Part 4: Low GI & gluten free diets

It’s fitting that as I post my final blog in my 4-part Gluten Free Eating series that I was able to attend the annual Irresistible Gluten Free Show on the weekend. There were lots of wonderful stalls, tastings, treats and delicacies! I encountered a number of new products which I’ll share with you later, but first let’s talk about GI and the gluten free diet.

Low GI and gluten free.. is it possible?

Yes, yes and yes again. However, it's not an easy task. Many of the gluten free flours that are used to make gluten free products such as potato & rice flour tend to have a high GI. Not sure what GI's all about? Take a look at my post Can jelly beans make you fat? It will definitely make you think twice about reaching into the lolly jar at home (or at work!) Scroll down to the end of the post and you’ll also find a useful table of foods that are low, medium and high GI. But which ones are gluten free?

Well here’s what Coeliac Australia suggest as suitable low GI gluten free choices:

Rice
Doongara (Clever) Rice
Basmati Rice

Gluten Free Low GI Breads
Country Life Low GI Gluten Free Bread
Gluten Free Wraps/Tortillas

Cereals
Gluten Free Muesli
Rice Bran

Dairy
Low fat milk
Low fat yoghurt
Low fat custard

Fruit
Apple, Orange, Banana, Grape, Peach, Nectarine, Plum, Pear

Legumes
Baked Beans
Lentils
Chickpeas
Kidney Beans
Cannellini Beans

Starchy Vegetables
Butternut Pumpkin
Corn (on the cob or kernels)
Yam

Grains, Pasta & Noodles
Quinoa
Buckwheat
Amaranth
Fresh Rice Noodles

Do you know of any products that you absolutely can’t live without that are low GI and gluten free? Love to hear what you’ve discovered.

So now the fun part. For all my facebook friends that couldn't make the Irresistible Gluten Free Show, here's a sample of some interesting products I came across. (I can't tell you what their GI is, but the main ingredient will give you a good idea).