Go Gluten-Free This Thanksgiving

According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, gluten is a “general name for the proteins found in wheat (durum, emmer, spelt, farina, farro, KAMUT® khorasan wheat and einkorn), rye, barley and triticale. Gluten helps foods maintain their shape, acting as a glue that holds food together.” Check out this page for a detailed list of sources of gluten.

In recent years we have seen many gluten-free products pop up in supermarkets and have seen many people attempt to adopt a gluten-free lifestyle with the hopes of improving their diets, losing weight or living an overall healthier life. Only about 1 in 100 people truly needs to follow a gluten-free diet as they suffer from celiac disease; The other 99 are following what is known as a gluten-free trend.

The New York Times believes that this “gluten-free trend” is here to stay mainly because people have become so confused about what foods they should or should not consume, and also wish to lower health risks that are associated with processed foods and highly processed grains. A gluten-free diet, also referred to as the “anti-inflammatory diet” is meant to reduce these health risks, because if followed correctly, the processed foods and grains get replaced by healthier alternatives like lean proteins, yogurts and more fruits and vegetables.

At Maxim Hygiene we believe that getting back in touch with nature and your own body is very important, and a gluten-free diet could be a good way to achieve this if the diet is followed carefully and the gluten is replaced by healthy natural alternatives.

With Thanksgiving coming up, we know how difficult it could be to avoid traditional gluten-filled goodies, which is why we put together a healthier alternative gluten-free Thanksgiving menu that’s worth giving a try. It is sure to wow your guests and also keeps your waistline a bit more in check for the start of the holiday season.

Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Menu:

Appetizers: Appetizers are very important as they kick-start a meal and give guests a taste of the goodness that is to come later. Try out these stuffed goat cheese balls and vegan stuffed mushrooms which will give your guests a small nibble but not leave them feeling full.

Gravy: Most gravy recipes require flour as thickening agents, rendering gravy a gluten culprit. Check out how to make a scrumptious gluten-free gravy that you can safely add to naturally gluten-free dishes like your Thanksgiving turkey and vegetables.

Bread: We all know how important bread is to a meal, especially at Thanksgiving. Try out a cornbread recipe to replace normal bread that contains gluten. One of our favorites is this skillet cornbread recipe.

Stuffing: Most stuffing recipes call for a bread base, so you can either replace your favorite stuffing recipe with a gluten-free bread or cornbread, or try out this quinoa alternative which is sure to leave your guests asking for more!

Sides: Green bean casserole is a Thanksgiving favorite, so we were pleasantly surprised to come across a gluten-free alternative. Mashed potatoes are also another Thanksgiving staple that is naturally gluten free. Use your favorite recipe or try out our suggestion.

Dessert: Dessert is the final, and usually most anticipated part of the meal. As people are usually stuffed at the end of dinner, why not try to take a lighter but still delectable approach by making sweet potato pie truffles and frosty pumpkin pie shots? The sweet potato pie truffles are a great idea as you can make them three days in advance and store them in the refrigerator, which is great when you have a large Thanksgiving meal to prepare.

We hope you will all have a wonderful (and tasty!) Thanksgiving. Let us know if you try out any of the recipes and how you liked them!