Cafe Belinda: 8 Gluten Free Vegan Brunch Recipes & Lifestyle Tips

Whether you’re cooking gluten free vegan brunch recipes at home or dining out, gluten free is the way to be in 2014 and beyond. It’s a major restaurant and grocery trend, catering to 90% more non-celiac consumers than those with celiac disease. This has led to restaurant certification standards, bloggers reviewing menu and grocery items and dining experiences, and grocery shoppers going to multiple stores then turning to online resources for products that are locally unavailable.

Restaurant Trends

The National Restaurant Association (US) predicts in their 2014 Culinary Forecast that Gluten Free Cuisine will be #5 in the Top 10 Restaurant Trends. Wheat free noodles, made of quinoa, rice and/or buckwheat, will be #8. Restaurant consultant group Baum +Whiteman LLC places the gluten free mainstreaming trend at #8 in their 2014 forecast, along with other healthier diets like vegan, vegetarian and Paleo.

Restaurant Reviews

Food journalist Frances Spiegel observes, “It's becoming easier and easier to live gluten free. The main problem comes in restaurants where, on more than one occasion, I've been told ‘we don't use much sugar!’” Offering suitable menu items goes far beyond simply using the right ingredients. For instance, blogger Kim Rice notes that California Pizza Kitchen restaurants use rice flour to work ALL their pizza dough, so that the airborne particulates do not cross-contaminate when they settle on the surface of other foods prepared in the kitchen.

Restaurant Practices and Certification

Other restaurant techniques include: designating kitchen space, cookware and serving dishes for gluten free items; cooking French fries in designated fryers with clean oil and baking GF pizzas on top oven racks. The most noticeable practice is a triple checking system, including kitchen, wait and management staff. The next time you dine out, look for the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America (GIG) certification on the menu and elsewhere. Their site also reports product pullbacks, unauthorized use of certification and certification termination. In addition, the group is currently studying the gluten content of ground spices using global samples and multiple testing methods. To find chain restaurants with gluten free menus and practices, click here.

Grocery Trends

According to the Gluten Free Agency, while 40 million consumers are buying GF products, only 10% of them actually have celiac disease. Many shoppers buy GF groceries due to non-celiac gluten sensitivity, wheat allergy, autism, ADHD, multiple sclerosis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Still others buy gluten free groceries in an effort to eat healthier.

Brunch Recipes

This menu covers everything you’ll need from start to finish: drinks, fruit, bread, potatoes, vegetable “egg” dish and “sausages.” The drinks are all alcohol-free. Visit my Recipe Index for more gluten free vegan brunch recipes.

Wishing you a healthy, serene and prosperous 2014,

Belinda <3