How to Go Gluten-Free and Vegetarian

Becoming a vegetarian is one thing, going gluten-free is another. But both at once? Dual diets may sound daunting—after all, you'll have two lists of food restrictions to manage. But even so, it is possible to navigate a gluten-free vegetarian diet.

There are tips, tricks, and simple recipes to help you enjoy the process and avoid common pitfalls. These five essential steps can help you adjust your diet so that you savor your meals and stay healthy while going vegetarian and gluten-free.

Learn Each Diet

It may sound simple, but if you are going gluten-free while also going vegetarian, you'll need to avoid foods that contain animal products and those that contain gluten. Learning to identify foods that fall into these categories is the first step of your diet overhaul.

Gluten-Free Diet

Going gluten-free is more complicated than simply avoiding bread and pasta. Gluten sneaks into a wide variety of foods and many of them may surprise you. Learn to identify the different ways that manufacturers use gluten in foods so you can target and avoid those products.

For example, some canned soups and spice mixes contain gluten. Even a few ice cream brands (especially less-expensive or low-fat varieties) use wheat starch as an ingredient. 

If you're sticking to a whole foods-based diet, you'll still need to watch for wheat, barley, and rye in places you don't expect and under names you wouldn't suspect. Gluten can hide on food labels under many different names, including:

• Bulgur
• Malt
• Farro
• Triticale
• Hydrolyzed wheat protein
• Seitan
• Vegetable protein
• Caramel color
• Natural flavors
• Modified food starch

Once you know which foods to avoid, you'll want to learn which foods to consume. Fresh, unpackaged fruits and vegetables are gluten-free, so try to build your diet around those. When you eat manufactured food products, stick with those that are labeled gluten-free.

Vegetarian Diet

Fortunately, it's usually easier to identify animal-sourced ingredients than it is to avoid gluten. If you steer your grocery cart away from the meat counter and read labels carefully, you're on the right track.

Keep in mind, however, that there are different types of vegetarians. Most are ovo-lacto vegetarians, meaning that they avoid meat, poultry, seafood, and fish but consume eggs and dairy. There are also ovo-vegetarians who avoid animal products but eat eggs. And there are lacto-vegetarians that avoid animal products but consume dairy.

In general, most vegetarians avoid ingredients derived from animals such as:

• Animal shortening
• Gelatin
• Lard
• Pepsin
• Tallow
• Vitamin D from animal sources

Gather resources such as vegetarian food lists, recipes, and cooking tips to familiarize yourself with an animal-free diet.

Prep Your Kitchen

It can be easy to grab an ingredient that doesn't fit into your diet when you're cooking in a rush. The best way to avoid doing this is to clear your kitchen of foods that contain ingredients you're avoiding.

Pick a day to check every box, bag, and can in your cupboards and fridge. Read the ingredient list on each and set aside all products that aren't compatible with a vegetarian and gluten-free lifestyle.

If you have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, you'll need to go even further since the slightest bit of gluten cross-contamination could make you sick. Follow these steps to clean out your kitchen:

• Remove all baking supplies, including all opened ingredients such as sugar and baking powder as it is likely that they been cross-contaminated.
• Buy a new toaster.
• Buy new gluten-free ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, salsa, and any other condiments you use frequently. Squeeze bottles are best if you still have gluten-eaters in the house.
• Replace all potentially contaminated kitchen utensils, such as plastic spatulas and non-stick pans.
• Clean your oven thoroughly.

To prepare for the vegetarian or vegan part of your diet:

• Double-check your staples for animal-based ingredients and replace where necessary.
• Identify your favorite gluten-free grains and stock your kitchen with those.
• If you're going vegan or dairy-free, try several different types of gluten-free nut milk and gluten-free soy milk to find your favorite.

If there are any gluten-containing non-vegetarian family favorites you need to keep around for loved ones who aren't following your diet, create a special place for those items so you don't have to think twice to avoid them when cooking for yourself. Everything else, as long as it's unopened and hasn't expired, can be donated.

Focus on Nutrition

To make sure you are getting the necessary calories, macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals, take some time to establish nutritional goals and use them to create tasty meals.

Establish Nutritional Goals

Because so many foods are off-limits on a diet that excludes both animal proteins and gluten, there are some nutrients you'll need to be especially careful to fit into your diet from other sources. These include protein, iron, calcium, vitamin D, and certain B vitamins.

