Gluten Questions...

[Amanda83]

Hello Everyone,

I was watching Dr Oz the other day and am wanting to eliminate Gluten from my diet. I eat pretty clean already but am looking for some insight, tips, recommendations you may have, book suggestions that you like, ect. I know everyone on SC is very helpful and I am looking to pick brains and get some insight on what you suggest I buy and what to avoid. I live on Vancouver Island if that makes a difference in suggesting stores and places to look for things, thanks everyone!!!

[slayer_glade]

For us, the best thing we did is go to different stores just to see what was available in gluten-free products. There are quite a bit more companies now than they were before and I find they tend to vary from store to store. I'm out here in Quebec so can't help with stores too much. I have seen stuff at loblaws, metro, IGA, Tao foods, avril.

There's pasta, cereal, cookies, crackers, flour, etc

Have fun just looking at stores.

I don't use books since we're not hardcore and we still do the same recipes, just with different products. We also like the brown rice gluten free products.

[itchy54]

I developed an allergy, not celiac (negative tests), to gluten about a year and a half ago....very strange to not be able to even bake with wheat--the dust even makes me crazy. My once favourite bread is now just a memory.
I use brown rice tortillas (wraps) made by food for life and can be found in the freezer section of many stores (superstore does carry them in their health food area). Both Chex cereals and the new brown rice Rice Crispies are gluten free...make sure it says gluten free on the label as it is hidden everywhere!!
I tend to stay away from baked goods and mixes that are gluten free....they just don't taste good to me and are VERY high in carbohydrates.
Try this site out for some good recipes. Elana uses a lot of almond flour--ground blanched almonds and they make great cookies and muffins. She uses coconut flour too but I don't use that as you always needa lot of eggs and i have an allergy to eggs too....rats!
elanaspantry.com
i buy the almonds in bulk when it is on sale...it can be very expensive!!

one more thing...i lazily ate a small box of smarties at halloween this year....got that weird allergic feeling..sure enough, check the ingredients...smarties contain wheat flour!!!
Brown rice pasta is good...and works well in lasagne too--no one ever will be able to tell the difference.
beware: soy sauce, teriaki sauce, soups, dressings....all can have gluten in them.
Check out your library for books...there are lots out there.

[itchy54]

arggg..that edit button and i do not get along...
Smarties contain flour, as do many unsuspecting chocolate bars (beware malt)....found that out the hard way,and i do not eat very much of that stuff!!
Costco carries a yummy gluten free craciker!! They also produce their sausages without wheat fillers.

[gourmetsue]

My neighbour just lent us a copy of Wheat Belly and Gluten Free for Dummies. she swears by them. She was diagnosed celica at 40.

Here are a couple of websites if you are looking for recipes.

http://www.celiacteen.com/

http://www.theceliacdiva.com/

http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/

We love the Glutino bread, but I imagine it's easy to make your own, with a bit of practise.

[Zonny]

A friend with a child with celiac recently posted that there's now such a thing as gluten-free Rice Crispies. Apparently the regular ones contain barley malt or something that contains gluten.

[itchy54]

Yes, KElloggs just introduced a gluten free rice crispies this week

[sunny3]

Basically, if you want to truely go gluten-free, you have to be leary of every single thing you eat except for fruit and vegetables in pure form. Watch all processed meats, medications, vitamins, spices/ seasonings, sauces, dressings, soups, broths... Gluten is in the most obvious things and even in those things you would never imagine. Also, just because a product is safe, doesn't mean it'll always be safe. Always read labels. Eating out is also very risky- even a gluten free food can be touched by gloves that just put a bun on the plate of others in your group... Be prepared to spend a huge amount of time in the kitchen and for every 10 gluten-free recipes, you might find one that actually turns out ok in taste and texture.

It's not easy. I had to eat that way for 10yrs because an allergist made an error. I can't say I would ever eat that way by choice. You do get used to it. My recommendation is that if it's purely a choice and not medically necessary, to just choose what you will eliminate- example- cut back on processed foods but choose some products you will still continue to use and perhaps when you find a GF alternative that you like, you will substitute it. There's certainly not anything wrong with diversifying a diet and eating healthier but going totally Gluten free (i mean without having celiac disease or allergy) does mean eliminating many nutritious foods, in particular those with high fibre and complex carbohydrates. I have to say that my blood sugar is way better balanced on wheat diet and gluten free because on gluten free i wasn't having nearly as many carb portions and those i was having were of poor nutritious quality in comparison. It's up to you and your health care providers to figure out what is good for you since we are all individuals. My recommendation is to explore various grains like quinoa, millet... I still eat alternative grains but not in bread nor baked good form, more for carb portions at dinner. The cost of gluten-free is also huge so expect your groceries to cost much more- flours, weird stuff like xantan gum, breads... i think crackers are about the same price. Cereal is either more expensive or just quite low in nutrients. For a while there was talk of oats as gluten free- i don't know what the verdict is on that now since it used to be on the gluten-containing list. Large flake oatmeal would make for a healthy and cheap breakfast.

[Amanda83]

Thank you so much everyone! This has been great, I eat very clean already and am now looking for some basic changes in my diet and am thinking to limit Gluten as best I can will be a start

Does anyone have any Gluten home recipes for bread?

[sunny3]

I wish I had kept my bread recipe to pass along. I think it might have been in one of Bette Hagman's earlier books but not the "bakes bread" one. I really disliked the bakes bread book because few recipes tasted ok and the ingredients required were very expensive. However, it's quite possible i had modified the bread recipe. I think it had brown and white rice flours, xanthan gum (this ingredient quite expensive but you don't use lots- cheapest at the time was at bulk barn), eggs, milk powder, salt, sugar. It might have also had tapioca flour in it but i forget.

Bette Hagman did have an ok recipe for pizza but sticks like glue so required a silicone sheet on the cookie sheet.

Restaurants- some pizza chains have a gluten free crust option (Pizza Pizza) and some restaurants have a seperate gluten free menu. Other chains also sometimes have nutrition pamphlets and have identified what items on the menu are gluten-free.

Brown rice pasta was my favorite of all the pastas- brand- it was Tinkyada or something like that but then they changed the name i think.

***I really didn't find that you could substitute gluten-free flour mixes in recipes using a lot of flour (breads, cakes, muffins). Try if you want to but maybe consider newer brands of GF flour mixes.

You may consider looking up gluten free companies that ship to your area- compare prices. I know here in ontario that some ship actual baked goods like muffins, breads... but they also ship bags of flour and other things used for gluten-free baking.

***Be very leary of health food stores. Do not trust them without doing your homework first. I know i had 3 stores in my area and two had staff that didn't at all know what they were talking about and some things they were saying were gluten-free really were not.

[VeeVee]

I started this thread last year and there is some great info there.
http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/148685-...thread-canada/