[sensualappeal]

Anyone on a GF lifestyle? I've seen a lot of recipes for nice desserts (I'm a baker) and they were GF and it made me wonder... just because they are GF, does this mean they are healthier? What's the difference really, nutrition wise? Calorie wise?

[Suzanne 3FC]

I've been gluten free for a little over a year now. I initially tried gluten free baked foods but I didn't like them, they had odd tastes and textures. I also was a bit put off by the long ingredient lists, including some highly processed ingredients that didn't seem very 'whole' to me. Some were better than others, but I personally found that they just weren't worth the expense and I'd rather just give up sandwiches and cakes.

Gluten free foods may not be healthier, and they can be the same or higher in calories. The only benefit to GF foods is that they will not cause you to get sick, the way gluten affects many people.

[flourless]

Originally Posted by sensualappeal

Anyone on a GF lifestyle? I've seen a lot of recipes for nice desserts (I'm a baker) and they were GF and it made me wonder... just because they are GF, does this mean they are healthier? What's the difference really, nutrition wise? Calorie wise?

The difference really is that they don't have gluten in them. Some people don't tolerate gluten (celiac disease, gluten sensitive enteropathy, FODMAPs, whatever). Different substitutes for wheat have different characteristics, so it's hard to say "healthier" or "less healthy"

The cake I make most often is an almond lemon polenta cake. The flours are polenta and almond meal, and the fat is all olive oil (and the fat from the nuts). It fits my diet nicely. On the other hand, my daughter favors a gluten free chocolate cupcake that's made with not much more than starch and binder. It's pretty much nutritionally void!

[LadyWraith]

Nope. GF definitely does not make them healthier. With GF baking particularly, all you're doing is substituting the wheat flour for other kinds of flour and xanthum gum to mimic the sticky effects of the gluten itself, which is what makes our wheat flour treats so delectable. You're still using sugars, butters, etc. There are some GF recipes you can find that are more health conscious. I know the Paleo diet is GF simply because of it's omittance of all grains therefore you may be able to find some healthy Paleo related GF recipes.

[sensualappeal]

Interesting, thank you for clearing it up. I've been stumbling upon so many wonderful GF food blogs and the food just looks so delicious but I don't have any of the ingredients necessary and wasn't sure if I should go out and get them or what. I'm still a new baker and still learning about substitutions for healthier alternatives too.