I hardly know a few people who do not like refreshing with ice cream on hot summer days. And not just then. But what if you need to watch your diet and eat foods without gluten? Is ice cream gluten free?
There are many foods that contain gluten – a protein that is found in many grains. And grains can be found in almost every food in a variety of processed forms – starting from the bread, to any product in which is used flour. When we talk about ice cream, gluten can be found in cornets, or in sandwich biscuits. In addition, the gluten is often a hidden ingredient of many preservatives and additives. If you are sensitive to gluten, even small doses can bring a mess in the functioning of your digestive system. Some symptoms you will not even connect to the intolerance to gluten, such as fatigue, headaches, pain in the joints, mood swings. Others can be recognized by abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, and if these conditions are common, then it is likely that this is a celiac disease. Then it is necessary to switch to a gluten free diet and to gluten free ice cream.
The selection of gluten free ice cream can be very tricky. It is generally believed that the ice cream is gluten-free. But is all ice cream gluten free? When you are very sensitive to gluten, then the smallest dose of gluten can cause discomfort. So, it is very important that, when you choose gluten free ice cream, pay attention to the ingredients, read the label, avoid biscuits, cornets and ingredients that are made from flour or other sources of gluten.
What ice cream is gluten free?
As I said, sometimes it can be difficult to find gluten-free ice cream, because gluten is also found in many additives and preservatives. How do you know then what ice cream is gluten free? Should you be thoroughly familiar with the entire short name for the additives? Well, it certainly will not hurt you, but it is not necessary. If you want to know whether your ice cream contains gluten, you can find on the label note about this. For each product, there must be a notice that it contains gluten, traces of gluten, or it is gluten-free. This also applies to the ice cream. It is clear that you should avoid ice cream sandwiches, ice cream with cornets, pieces of cookies or biscuits. On the other hand, you can have memorized this list of gluten free ice cream. It is a much simpler option.
Here there is a nice handy list to have a look at.
Are there gluten free ice cream sandwiches?
One of the ways that you do not care whether it is no-gluten ice cream is to avoid ice cream sandwiches. Is it really a necessary to avoid this great treat when you are on a gluten free diet, or there are also gluten free ice cream sandwiches? I see one option for solving this problem in the recipes for homemade ice cream. And you can manage in this way – choose your favorite flavour without gluten and make only biscuits that will serve as the basis for a sandwich. If you are on a gluten free diet, you probably have a list of your favorite gluten free biscuits. Make them and add some ice cream. This way you will know for sure whether is ice cream gluten free.
Gluten-free diet is not something for people who are suffering from celiac disease. It is actually much healthier form of nutrition. Often, gluten is removed from the daily diet only for a process of body detoxification. Since the celiac disease is not rare, and that there are those people who want to eat foods without gluten with the intention of keeping their better health, there are founded brands of gluten-free ice cream. Among them, you can find the ones that make gluten free ice cream sandwiches.
Is there gluten free dairy free ice cream?
There are plenty of people who, in addition to choosing gluten-free food, at the same time choose and lactose free diet. This practically means avoiding dairy products. The reason for this can be a vegetarian diet or intolerance to lactose. Is there any gluten free dairy free ice cream? It is not hard to conclude which ice cream is gluten free. Actually, it is often a very logical option. But the dairy free ice cream? I ask myself what gives charm and a creamy texture to one ice cream. There is, of course, this kind of ice creams. In them, the milk is replaced with a vegetable variant such as, for example, coconut milk or almond milk. Alternatively, they are prepared cleverly and without milk. And here is also the option to make your ice cream and be sure that it is made without gluten and dairy products. Here's one source of such recipes that you can try at home:
http://www.yummly.com/recipes/homemade-gluten-free-dairy-free-ice-cream
How to choose gluten free ice cream bars
We have already seen that it is possible to enjoy gluten free ice cream and find ice cream sandwiches with no gluten inside, but what about ice cream bars? Most ice cream bars are covered with a thin layer of chocolate. But is the ice cream gluten free? It is important to select a right taste topped with the right chocolate.
Dark chocolate is mostly without gluten. However, when the chocolate is in question, it can always come to cross-contamination of chocolate with gluten. This is the case when chocolate products are made on the same line as some gluten products, or when chocolate comes into contact with products that retain gluten in some other way.
In people who suffer from celiac disease, even the smallest amount of gluten can cause complications. It is therefore very important to choose ice cream bars that are covered with gluten-free chocolate. In this case, it is best to choose ice cream bars from those manufacturers who are specialized in the production of such ice cream. In the wide range of ice creams, it is possible to find gluten free ice cream bars without chocolate toppings. The key thing is to choose the right ingredients and to read labels.
Few notes about your diet…
Gluten free diet involves certain sacrifices, but the ice cream is not necessarily one of them. To know whether is ice cream gluten free, it is necessary to choose a brand that is engaged in the manufacture of ice creams without gluten. If brands like these are not available, then you need to watch the content on the labels. Even those products that do not contain foods made from grains can be cross contaminated with gluten.
Information about whether the ice cream may contain traces of gluten are generally listed on the label. If gluten free ice creams are not available for some reason, there is only one option – roll up your sleeves, find a good recipe and make your own gluten free ice cream. It may not be pretty as purchased, especially if you're making ice cream sandwiches, but that does not mean it will be distasteful. To conclude – gluten-free ice cream exists .You only have to pay a little more attention to ingredients and tastes you choose and enjoying will be guaranteed.