Supertechmom Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 (and other food issues) what would you want to see in there?? I've decided to go ahead and work on my manual for gluten free and food allergy diets. Sorta like a “now that the doc has said cut out x, here’s the check list on how to do it†kinda thing. With the thought to replace those horrid 3 pages of "Do not eat this, eat this instead" the docs give you and when you get home, you realize that wasn't exactly the help you needed. And you find yourself throwing cereal boxes on the grocery aisles in tears as NOTHING in the store is on the silly list!!!!!! And by God you've got to find something to take home to eat and you have already been there 3 HOURS!!! (Not that anyone I know ever freaked in the cereal aisle and scared the shoppers. Didn't happen here :leaving: ) I have a variety of ideas from my own fumbling in the beginning of this. Some ideas that come to mind are a grocery list, code names for ingredients, how to rid the home of the offending substance, but I really wanted to see what other busy moms would appreciate in one complied, easy to read, easy to understand file. What would be the most help in the beginning? What format would have helped pull it all together? What would have made those initial days so much easier???? What do you wish the medical staff had told you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest inoubliable Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Not gluten free here, but bumping for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeLovePassion Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 sample menu? shopping lists? brand names/products? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jessicamcc Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I agree about a sample menu. Either a week long or month plan. I'm going to think more about this; I love the idea. After our son's trip to the doctor on Monday and when I get panicky afterwards about what to feed him, I'll come back and repost! Code names for ingredients would be a must. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Yes - a whole month of menus. Things that people can pick and choose from while they are in the *shock* phase of diet change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supertechmom Posted January 11, 2013 Author Share Posted January 11, 2013 OH YES the "shock phase" that so absolutely describes it. When you are so used to going a certain way in the grocery store aisle and realize that you have gone through and have nothing in the cart - "panic phase" Those first few grocery store trips were insane. Maybe if you ate right to begin with but if you were the typical SAD (Standard american diet) and then had to go gluten free.... Good God Miss Molly!!!! I had a full blown meltdown tantrum by the cereal aisle. Had to go take a time out and then freak because I didn't know if my diet coke and candy bar was gluten free! The early days.... Oh my. (I don't miss them either) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Yes - a whole month of menus. Things that people can pick and choose from while they are in the *shock* phase of diet change. I agree and especially readily available quick-cook foods for the first few weeks. I had another mom asking me about how to go GF and I really had no idea how to help her get started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Splash Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Those all sound good. My daughter had to be low fat, low sodium, GF, no wheat, corn, eggs, nuts, peanuts or msg. Sooooo hard to feed her. Even the dietitian had trouble finding foods that were acceptable for awhile. We also had to watch potassium and phosphorus. I would have loved a menu to follow while I learned about her dietary needs. Just something that said feed her this would have been nice Safe brands list would have been awesome too. Tips for having safe food on hand to grab in a hurry so I wouldn't have to cook every single thing from scratch would be nice too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Specific brand names of things to buy would have been helpful. I really liked that about the Feingold material. Menus and lists of snacks would have helped. Lunch is where I hit a brick wall. Thinking of healthy, easy gluten free, dairy free options for lunch still poses problems for me. I don't want lunch to be a big production like dinner, KWIM. For me, the other big frustration has been spending money on gross GF foods. I guess taste is a matter of preference though, so maybe that truly needs to be trial and error. I've been known to strike up conversations with people in the GF aisle of the grocery store, and ask what their favorites are. Then I take pictures of the product with my phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 MENUS! MENUS! MENUS! And though I am sure many want great recipes for bread alternatives, I just want something VERY SIMPLE! I am okay with just dropping out of our eating anything with gluten. But that adjustment is challenging enough without having to think it all through. Please just give me two weeks of fairly common, single food/simple prep items to include at each meal and snack time. Really, it needs to be idiot-proof, at least one chapter for me. Also consider that many who are gluten free have other food allergies as well (nuts, dairy, eggs, food dye...). Not sure how that would affect your project, it's just something to consider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Have you seen this? http://www.amazon.co...ader_0470585897 I tried to begin a thread a while back where everyone could share their GF resources. It didn't go over well for me. If you could have a list of GF resources, it would be wonderful. I currently have a list of about 50 resources, ranging from medical sites to recipe organizations to specialty food sites. This site, http://www.glutenfreechecklist.com , offers some great meal ideas. If you subscribe, you will receive a lunch or dinner recipe every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supertechmom Posted January 11, 2013 Author Share Posted January 11, 2013 Have you seen this? http://www.amazon.co...ader_0470585897 I tried to begin a thread a while back where everyone could share their GF resources. It didn't go over well for me. If you could have a list of GF resources, it would be wonderful. I currently have a list of about 50 resources, ranging from medical sites to recipe organizations to specialty food sites. I actually own that somewhere in the house. :laugh: It was a good resource . I'm trying to figure out an immediate "you leave the dr's office and can go to the grocery store, pick out food, go home and have a meal without screaming" type resource. Something much quicker that