Laura's journey with coeliac disease has equipped her with the knowledge and skills to create delicious gluten free recipes and offer practical tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. With the release of her recent cookbook, Eat and Enjoy Gluten Free, Laura provides invaluable insights to help others navigate living gluten free with confidence. Laura shares her thoughts below on celebrating a happy, healthy, gluten free Christmas:

Q. What are your top tips for enjoying a happy, healthy, gluten free Christmas?

Firstly, set your boundaries and don’t let anyone guilt trip you into breaking your gluten free diet – it’s not worth it. I find people can be so kind and accommodating at Christmas, as long as they understand how seriously those with coeliac disease need to stick to being gluten free. Of course, there’s always the odd person who will make you feel “difficult” or others who don’t feel confident at catering for you – in this situation, go prepared with your own food and snacks if that makes you feel more comfortable.

Secondly, try to focus on the things you can have, rather than on foods that you are missing out on. There are loads of fantastic gluten free Christmas treats – you can either browse the Free From aisles in supermarkets (or read labels in the main ranges for stealth gluten free finds!), shop from lovely gluten free small businesses online or make your own goodies. Then you won’t get gluten FOMO (fear of missing out) and can still enjoy lots of yummy treats!

Q. Can you share your favourite go-to gluten free recipe(s) perfect for festive gatherings?

1. My shortcrust pastry recipe is extremely popular this time of year, as it makes a wonderful base for mince pies, tarts, leftovers pies and quiches. You can even make it ahead and freeze it if needed.
2. Amaretti and Florentines are lovely biscuits to make in advance, perfect for parties and sharing. They also make great gifts.
3. As for desserts, I’m torn between my Sticky Toffee Christmas Pudding, Lemon Meringue Yule Log and Salted Caramel Yule Log. I love them all and inevitably make them every year for various festive gatherings.
4. To start the day, I love Panettone at Christmas time, so I created a recipe for that last year – it’s an Italian sweet festive bread, studded with dried fruit and candied peel or chocolate chips. When toasted and buttered it’s delicious for breakfast.

Q. How do you ensure the whole family enjoys a gluten free Christmas without feeling restricted?

Honestly it is so easy to make Christmas dinner totally gluten free, with very simple swaps.

• For gravy, simply thicken it with cornflour.
• For stuffing, use gluten free breadcrumbs (or buy a premade one, as many supermarkets sell it).
• For roast potatoes, dust them with gluten free flour or cornflour.
• For pigs in blankets, simply select a gluten free variety when shopping.
• And for Yorkshire puddings, I’ve got an awesome recipe that I’ve already been asked to make twice this festive season by non-gluten free family members. So that’s Christmas dinner sorted!

Q. Can you give some tips or advice for someone newly diagnosed with coeliac disease during the festive season?

It can feel really overwhelming when you are first diagnosed, but living gluten free gets easier with experience. There are lots of handy resources out there to help you get to grips with it, such as Coeliac UK and my cookbook and website. With tips about how to safely prepare food, what you can and can’t eat and recipes to get you cooking gluten free. 

It will really help you in the long run if you are clear and firm with friends and family about your dietary requirements from the outset. Explain to them about the importance of avoiding cross contamination, be patient when someone tells you to just “eat the topping off the cheesecake” and feel free to go into detail in explaining to them about why that would be a bad idea! If you are going to a Christmas party, take some safe snacks that you can tuck into, unless you know and trust the host’s ability to cater for you safely. 

Q. What’s your favourite gluten free Christmas moment or memory?

For me, it’s how kind people can be at Christmas, re catering for my dietary requirements. Both sides of my family make Christmas dinner completely gluten free, so me and my mum (who is also coeliac) can relax and not have to be on cross-contamination high alert. I find it so touching that they took it upon themselves to do this. The food is always delicious and no one feels like they are missing out.

We hope Laura's tips have inspired you with ideas for how to enjoy a happy, healthy, gluten free Christmas.

For more delicious gluten free recipes and tips, visit Laura’s website here: www.mygfguide.com