Gluten-Free Bread Crumbs: How Hard Can They Be?

Can you make gluten-free bread crumbs at home?  How hard is it to make gluten-free baked goods?  Well, it can be more of a challenge than you might think.  

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Can You Make Gluten-Free Bread Crumbs at Home?

Can you make gluten-free bread crumbs at home? Well you can, but it is incredibly labor intensive.  Going on a gluten-free diet is not a simple task for anyone. Just a few short years ago, bread lovers had a hard time. Gluten-free bread was not freely available. Of course things have changed now and many bakeries offer gluten-free bread that is both inexpensive and delicious. 

How hard is it to make gluten-free baked goods? First you need to understand how traditional bread is baked using wheat flour.  Why is wheat flour used in making bread? Wheat flour is traditionally used in making bread due to the high presence of elastic gluten. The addition of water and kneading produces this gluten that acts as a binding agent for all the ingredients of the bread dough. The gluten also traps air bubbles inside it that causes the dough to swell and give the characteristic texture found in bread. Also, the proportion of wheat flour in bread in very high when compared to cakes and pastries. This makes it difficult to substitute gluten-free flour effectively. 

Being Gluten-Free and Baking Bread

To make gluten-free bread crumbs, you must first bake gluten-free bread.   To do this, you will need a substance known as xantham gum. This is a natural binding substance that is not that easily found in most supermarkets and grocery shops. This must be added to other gluten-free flours to come up with a mix that has all the properties of wheat flour. Then it is a matter of adding in a few basic ingredients like water, yeast and salt maybe, just maybe, you can come with a tasty soft loaf that can rival the best bread in the market.  More than likely, you're going to get a bread that has the texture and taste of well, foam rubber.  

Of course if you don’t want to go through all the trouble,  and actually want your bread crumbs to taste good, then there are a number of bakeries that offer high-quality gluten-free baked goods. Either way, incorporating gluten-free bread crumbs into your diet shouldn’t be a problem anymore.

Venice Bakery
134 Main Street
El Segundo, CA 90245
(310) 322–7357
http://www.venicebakery.com/

Gluten-Free Bread Crumbs and the Hidden Epidemic

Gluten-free bread crumbs are one way to help in the case of a potentially dangerous epidemic.

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Gluten-Free Bread Crumbs and Where They Fit In

At the time of this article, Ebola is a major health concern in the US and in the rest of the world.  However, while Ebola is a serious health issue that has killed over 4,000 people in this most recent epidemic, there is a silent epidemic that may be affecting potentially millions of people in the US: non-celiac gluten-sensitivity.  According to this article excerpt from the New York Times Blog section: "Many advocates of gluten-free diets warn that non-celiac gluten sensitivity is a wide, unseen epidemic undermining the health of millions of people. They believe that avoiding gluten — a composite of starch and proteins found in certain grassy grains like wheat, barley and rye — gives them added energy and alleviates chronic ills. Oats, while gluten-free, are also avoided, because they are often contaminated with gluten-containing grains.Wheat entered the human diet only about 10,000 years ago, with the advent of agriculture. 

“For the previous 250,000 years, man had evolved without having this very strange protein in his gut,” Dr. Guandalini said. “And as a result, this is a really strange, different protein which the human intestine cannot fully digest. Many people did not adapt to these great environmental changes, so some adverse effects related to gluten ingestion developed around that time.”

The primary proteins in wheat gluten are glutenin and gliadin, and gliadin contains repeating patterns of amino acids that the human digestive system cannot break down. (Gluten is the only substance that contains these proteins.) People with celiac have one or two genetic mutations that somehow, when pieces of gliadin course through the gut, cause the immune system to attack the walls of the intestine in a case of mistaken identity. That, in turn, causes fingerlike structures called villi that absorb nutrients on the inside of the intestines to atrophy, and the intestines can become leaky, wreaking havoc. Symptoms, which vary widely among people with the disease, can include vomiting, chronic diarrhea or constipation and diminished growth rates in children." [READ MORE]  Pretty strong argument for something like gluten-free bread crumbs.  

