What Is Organic Food
Organic food refers to agricultural products grown by following specific protocols. Organic farming standards vary from one country to the other, but the basics are mostly the same.
In almost all countries, the primary aim of organic farming is to restrict the use of:
Organic farming methods use renewable resources to conserve, besides promoting ecological balance.
The idea is not just to get healthy, chemical-free food but also to grow them in an environment-friendly manner. This helps to preserve the gifts of nature for many years to come.
Weeknight Steak And Rice Noodle Salad
This salad recipe hits all the flavors we crave in a weeknight dinner: a hit of spice from the chiles, heartiness from the beef, crispy crunch from fresh veg, and even a bit of sweetness from the honey. We highly endorse cooking off extra rice noodles to keep on hand for low-maintenance stir-fries and soups for later in the week.
Pork Chops With Balsamic
When it comes to quality ingredients worth splurging on, heirloom pork is certainly at the top of our list. Luckily, many small farmers are starting to raise heirloom varieties of pigs like Red Wattle, Berkshire, and Mangalitsa. Plus, it’s packed with amino acids and nutrients and can be quiet good for your health, especially when picking the leaner pieces.
Get our recipe for Pork Chops with Balsamic-Honey Glaze.
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Gluten Free Banana Bread
This ones our favorite banana bread recipeand theres no flour to speak of. Just good old fashioned oats, bananas and a bit of magic. Its got just the right moist texture, nuanced sweetness, and pure banana flavor. Theres a crunchy sugar topping, too . Whip it all up in a blender and wait while comfy, cozy aroma winds its way from the oven.
Also try: grain free Fluffy Almond Flour Pancakes!
Pantry Staples: Stock A Healthy Pantry
by Lisa Bryandisclosure policy
Learn how to stock a healthy pantry with these pantry staples. Flours, nuts, legumes, sauces, seasonings, oils, and canned goods are the workhorse ingredients in a kitchen. Theyre economical, versatile and can be mixed-and-matched in delicious, nutritious, and creative ways.
Just coming home from a long day at work? Didnt have time to make a trip to the market? Staying home sick for the week? Say hello to your pantry. The humble items lining your shelves turn into key ingredients when it comes to quick and easy meals.
Below is a list of pantry staples I always have stocked in my kitchen. These items have a fairly long shelf life and are versatile when it comes to whipping up recipes. But you dont need all of these. Its okay to start with a few basics and build from there. Over time youll learn the ingredients you use most frequently when cooking and learn to stock appropriately.
Need some help organizing your pantry? Check out my pantry organization post for details on glass jars, labels, snack containers, and baskets.
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Gluten Free Banana Muffins
Its hard to find a good gluten free muffins recipe. But consider this your new go to! These muffins have been made by many readers and followers who cannot believe how light and fluffy they are. They’re made with oats and maple syrup, and a perfect gluten free recipes for lunches, breakfasts and snacks.
Get Creative With The Stuffing
The beauty of this recipe is that you can stuff your peppers with just about anything! Heres a few tasty combinations to toss into your weekly meal rotation:
- Mediterranean Peppers: Ground beef, chickpeas, onion, rice, tomato sauce, feta, garlic powder and paprika.
- Vegan Mushroom and Walnut Peppers: Diced mushrooms, walnuts, garlic, onion, rice, and taco seasoning.
- Vegetarian Tex-Mex Peppers: Black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, garlic, onion, rice, taco seasoning, pepper jack cheese, and chopped cilantro.
If youre looking to meet a few dietary needs, try these substitutions.
- Paleo and Whole30: swap out the rice with cauliflower rice or broccoli rice. Leave off the cheese or swap with cashew sour cream.
- Keto: Swap the rice for sauteed mushrooms or diced zucchini.
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Myths About Organic And Gluten Free Food
But these are not the only myths about organic and gluten free foods. There are many other misconceptions between the two. Lets take a look at them and debunk them.
Myth 1 Gluten Free is Flavorless
Gluten free food is the only option to alleviate the symptoms of celiac disease and gluten allergy. However, many people are apprehensive about making the change because they believe gluten-free food is not as delicious.
When people first learned about gluten free food and started developing food recipes without them, they did not exactly know how to replace the moreish gluten ingredients.
However, over the years, the celiac communities in the world have developed and shared amazing recipes with the world.
In a matter of just half a decade, many companies have taken a gluten free route to give healthy options to their customers.
Whether youre cooking at home or picking something off the supermarket shelf, there are several options for delicious gluten-free foods now.
Brands pay great attention to taste and quality so that gluten free alternatives retain the original taste and texture of the gluten-rich foods while eliminating gluten content from them.
