Top gluten free tips

[mom@shiloh]

One of my kiddos is going gluten free to address some health concerns.  So far, it seems to help.  

 

Anyone willing to share your tips for eating gluten free?  I don't plan to switch the whole family, just him.  

 

TIA.

 

[Slache]

We use corn tortillas for things that would otherwise go on a sandwich like peanut butter and honey or bacon eggs and cheese.

 

There are gluten free restaurant apps that rate restaurants or tell you which ones have gluten free menus.

 

Get some paleo or gluten free cookbooks from the library. I own or have borrowed Whole30, Well Fed, Well Fed 2, and Nom Nom Paleo.

 

Quinoa and quinoa noodles.

[Junie]

I am the only one in my family who is gluten free.

 

Breakfast for me is usually yogurt (with dark chocolate chips ;) ) because gf cereal is so expensive.

 

On pasta nights, I make 2 pans of pasta -- mine and theirs.

 

I usually don't eat lunch with my kids.  (This is when I do read-alouds.)  Then no one feels bad if my gf lunch doesn't match what they're eating.

 

I try to keep most dinners gf.  Sometimes they will have bread or rolls and I will do without.  (Although your dynamic is different, as a child may feel bad about going without something the others have.)

 

I also try to keep some frozen gf dinners in the freezer, just in case.

 

I'm going to go make a list of some of my favorite products.  It might be this afternoon, though, before I get back.  (There's this thing called homeschooling we do at our house...) ;)

 

 

[gingersmom]

My daughter went gluten free two months ago (per doctors orders) and its amazing how much better she feels.

 

She is a super picky eater and away at college. At home she lives on gluten free Mac and cheese, gluten free pretzels, popcorn.

 

There are some great cookbooks. I made a gluten free yellow cake that was delicious!

 

You can find gluten free chix nuggets, veggie burgers, corn dogs, breadcrumbs, chicken noodle soup, just about anything.

[StephanieZ]

Many recipes can be made by just replacing regular flour with a gluten free all purpose flour. There are a zillion choices of the gluten free flours and mixes. Some make your pancakes taste like saw dust cakes. Others are perfectly delicious. The best I found was Glutino. Expensive, but worth it. 

 

Walmart has a significant line of gluten free options, pastas, mixes, etc. Good prices. 

 

Buy just one box of anything new. It may be gross or may be great. 

[The Governess]

Gluten free bread tastes much better toasted. Or made into a grilled cheese sandwich.

 

Pamela's mix is my favorite baking mix. It makes great pancakes, scones, biscuits, and can be used here and there in recipes (gravy, etc) that call for a bit of flour. You can order it on Amazon.

 

We grind up gluten-free oats to use for breading things.

 

The hardest will be eating out or at parties, etc. For eating out it will take a while to compile a list of places that have GF options or sometimes a whole GF menu. Restaurants are getting much better these days. More than half of the pizza places by us have GF pizza now, for example. For parties, I suggest you locate a maker of GF treats and have your son bring his own treat to enjoy.

[pehp]

My son has been gluten-free for 6.5 years now (and I avoid grains in general). 

 

Breakfasts for him are typically buckwheat pancakes or my homemade GF waffles, or sausage/eggs, or baked oatmeal (using GF oats).

 

Lunches are tuna salad or turkey lunch meat, rolled up with some cheese, some fruits, maybe some veggie chips or rice chex, and sometimes GF bread with peanut butter (not often).  We also do a lot of nuts and smoothies.

 

Dinners are always GF for the whole family--usually a protein source (salmon, tilapia, turkey burger or beef from our farm--sometimes chicken) + roasted sweet potatoes + steamed broccoli.  We also all love curries, which I make myself, and shredded enchilada-y chicken, which I make in the crockpot and then serve with nachos for the children or just sauteed veggies for me.  I sometimes do chili with GF cornbread.

 

(Any of this baked good stuff-I can share recipes--just let me know if you are interested.) 

 

Snacks are often larabars, cheese sticks, nuts, rice chex, hummus, and fruit.

 

Desserts are flourless chocolate cakes, flourless peanut butter-oat cookies, ice cream, and dark chocolate squares. 

 

In general we don't eat many processed foods, so I don't buy a lot of "gluten free" products, like crackers (he hates all crackers). 