Find out how much of each of these nutrients you need and make a list of foods that will provide you with the recommended daily allowance. Many people find it helpful to meet with a registered dietitian to make sure they are getting important micronutrients. You can also check USDA guidelines to see how much is recommended for you based on your age and sex.

To get enough protein, pack your diet with these gluten-free and vegetarian/vegan protein sources:

• Gluten-free grains
• Legumes (make sure to select safe gluten-free brands of beans)
• Nuts and nut butters (again, source safe gluten-free brands)

Also note that fortified cereals can be a good source of nutrients, so look for gluten-free cereals that are also vegetarian. Nature's Path and Van's both offer fortified gluten-free vegetarian cereal options.

Learn Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes

You're not likely to stick to a food plan if you don't find meals satisfying and enjoyable. Learning to cook nutritious meals at home will help you to stay healthy without breaking the bank. Consider any of these gluten-free recipes that are also vegetarian.

Breakfast Recipes

• Maple Pumpkin Pie Buckwheat Groats
• Sunday Morning Baked Eggs Recipe
• Chia Seed Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie Recipe
• Savory Spinach and Feta Oatmeal Bowl

Lunch or Dinner Recipes

• Mediterranean Grilled Eggplant and Vegetable Salad Recipe
• Sweet and Tangy Maple-Roasted Root Vegetables
• Hearty Vegan Indian Potatoes and Lentils With Basmati Rice Recipe
• Kale and Lentil Stuffed Sweet Potato

Desserts and Snacks

• Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse
• Savory Garlicky Olive, Walnut, and Edamame Mix
• Easy Fruit Salad With Citrus Dressing
• Cinnamon Lemon Coconut Bliss Balls

Become a Smart Consumer

Of course, you won't always be able to cook at home. There will be times when you need to eat on the run. To avoid going hungry in a situation where the food you can eat is scarce, always carry a gluten-free vegetarian/vegan snack, such as:

• Shelled nuts
• Gluten-free vegetarian/vegan snack bars, such as Larabars or Kind bars
• Gluten-free vegetarian trail mix or cereal

Keep in mind that the explosion of interest in both gluten-free and vegetarian lifestyles has led to a proliferation of pre-packaged and processed foods. But not all gluten-free products are compatible with a vegetarian diet and not all vegetarian (or even vegan) products are compatible with a gluten-free diet.

There are multiple frozen dinners that are gluten-free and vegetarian. Check out options from:

• Amy's Kitchen
• Saffron Road
• Evol
• Tandoor Chef

In addition, you'll find gluten-free frozen pizza that's also vegetarian and even vegan gluten-free frozen pizza. Look for pizzas from:

• Amy's Kitchen
• BOLD Organics
• Daiya
• Whole Foods

Learn to Eat Out

Eliminating gluten and animal protein is likely to make it tough to navigate a restaurant menu or potluck dinner party. But it's not impossible. Here are some tips for eating out that will allow you to follow your diet without missing out on delicious food or time with friends.

• Learn ways gluten can sneak into a dish. For example, in some restaurant kitchens, the same water used to boil pasta may be reused to steam veggies. Don't hesitate to ask your server about such potential sources of gluten in foods. Most will be happy to check with the chef. Be insistent if you feel uncertain.
• Do your homework. Before you visit a restaurant, call ahead to find out which menu items are in sync with your diet. This can help if you feel self-conscious about taking longer to order because you're trying to decode the selections. You also won't have to feel self-conscious about quizzing the server.
• BYOF. If you'll be dining at a friend's home, ask what you can contribute to the menu. This will be trickier if your host is serving a sit-down dinner rather than having a potluck or barbecue. In any case, don't expect your friend to cook something special for you. Instead, bring your own food—and be sure to prep enough to share.

A Word From Verywell

Following a gluten-free diet can be challenging and when you add a vegetarian or vegan diet, you may find it overwhelming to restrict so many foods. But remember that many of the most healthy and delicious foods are compliant on both food plans. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, and gluten-free grains are packed with nutrition.

If you still feel lost (and hungry) while navigating your gluten-free vegetarian/vegan diet, consider consulting with a nutritionist to help you iron out the details and make sure you get enough of the right foods to eat. And always check with your healthcare provider to discuss dietary changes or supplements.