DawnM Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 Does your family? I am worried I won't be able to tolerate watching them eat it in front of me! Certain things I am fine with. Believe it or not, I don't like pasta all that much and most pizza I can take or leave. But cake, cookies, waffles, that sort of thing......I can't take it! It CALLS my name. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 No, my family has not gone gluten free. I still buy or make wheat based bread for them. I make my kids oatmeal in the morning while I have gluten-free buckwheat cereal (which is quite yummy with maple syrup!). But, I no longer buy wheat based noodles- I buy rice noodles that we all can eat, and many of the meals I make are gluten free, so they eat them with me. For me, I personally feel so much better that the baked goods like cookies, etc., don't even tempt me anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsmama Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 My DD 5 is is wheat intolerant. I chose to go gluten-free with her as much as possible to be her buddy and for any potential benefits. I guess part of the answer to your question would be the reason why you are going g-free. Do you have to? Want to? That will affect your motivation. :) As for others eating, I have found many amazing substitutions, and I also make my own items. Pizza, pasta, cookies, pretzels, cakes -- all are available. For us, two things have helped: -- Having a g-free area of the pantry and freezer -- Cooking any g-free items first to reduce the possibility of cross-contamination Hope others give you ideas as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 I've had to go gf, but no, I haven't taken my family with me. That sounds...wrong...somehow :001_huh::lol: I'm thinking I need to switch Princess, though...just a hunch. Honestly, if gf wasn't so flipping expensive, I *would* switch everyone, if for the simplicity of making one meal at a time. I try my best to do that anyways, but many of our favourite meals have gluten, and its bad enough that *I* can't eat it, without taking it from them too, kwim? Sometimes, yeah, it bugs me. We're not big dessert eaters, so that's one saving grace, but Diva's birthday is coming up, and she wants her fave (family fave too) cake...and its going to be rotten watching everyone mow down on it and not be able to touch it. *sigh* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted October 25, 2011 Author Share Posted October 25, 2011 I posted on another thread, but I really do think I have an intolerance to wheat/gluten. I have been eating far too much of it lately and I am seeing a huge difference in the way I feel. I am very achy and in pain. I have stomach/digestive issues. When I went off of wheat for 2 weeks before I felt so much better. I am going in to see if they can do some testing, but my hunch is that I can't have it anymore. Dawn My DD 5 is is wheat intolerant. I chose to go gluten-free with her as much as possible to be her buddy and for any potential benefits. I guess part of the answer to your question would be the reason why you are going g-free. Do you have to? Want to? That will affect your motivation. :) As for others eating, I have found many amazing substitutions, and I also make my own items. Pizza, pasta, cookies, pretzels, cakes -- all are available. For us, two things have helped: -- Having a g-free area of the pantry and freezer -- Cooking any g-free items first to reduce the possibility of cross-contamination Hope others give you ideas as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntPol Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 I haven't made my family go gluten free but I do try to fix mostly gluten free meals. I have a 7 week meal rotation plan right now. Only 13 of the 42 meals are ones that we would have gluten. Some of them, I can easily go gluten free by using an alternative flour (soup thickener, country style steak, meatloaf, meatballs, etc) and it's not noticable. One I will be switching soon as I run out of what I have (cornbread for chili) The remaining meals are hot dogs, hamburgers, fajitas, (all I can easily skip the bun/tortilla) and spaghetti (I do spaghetti squash) plus sourdough rolls on soup days (this is a switch from yeast rolls) that I also skip. This ends up being one gluten meal a week for dinner. We all do our own thing for breakfast and lunch so not too big a deal. I don't have allergies that require a total gluten free kitchen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 My house is gluten free. More then half the family needs to be gluten free, so it just makes