 

HTH!!  It's simple once you get the hang of it--that took me about 1-2 months at the beginning! 

[Junie]

Pasta -- this, this, or this

 

Quick lunch/dinner -- Pad Thai, mac and cheese

 

Frozen dinner -- pizza, ravioli, more mac and cheese

 

Bread -- rolls, sub rolls, bread

 

Snacks -- pretzels

 

Other -- Bisquick, cookie mix, brownie mix

 

 

ETA:  These are some of my favorites.  I don't buy them at amazon.  I just searched through them because they have so much on one site.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Junie

[Junie]

I forgot cornbread and cheesy garlic biscuits.

[kewb]

The key for dh was to find new favorites instead of trying to replace what he could no longer have. He was never a pasta lover so no issue giving that up. Giving up bread was a little tougher.

www.againstallgrain.com has a lot of great recipes.

I sub almond flour for regular flour when making chicken fingers and the like.

[Junie]

The key for dh was to find new favorites instead of trying to replace what he could no longer have. He was never a pasta lover so no issue giving that up. Giving up bread was a little tougher.

www.againstallgrain.com has a lot of great recipes.

I sub almond flour for regular flour when making chicken fingers and the like.

 

And pasta is one of my favorites.  One thing that helped me with some of my favorite gluteny foods was to wait a few months before trying to replace it.  Having a gf version of something right after the "real" version, often leaves the gf version desiring.  By waiting a few months, the taste buds have a chance to forget and to enjoy a special treat when it is available.

[Desert Strawberry]

I found it was easier to restructure Gem's meals and snacks to exclude the wheaty items instead of trying to replace them. In his case, he had (cross fingers, we are reintroducing everything) protein allergies. We had to eliminate, most dairy, soy, wheat, and barley, and most meat because I am vegetarian. I gave him oatmeal or potatoes instead of toast for breakfast. We only had cornflakes and rice crispies for cereal. We used rice cakes for PB. Corn tortillas instead of flour. Dried fruit and nuts for snacks. We found some odd things like sea snax that he loves. Granola bars. He got jello when his borthers had pastry and popcorn balls instead of donuts. 
We do a lot of soups, stews, hashes, beans and rice. When we have sandwiches, he gets just the fillings. Lots of deconstructed foods. 
Tonight, we are having one of our favorites-Chickpea and butternut coconut curry over rice. 

[TX Native]

If you already know celiac isn"t an issue, ignore this entire post. If celiac is a possibility, get the celiac lab panel before going gluten free. It is a simple lab test the doctor should be more than happy to order at your request if you think gluten is causing health issues. A person needs to consume gluten on a regular basis for the lab to accurate. If someone feels great going gluten free and doesn't want to go back on gluten a few weeks to get an accurate celiac lab panel later on, that person may never know if they have celiac or just gluten intolerance. As I understand it, people who do well off gluten don't want to put their body through h*** going back on gluten later for accurate celiac lab test results.

 

The importance of knowing if one has celiac is for future medical reference and getting special accommodations as needed in the future. Celiac is autoimmune, I think, correction to that is welcome. No cross contamination with gluten containing foods is allowed with Celiac. That means separate food prep and serving utensils from all gluten foods. At restaurants extra attention needs given to avoid cross contamination. Someone gluten intolerant only will likely be fine eating foods made with the same prep materials or in the same serving area. When I researched this a bit, I read that a child can"t get an IEP in schools to accommodate celiac without that formal medical diagnosis. That means, no gluten free play dough in the classrooms, no emergency stash of gluten free foods like they have in case of a rare event where kids are detained at school, no accommodation in the school kitchen for separate prep of GF foods without a diagnosis.

 

All that info could be unnecessary, but I wanted to mention it just in case. I could be wrong in some of the info, it's just how I understood the way it worked when my child had lab testing. I just got the info off various websites and from a celiac friend, so this isn't expert advice. I'd just hate for anyone to go GF as a trial, feel great, but never know if their gut was being damaged with each morsel of cross contamination of gluten vs. being able to have a bit more freedom at potlucks or restaurants that offer GF free foods but aren't strict on avoiding cross contamination.

[Grover]

my biggest tip is: fruit, veg and meat are naturally GF.  So going back to basics / real food really makes things much easier.  Over time you'll find things you really don't want to do with out and look for alternatives. 