How Serious is this Problem?

How serious is non-celiac sensitivity to gluten?  That's the key, we don't know.  You may wish to consult a physician to see if switching to a gluten-free diet is right for you.  If so, then buy the right foods.  One example?  Gluten-free bread crumbs.  

Read more here

Venice Bakery
134 Main Street
El Segundo, CA 90245
(310) 322–7357
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Gluten Free Bread Crumbs and Your Diet

Gluten-free bread crumbs are just one example of a gluten-free food.  For gluten-sensitive people, this is a welcome addition to available food choices.

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Why Gluten-Free Bread Crumbs Matter

Most people think that if you want to buy gluten-free bread crumbs, you may have celiac disease, however, that also may not be the case. There are an unknown number of people who should avoid gluten at all costs. According to this article excerpt from the New York Times:

"For the approximately one-in-a-hundred Americans who have a serious condition called celiac disease, that is an indisputably wise medical directive. Now medical experts largely agree that there is a condition related to gluten other than celiac. In 2011 a panel of celiac experts convened in Oslo and settled on a medical term for this malady: non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

What they still do not know: how many people have gluten sensitivity, what its long-term effects are, or even how to reliably identify it. Indeed, they do not really know what the illness is. The definition is less a diagnosis than a description — someone who does not have celiac, but whose health improves on a gluten-free diet and worsens again if gluten is eaten. It could even be more than one illness. “We have absolutely no clue at this point,” said Dr. Stefano Guandalini, medical director of the University of Chicago’s Celiac Disease Center. [READ MORE]

Gluten-Free Foods and Gluten-Sensitivity

The thing that you have to be careful about is switching to a gluten-free diet simply because it is trendy and cutting edge as far as diets ago.  As we covered in a previous article, if you eliminate a food group from your diet, you run the risk of potential health problems such as vitamin and mineral deficiency.  Also, another risk that you should be aware of if you're making the switch is a thought process that dietitians call Justification Syndrome.  Namely, the belief that if you eliminate gluten from your diet, it allows you to eat other foods that are unhealthy.

Don't stop eating right simply because you've decided to switch to gluten-free foods.  Eat a variety of foods including vegetables and fruits, safe grains such as amaranth or quinoa, lean meats and dairy in carefully prepared portions.  Just know that if you have a recipe that requires bread crumbs, there are gluten-free bread crumbs available.

Venice Bakery
134 Main Street
El Segundo, CA 90245
(310) 322–7357
http://www.venicebakery.com/

Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts and Going Gluten Free

Even with products like gluten-free pizza crusts, how hard is it to go gluten-free? Are there any health risks with going gluten-free?

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Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts and Common Sense

How hard is it to go gluten-free? Gluten is present in a lot of foods in the US. Most people think of gluten as being something that's found only in bread.  However, gluten is found in a lot of different products.

For example, normal pasta has gluten in it, as does soy sauce.  Gluten is also found in some binding agents like bread crumbs, and even some candies.  In fact, because wheat is found in a lot of foods that are part of an average American's diet, going gluten-free requires adopting a whole new diet. Most breads, breakfast cereals, crackers, conventional pastas, and pastry goods would have to go.  Processed foods would also have to be eliminated from  your diet too because they are made with trace amounts of gluten too.

Are There Any Health Risks with Going Gluten-Free?

Are there any health risks with going gluten-free? Any time you start getting rid of whole types of foods that you've eaten before, you run the risk of nutritional deficiencies.  Look at people who are used to being more omnivorous switching to a vegan diet for example.  Without supplementing their diet with some sort of protein and iron source such as lentils, they can run the risk of anemia and immune deficiencies.  The same problem holds true for switching to a gluten-free diet.