sense. However, the whole family went gf when it was only one child. Dh and I did not want to single that child out so we changed our whole eating plan, including dropping bread and pasta altogether b/c it was too expensive. We discovered problems in another child later and then dh decided eaten gluten out was making him sick, so the house remains gf. We eat a lot better than we would otherwise. Being gf and not filling up on gf substitutes means we don't do processed and packaged stuff. It was just easier to make meals for the whole family from the beginning rather than isolate stuff for one kid. And since I was doing meals for the whole family I learned the gf way and built my repetiore of meal plans a lot faster. If you are only making gf meals for one person/yourself, I imagine it's easy to fall into a rut and end up with really boring meals and be really tempted by everyone else's stuff. I think you might need to set aside time for you to explore the range of meals you can make. Meals that would work for the whole family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 Are you considering GF or just wheat free? Mine are almost completely GF. The only thing my son doesn't like is the GF mac & cheese. I still get him kraft characters on the rare occasion we have mac & cheese. Everything else is GF. They both like the GF brownies, cookies, cake, etc., and don't ask for the non-GF versions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shalom22 Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 Our whole family is gf and grain free. We have all benefited physically by being gf/grain free, including weight loss, acne relief, no longer having IBS or other intestinal problems. Next month marks a year that we have been eating this way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joules Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 I only cook GF, so if they eat my cooking it is GF. I can't handle flour or breathe the dust. My kitchen is not completely GF, though. They have their own toaster and eat wheat bread and cereals. We also sometimes have gluten containing treats in the house (cupcakes, muffins, etc.) that are store bought. I don't handle them. They have their own area. It's been 20 years for me, so it doesn't bother me at all. I do know that it was hard starting out. Once you've made a commitment it makes some things easier though. Most years I only buy Halloween candy with gluten...no temptation at all :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexi Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 We all do it here. It makes meal prep and cooking so much easier! http://www.hivesinthekitchen.blogspot.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted October 25, 2011 Author Share Posted October 25, 2011 Wow. Thank you all. I have a lot of research and thinking and planning to do. I have two sons whose weight would benefit for sure. One takes after me and the other (adopted) just is a solid chunk, not really fat, but solid. Oldest son takes after DH and is just naturally thin. Is there a thread for gluten free recipes? I think I will need gluten free and wheat free. It is just a hunch but I certainly can tell a HUGE difference in my pain levels and gastro intestinal problems when I lay off of the stuff. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 No. Obviously, they eat less, because I prepare dinner so that I can eat it, but when we are out or they are fixing their breakfast or lunch, they eat bread, etc. After a few days, I felt so clear-headed that I would have run in the opposite direction of anything with flour in it. :D I watched my dc eat my absolute favorite treat - pumpkin shaped iced shortbread cookies from Panera - and wasn't even tempted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria from IN Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 My family doesn't go completely gluten free, though they do like some of the rice-based things that I cook. I am allergic to several different grains, and going organic is expensive! The Young Man (16) and the Tall Bald Guy are pretty hearty eaters, and it's just cheaper for me to cook two meals sometimes. For example: on a night when I have to work and we throw in a frozen pizza, I get a regular one for the guys (on sale for $2) and pop in a "Gluten Free and Fabulous" pizza for me ($7.50). My pizzas are tiny, and frankly, to feed all three of us my food, it would cost about $30! Given our income, it's a necessity to cook separately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snickelfritz Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 (edited) I keep