[mom@shiloh]

Wow!  Thank you all so much, you've been very helpful.  

[1GirlTwinBoys]

My husband is gluten free so I make a gluten free dinner every night so we can all eat together (I don't want to make separate meals).  He likes Canyon GF bread which can be bought at Whole Foods Mkt and Target.  Also, Barilla has a really good GF pasta.  Stubbs BBQ sauce is good.  You'll have to be careful with sausage, bacon and ham etc...  Jimmy Dean makes a GF sausage and I get Hormel Natural bacon.  

 

You really have to learn to read labels!!!  If something has broth in it then it may not be GF.  You have to specifically look for canned soups that are GF.  Mints and gum can also have gluten.  My husband is so sensitive to it he can eat a mint and know within a short time that something is wrong. 

Edited January 20, 2016 by 1GirlTwinBoys

[IfIOnly]

You can keep a box of instant potatoes on hand for an emergency carb. Sloppy Joe meat is yummy on mashed potatoes. 

[TrixieB]

My kids like Trader Joe's GF bread for sandwiches, French toast, and regular toast.  They also eat Udi's and Franz.  Franz is "soggier" but has a good flavor, and they like to use it for toast or garlic bread.  It's also a couple of dollars more per loaf, so I don't buy it often.

[pehp]

Oh! I will offer another suggestion--introduce processed/pre-made GF foods one at a time, to see if there's going to be any negative reaction.  For years I baked GF bread, but then decided to try one of the brand-name frozen varieties. It caused massive GI upset with some embarrassing side effects!!!!  It took me a couple of weeks to identify why he was dealing with this new problem, but when I cut the frozen bread out, the problem ceased.  I'm not sure what the offensive ingredient was.  

 

So--all that's to say--just take your time trying pre-made GF things!

[abacus2]

My husband has been grain-free for about 2 years. The simplest things are naturally gluten free foods like vegetables, nuts, dairy, and meats. Aldi's sells lots of clearly labeled gluten-free items, like their naturally gluten-free corn taco shells. Potatoes, salad, and squashes make good starches for gluten-free meals. Yogurt or eggs with fruit make good breakfasts. Look for local closeout grocery stores. They frequently have specialty items, like gluten-free crackers, that didn't sell well at other grocery stores for a large discount.

[Ann.without.an.e]

It is so easy these days!  My dd was allergic to wheat right off as a baby and that was 17 years ago...nothing.  No replacements.  There were rice cakes and corn tortillas and that was it.  Now they make some fabulous pastas, cake mixes, etc.  Even restaurants have options.  

 

Random thoughts, 

 

The best cake mix is King Arthur GF

Best brownies are Aldi GF

The best pastas, my opinion, are the mix of rice and corn.  

We use corn tortillas a lot for all sorts of things.  

Often spring roll wrappers are GF (check the package).

We like Canyon Bakehouse and Three Bakers for bread. 

Watch asian food as the soy sauce has wheat.

Anything thickened could have wheat

 

Thai rice noodles are naturally GF

 

 

Edited February 18, 2017 by Attolia

[Guest]

Corn is often not an acceptable substitute for wheat. I can do this substitutionbut my husband cant.

 

Red Robin and other restaurants will use iceberg lettuce as a wrap instead of a bun on burgers and sandwiches. This is good to know for group dinners

[MasaMama]

This is not necessarily a top tip and is only for those who are not celiac and don't have severe sensitivity... We recently and pleasantly found that most of Chinese restaurants would prepare fried rice just with salt skipping soy sauce if you ask. Most of them seem to know what we are talking about when we tell them soy sauce contains gluten. I'm not sure how sensitive DS is at this point because he's been GF since he was 11 month old, but he has not had a reaction with fried rice at Chinese restaurnats so far. But, it would be nice to ask them to change out cooking utensils just to be safe. Also, you would want to skip fake brab meat. 

Edited February 19, 2017 by MasaMama

[Guest]

Oh--also: Wendy's French fries are gluten-free. McDonalds' are not.

[Junie]

Oh--also: Wendy's French fries are gluten-free. McDonalds' are not.

 

Yes, but if the fries are cooked in the same fryer as the chicken or w/e, it will still be a problem for many who are gluten-free.  AFAIK, Chick-Fil-A is the only fast-food restaurant with safe* gf fries.

