Weekly gluten-free menu: seven days, breakfast and shopping list

Who is this menu for, and who is it not for?

It is designed for an adult who has already been diagnosed with coeliac disease or non-coeliac gluten sensitivity, who eats everything else and cooks at home. It also suits the whole family, because no dish in the table is made separately.

If you do not have a diagnosis yet, do not remove gluten before you are tested [1]. Without gluten in your diet, blood tests and the biopsy can come back normal even if you have coeliac disease. Tests first, menu afterwards.

It has not been calculated for pregnancy, breastfeeding or anyone under 18. It is also not for people with diabetes treated with insulin or medicines that can lower blood sugar too much, chronic kidney disease, or a current or past eating disorder. If you have your own plan for coeliac disease, a diagnosed allergy, or heart or liver failure, your own plan takes priority.

The seven-day menu

The table gives no grams or calories, because portions depend on your hunger and how much you move. There are six different gluten-free grains, pulses at lunch on four days and fish or seafood on six days out of seven.

The oats on Wednesday must be certified gluten-free and are only included if you tolerate them. Most people with coeliac disease tolerate them when they are not contaminated [2], though not all. If you notice discomfort when you introduce them, discuss it with your doctor or registered dietitian-nutritionist.

Between meals, if needed, have a piece of fruit, a plain yoghurt or a handful of nuts.

The weekly shopping list

The amounts are for one person and for these seven days. If there are more of you at home, multiply almost everything except the pantry items. If you choose soy drink, remember that soy is an allergen.

Fruit and vegetables

• 12 pieces of seasonal fruit
• 1 banana, 1 pear, 1 pomegranate and 1 orange
• 1 small melon and 2 avocados
• 1 kg tomatoes
• 1 kg onions and a head of garlic
• 1 kg potatoes, 1 sweet potato and 1 small cassava
• 500 g carrots
• 3 peppers, red and green
• 1 courgette and 1 aubergine for the pisto
• 300 g pumpkin
• 250 g mushrooms
• 500 g fresh spinach
• 1 broccoli and 1 bunch of green asparagus
• 200 g green beans
• 1 corn on the cob
• 4 artichokes, fresh or frozen
• 1 bag of lamb’s lettuce and 1 cucumber
• 3 lemons
• Fresh basil, mint and parsley

Fishmonger and butcher

• 1 sea bream
• 1 salmon fillet
• 1 hake fillet
• 150 g prawns
• 250 g seafood for the rice
• 300 g turkey breast
• 2 chicken thighs
• 150 g beef for grilling

Eggs and dairy

• 1 dozen eggs
• 1 litre of milk, or of plant-based drink with at least 3% protein (soy is better).
• 4 plain yoghurts
• 1 tub of fresh cheese
• 1 small wedge of Parmesan for the pesto

Pantry

• 500 g buckwheat groats
• 250 g certified gluten-free oat flakes
• 500 g chickpea flour
• 1 packet of pre-cooked corn flour
• 500 g rice and 250 g brown rice
• 250 g quinoa and 250 g millet
• 250 g red lentil macaroni
• 200 g dried lentils
• 1 jar of cooked chickpeas and 1 of white beans
• 1 tin of tuna, 1 jar of olives and 1 jar of white asparagus
• 1 jar of crushed tomatoes
• 1 packet of cornflour and 1 sachet of baking powder
• 150 g walnuts, 150 g almonds and 30 g pine nuts
• Paprika, curry powder, cumin, oregano and cinnamon
• 1 litre of extra virgin olive oil

Everything packaged on this list, including spices and baking powder, should be bought labelled ‘gluten-free’.

How to read the label in the supermarket

Fresh, unpackaged foods (fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, eggs, dried pulses) do not contain gluten and need no label. Always check packaged foods, including what you buy every week, because recipes change.

• ‘Gluten-free’ guarantees at most 20 mg of gluten per kilo, including in oats [3].
• The crossed grain symbol is the seal of the coeliac associations and adds an extra check.
• In the ingredients list, wheat, barley, rye and oats are highlighted.
• ‘May contain traces of gluten’ means there is no guarantee. Leave it on the shelf.
• Cured meats, sauces, stock, ground spices and chocolates are the ones that surprise people most.
• Anything made without a label, such as bread or sweets sold loose, is not to be bought.