The change has been drastic in the last few years. In fact, it is now almost impossible to distinguish between gluten free and gluten-containing foods and recipes. Even cakes and bread are now gluten free.
Myth 2 Gluten Free Diet is Only for Celiac Patients or Gluten Intolerant People
Gluten Free Coffee Cake
This gluten free coffee cake recipe from Sweet as Honey is a little labor-intensive, but totally worth the effort! Its the perfect afternoon pick-me-up and totally guilty-free: its keto-friendly, sugar-free, and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons instant espresso optional
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
For the sugar-free glaze:
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
Instructions
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Portobello Mushroom Pizzas With Sausage Bell Pepper And Basil
Craving pizza, but trying to keep it low-carb? Use portobello mushrooms! Fill up those mushroom caps with all of your favorite pizza ingredients to make a flavorful portobello mushroom pizzas, and skip all the carbs. These portobello mushroom pizzas are also great for meal prepping if you’re looking for something easy to whip up for the week ahead.
Which Way To Cut The Bell Peppers
The base of this recipe uses 6 bell peppers that are halved lengthwise. While some recipes slice the top off, theres a few reasons why I halve them the other way.
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Turkey And White Bean Chili
Unless a chili is thickened with a flour-base, most chili is naturally gluten-free. This recipe is one of themmade with dark-meat turkey, beans, green chiles, and loaded with vegetables. Top this turkey and white bean chili with toppings like red onion, jalapeño, and avocado for a bowl bursting with flavor.
Get our recipe for Turkey and White Bean Chili.
Organic Gluten Free & Grain Free Sandwich Bread Recipe
For quite some time I have been working on creating a delicious gluten and grain free sandwich bread. Well, I think I finally have come up with the perfect recipe to complement any sandwich. This bread is not as dense as an all coconut flour loaf and has a nice sweetness to it. You can toast and put some jam or honey on it or my favorite way to enjoy it is to take 2 slices of bread top it with some turkey and a little raw cheese, leave it open faced and put it in the toaster oven until the cheese is melted and turkey is heated through. Enjoy!
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How To Make The Best Stuffed Peppers
Ive got a secret tip to make this a quick weeknight dinner. Pre-bake the peppers! No, you dont need to get more dishes dirty and par-boil them. And theres no need to wait until youve cooked the meat mixture. Pre-bake the peppers while youre making the filling and save yourself about 15 minutes.
Preheat your oven 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then follow these steps:
- Prep bell peppers. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and membrane. Then rub the insides and outsides with a a bit of olive oil and arrange them face down in a baking dish. Pop them in the oven for about 15 minutes to soften them up.
- Cook the meat. While the bell peppers are baking, in a large skillet sauté the onions, garlic, and beef. Then drain off any excess liquid.
- Sauté the rest. Add in the rice, tomatoes, spinach, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Sauté for about one to two minutes or until the spinach has wilted.
- Start filling. Remove the peppers from the oven and flip them over. Then fill them with the beef mixture and a sprinkle of cheese.
- Bake. Place them in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the peppers soften.
- Garnish and serve! Top them off with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Crockpot Glazed Chicken Teriyaki
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
This easy crockpot chicken teriyaki has a delicious sweet & sticky glaze thats made with no refined sugars. The chicken is slow-cooked until tender and lets all teriyaki stock infuse into the meat. Its a healthier twist on a traditional teriyaki sauce so that you can enjoy a guilt-free pleasure.
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Did You Make This Recipe
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Gluten Free Carrot Cake With Coconut
Looking for the ultimate gluten-free carrot cake? Our recipe puts a twist on a classic favorite with the addition of coconut and stevia to make this tasty cake even better for you. This gluten free carrot cake is incredibly easy to make and blow-your-mind delicious. The best part? No one will ever guess that its gluten-free and sugar-free.
If youre not ready to serve your coconut carrot cake right away and if you can resist go ahead and refrigerate it. Gently cover it with plastic wrap or wax paper to avoid absorbing odors in the fridge. Its best within a day or two but will last up to five days. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
Instructions
For the cake:
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Gluten Free Eggplant Pizza
Heres a non-traditional pizza recipe thats stolen our hearts: eggplant pizza! No, its not pizza with eggplant on it. Its pizza crust made of roasted eggplant! Yes, pizza is perfect for busy evenings when you dont have energy to make a pizza. Its a healthy gluten free recipe thats loads quicker than the standard.
