Gluten-free junk food. WHAT?! Sounds like an oxymoron at first. As if those two words aren’t supposed to be in the same sentence. But yeah, there IS such a thing as gluten-free junk food; we’ll get to that soon.
But first…
Let’s be honest. We definitely all have had moments craving for that late-night pizza or thinking of that tasty, and definitely too sweet, piece of chocolate. It doesn’t matter if it’s chips or cookies, junk food scratches a very specific itch. They’re flavorful and designed to be irresistible. Although people following a gluten-free diet can have a hard time enjoying these classic snacks.
Luckily, making gluten-free versions of your favourite snacks is not that hard. We just need the right ingredients. Most traditional recipes are made of wheat, and you might think, it’s not the same, we’re going to lose too much of the original flavour. Don’t worry, gluten-free alternatives can deliver the same crispy or chewy satisfaction.
We’re going to see why homemade gluten-free junk food is worth trying and share several delicious ideas you can make right in your own kitchen.
Why Make Gluten-Free Junk Food at Home?
There are plenty of different reasons why people will choose a gluten-free diet.
Some will avoid gluten because of medical conditions (for example, celiac disease or gluten sensitivity), while others might do so as part of their lifestyle. Regardless of the reason, eliminating gluten most likely means giving up a range of classic snack foods you would get from a grocery store or a restaurant.
Even though stores now have a wide variety of gluten-free products, many of them come with drawbacks.
They are most likely expensive, they could have a different texture, and many of them contain some sort of additives or preservatives to try to mimic what gluten normally provides. This can make finding a gluten-free junk food that really satisfies those cravings sometimes difficult.
So, in order to solve this problem, you can make these treats at home.
That allows you to have full control over the ingredients and overall quality. You can choose a healthier oil, play with different seasonings, and different types of gluten-free flours. One more thing that is great about making them yourself is that you can make them to your liking and have as large a portion as you want.
You want to have two portions? Great! Nothing’s stopping you.
You also might even surprise yourself, especially if you’re allergic to gluten.
You could be visiting your friends, and now you’re on the 4-hour drive from Indiana to their home in Chicago. Since it’s a long drive, you decide to put on some radio. Between songs, the news comes in. They mention how they had to get help after a choking incident in a Chicago nursing home both from emergency responders and then lawyers to deal with all the legal battles that came after.
They also highlight the importance of knowing what you’re allergic to. What your parents or older family members are sensitive to.
It’s moments like these that make you realize that you should take a little bit more time and know exactly what goes into the food that our loved ones or we eat.
We can even take it one step further and make the food ourselves. Even better, because we control the ingredients, we can change the recipe if we need to.
With the right ingredients and a little creativity, there are plenty of comfort snacks that are gluten-free and still taste amazing.
Junk Foods That Can Be Made Gluten-Free
You don’t need to give up your favourite comfort food in order to follow a gluten-free diet.
The secret is in replacing a few ingredients. To be specific, replace wheat-based ingredients. Let’s take pizza as an example.
Traditional pizza (the one with gluten) dough uses wheat flour. Gluten-free pizza can be made from rice flour, or any gluten-free flour blend will work. Just add the same toppings as you would on a regular pizza, and you get pretty much the same flavour. Another snack that can be made gluten-free easily is chips. You can make potato chips by adding a bit of oil and salt. Or corn chips, and dip them in some guac.
If you decide to go for something sweet, just switch up the flour with the almond one, and you’re good.
They’re still going to be chewy and full of flavour.
A Quick Few Tips for Perfecting Your Gluten-Free Junk Food
First of all, choose the right flour. Different flours have different uses.
Some are used for sweets, and some need a more neutral base for meals.
Look for which one is a good replacement for which. That’s regarding flour. We also have to remember that gluten gives the food structure. So some recipes need some help to hold together. Use eggs or xanthan gum for that. Or look online for alternatives based on your recipe.
Also, and this one is obvious, regardless of what food you make, try to look for fresh ingredients.
And the last piece of advice here is – don’t be afraid to play with different flavours and try out different spices.
Conclusion
If you need to change your diet for any reason.
Whether it is because of medical reasons or you just want to switch it up a bit, you won’t need to give up all your favorite snacks. But don’t look for a replacement in the stores, try to make them yourself, and you’ll have overall better control of what you make.
Playing with flavours and having a bit of creativity takes you a long way from a pizza to a cookie. A lot of the snacks can be adjusted to be gluten-free and still very tasty. It does take a bit of experimenting, but once you succeed, it’s very much worth it.
To conclude, if you go gluten-free, you don’t have to let go of junk food. Better try to make a homemade version, and you might be surprised.