 

*safe for me.  Others who are less sensitive might be able to eat the fries at Wendy's.

Edited February 18, 2017 by Junie

[Guest]

Yes, but if the fries are cooked in the same fryer as the chicken or w/e, it will still be a problem for many who are gluten-free.  AFAIK, Chick-Fil-A is the only fast-food restaurant with safe* gf fries.

 

*safe for me.  Others who are less sensitive might be able to eat the fries at Wendy's.

 

True, O Queen.  :0)

 

And I did not know about ChickFilA so THANK YOU.  

[Junie]

This is not necessarily a top tip and is only for those who are not celiac and don't have severe sensitivity... We recently and pleasantly found that most of Chinese restaurants would prepare fried rice just with salt skipping soy sauce if you ask. Most of them seem to know what we are talking about when we tell them soy sauce contains gluten. I'm not sure how sensitive DS is at this point because he's been GF since he was 11 month old, but he has not had a reaction so far. But, it would be nice to ask them to change out cooking utensils just to be safe. Also, you would want to skip fake brab meat. 

 

Does your son have a diagnosis that requires him to be gf?  Nine years without a reaction is extraordinary.

[Sara in AZ]

Yes, but if the fries are cooked in the same fryer as the chicken or w/e, it will still be a problem for many who are gluten-free. AFAIK, Chick-Fil-A is the only fast-food restaurant with safe* gf fries.

 

*safe for me. Others who are less sensitive might be able to eat the fries at Wendy's.

I'm pretty sure In n Out fries are safe, too. Their frier only fries french fries.

 

DD has Celiac and loves chicken nuggets. The premade GF ones are so expensive. You can buy GF bread crumbs, but she really likes the ones I make by breading chicken tenders in almond flour mixed with a little paprika and salt. Super easy.

[Junie]

I'm pretty sure In n Out fries are safe, too. Their frier only fries french fries.

 

DD has Celiac and loves chicken nuggets. The premade GF ones are so expensive. You can buy GF bread crumbs, but she really likes the ones I make by breading chicken tenders in almond flour mixed with a little paprika and salt. Super easy.

 

*smacks head*

 

I didn't even consider fast food restaurants in other parts of the country.  The nearest In n Out is a thousand miles away...

 

 

And your recipe sounds yummy!

[Guest]

*smacks head*

 

I didn't even consider fast food restaurants in other parts of the country. The nearest In n Out is a thousand miles away...

 

 

And your recipe sounds yummy!

It is really helpful to have a list of "safe" fast food/other restaurants. My dh and I have found that this is immensely helpful on the road or when you are trying to arrange a dinner out.

 

PFChang does a magnificent job dealing with GF issues--and with a lot of other allergies as well. There are other local restaurants that do a great job as well. My local fave takes the list if my allergies (long) and prints a menu for me. My other local just cooks exactly what I ask.

 

If anyone is egg sensitive, pipe up, and I'll tell you some interesting info.

[MasaMama]

Does your son have a diagnosis that requires him to be gf?  Nine years without a reaction is extraordinary.

 

Sorry, I should have been clear.... He has not had a reaction with fried rice at Chinese restaurants. Unfortunately, he had reactions after he shared his chips with other kids who were eating gluten containing snacks on a couple of occasions. They grabbed chips out of his bag of chips. He really wants to share his snacks with other kids, though...  So we've been working on how to tell other kids gracefully to let him grab chips for them, not them grabbing. It's a work in progress. 

Edited February 19, 2017 by MasaMama

[MasaMama]

Watch asian food as the soy sauce has wheat.

 

Yes! My go to sauce when cooking Asian food is Coconut aminos, https://www.coconutsecret.com/aminos2.html

It's rather sweet but DS likes it because of its sweetness. 

[abba12]

CHECK EVERYTHING! EVERY LABEL!

 

My brother came to live with us last week and is celiac. I thought this would be easy, we're already low carb, I had no problem with the basic meals and excluding wheat from them. No biggie.

 

I've made him sick twice this week, once from soy sauce, and once from beef stock. BEEF STOCK! WHY IS THERE WHEAT IN BEEF STOCK?!?!?!

 

*bashes head against wall*

I've been reading a lot of labels the past two days.... sigh.... 

