This Thanksgiving, as millions serve up that delicious stuffing, gravy, and pumpkin pie, more hosts are scrambling to come up with gluten-free options for the holiday table.
Gluten-free eating is a major trend- even on this most traditional of holidays.
Many Americans choose to forego wheat gluten because they suffer from celiac disease, while others are reducing gluten because they believe it's better for their health.
Registered dietitian Michelle Shepherd of the nutrition network Health Castle gave our listeners some ideas on how to make healthy substitutions in your Thanksgiving meal.
“It’s important to check the ingredients on everything you plan to use in your meal preparation, since gluten can hide where you least expect it,” Shepherd said. “That includes your turkey or your ham. For example, some processed turkeys have gluten products, and the glaze on hams might too.”
For a gluten-free main course, Shepherd recommends checking labels carefully and buying a bird that's free-range and minimally processed.
But what about that delicious gravy, stuffing and pumpkin pie? They're all chock-full of gluten, of course.
"We recommend using corn starch instead of flour to thicken holiday gravy," Shepherd said. "It's an easy and delicious fix."
As for stuffing, cornbread or wild rice recipes are perfect substitutions for a bread-based casserole. "And you can find gluten-free pumpkin pie crust, or, do pumpkin custards without the crust," Shepherd recommends.
You can follow Melissa Ross on Twitter @MelissainJax