treats for me and have some standard substitutions. I keep lots of good cheese, fruit, and healthy (no preservative, no gluten) lunch meat. If I'm making them sandwiches, I do meat/cheese/fruit and feel very sophisticated. :). I even splurge on smoked salmon occasionally. Baked potatoes, rice, and salads with chicken are some of my easy staples. Chex mix, in all it's flavors, is a staple. Its an easy, quick snack and you can make some decadent party mixes from the chocolate/cinnamon flavored ones. I eat nutella on bananas and good chocolate (hidden in the cupboards) for when I need a treat. Honestly, the good chocolate is more satisfying than Oreos. I easily found gluten-free cake frosting (maybe they all are?) and a little trial and error found that it mixed with plain cream cheese made a really yummy dip. Lemon frosting was nice with fruit. I found gluten-free crackers. They aren't awesome, but are ok. And they filled in nicely at a party w/ a cream cheese/pepper jelly dip so that I could eat "normal" appetizers, besides just a veggie tray. I bought a gluten-free brownie mix to keep for emergencies, but haven't needed it. You can get gluten free rice krispies (maybe they all are, but this box was marked) to make gluten free rice krispies treats. Other than that, I eat more veggies as filler, instead of bread. If we eat out and the restaurant serves bread, I order a salad or appropriate soup. Despite listing all of my sweets, I'm losing weight and have less joint pain. The key is that I do still eat them in moderation, but it means that I don't feel deprived. The joint pain and my Hashimotos are why I stopped gluten. The weight loss has been a pleasant side effect. The joint pain seems to be better, but I want to do it long-term before I definitively say its the gluten. :). I've been gluten free for 2 months. Edited October 25, 2011 by snickelfritz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 My family has not gone GF, however I do not deprive myself of pizza, pasta, bread, and so on. I can make just about anything, even cookies, using GF flour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 I think I will need gluten free and wheat free. It is just a hunch but I certainly can tell a HUGE difference in my pain levels and gastro intestinal problems when I lay off of the stuff. Dawn Not all sources of gluten contain wheat, but all wheat has gluten. Gluten is also in rye and barley (ex, rice crispies has barley malt which is gluten). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snickelfritz Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 Not all sources of gluten contain wheat, but all wheat has gluten. Gluten is also in rye and barley (ex, rice crispies has barley malt which is gluten). They do make gluten free rice krispies. Honestly gluten issues are so common that I haven't had a problem finding substitutions. Products are marked all over the place. An Italian restaurant that we like even has a pretty varied gluten free offering. The dish I had substituted potatoes for pasta (Italian pot roast, so it worked.). Of course, then they put croutons on my salad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeBlessings Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 When I went GF my family didn't. I did start buying GF pasta in place of wheat noodles. I also use separate pans for GF items. Also I hardly ever baked sweets or ate sweets anyway so that was no biggie. I did make pizza dough and breadsticks, don't do that anymore. I miss a good pizza more than anything. I've only bought one brand of pizza that was yummy, very $$$. I have no problem with temptation unless I am very hungry, so have snacks like dried nuts, craisins, bananas, etc available at all times and to take away with you so you have something fast and easy to put in your mouth. It does get much, much easier with time. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 I miss a good pizza more than anything. I've only bought one brand of pizza that was yummy, very $$$. After trying several homemade versions I tried Gluten Free Mama pizza crust mix that is really, really good. I have a GF house, none in period. Celiac here which is genetic, I don't know if the younger two are susceptible, they've never had it. I don't see any reason they should. When they get older they can make their own decisions but in my house I don't want contamination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted October 25, 2011 Author Share Posted October 25, 2011 Do you make your own chex mix? Dawn I keep treats for me and have some standard substitutions. I keep lots of good cheese, fruit, and healthy (no preservative, no gluten) lunch meat. If I'm making them sandwiches, I do meat/cheese/fruit and feel very sophisticated. :). I even splurge on smoked salmon occasionally. Baked potatoes, rice, and salads with chicken are some of my easy staples. Chex mix, in all it's flavors, is a staple. Its an easy, quick snack and you can make some decadent party mixes from the chocolate/cinnamon flavored ones. I eat nutella on bananas and good chocolate (hidden in the cupboards) for when I need a treat. Honestly, the good chocolate is more satisfying than Oreos. I easily found gluten-free cake frosting (maybe they all are?) and a little trial and error found that it mixed with plain cream cheese made a really yummy dip. Lemon frosting was nice with fruit. I found gluten-free crackers. They aren't awesome, but are ok. And they filled in nicely at a party w/ a cream cheese/pepper jelly dip so that I could eat "normal" appetizers, besides just a veggie tray. I bought a gluten-free brownie mix to keep for emergencies, but haven't needed it. You can get gluten free rice krispies (maybe they all are, but this box was marked) to make gluten free rice krispies treats. Other than that, I eat more veggies as filler, instead of bread. If we eat out and the restaurant serves bread, I order a salad or appropriate soup. Despite listing all of my sweets, I'm losing weight and have less joint pain. The key is that I do still eat them in moderation, but it means that I don't feel deprived. The joint pain and my Hashimotos are why I stopped gluten. The weight loss has been a pleasant side effect. The joint pain seems to be better, but I want to do it long-term before I definitively say its the gluten. :). I've been gluten free for 2 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snickelfritz Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 Do you make your own chex mix? Dawn Oops. Yes. I meant to say Chex CEREAL is a staple. I eat it for a quick breakfast or snack and mix up party mix when I want it. Once you've seen the recipe on the box, it's easy to throw gluten free stuff in to make a party mix that suits you. And my family doesn't like it. :D. So a batch is all mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 Right now, my 3 yo, 7 yo, and myself are GF. I make GF meals, but the others can get themselves something if they want gluten. I ask them not to cross-contaminate. It hasn't been an issue so far, thanks to Annie's GF Mac & Cheese and Betty Crocker GF cookies! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntPol Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Here is my menus I personally try to avoid all grains so while I may have corn or rice on the menu, I usually skip those. I also usually skip the beans to keep my carbs lower. If I have mashed potatoes, I make mashed cauliflower (but I do eat sweet potatoes and oven roasted potatoes lol). I use tapioca or all purpose GF flour for thickening soups, etc. Week 1 Chili w/GF corn pudding, veggie tray **I usually do cheese crisps with my chili instead to keep carbs lower "Breaded" Chicken Tenders, sweet potato fries, broccoli salad **I use almond meal and coconut flour mix Hot Dogs, corn on cob, Leftover broccoli salad **Everyone gets buns but me -I just top my dog with chili and cheese and eat with a fork! I also skip the corn and eat leftover s.p. fries Roast Beef w/oven roasted potatoes, asparagus Pan-Seared Garlic Chicken, green beans, marinated cherry tomatoes Roast Beef Salad Week 2 Spaghetti w/sauce, salad, grapes **I use Spaghetti Squash for me Hot wings (no flour kind), waldorf salad, veggie tray BQ Pork chops, corn on the cob, roasted eggplant and tomatoes Sticky Chicken (Roasted Chicken), Mashed sweet potatoes, Green bean bundles Country Style Steakw/mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower, leftover green beans (unbundled lol) **I use an all purpose GF flour mix for all but often do mine separately w/almond meal and no gravy. Chicken Salad on a bed of lettuce Week 3 Chicken Vegetable Soup w/sourdough rolls, veggie tray **I skip the rolls Steaks, Baked Sweet Potatos, Salad Kielbasa, Squash Medley, Veggie Tray (sometimes beans and rice too) Meatloaf (made w/almond meal); mashed potatoes or cauliflower, green beans Pecan Crusted Chicken, Brussel Sprouts, Spinach salad SLoppy joes, corn on cob, veggie tray **I skip the bun -usually eat on leftover mashed cauliflower! Week 4 Tacos, Black Beans, Veggie Tray **I personally make mine a Taco Salad and skip the shells but we use GF corn shells Blackened Cajun Chicken, Squash Medley, Spinach Salad Haitian Voodoo Kabobs, leftover black beans, veggie tray