 

There is wheat product hiding in a lot of places you don't expect it. Marinades and sauces, gummy candies... 

 

Can you tell I'm feeling a little on edge and guilty? This is harder than I thought.

Edited February 19, 2017 by abba12

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

We have one gf kid.  Dinners are almost always entirely gluten free.  My biggest tip is to not get overwhelmed with recipes.  Just take the meals you already make that are gluten free and start with that as a base.  Think rice based or potato based meals.  

 

Next, some substitutions are really easy.  The barilla gf pasta is, to me, just as good as regular.  Generally, I will make gf pasta for the whole family, but I have been known to make two pots before.  Just be sure to drain the gf pasta first, then the regular, then thoroughly wash everything as gluten is very sticky.  

 

Gf tamari is as good as regular soy sauce, actually better IMO.  

 

For lunches, we usually have leftovers or crackers (gf and reg) plus cheese, cold cuts, salami, etc, plus chopped veggies and fruits.  Easy.  

 

Breakfasts are eggs, gf oatmeal, or cheese and gf crackers.  

 

When you are finally ready to tackle the more complicated recipes, I recommend the America's Test Kitchen books, but ignore their flour recipe and just buy a good all purpose gf flour.  My favorite is Schar Bread Mix or All Purpose Mix.  

 

My other big tip is to search for recipes using the term "flourless" as opposed to gluten free.  I find "flourless" desserts to be delicious, and they don't have complicated lists of ingredients generally.  

Flourless lemon almond cake - I don't like warm spices, so I take out the cardamon and add in some poppy seeds for fun

Flourless chocolate mousse cake

 

 

Final tip, foods that have a distinct flavor are better at hiding gf flour flavors.  For example, subbing gf flour into a cornbread recipe works great, but into a relatively bland muffin recipe, not so great.  GF chocolate cake is a lot easier to serve to a mixed crowd that gf yellow cake.  

 

 

 

 

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

One last thing... for a kid, I would always make sure to have an analog.  Rolls for the family, gf roll for kiddo.  Cookies for family, gf cookies for kiddo.  At 10, my ds is now ok when there isn't always an analog for him, but it's rare that I don't because I don't like to depend on his good nature overmuch.  He is still just a kid!  

 

And popcorn.  Have popcorn on hand at all times!  

[Junie]

Sorry, I should have been clear.... He has not had a reaction with fried rice at Chinese restaurants. Unfortunately, he had reactions after he shared his chips with other kids who were eating gluten containing snacks on a couple of occasions. They grabbed chips out of his bag of chips. He really wants to share his snacks with other kids, though...  So we've been working on how to tell other kids gracefully to let him grab chips for them, not them grabbing. It's a work in progress. 

 

Oh, that makes sense.  I was wondering if your son really did have a gluten issue if he hadn't had a reaction in all those years.  Or I was wondering if you had some sort of super power for avoiding gluten accidents. :)

[Junie]

Abba12 -- Best of luck to you.  It's hard in the beginning but it gets much easier after about a month.

 

I have been doing this for almost nine years and I still make mistakes.  

[Junie]

We have one gf kid.  Dinners are almost always entirely gluten free.  My biggest tip is to not get overwhelmed with recipes.  Just take the meals you already make that are gluten free and start with that as a base.  Think rice based or potato based meals.  

 

Next, some substitutions are really easy.  The barilla gf pasta is, to me, just as good as regular.  Generally, I will make gf pasta for the whole family, but I have been known to make two pots before.  Just be sure to drain the gf pasta first, then the regular, then thoroughly wash everything as gluten is very sticky.  

 

Gf tamari is as good as regular soy sauce, actually better IMO.  

 

For lunches, we usually have leftovers or crackers (gf and reg) plus cheese, cold cuts, salami, etc, plus chopped veggies and fruits.  Easy.  

 

Breakfasts are eggs, gf oatmeal, or cheese and gf crackers.  

 

When you are finally ready to tackle the more complicated recipes, I recommend the America's Test Kitchen books, but ignore their flour recipe and just buy a good all purpose gf flour.  My favorite is Schar Bread Mix or All Purpose Mix.  

 

My other big tip is to search for recipes using the term "flourless" as opposed to gluten free.  I find "flourless" desserts to be delicious, and they don't have complicated lists of ingredients generally.  

