The Glycemic Index in Practice: 4 Awesome Low-Glycemic Gluten-Free Dinner Recipes

Our recent blog post on low-glycemic gluten-free diets had some of you reconsidering the healthiness of your gluten-free diets. If you’re interested in reducing the impact of your meals on your blood glucose, let’s take things to the next level – dinner!

What will the main meal of the day look like when you’re eating a low-glycemic gluten-free diet? Here are some dinner recipes to help you enjoy a delicious and filling meal without all those blood sugar spikes and crashes that can leave you feeling wiped out.

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Hearty Chicken Cannellini Stew (Serves 4)

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ large onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 15 oz canned, diced tomatoes, including liquid
• ¼ cup tarragon leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
• 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 lb chicken breasts, sliced thinly cross-wise
• Sea salt, to taste
• Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Add garlic, rosemary, and tarragon. Continue sautéing for 1 more minute. Add chicken and sauté until slightly browned. Add tomatoes, beans and broth. Simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Lemon & Dill Salmon with Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes (Serves 2)

For fish

• 2 4 oz wild salmon filets
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp dried dill
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 lemon, juiced

For sweet potatoes

• 1 large sweet potato, unpeeled
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Slice sweet potato into ¼” slices. In a large bowl, mix with paprika, garlic powder, salt and olive oil. Place in one layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until tender and beginning to brown.

On a baking dish place salmon filets with skin facing downwards. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Brush over salmon filets. Bake until salmon is opaque, approximately 20 minutes.

Serve salmon and roasted sweet potatoes with a green salad or steamed vegetable.

Beef Stir-Fry with Green Beans (Serves 4)

• ¼ cup canola oil
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• ½ small onion, diced
• 2 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
• ½ lb beef sirloin strips
• 1 lb green beans, trimmed and cut in pieces
• 2 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• ½ tsp sugar or alternative sweetener

In a wok or heavy skillet, heat canola oil over medium-high flame. Add red pepper flakes, onion and ginger. Sautee until onion is translucent and starting to brown. Add garlic and sirloin strips. Cook until the beef begins to brown on the outside but isn’t fully cooked. Add green beans and all additional ingredients. Cook until green beans are crisp but tender and beef is fully cooked through.

Serve over steamed quinoa or brown rice.

Kale, Egg & Feta Casserole (Serves 2)

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 bunch kale, washed and chopped (stems removed)
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• 2/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 4 eggs
• Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a heavy skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high flame. Sauté onions until translucent, then add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until garlic is softened. Add kale and sauté until kale is tender. If needed, add a tablespoon of water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread kale (including all remaining oil) over the bottom of a small oven baking dish. Sprinkle half the feta over the kale. Spoon tomato sauce evenly over the kale and sauce, then crack the eggs in individual areas of the baking dish (don’t worry if they run together). Sprinkle remaining feta over the dish.

Bake for 15 minutes or until eggs are still slightly runny. This dish can be served by itself, over brown rice, or with a small piece of high-fiber multigrain gluten-free bread.

Here’s a challenge: Replace one of your dinners this week with a low-glycemic recipe like one of the ones we’ve shared here. Your waistline, your blood glucose and your heart will thank you.