ABOUT MAYA

“Necessity is the mother of creation” & The Guilt-free kitchen was born out of Maya’s personal search for gluten-free products, after being diagnosed with a gluten intolerance.

Failing to find a delicious but most importantly healthy alternative to “gluten-full” options in the market, she knew it was a challenge she wanted to take on.

& so the journey began, armed with only a passion for cooking, to launch a business she knew nothing about except that it felt like the right thing to do!

She quit her job & with the help of her husband & business partner, a lot of hard work, many mistakes, tears, wins & failures, The Guilt-Free kitchen came to life.

The Guilt-Free Kitchen | All Gluten-Free | Mostly Plant-Based

OUR
AMBITION

The Guilt-Free kitchen is a pioneer in providing quality gluten-free products in Qatar – but that’s only the beginning.

As more and more people seek out great tasting but also nutritious gluten-free products that don’t taste like cardboard & aren’t entirely made of ingredients with zero nutritional values, we plan to offer them the best!

Starting with a rich desserts menu that is updated on a regular basis & seasonally, to a growing range of bread & baked goods that are lovingly created with both health & taste in mind.

WHY
GUILT-FREE

The more plants you eat the better you will feel. Doesn’t mean we believe everyone should go vegan. We certainly are not there (yet), but striving to include more plants, fruits vegetables & just eating more plant-based is what we try to inspire & deliver through the food we make.

Aside from being the only trusted gluten-free destination in Qatar, the Guilt-free Kitchen’s mission is to encourage people to get back to the Kitchen, explore & cook with real ingredients, plants, whole grains, nuts, seeds & healthy fats & proteins.

Through our efforts, we strive to motivate people to switch from a meat-centric diet to including more plants, real, natural & less processed food, & incorporating healthy Gluten-free alternatives into their daily diet if it makes them feel better!
Think of it as going back to the way our ancestors ate: lots of fruits & veggies, organic ingredients, & the occasional high quality animal protein. But hey, is a pizza really a pizza without Cheese?!

OUR take on Food & Diet

In a world where there are so many conflicting nutrition information on what’s good for us, & far too many “fad diets”, we believe every person is unique, & no one diet can work for everyone. What may feel good for one person, could be poison for the other.

Whether you are occasionally or fully plant-based, or still finding your way, this Kitchen was created for you!

A diet rich in plants is always a good idea, not only for our bodies, but for the environment too! However some people might not thrive on a strict vegan diet (think of people who suffer from IBS or digestive problems for example).
In food, we believe there is no right or wrong way of doing things, just common basics that everyone can benefit from.

Why you should eat more plants.

The concept of a whole-foods plant-based diet is a lifestyle that is defined by:

Eating mostly whole-foods that are minimally processed: plants, seeds, grains, nuts,
beans, healthy fats, fruits & vegetables
Reducing or eliminating consumption of dairy
Reducing or eliminating consumption of animal protein
Eliminating refined junk food, sugars, white flour & processed oils
Focusing on food quality: eating organic, clean, locally sourced, sustainably farmed, grass-fed protein (as much as possible)

A whole-foods plant-based diet does not specifically encourage people to go vegetarian or vegan, but rather motivates them to eat more plants, focus on ingredients coming from the earth & reducing dependency on processed products by following an 80/20 rule.

At the Guilt-Free Kitchen, our approach to wellness goes beyond the food that we eat, to include whole lifestyle changes from exercise, to spirituality, to removing environmental toxins as much as possible, fostering meaningful & strong relationships & having a strong sense of purpose…these & so many other elements, all contribute to how you feel physically & mentally.

Transitioning away from a processed & meat-heavy diet to a more plant-based & holistic way of life will optimize your body’s function. Your digestion will likely improve, your skin will start glowing, your energy levels will be off- the-roof due to the nutrient-dense attributes and the high quality of the foods you will be consuming.

“IN OUR KITCHEN THERE IS NO JUDGMENT OR GUILT, ONLY WELLNESS & DELICIOUS FOOD”

GLUTEN-FREE
LIVING

WHY GLUTEN WASN’T A PROBLEM A COUPLE OF GENERATIONS AGO?

Our guts are different, just like our fingerprints. Gluten quality nowadays isn’t what it used to be when our grandmas were young. Most of it has been so genetically modified that our bodies are not recognizing it anymore & so every gut reacts to it differently.

COULD IT BE GLUTEN?

Nowadays, there are a lot of people who just don’t feel good when they eat gluten.

There are lots of gut-related symptoms that eating Gluten can cause including: abdominal pain, bloating, wind, indigestion, diarrhea, constipation. Research has also linked gluten to other (non-gut-related) issues, autoimmune reactions, unexplained migraines, brain fog, & even infertility. Gluten can affect people in 2 ways:

1. Coeliac disease

This disease affects around 1 in 100 people and is a disease where the body’s immune system attacks itself when Gluten is eaten. Unfortunately only around 25% of people with coeliac disease are actually diagnosed. If coeliac disease is left untreated, there is a greater risk of complications including anemia, osteoporosis, neurological conditions that affect co-ordination, balance and speech (gluten ataxia) and nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy). This all sounds a bit scary, especially knowing how few people are properly diagnosed. That’s why listening to your gut is important.

2. Gluten Sensitivity

Gluten sensitivity is more common than coeliac disease & can range from mild to severe. Diarrhea, excessive wind, bloating, stomach cramping, mind fog among others. Sometimes it can be undetected by tests but still cause uncomfortable symptoms & can disrupt daily life.

WHAT FOODS HAVE GLUTEN?

Gluten is in many of our common foods including bread, pasta, pizza, cakes, biscuits and breakfast cereals. The guilt-free kitchen offers alternatives to many of these foods – see all of our tasty food HERE.
A lot of processed foods such as soups, sauces and ready meals may also contain Gluten. And it can be found in foods you might not expect so learning how to read the labels is key! & better yet, skip the processed!

WHAT FOODS WITHOUT GLUTEN CAN I STILL ENJOY?

There are lots of naturally gluten free foods, flours, grains and pulses like quinoa, buckwheat and lentils that people with gluten problems can eat.

Some of the flour options include: coconut, rice, brown rice, oat (naturally gluten-free but must be certified to avoid contamination), sorghum, teff, almond…

Grains & pulses: rice, brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, millet..

FOR SOME GREAT GLUTEN FREE RECIPES CLICK HERE