Flourless lemon almond cake - I don't like warm spices, so I take out the cardamon and add in some poppy seeds for fun

Flourless chocolate mousse cake

 

 

Final tip, foods that have a distinct flavor are better at hiding gf flour flavors.  For example, subbing gf flour into a cornbread recipe works great, but into a relatively bland muffin recipe, not so great.  GF chocolate cake is a lot easier to serve to a mixed crowd that gf yellow cake.  

 

:iagree:  Liking this was not enough.  There is a lot of great teaching in this post.

 

One last thing... for a kid, I would always make sure to have an analog.  Rolls for the family, gf roll for kiddo.  Cookies for family, gf cookies for kiddo.  At 10, my ds is now ok when there isn't always an analog for him, but it's rare that I don't because I don't like to depend on his good nature overmuch.  He is still just a kid!  

 

And popcorn.  Have popcorn on hand at all times!  

 

Thank you for doing this for your son.  In our house, I am the only one who is gluten free.  Even as an adult, it is sometimes hard to watch the rest of the family eat something that I can't.  It doesn't happen often, but it still happens.

 

*Shh.  There are some things that I never buy my kids because I would cry if I had to watch them eat it.

[Lizzie in Ma]

My top gluten free tip is to not try to replace things with "gluten free" options.  For example, don't get gluten free crackers, switch to cucumber slices.  Don't buy gluten free breads etc, try these.http://www.food.com/recipe/oopsie-bread-497736

They hold up really well to even burgers!

We also use lettuce for wraps which is awesome and so easy!

 

There are exceptions, we do love the Barilla gluten free pasta which is actually amazing.

Eggo and Van both have decent gluten free waffles.

Jenny O'Dea's crockpot recipes are all gluten free and we've been using her stuff for years.

Edited February 19, 2017 by Lizzie in Ma

[Selkie]

My tip is to avoid gluten free foods that contain ingredients like rice flour, potato flour, tapioca starch, and cornstarch. Those are high glycemic and bad for your health.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

My tip is to avoid gluten free foods that contain ingredients like rice flour, potato flour, tapioca starch, and cornstarch. Those are high glycemic and bad for your health.

 

I think many of us who start off addressing gluten issues eventually move into a low carb and/or paleo mindset as we research more and more, but for a newbie, sometimes it's just about getting food on the table!  But you are right, not to mention many of these starches are constipating, so subbing veggies where we used to use bread is a great alternative.  

 

OP, I happen to have my menu plans for the last two weeks in front of me, so I'll just post them so you can see what our dinners look like.  Obviously everything is gluten free:

 

spaghetti with tomato-meat sauce

beef tacos w/ cheese, lettuce, guac, salsa, sour cream

roast whole chicken, roast sweet potatoes, green beans

burgers (ds had a gf roll as a bun, I had mine as a lettuce wrap as I'm low carb, reg buns for the others), roast cauliflower, green salad

grilled sausages, creamed spinach, leftover sweet potatoes

 

*homemade meatballs in tomato sauce with pasta

lemon rosemary chicken thighs, frozen mixed veggies (read label carefully), tater tots

slow cooked pork roast in mustard sauce, not sure what else yet

Leftover pork roast remade into burrito bowls w/ rice, black beans, salsa, green onion, sour cream, roast bell peppers

*homemade salmon cakes, not sure of sides yet

burgers (yes, again, they are basically every week...)

*homemade chicken nuggets

 

 

So the three with italics are just regular recipes remade using some kind of gluten free sub.  For breadcrumbs I'll use anything from gf breadcrumbs to gf cornflakes, gf puffed rice cereal, puffed quinoa... or just leave it out altogether.  If it's for a lunch item, I'll use almond flour occasionally, but dh is allergic to some nuts, so he avoids all nuts as a general rule.  Oh, it's super fun when there are multiple allergies in one house!  lol.  

[Granny_Weatherwax]

You have lots of good advice. Here are a few tidbits from me:

 

I avoid Schar bread. It's dry, dry, dry and makes me ill. I cannot recommend it.

I don't like the Barilla pasta or any of the corn based pastas for that matter. I love Tinkyada pasta. 

 

Lucky Charms are GF.

Cheerios claims to be GF but there is a big controversy surrounding their processing. I feel off when I eat Cheerios but I don't know if it's a true physical reaction or one stemming from fear.

