Danna Van Noy

Enjoying a gluten-free lifestyle is comprised of many psychological, social, and practical elements, not the least of which is food!Being able to eat without worrying about getting "glutenated" (contaminated with gluten) starts with knowing what you can and can’t eat, beginning with the most basic ingredients.

Cooking and preparing gluten-free dishes and meals doesn’t have to be burdensome. In fact, doing so can be a fun adventure. Your goal is to make and create dishes that are tasty and yummy, while also ensuring that you or your family members who can’t eat gluten can enjoy delicious food. The following are some important tips to help you as you cook gluten-free.

This gluten-free hobo stew features sweet potatoes, which are a wonderful addition to a more traditional stew. They’re nutritious, they contain a large amount of beta carotene, and they have a low glycemic index — plus, they’re easy on the budget. Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/MargoeEdwards Preparation time: 10 minutes Cook time: 7 hours Yield: 6 servings 1 to 1-1/2 pounds stew meat 1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into large cubes 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into large cubes 1 small package baby carrots 1 large onion, sliced 2-1/2 pound can diced tomatoes 1 cup tomato juice 2 slices gluten-free bread Dash salt 3/4 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon arrowroot flour or other thickening agent, such as cornstarch Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Here’s a quick list of basic ingredients to always keep in your pantry, to help with your gluten-free cooking and baking. Check your local grocery store or online supplier of gluten-free foods for these items: Gluten-free flours. Xantham gum. Guar gum. A premixed batch of gluten-free baking mix. Quinoa (which you can toss into soups and other foods).

When you’re living gluten-free (especially if you’ve just started following a gluten-free diet), it can be hard to remember which foods and ingredients you should avoid, especially when you’re grocery shopping! Here is a list of the grains and the foods that usually contain gluten that you need to avoid on a gluten-free diet: Wheat, and almost anything with the word wheat in its name.

If you’re tempted to experiment with making your favorite recipes gluten-free, here are some savvy substitutions for a few of your favorite ingredients. Don't hesitate to get creative! Flour: If your recipe calls for flour, consider using cornstarch or a gluten-free flour or mix. Experiment with the many new flours available, like bean flours, sorghum, and amaranth.

Some people may not realize that embracing a gluten-free diet means you must give up more than just wheat-based foods. Here are the grains you need to avoid on a gluten-free diet: Wheat and most things with the word wheat in its name. You also need to avoid hydrolyzed wheat protein, wheat starch, wheat germ, and so on, but you may not realize that you need to beware of aliases like flour, bulgur, semolina, spelt, frumento, durum (also spelled duram), kamut, graham, einkorn, farina, couscous, seitan, matzoh, matzah, matzo, and cake flour.

Gluten hides in some places you may not thing of. Here are some foods that usually contain gluten. If you're on a gluten-free diet, you need to avoid these as well: Beer Good news: Some great new gluten-free beers are available. Not only are smaller, specialty breweries making them, but even the big boys like Budweiser have come out with a gluten-free beer that you can buy just about anywhere beer is sold.