Some products that are labeled as being gluten-free are often short of vital nutrients such as calcium, zinc, magnesium, fiber, and other things as well. So, if you're switching to a gluten-free diet,  make sure it is under the orders of your doctor or dietitian.  Eating a healthy gluten-free diet is all about being attentive to what you're eating.  The problem with going gluten-free is that it is pretty much an all or nothing scenario

Eliminating some gluten from your diet isn't an option, like cutting back on fatty foods or sugar. For people with gluten-sensitivity, the smallest amount of gluten can cause intestinal damage.  You also have to watch out for another problem in the area of gluten-free products: price gouging.

A lot of gluten-free pasta and bread for example cost a lot more than the equivalent products that have gluten in them, sometimes as much as three times the cost.  So remember, being gluten-free doesn't mean being dumb.  Check with your doctor to see if you need to be gluten-free, and buy products that are quality such as gluten-free pizza crusts.

Read another article on this subject here.  

Venice Bakery
134 Main Street
El Segundo, CA 90245
(310) 322–7357
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Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts and Common Sense Gluten-Free Living

Gluten-free pizza crusts are a great idea.  This article explores some points regarding being sensible where gluten-free living is concerned.

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Healthy Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts

In our last article, we covered being gluten-free when it isn't medically mandated.   Now that there is more awareness of gluten-sensitivity, there is a bigger selection of gluten-free foods.  It's easier than ever for people with medically diagnosed gluten problems to eat healthy diets. However, don't automatically assume that if a food is labeled as gluten-free that it is 100% good for you either.

Some gluten-free foods, for example,  are high in saturated fat, sodium, or cholesterol. Other foods may be gluten-free, however, they have a high calorie count and contain little else that is nutritious. Another real danger that you have to watch out for if you have to deal with gluten-sensitivity is the fact that there are no protocols in place from the food and drug administration as to what it takes for a food to be certified as gluten-free.

Gluten-Free and 100% Gluten-Free

A lot of foods can be labeled dishonestly.  For example, the word light can mean lighter in calories, but it can also mean lighter in color.  You could find something that is low in fat, low in sugar, but it's sodium count is way too high.  These problems can be bad, but not immediately dangerous.  However, where gluten-free foods are concerned, a minor slip can be potentially fatal.

For example a lot of facilities that are listed as gluten-free also bake regular baked goods as well.  Even if the facility wipes down the baking pans and surfaces, there is still a big risk of cross-contamination. That's why when you're buying something like gluten-free pizza crusts for example, you want to make sure that you are getting them from a place that is certified as 100% gluten free.  Eating gluten-free is healthy to people who have a gluten sensitivity obviously, but even someone who is gluten-sensitive isn't exempt from healthy eating.

A healthy gluten-free diet, should include foods that are proved to be healthy such as natural food, lean meats and fish, low-fat dairy products, and fruits and vegetables.   These foods are all safe to eat if you are gluten-sensitive. Non-gluten grains such as quinoa and amaranth are another way to get grain without the dangers of gluten. In face, a lot more products such as breads, cereals, and pastas are being made with these grains.  If you are gluten-sensitive and have to watch gluten, find the right foods to help you, such as gluten-free pizza crusts.

Venice Bakery
134 Main Street
El Segundo, CA 90245
(310) 322–7357
http://www.venicebakery.com/

Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts: Do You Need to Be Gluten-Free

Gluten-free pizza crusts, like all gluten-free products have become part of the big buzz concerning being free of gluten.  But do you need to be?

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Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts: A Gluten-Free Food for Those That Need It

Gluten-free pizza crusts are a great idea for people that have a gluten sensitivity such as Celiac disease.  One thing that you have to watch out for nowadays is how much the words gluten-free are bandied about.  A question that we are often asked is: "do I need to be on a gluten-free diet?"  First off, never self-diagnose.  Visit your doctor and get a checkup.  It is only through blood work and study that your doctor can determine if you need to be on a gluten-free diet.

