Imagine the scene, you’ve planned the perfect dinner party, invited your guests and then find out that one of your attendees has food intolerances or allergies, or even celiac disease. You’re faced with a dilemma, do you try and find a different meal that they can eat, cook it separately – doubling your workload, or do you change the menu to a dish that everyone can eat?

The main priority is to check all ingredient labels thoroughly, and ensure that all work surfaces are clean to avoid contamination with gluten. But what can you cook? Celiac disease is something which people are becoming increasingly aware of, and affects 1 in 100 people in the UK. With people becoming more aware of their diets, whether for medical reasons or just trying to live a healthier lifestyle, there are a lot of products out there which are wheat and gluten free, and many of these are available from your local supermarket.

If you complete an online search, then you may be led to think that cooking for someone with celiac disease involves making everything from scratch and being extremely careful to avoid all potentially dangerous contaminants. There are easy options however, and you won’t have to spend all day in the kitchen.

Main staples such as potatoes and rice are naturally gluten free, and gluten free pasta is now commonly available in the supermarkets. Baked items, such as bread and cakes usually contain gluten, so are best avoided unless you specifically seek out the gluten-free varieties. Fresh and unprocessed foods are not only safe for celiacs, but are also much healthier than processed and over packaged equivalents (and taste better too!).

There are many wonderful, easy to prepare culinary delights which cater for the gluten free diet. One such source is a range of wholesome, ready to heat sauces which allow you to quickly make a range of traditional favourites. From the Italian Spaghetti Bolognaise, to a Hot Mexican Chilli or even a traditional Cottage Pie, there are celiac-friendly alternatives to a wide range of dinner party wonders.

It is easy to think that because these products have been designed without certain ingredients, then they will lack the full flavour and richness of the traditional dish. Gluten is often added to foods in flour, which is used as a thickening agent. Whilst this improves the texture and consistency of soups and sauces, it doesn’t actually add to the flavour. Other flours can be used as thickening agents, such as rice flour, and these will not affect the flavour. However, many who try gluten free foods don’t notice a difference at all, and often the quality of the other ingredient s makes them preferable to our usual brands.

With some of these dishes taking as little as 15 minutes to prepare, your celiac or gluten intolerant guest may actually save you time rather than have you cooking twice, and you could even discover some new dinner party favourites!