 

Never assume a fast food restaurant is knowledgeable about Celiac or gluten sensitivity. Always speak to the manager. I have requested burgers with no bun and have watched employees simply remove the burger/chicken and place it on lettuce. Um, no, that's not the same thing.

 

Five Guys has dedicated fryers and really good fries.

Most restaurants who advertise GF pizza are using the frozen Udi's crust (at least here in the midwest).

Chipotle will open new bins of food items and use new utensils if you let them know you are GF. I have never been glutened at Chipotle. Yes, it takes time and other customers may be irritated but it's worth it. I always leave a tip and make sure the manager knows about the service I receive. I've been to Chipotles in IL, IA, CO, VA, OH and always receive good GF service.

Chik-Fil-A also has good GF service.

 

If you have a Biaggi's nearby give it a go for more fancy outings. The GF menu at Biaggi's is heavenly and it's so much better than Olive Garden.

 

Make sure items aren't shared. My DGD shared a lemonade with me last year and I was glutened from the straw.

 

It's the small things that most people take for granted that cause cross-contamination. Things like mayonnaise, mustard, and other condiments can be sources of contamination. My SIL spread mayo on a burger and then wiped the knife on the rim of the mayo container to remove the excess. To most that means nothing, to me that meant I could not use that jar of mayo.

 

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Just in case you didn't already know...

a PP mentioned rice krispies. Kellogg's Rice Krispies are not GF. They contain malt. The GF version was discontinued years ago.

Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles used to be gluten free; I think they still are. I quit eating them a while back due to the food dyes but they work in a pinch if a rice crispy treat is needed.

[cintinative]

 

The importance of knowing if one has celiac is for future medical reference and getting special accommodations as needed in the future. Celiac is autoimmune, I think, correction to that is welcome. No cross contamination with gluten containing foods is allowed with Celiac. That means separate food prep and serving utensils from all gluten foods. At restaurants extra attention needs given to avoid cross contamination. Someone gluten intolerant only will likely be fine eating foods made with the same prep materials or in the same serving area. When I researched this a bit, I read that a child can"t get an IEP in schools to accommodate celiac without that formal medical diagnosis. That means, no gluten free play dough in the classrooms, no emergency stash of gluten free foods like they have in case of a rare event where kids are detained at school, no accommodation in the school kitchen for separate prep of GF foods without a diagnosis.

 

 

^^^ This. I wanted to clarify this with the OP since it was not stated if the child has Celiac.  Having a Celiac kid means you are going to have to be super diligent with the cross-contamination issue. We have a separate toaster, a separate waffle maker, and a separate griddle. I have spoons I only use for gluten-free cooking. I have separate butter (think crumbs). If you are looking at high level gluten intolerance OR a wheat allergy you will likely need to do all this also.  

 

We (our family) finds that eating out is really challenging. There are a few restaurants we can eat at but even then you need to make sure the wait staff and kitchen staff understand that cross-contamination will make our son very sick.  I have a friend that was told bread was gluten-free and it turned out the wait staff thought "GMO free" meant gluten-free.  Just a little gluten and my guy is sick for two weeks.  

 

Definitely get your child tested for Celiac before beginning the GF diet. Once on the diet the test is invalid, and if the child does feel better on GF, you definitely don't want to put him/her back on it.  

 

I put down parchment paper on my counter when I am working with any flours. The gluten free flours tend to be really lightweight. IF I am using regular flour, I put parchment down and clean everything thoroughly before I use the counter for anything else. I rarely use regular flour anymore though. It goes airborne so easy and I am just not comfortable. I mostly bake GF now.

 

You can buy flour blends but avoid ones with bean flour like Bob's Red Mill.  Most people don't like the flavor.  I make my own all purpose flour blend using the recipe from the Art of Gluten Free Baking website. I use flours from the Asian market (sweet rice, white rice, tapioca starch), Bob's Red Mill's brown rice flour, and xanthan gum.  The flours from the Asian market are generally cheaper than Bob's Red Mill.

 

Our dinners here are mostly gluten-free. It is just easier that way for me.  If we do pasta, I will do one pot of GF and one of regular. Again, you have to be careful of cross-contamination. I have to use separate collanders, etc.  I make my own breadcrumbs from GF bread and put them in the freezer for recipes.  

