Getting Enough Calories on a Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Diet -- Kathleen Zelman -- UHC TV



We have a lucky viewer who doesn’t have to worry about cutting calories but is much more concerned with getting enough calories with a diet that’s restricted in gluten and in dairy. So indeed that’s a challenge because dairy, we have yogurts and milks and all kinds of cheeses that are essentially eliminated from the diet. And gluten is found in wheat-based products so it is restrictive. But the good news is when, there are all kinds of foods that are now available that are gluten free. Go to most restaurants and you’ll be surprised to see the gluten-free options. Gluten-free pizzas and gluten-free breads so you have to take advantage of that availability. You can even buy in your local health food store you can buy lots of gluten-free products that are already made for you so put your emphasis on making sure that if at breakfast you normally have an egg and two pieces of toast, that you just choose a toast made from bread that’s gluten free. And try to simulate that same kind of a diet and replace the gluten-containing products with gluten free containing products. When it comes to dairy, there are soy replacements so you can drink soy milk, make sure you get the soy milk that’s calcium fortified, you can get soy yogurt, you can get soy milk, you can get almond milk, there’s a variety of different milks that are not made from cows milk that will probably be well tolerated. And also, depending on your condition, you might wan to check with your docor about testing to make sure that your intolerant to lactose because some people find that they’re sensitive to it, not necessarily intolerant of it and so you may be able to have small amounts of it with other foods. So, but if you don’t there are ways to get around it and where you have some dairy-free and gluten-free foods that are really good for you and packed with nutrients. Some things like nuts, fruits, vegetables, legumes, eating beans that’s a great way, avacadoes, that’s a little bit of fat – focus on some of those healthy fats and try to eat often because sometimes when you’re struggling to gain weight, you need to eat more frequently and at each eating occasion, try to eat a little bit more so that you can make each one of those a good, nutritious opportunity. Think about snacks, like an apple with some almond butter or peanut butter on it. You want to think about caloric density and eat frequently and try to use the soy-based products to replace the dairy products and go for the gluten free and you should be good to go.