involves little reading with lots of "do this" and "do that" while gathering your feet under you as you read through all those kinds of books. When I started, i think it really took a good solid month of finding the way before that "shock phase" got better. I want to narrow that time phase down drastically. So other moms and families can have a much easier transition while mom figures out the finer details and adapting the diet to their family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I'm trying to figure out an immediate "you leave the dr's office and can go to the grocery store, pick out food, go home and have a meal without screaming" type resource. This sounds great. I am curious to see how this progresses. How will you address each food allergy? Are you going to create chapters or separate pamphlets for each allergy? Hmmm...this could get very interesting indeed (in an exciting kind of way). Do keep us informed, please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Have you seen this? http://www.amazon.co...ader_0470585897 I tried to begin a thread a while back where everyone could share their GF resources. It didn't go over well for me. If you could have a list of GF resources, it would be wonderful. I currently have a list of about 50 resources, ranging from medical sites to recipe organizations to specialty food sites. This site, http://www.glutenfreechecklist.com , offers some great meal ideas. If you subscribe, you will receive a lunch or dinner recipe every day. That book has my name written all over it ;D I have just requested it from the library. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 A lot of the stuff suggested is already available -- at the Kids with food Allergies site. You might want to go over there and see what they have. They have a guide for getting started here: http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/guide_to_parenting_child_with_food_allergy.html And if you pay the membership fee, (worth it to me), you get access to a database of recipes that you can pare down by any combination of allergies you want -- so it only shows you the ones that are safe for your combination of allergies. (there are 11 different allergens to choose and the 12th called "other" which I guess is for recipes that are free of other stuff that is more rare. One of the warnings they list is not one I knew before: "the same product manufactured in different plants at different parts of the country may not contain the same ingredients." Here is their home page: http://community.kidswithfoodallergies.org/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 One of the warnings they list is not one I knew before: "the same product manufactured in different plants at different parts of the country may not contain the same ingredients." I recently learned about this, too. It's one of the reasons some companies refuse to label their products as Gluten Free. I first heard about it with holiday candy. Cadbury Creme eggs are GF if you buy a certain size or certain package. If you buy the other sizes they are not GF; not only because the recipe might be slightly different but because of cross contamination. The problems arise with outsourcing - there is a decrease in quality control when the holiday candies are being mass produced by secondary/temporary manufacturers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 A list of sneaky foods which may be hiding gluten. I switched DD to GF 13 months ago and recently discovered that I had to replace the Worcestershire sauce in my cabinet because it had malt vinegar (also soy). I hardly ever use the stuff (only when I'm making certain stews) and it didn't dawn on me to check before then whether it was gluten- and soy-free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Here's one list of hidden gluten: http://www.glutenfre...ten_Sources.pdf Here's another: http://www.balancedb...ites_Gluten.pdf Here's yet another: http://www.practicalgastro.com/pdf/September08/HlywiakArticle.pdf Hope these help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynnae Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Yes - a whole month of menus. Things that people can pick and choose from while they are in the *shock* phase of diet change. Definitely a menu, including breakfast, lunch, and snack ideas. Also a what to do about parties/potlucks section would be good. I was diagnosed with diabetes right before Thanksgiving and cut out grains (not the same as gluten, I know), but trying to navigate holiday gatherings right after diagnosis was a nightmare. I can't imagine what a mom would do if her kid had a holiday or birthday party to go to right away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Travel suggestions, especially for when you don't have an internet connection right there to download menus. Even a list of restaurants that are pretty understanding about GF options and will know what is and isn't would be a help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpyTheFrog Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I would include a section about the emotional aspects, such as "It is normal to go through a mourning period. Most people feel emotionally adjusted after the first year." Maybe you could include people's stories about the emotional transition. I bet many people think they've adjusted after a few months, only to find out later that they really haven't. For example, a person may not feel sad about it anymore...until they go to a wedding and leave starving because all they could have was the salad. I'd also include a week-by-week plan of what changes to make, in order of importance. For example, getting a new toaster would be a higher priority than replacing rarely used pans, or even regular cooking pots. People will be too overwhelmed to change all their cookware at once, but they can mentally handle, "Ok, this week I need to clean the oven, buy a new toaster, and buy some butter and jelly that hasn't been contaminated by bread crumbs." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 Definitely a menu, including breakfast, lunch, and snack ideas. Also a what to do about parties/potlucks section would be good. I was diagnosed with diabetes right before Thanksgiving and cut out grains (not the same as gluten, I know), but trying to navigate holiday gatherings right after diagnosis was a nightmare. I can't imagine what a mom would do if her kid had a holiday or birthday party to go to right away. Yes. This is good. Surviving birthday and holidays especially with kids. Simple foods that feel special (I make kettle corn for dd to take to parties) Ideas for foods you could leave at school for the unexpected party or special occasion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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