One danger that a lot of people are falling into is the trap that gluten-free means a healthy diet.  The Paleo Diet and other diets advocate a return to the diets of early humans that didn't include gluten at all.  However, there are some people that not only are not gluten sensitive, they actually need it for health. For one thing, going gluten-free isn't as easy as you may think. While gluten itself isn't a nutrient as such, it is often present in many foods that are nutritious such as whole grains. Whole grains contain vitamins and minerals, such as iron and B vitamins, not to mention fiber, which you need for a healthy digestive track. Whole grain foods lower your risk of heart disease, type-2 diabetes, and even some forms of cancer. So if you have no need to be gluten-free, don't buy into the hype.  Talk to your doctor instead.  But what about if you do need to be gluten-free?

Gluten-Free When It's Necessary

If you have been diagnosed by a physician to be gluten-sensitive, which can only be done via tests involving bloodwork and biopsies, don't blithely assume you need to be gluten-free.  If, however, you have been diagnosed with celiac disease or other form of gluten-sensitivity, then you should start finding foods that are gluten-free, such as gluten-free pizza crusts.  

So remember, you want the truth.  Talk to your doctor.  If you need to be gluten-free, buy gluten free products to help you. 

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Venice Bakery
134 Main Street
El Segundo, CA 90245
(310) 322–7357
http://www.venicebakery.com/

Is a Gluten-Free Diet Right for You? Part Two

Part two of our our series explores being gluten-free as a child.

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Gluten-Free in a Gluten Filled World

We sometimes forget that children are exposed to even more gluten than adults are.  Remember, gluten isn't just found in breads and wheat-based products.  Gluten is also found in a lot of products that children eat on a regular basis including cereals, candies and other things that can pose a serious risk to their health.  That's why you want to have a source of trustworthy gluten-free pizza crusts and other baked goods.

For a child that is not gluten-sensitive, a lot of the products that are out there usually pose health risks such as obesity and maybe diabetes.  For a gluten-sensitive child, however, there is the very real danger of anaphylactic shock.  From WEBMD.COM:

"Anaphylaxis is a serious, potentially life-threatening allergic response that is marked by swelling, hives, lowered blood pressure, and dilated blood vessels. In severe cases, a person will go into shock. If anaphylactic shock isn't treated immediately, it can be fatal.

This condition occurs when the immune system develops a specific allergen fighting antibody (called immunoglobulin E or IgE) that drives an inappropriate or exaggerated reaction toward a substance that is normally harmless, such as food. Your body may not react upon initial exposure but may produce antibodies with later exposures. When you are exposed to the substance later, the binding of the allergen to antibodies can lead to the presence of a large amount of a protein called histamine, which can then lead to the symptoms described above...Anaphylaxis may begin with severe itching of the eyes or face and, within minutes, progress to more serious symptoms. These symptoms include swallowing and breathing difficulties, abdominal pain, cramps,vomiting, diarrhea, hives, and angioedema (swelling similar to hives, but the swelling is beneath the skin instead of on the surface). If you have symptoms of anaphylaxis, seek emergency medical attention immediately. The condition can quickly result in an increased heart rate, sudden weakness, a drop in blood pressure, shock, and ultimately unconsciousness and death. [READ MORE]

Can a Food That's Not Gluten-Free Be That Dangerous?

Can a food that's not gluten-free be that dangerous? In a word, yes.  It depends of course on the level of gluten sensitivity your child has.  The scary thing is a lot of Celiac disease hasn't been diagnosed.

So remember, sometimes you want to protect your child.  Some dangers are obvious.  Others not so.  So start with their diet.  If they need to be careful what they eat, make sure that they eat healthy foods such as gluten-free pizza crusts.

For more information, click here

Venice Bakery
134 Main Street
El Segundo, CA 90245
(310) 322–7357
http://www.venicebakery.com/