Bbq Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
While this combination is one of our favorites, you really could try any combination that you desire. Not a fan of broccoli? Try adding some asparagus spears, Brussels sprouts, or green beans. Don’t like sweet potato? Roast up some regular potato bits, or even some chickpeas or cauliflower florets! And if you don’t want BBQ chicken, try roasting up some steak or salmon instead. All are gluten-free!
Get our recipe for BBQ Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner.
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Benefits Of Eating Gluten Free Food
When you eat gluten free, you dont just give up the gluten grains. You also give up a number of other store-bought and packaged foods that might contain gluten.
These either use one of the gluten grains and their byproducts, or they have trace gluten as a result of cross-contamination.
This may limit your food choices, but its the only way to prevent allergic reactions and falling ill due to gluten.
Giving up store-bought food may be a blessing as they often use highly processed ingredients with lots of chemicals, additives, and preservatives.
But going gluten free may also mean that you end up fighting the chances of nutritional deficiencies, like folic acid and fibers.
Doctors dont usually recommend going gluten free unless youre allergic. Its a good idea to start taking supplements.
Filling Ingredients For Stuffed Peppers
The filling in this classic version is just a handful of simple ingredients, such as:
- Ground Beef: If youre not a fan of beef, ground chicken or turkey will work too.
- Onion & Garlic: adding both ingredients will kick up the savoriness.
- Tomatoes: Im using fire roasted diced tomatoes for that smoky depth of flavor
- Rice: You can use any kind of rice, including white, brown, or wild rice.
- Italian Seasoning: This spice blend is a classic combination of aromatic herbs.
- Cheese: Monterey Jack cheese pairs nicely with this recipe. But you can also use shredded Pepper Jack, Swiss, or Mozzarella.
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Gluten Free Zucchini Lasagna
First up in our gluten free recipes: let’s start with dinner, shall we? This zucchini lasagna alternates beautiful layers of roasted zucchini noodles, hearty garlicky tomato sauce and three gooey cheeses. It tastes as goodor betterthan a classic lasagna! In fact, we might pick it over the classic.
Grilled Salmon With Chermoula Chickpeas
Eating gluten-free is a lot easier if you replace gluttonous items with naturally gluten-free productslike chickpeas. Chickpeas are a great source of carbohydrates and protein. Plus, they’re rich in dietary fiber. This grilled salmon with chickpeas is an easy weeknight meal you can whip up in less than 30 minutes and burst with flavor.
Get our recipe for Grilled Salmon with Chermoula Chickpeas.
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When Is Organic Food Gluten Free Or Gluten Free Food Organic
If you wish to pick organic and gluten free food options, you need to check the labels and certifications and make sure that the food youre buying is both.
Gluten free food is either naturally free from gluten, like fruits and cheese, or because it has undergone manufacturing and processing in controlled facilities to prevent cross-contamination and check the presence of trace gluten.
It is possible to buy gluten free food thats not organically grown. You can always make an effort to take an extra step towards a healthier lifestyle by choosing gluten free food options that are produced organically.
This means that the gluten free options dont harm you or the environment.
Similarly, you will find organic wheat, barley, rye, and triticale.
If you want your organic food to be gluten free, you need to make sure that none of your organic purchases contain gluten, gluten-rich ingredients, or trace gluten. But one of these properties doesnt automatically denote the other.
Interestingly, recent studies focus on how the sharp increase in the number of people diagnosed with celiac disease and gluten intolerance might be linked with the rise in the use of manmade pesticides.
For instance, many effects of celiac disease are similar to the effects of glyphosate.
For instance, imbalance in gut bacteria, impairment in cytochrome enzymes, deficiency of certain elements and amino acids, increased risk to lymphoma, and reproductive issues are associated with celiac disease.
Does Organic Mean Gluten Free
So the big question is, does choosing organic food mean youre choosing gluten free food? You guessed it right. The answer is no.
But those who have just started making dietary changes to choose wholesome foods and take the path of clean eating seem confused.
They often end up using organic and gluten free interchangeably. But this is just not true. Gluten-rich food can be organic.
Its true that both may be perceived as healthier options. After all, organic food means no synthetic pesticides, harmful fertilizers, GMOs, or toxic chemicals.
Its also free-range and hormone-free, not to mention ethical. As for gluten free food, it eliminates the majority of packaged and restaurant foods, leaving you with fewer processed foods and healthier options, including organic ones.
However, there is no reason to believe or accept that organic food is naturally gluten free, or vice versa. These two are unique terms.
In fact, gluten grains can be farmed organically. If you intend to be a mindful eater, you need to read the list of ingredients and look for certifications.
The same will happen if you want to go gluten free. Both are strictly regulated in the industry of food production.
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