or Broccoli Pork Loin, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Salad ALice Chicken (Outback chicken), asparagus, marinated or stuffed cherry tomatoes Sauteed Pork Medallions, Fried Apples, Green beans Week 5 Hamburgers, Sweet potato Fries, broccoli salad or slaw **I do a lettuce wrap (actually most of my family is starting to do this!) Chicken Satay, Sauteed Cabbage w/bacon, Veggie tray Ginger Beef Steak, Sweet and Spicy Kale, Honey roasted carrots Crockpot Sticky Chicken, Acorn Squash Rings, Mango slaw (or greens) Ribs, Mashed cauliflower or potatoes, Green Beans and mushrooms braised in cream Chicken lettuce Wraps, Butternut Squash Soup, grapes Week 6 Zucchini Lasagna, Salad, Grapes **This one is going to be new-will have frozen pizza as back up for the kids Salsa Chicken, Mexican Bean Salad, Sauteed zuchinni and onions Hot Sausage w/peppers and onions, sweet potato fries, spinach-cranberry salad **hoagie rolls for everyone but me Pot Roast, peas, salad BQ chicken Breasts, corn on cob, Broccoli (steamed or salad) Vegetable Beef Soup -leftover hoagie rolls w/garlic butter; veggie tray Week 7 Steak Fajitas, black beans, veggie tray **I have fajita salad Chicken Stirfry over rice, tropical fruit of some sort Meat Balls, Spicy roasted green beans, veggie tray Pollo Con Salsa Roja, Mango (or other) slaw; veggie tray Cuban Mojo Pork, sweet potato (mashed or fries); Salad or leftover tropical fruit or slaw Spicy Chicken Soup, corn tortilla chips, veggie tray Breakfast Eggs w/bacon or leftover meats and veggies Greek Yogurt w/fruit Cottage Cheese blended smooth w/stevia & Cinnamon; sprinkled w/pecans -used a dip for apples. Sausage and Eggplant hashbrowns **Kids eat above plus buckwheat waffles and pancakes, Panda Puff cereals (GF) and Cheerios (not GF but not that bad w/gluten either), hardboiled eggs Lunch leftovers salad w/meat Roast beef roll ups w/veggie tray Hardboiled eggs, deviled eggs w/veggie and fruit trays Hamburger patties Turkey ham cut into thin cubes and topped with cheese -broiled until cheese melts w/veggie tray My husband has experimented with GF cookies using almond meal. Everyone seems to like them. We haven't done much baking otherwise. I personally don't do desserts as I am trying to lose weight. I will have a square of dark chocolate on weekends and on special occasions. I always carry it when I know dessert will be around to tempt me. I also do Greek yogurt. On rare occasions when we go out for ice cream to celebrate, I get a no-sugar ice cream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 Thank you. Seeing ideas/menus is VERY helpful! Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuirkyKapers Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Thanks Aunt Pol for the menus! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4wildberrys Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Yes! Our entire house is GF, but dh and I are also totally grain free and potato/sweet potato free---so for the first time in our 6 years being GF I am now making 2 types of meals for the family. Regular GF was not working for dh and I due to gut dysbiosis, which is actually very common when one is diagnosed with gluten intolerance as an adult. We are following the SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet) which is the original diet prescribed for newly diagnosed Celiac's. It has totally resolved the horrendous gut issues that started plaguing us since late August (which is why I also have not been around since then here on WTM!). We are feeling much better, but have a long way to go since we got ourselves SOOO sick!! Sorry---I digress! I will say to WATCH OUT for all the packaged and labeled GF foods out there!!! I WISH someone had told me back then that labeled GF does NOT mean 100% free of gluten. Please remember this! There is what is called a 'honeymoon' period when you go GF and feel absolutely wonderful---but then 6 months to a year later things aren't so rosy any more. Many, many Celiac's should be 100% grain free too---this is the original Celiac diet---no cereal grains whatsoever and controlling 'specific' carbohydrates until your guts heal. I will add the SCD recipes are delicious and very satisfying! I thought it would be agony to take out potatoes and be making our kids all kinds of pancakes and toast---but we are doing just fine because 'our' food is so good! ;) To me---if you feel better off of gluten, then you have a problem with gluten. Buy it's much easier to stay away from it when you have those official 'test results' that tell your brain to stay away from gluten! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.