the cottage cheese. I also used oats, not ground oats or oats, or flour. The outcome of these rolls look wise will depend on if you mash the cheese and if you use oats or oats flour. Both method works perfect as you can see in the pictures, and the taste is amazing regardless of which method you choose.

Each roll contains about:
● 94 calories
● 10,6 g carbs
● 6,1 g protein
● 2, 6 g fat

Olivia Restauranter
📍Norway (various locations)

If you're on a hunt for coeliac safe Italian food in Norway, you have to check out . They have loads of gluten free options, including pizzas, pasta dishes, bread, and desserts.

The staff is usually very helpful from my experience when it comes to making sure the food is safe for coeliacs and gluten free pizza's are served with a flag to mark that it's gluten free. This is one of my safest go-to Italian restaurants in Norway that I highly recommend saving as a safe option when travelling around in Norway.

Food: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Service: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Gluten free protein pancakes fit for a birthday or an extra special occasion 🎉

If you want to make these delicious protein pancakes, you need:

▪︎ 1 large egg
▪︎ 2 tbsp milk
▪︎ 15 g whey protein (vanilla)
▪︎ 1 banana (medium-sized/85g)
▪︎ 1/2 tsp baking powder
▪︎ 1/2 tsp vanilla sugar

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, grease a pan, and divide the batter into three equal sized pancakes. I usually like my pancakes with low calorie and sugar-free syrup, chocolate, or strawberry sauce. I also love fresh berries or fruits on top.

For more celebratory days, you might want to make these a little more fun like I've done here with a funfetti option.
The only difference is that I've added 1tsp funfetti in the batter and topped the pancakes with 2 tbsp low-fat yoghurt mixed with blue spirulina and a little funfetti sprinkle.

Don't forget to save this recipe!

Brick Bay Wines and Sculpture Trail 🥂

This place has been on my bucket list for ages, and I finally got a chance to visit this absolutely stunning place two weeks ago. The Brick Bay Wine () is known for being sustainable and focusing on the guiding principles of gentle handling with minimal winery manipulation. Not only are they known for their wine, but the famous sculpture trail is a huge part of this whole experience. We unfortunately didn't have time to do the Sculpture Trail walk, but we will be back to do that as well.

We went for a classic wine tasting starting with a Pinot Gris from 2021. This was my absolute favourite as it had aromas from ripe pear, quince, and apricot. Our second was a rose focused on concentrated summer fruits, so a very vibrant taste that ended up being my second favourite. We ended the wine tasting with a Martello Rock from 2020 with aromas of dark berries, charcuterie, floral perfumes, and smoky savoury notes.

The food was absolutely amazing, and yes, they do cater for coeliacs and take well care of us. We had a booking for lunch, so there were loads of delicious options to choose from. We had olives and fries to share while enjoying our wine, and for mains, I went for the Leigh skin-on snapper with braised fennel, kale, almond skordalia, salsa verde, lemon and capers.

Add this place to your bucket list, as it's such a wonderful experience!

Food: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Service: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Let's talk about less known coeliac disease symptoms!

Gut related problems are well known as a sign of coeliac disease, but there are so many other symptoms that people aren't aware of. The symptoms I have mentioned above are less known, and therefore, a lot of people who face these specific struggles don't even know that gluten could be the cause.

To my fellow coeliacs here on IG: have you experienced any of the symptoms mentioned here?

Healthy bliss balls with no added sugar.

These bliss balls are quick and easy to make with just a couple of ingredients. They are perfect for a morning or in between meals snack, or even a little dessert when those sweet cravings hit after dinner.

To make these bliss balls, you need:
- 150 g medjool dates (pitted)
- 45 g walnuts (plain)
- 35 g almonds
- 2 tbsp nutbutter (almond or peanutbutter)
- water

Toppings:
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 25 g shredded coconut

This recipe gives around 9-10 blissballs. Double the recipe if you'd like to make a bigger batch.

Start off by soaking the dates in warm water for around 30 minutes. This helps soften the dates in a natural way. Add dates, walnuts, almonds, nutbutter, and 4 tbsp water in a nutribullet and blitz until a moist and sticky crumb is formed. If you're using a nutribullet like I did, you might need to add more water to get a perfect mix. I started off with 4 tbsp, then added 2 tbsp more x 2 to get a perfect result. The key is to add liquid little by little so it doesn't end up as a runny mix. You need a sticky and moist mix that you're able to roll into balls. If you're using a foodprocesser, I recommend adding 1 tbsp and blitz. If needed, add another tbsp water.

When you have a perfect mix, you need to roll the mixture into 9 or 10 evenly sized blissballs and place them on a plate covered with parchment paper. The reason I recommend using parchment paper is because this mixture is very moist and a little tricky to work with. You can add a couple of tbsp protein powder or cocoa powder in the mix if you like to avoid a too sticky texture. Add shredded coconut and cocoa powder in two separate small bowls. Cover five of the blissballs with coconut and five with cocoa powder.

I hope you guys enjoy these bliss balls just as much as me if you try this recipe. You can store these in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 5-6 weeks.