All about a vegan or vegetarian gluten free diet

People who call themselves vegetarians generally avoid eating animal flesh of any kind, from red meat and poultry to fish and seafood. They are against the idea of killing animals to eat them, but most vegetarians do eat products derived from animals such as eggs and milk.  

Veganism is a philosophy in which use of all animal products is to be avoided as a rejection of the commodity status of animals. A strict moral vegan neither carries a leather handbag nor eats honey. A person following the vegan diet will avoid eating animal-derived produce of any kind, essentially meaning they must stick to plant-based foods. 

Gluten is a protein found in the cereals wheat, barley and rye among others. Around one person in every 100 has coeliac disease, an autoimmune disorder that causes their immune system to attack gluten, leading to damage to the intestine and other possible health complications. An even larger number of people have non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), which causes a person to experience similar symptoms after eating gluten – possibly including bloating, diarrhoea or constipation, and chronic fatigue – but does not lead to the intestinal damage. The only treatment for these conditions is to adopt a gluten free diet. Although people who need to follow this diet always have to be careful about hidden gluten in processes foods, in general terms meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products are naturally gluten free, as are all fruit and vegetables in their natural form. 

Many people desire to eat a vegetarian or vegan diet for ethical and health-related reasons. Combining a gluten free diet and a vegetarian or vegan diet is not without its challenges, but neither is it impossible. Essentially, a vegetarian gluten free diet would be one based on gluten free cereals, fruit, vegetables, pulses and nuts, plus eggs and dairy. A vegan gluten free diet would not include eggs or dairy. 

A lot of vegan food is naturally gluten free, particularly all fruit and vegetables unless they have been processed. But not all vegan or vegetarian food is gluten free because the cereals that contain gluten – wheat, barley, rye and their derivatives – could be part of a vegan or vegetarian diet. A vegetable soup should be fine for a vegetarian or vegan on a gluten free diet, but be careful if it has croutons, probably from bread made with wheat flour. And most falafel wrap recipes are gluten free and vegan friendly too, but not the pita bread they are often wrapped in.  

As well as a range of vegetables, using plenty of beans, pulses and nuts will help to ensure you are eating enough of the various essential nutrients, especially protein and some of the vitamins and minerals that can be a challenge to find in sufficient quantities without eating meat, fish, eggs and dairy. To make life easier, there are also gluten free vegan-friendly processed foods available, such as the delicious bread and crackers suitable for vegans within Schär’s gluten free food range.  

Source good ways to have an abundance of plant-based ingredients, some of which may involve grocery shopping, but also possibly delivery services or a regular box from a veggie club. Finally, explore new recipes and culinary traditions to maximise the variety of options at your disposal. European cuisine can be rather meat-based, but food traditions from other parts of the world are very easily adapted to veganism, with Indian cuisine being an obvious example of the variety of flavours that can be created without a need for meat, eggs or dairy. 

The vegan gluten free diet can be rich in variety with careful sourcing of products and ingredients.  

Apart from vegetables, pulses, fruits, mushrooms, herbs and spices, gluten free bread, pizza bases and many gluten free flours and baking blends are available, as well as cereals that are naturally gluten free, such as oats – but always choose oats that certify that they are gluten free as cross-contamination is a common problem with this cereal. Other staples including rice, potatoes, corn and quinoa are all fine, and some vegetarian, protein-packed meat substitutes such as tofu are also gluten free. Others, including seitan, contain gluten.

Here are some essential items for a vegan gluten free pantry, to be combined with myriad other plant-based ingredients for healthy and nutritious meals and snacks. 

Legumes

Essential because they include carbohydrates, offer plenty of vegan-friendly protein (typically, twice as much as cereal grains) and fibre, as well as other key nutrients such as B-vitamins, iron, zinc, calcium and magnesium. Lentils, chickpeas, beans and peas are great to cook in all kinds of dishes and gluten free such as avocado toast with chickpeas.  

Whole grains

Also important sources of energy and protein and energy, with a higher fibre content than refined grains. Good examples of gluten free cereals with a good nutrient punch are quinoa, brown or wild rice, amaranth, millet, polenta and sorghum.  

Seeds and nuts

Most seeds and nuts are rich in protein, healthy fats, fibre, minerals such as magnesium, calcium, potassium and zinc, and contain B-vitamins and vitamin E. Almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds… choose your favourites. 

Vegetables 

Clearly, eat as many vegetables as you want, but some of the ones with the best all-round nutritional value combining protein with vitamins and minerals are: peas, spinach, asparagus, potato, sweet potato, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and kale. Dark green vegetables have a good iron content. 

Is a vegan gluten free diet healthy? This diet is certainly very healthy in terms of what it avoids you eating too much of, as in saturated fats from meat and dairy. However, it is important to recognise that eschewing all meat and animal products means it is a challenge to ensure that your diet has enough of certain nutrients that abound in meat, fish, eggs and dairy.   

To boost iron intake, eat plenty of spinach, other dark green leafy vegetables and legumes. Legumes will also help with zinc. Calcium, plentiful in dairy, can also be found in good supply in nuts such as almonds and sesame seeds, broccoli and those all-important pulses. Asparagus, avocados and Brussels sprouts all contain vitamin B12 (folate). All things considered, it is probably a good idea to visit a nutritionist to check whether your nutrient intake is adequate and find out whether it is necessary to take multivitamin/multimineral supplements.