The Federation of Coeliac Associations of Spain keeps up-to-date information on products and seals.

How to keep gluten out of your kitchen

Cross-contamination is gluten that reaches the plate without being in the recipe. A crumb in the toaster, the oil where croquettes were fried or the spoon that stirred the wheat pasta is enough. In a home where people eat both with and without gluten, it is avoided with good organisation, without needing two kitchens.

• Cook the gluten-free food first and cover it before preparing the rest.
• Keep a toaster of your own for gluten-free bread.
• Do not fry in oil that has previously been used for battered or breaded food.
• Cook gluten-free pasta in clean water, never in the water used for wheat pasta.
• Store gluten-free flours in closed jars on a higher shelf.
• Wash boards, colanders and cloths before using them for gluten-free food.
• When eating out, also ask how the dish is cooked and in which oil it is fried.

The seven breakfasts and how to prepare them

Gluten-free breakfast is the meal that gets most complicated after diagnosis, because almost everything usual contains wheat. It is one of the questions we are asked most often in consultations. The seven in the table come from four homemade recipes and the bread.

Chickpea flour pancakes

For about four pancakes, beat one egg with five tablespoons of milk and three of chickpea flour. The batter should be semi-liquid. Cook the pancakes on both sides in a small frying pan.

Corn arepas

Mix half a cup of pre-cooked corn flour with half a cup of water and a pinch of salt. Shape into balls, flatten them and brown them in a non-stick frying pan. As this flour is not wholegrain, serve the arepas with fruit, vegetables or seeds.

Brown rice pudding

Heat 750 ml of milk with a cinnamon stick and the peel of half a lemon. When it boils, add 140 g of already cooked brown rice and leave it for 15 minutes over a low heat. It makes three portions, and any leftovers can be frozen.

Buckwheat and apple cake

Cook a chopped apple in the microwave for five minutes. Blend it with 170 g of buckwheat flour, 200 ml of milk and a teaspoon of cinnamon. Add the baking powder, pour into a greased tin and bake for about 40 minutes at 180 ºC. It freezes in portions.

Homemade gluten-free bread with buckwheat groats

Packaged gluten-free bread often contains refined flours, more fat and less fibre than wheat bread [4], and costs considerably more. This one uses a whole grain, water, salt and cornflour. It needs resting time, so it is best made at the weekend and frozen in slices.

1. Wash 500 g of buckwheat groats and soak them overnight.
2. Drain them and blend with 150 ml of water and a tablespoon of salt.
3. If it is hard to blend, add up to 100 ml more water.
4. Mix in 20 g of cornflour, cover the bowl with a cloth and leave to rest for 12 to 24 hours.
5. Transfer it to a tray lined with baking paper and cut a cross in the top.
6. Bake for about 75 minutes at 170 ºC, leave to cool and cut into slices.

Why does this menu start from naturally gluten-free foods?

The basis of a gluten-free diet is bought at the market.

The treatment for coeliac disease is a lifelong gluten-free diet [1]. Specific products help in a pinch, but many contain less fibre and protein and more fat and sugar than their wheat equivalents. A diet that relies on them falls short on fibre, iron and B vitamins [4].

That is why the table spreads six different grains, pulses and vegetables across each day. The only specific product is Wednesday’s red lentil macaroni, which has a single ingredient. This way you eat a varied diet, spend less and the whole household shares the same plate.

If you want to understand how coeliac disease differs from an allergy or an intolerance, it is explained in the guide to food allergies and intolerances.

What mistakes do we see in consultations?

Filling the trolley with ‘gluten-free’ products. Biscuits, pastries and special breads get you out of a pinch, but as a staple they are expensive and low in fibre. This week’s shopping list hardly needs them.

Trusting what you have always bought. A manufacturer changes the recipe or the factory and the product stops being suitable. The label is read every time.

Cutting out lactose just in case. Some people tolerate it less well while the intestine recovers after diagnosis, but without symptoms there is no need to remove it. If it does not agree with you, the guide to lactose intolerance explains how much is usually tolerated.

Forgetting the shared kitchen. The diet is well done and the symptoms never quite go away. Gluten often gets in through the toaster or the frying oil, so check your kitchen and discuss it with your doctor.