THE GLUTEN FREE PLAN Imagine visiting a restaurant and browsing an entirely gluten-free menu, filled with all the things you could only otherwise dream of eating. The chef just so happens to be gluten-free themselves, meaning you have total peace of mind that everything is going to be prepared safely. And, of course, they’re equipped with all the right ingredients and top-secret recipes to make food that doesn’t taste or look gluten-free. Well, I’ve got some great news for you; there is a place very close to home where all of the above is possible... your own kitchen! Yep, with just 10 minutes of meal planning once a week, you can decide exactly what’s on that dream menu, as well as which ingredients do or don’t go into your food. Hi, I’m Becky and I’m a big planner (not literally). I should probably start by saying that I’ve been gluten-free for over a decade and I share recipes online that nobody would ever know were gluten-free. So welcome to my third book, How To Plan Anything Gluten Free. Though I’ve always labelled myself as an avid list-loving, schedule-following, all-round planning enthusiast, I’m not sure I knew the true definition of the word ‘planning’ until I had to go gluten-free. When my doctor told me that gluten was off the menu for good, I had no idea so much would change other than what was on my plate.
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Gone were the days where I could decide which restaurant I fancied going to right then and there in the moment. The convenience of ordering a last-minute Chinese takeaway vanished and still hasn’t been sighted since. I instantly became ‘the awkward dinner guest’ whenever I was invited over to eat. The supermarket seemed suddenly to shrink in size, and almost all the convenience products I relied on became off limits without notice. I learned the hard way that, when you’re gluten-free, failing to plan is planning to go hungry. And not long after I realized that my definition of the word ‘planning’ had changed for good. Being gluten-free without planning is like camping without a tent. Or, less metaphorically, it’s like ordering a three-course meal only to find that every course is some sort of fruit salad. Yes, that actually happened to me. More than once. But, as you’ll soon discover if you haven’t already, a little planning ahead can make a huge difference to your future self, regardless of whether you’re eating at home or eating out. Planning instantly brought back a level of convenience and normality that I thought was gone for good, so it’s not surprising that I wrote an entire book dedicated to the topic – so that you can reclaim it, too. This, and the following recipes, is an edited extract from How to plan anything gluten free by Becky Excell published by Hardie Grant Books. RRP $24.99
