A Gluten-Free Christmas
As Christmas is fast approaching, anyone with coeliac disease or someone who has a friend or family member with coeliac disease may be starting to plan their gluten-free Christmas.
There is no reason why you can't enjoy a tasty Christmas on a gluten-free diet. Coeliac UK provides you with some top festive tips!
How to make your Christmas dinner gluten-free
All poultry, meat and fish are naturally gluten-free. Even if a bird has been fed on a gluten-containing cereal, the meat is gluten-free. All vegetables are also naturally gluten-free.
Chipolata sausages and stuffing usually contain gluten but gluten-free chipolatas and stuffing can be found in most major supermarkets. Alternatively, stuffing can be made using gluten-free breadcrumbs, nuts or dried fruit.
Gravy can be made in the traditional way using meat juices and stock, using corn flour as a thickener. If a stock cube is used, make sure this is gluten-free.
Some gravy granules or mixes do contain gluten, however gluten-free gravy granules are available from the gravy aisle of most supermarkets, the 'free from' section of the supermarkets, or via mail order. You can find gluten-free stock cubes, gravy granules and ready to serve gravy in Coeliac UK's Food and Drink Directory.
Gluten-free Treats
Puddings, cakes and pastry usually appear on the Christmas menu. Gluten-free mince pies, Christmas puddings and Christmas cakes are stocked in most stores on the run up to Christmas. If you wanted to make your own you can make pastry with gluten-free flour and mincemeat, or purchase ready-to-roll gluten-free pastry.
Advent Calendars
A list of gluten-free chocolate advent calendars is available on Coeliac UK's Christmas list.
Gluten-free Confectionery
There are a wide variety of boxes of chocolates available which don’t contain gluten. If you are not sure which ones you can eat, contact Coeliac UK for a list of seasonal offerings. Their annual Christmas list is available on their website.
Alternatively, you can check the ingredients list. All pre- packaged food bought in the UK are covered by the current EU wide food labelling legislation. This means that a gluten containing cereal used as a deliberate ingredient in a product must appear on the ingredients list, regardless of the amount used.
Manufacturers will name the particular grain i.e. 'wheat', 'rye', 'barley', 'oats'; or some will use the word gluten as well i.e. 'wheat gluten'. This information must be declared in the ingredients list, whereas the allergy advice box is only a recommendation (and is not compulsory). Therefore it is important that anyone following a gluten-free diet check both the ingredients list and the allergy advice box.
Festive Cheer
Christmas is a time when many people enjoy a festive tipple. Cider, wine, sherry, spirits, port and liqueurs are all gluten-free and suitable for people with coeliac disease.
Even when a gluten-containing cereal is used as an ingredient, all spirits go through a distillation process when manufactured that removes any traces of gluten. The end product of the distillation is gluten free. Therefore all spirit drinks (including malt whiskey which is made from barley) are suitable for people with coeliac disease.
Beer, lagers, stouts and ales contain varying amounts of gluten and are therefore not safe for people with coeliac disease to consume.
Specially manufactured gluten-free beers are available and can be ordered via the internet or found in the ‘free from’ section of the supermarkets.
Coeliac UK's Christmas list is available on the website www.coeliac.org.uk and is updated with additional festive products as they receive information from manufacturers.
Alternatively, please call their Helpline on 0845 305 2060 to request a copy.