 

My favorite pasta thus far is Barilla GF.  I used to buy the Trader Joe's brown rice pasta--it's pretty good and relatively inexpensive. 

 

IMO the only cake mix worth using is the King Arthur Flour ones. The chocolate one is my fave.  I have had some cake mixes that were so grainy we threw the whole cake away.

 

There is a lot more I can share. I don't think I am doing well with the "tips" you asked for. Please feel free to ask questions here or on PM.

[cintinative]

Just in case you didn't already know...

a PP mentioned rice krispies. Kellogg's Rice Krispies are not GF. They contain malt. The GF version was discontinued years ago.

Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles used to be gluten free; I think they still are. I quit eating them a while back due to the food dyes but they work in a pinch if a rice crispy treat is needed.

 

if you have an Aldi, I recently learned from another WTM boardie that the Aldi Rice Krispies are GF. I confirmed it on the package. It's awesome.

 

There are a variety of opinions on the Honey Nut Cheerios. Because they batch test to confirm the gluten is below a specific ppm, some of the Celiac community feels that Honey Nut Cheerios are not safe for Celiacs to eat. FYI.

[cintinative]

One more. These have gluten (wheat and/or barley)

 

• Nerds
• Licorice (Twizzlers, etc.)
• Beef bouillon (some types do not but check carefully)
• Beef broth (ditto)
• Soy Sauce (look for low sodium variety and check label--LaChoy is GF)
• Anything with rice krispies in it (e.g. Nestle Crunch, etc.)
• some canned beans (including just "pinto" beans--you really do need to check every label)
• Anything with a flavoring/seasoning packet is suspect--check it--including salad dressing mixes
• Anything with barley malt listed as an ingredient
• anything with beer in it

 

Candy is particularly tricky.  A lot of the holiday shaped candies (e.g. Reeses pumpkins) are not GF because they are made on a line with items that contain gluten.  Always, always check.  Just because a full size hershey bar is okay doesn't mean the little ones are.  We end up donating about half of our Halloween candy.

[MasaMama]

Oh, that makes sense.  I was wondering if your son really did have a gluten issue if he hadn't had a reaction in all those years.  Or I was wondering if you had some sort of super power for avoiding gluten accidents. :)

 

Oh I wish  :)  That would be the super power I would chose if I get granted one! Homeschooling sure helps, though. I'm there with him and some of our homeschool friends have food issues as well so very understanding. "Accidents" tend to happen when DS goes to camps that have lunch or snack breaks.  

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Here's a GF candy list: https://www.verywell.com/gluten-free-candy-list-562806

 

because, you know, after all, sometimes you just gotta have it. :coolgleamA:

[Guest]

One more. These have gluten (wheat and/or barley)

 

• Nerds
• Licorice (Twizzlers, etc.)
• Beef bouillon (some types do not but check carefully)
• Beef broth (ditto)
• Soy Sauce (look for low sodium variety and check label--LaChoy is GF)
• Anything with rice krispies in it (e.g. Nestle Crunch, etc.)
• some canned beans (including just "pinto" beans--you really do need to check every label)
• Anything with a flavoring/seasoning packet is suspect--check it--including salad dressing mixes
• Anything with barley malt listed as an ingredient
• anything with beer in it

 

Candy is particularly tricky.  A lot of the holiday shaped candies (e.g. Reeses pumpkins) are not GF because they are made on a line with items that contain gluten.  Always, always check.  Just because a full size hershey bar is okay doesn't mean the little ones are.  We end up donating about half of our Halloween candy.

 

A LOT of candies added wheat because that prevented the candy from being included in a "sugar tax" that was put in place in ... was it New York?  Anyway, by including wheat, it got categorized as "food."  

 

Another unintended consequence...  Ugh.

 

Also, I have been told that some MSG is made from wheat...but not all.  I don't know that this is the case, but I leave it alone, anyway.

[1GirlTwinBoys]

My DH is gluten free. 

 

Remember little things like...

Not using the toaster because of cross contamination of crumbs

Fresh butter stick

Clean cutting board

Not using the same serving spoons for gluten and non gluten items

 

Pamela's Chocolate Cake Mix is delicious!  I make homemade chocolate icing for it.

Barilla pasta is the best IMO

Edited February 21, 2017 by 1GirlTwinBoys