Gluten-Free Menu Ideas for Restaurants

Gluten can be found in a variety of ingredients and foods such as pastas, sauces, beers and even soups. No matter if a customer has a small gluten intolerance or has celiac’s disease, it’s beneficial to offer a variety of substitutions to ensure your guests with food allergies don’t feel excluded. Here are a few of our favorite gluten-free menu ideas for restaurants that’ll ensure everyone has a full belly when they’re done.

Gluten-Free Menu Options

Some dishes are naturally gluten-free and others may only need some small ingredient changes to be considered safe for those with a gluten intolerance. Here are a few gluten-free meal options you can add to your menu to be more inclusive:

Gluten-Free Breakfast Options

• Gluten-free breakfast burritos


• Omelets


• Yogurt parfaits


• Gluten-free pancakes


• Chia pudding


• Breakfast bowls

Main Dishes

• Coconut-lime chicken


• Roasted cherry tomato chutney on squash


• Stuffed peppers


• Cacio E Pepe sweet potato noodles


• Lemony chicken and potatoes with feta


• Herb-crusted salmon


• Chile verde


• Pork puttanesca


• Jerk tofu grain bowls

Sides

• Roasted potatoes


• Lentil and rice summer salad


• Quinoa salad with roasted zucchini, almonds and feta


• Sweet and smokey skillet-blistered green beans


• Herbed brown rice


• Grilled squash in cilantro, lime and fish sauce


• Honey-sage sweet potatoes, pears and walnuts


• Grilled vegetables with summer hollandaise

Desserts

• Fresh fruits with cottage cheese


• Flourless chocolate cake


• Chocolate skillet brownies


• Roasted strawberries


• Berry lemonade sorbet


• Coconut crust cheesecake

Best Practices for Labeling Gluten-Free Menu Items

• GF icons


• Dedicated menu sections


• Add allergy disclaimers


• Use online menu filtering


• Provide QR code menus

Essential Gluten-Free Ingredients for Restaurant Kitchens

Include:

• Rice


• Quinoa


• Corn tortillas


• Gluten-free pasta


• Chickpeas


• Potatoes


• Certified gluten-free oats


• Almond flour


• Coconut flour

Create a Sanitation Process

When you have gluten-free menu ideas in your restaurant, you’ll also want to create a sanitation process to ensure that there’s no possibility of cross-contamination. Though adding gluten-free options will boost sales, improperly preparing or sanitizing stations can get people with an intolerance very sick.

It’s recommended that, if you have the proper space and budget, you create a separate space to prepare and cook gluten-free foods to keep them completely separate from the other menu items you serve.

Be Aware of Hidden Gluten Sources

Make sure you’re not assuming any certain item is gluten-free. There are a lot of ingredients that you may not realize have gluten, but could make someone with an intolerance very ill. Here are a few hidden sources of gluten you may not have thought of:

• Marinades


• Taco seasoning


• Cooking spray


• Sausage


• Cheese


• Broth or stock


• Veggie burgers


• Meat substitutes


• French fries


• Seasoned rice


• Commercially prepared mustard


• Soy sauce


• Barbeque sauce


• Cocktail mixers

How Restaurants Can Prevent Gluten Cross-Contamination

• Separate prep areas


• Dedicated fryers


• Separate toasters


• Proper labeling


• Staff training

Most Profitable Gluten-Free Menu Items for Restaurants

• Rice bowls


• Loaded baked potatoes


• Gluten-free tacos


• Grain bowls


• Omelets


• Grilled proteins with vegetables


• Gluten-free flatbreads