Where to start with going gluten free? Help!

[Joker]

Dd's doctor wants us to cut out gluten for a few weeks and see if it helps. I have no idea where to begin with this. I know no one (at least I don't think I do) that is gluten free and I do not know where to begin. We are going to try starting after Thanksgiving.

 

Please point me in the direction of websites, books, recipes, etc. Thanks!

[SwallowTail]

My dh is gluten free, and dd and I are gluten minimal.  I don't use any special recipes, but do use some pre-made products, such as mixes or flours.

 

Breakfast options:

 

Gluten free oats (must be purchased - Bob's Red Mill makes good ones)

Eggs w/ cheese and fruit

Pamela's gluten free pancake mix is divine for making: pancakes, muffins, and biscuits

Gluten free toast

 

Lunches and dinners:

 

Beans and rice

Meat, salad, fruit

Nut butters

 

Gluten free pizza crusts and tortillas and bread are available

 

Sweets:

 

Gluten free muffins, ice cream, Bob's Red Mill makes an awesome gluten free brownie mix,

key lime pie made with a toasted cocnut crust, fudge (made by  you), sorbets

 

*** Always read labels.  Scrutinize labels for cheese, for sauces, for salad dressings, for anything pre-prepared.  Even things like spices and seasoning mixes are notorious for containing gluten.

 

Fast food/Eating out options:

 

Outback steakhouse, Carrabba's, and Bonefish grill are very gluten-free friendly.  They always have options, as they have family members who are celiac.

 

Moe's has GF options - but do not eat the chips.

 

Five Guys burgers will do a lovely GF burger (basically, a paleo burger, no bun) and their fries are GF, as they are not fried in oil that has had battered chicken or something in it.  You cannot eat fries at almost any other restaurant, or torilla chips, b/c their oil is contaminated.

 

Check online any time you have a question about a product. 

 

 

 

 

 

[fraidycat]

We are currently trying to figure this out as well. I am leaning toward just following more of a paleo/primal approach to start with, rather than trying to replace things like breads, pastas, etc.

 

I'm not going completely paleo, though, because I have a lot of rice in the house already, so we'll use that up.

 

Dd needs to be dairy, gluten, and corn free. Hopefully not long term, but for now, at least.

[Crimson Wife]

Do you have a Trader Joe's near you? They label all their GF products. Do watch out for "hidden" gluten as it can turn up in things you'd never expect.

 

If you don't want to replace your toaster, then I recommend buying toasting bags.

[Lisa in Jax]

If you would post a few (or a lot) of favorite foods/meals, I'd be glad to make some suggestions for making similar versions.

 

We chose to go GF one "meal" at a time.

 

Week 1, we made dinner gf (mostly by cooking whole foods -- chicken in a crock pot, hamburgers w/o buns, etc.) 

 

Week 2, we made breakfast GF. (Eggs, bacon, Chex cereal, etc.)

 

Week 3, we did lunch gf (salads, "wraps" made with lettuce instead of bread, etc.)

 

Week 4, we cleaned up the "extras," like snacks, toothpaste, candy, etc., and got rid of things with gluten in them.

 

So, over a period of a month, we went GF.  I bought some "junk" to make the transition easier -- things like GF "Oreo-like" cookies, candy bars, etc.  We avoided all GF bread and pasta that entire month, so that by the time I was able to start buying and making GF versions, the texture differences weren't such a big deal.  (If you eat gluten-y bread/pasta one day, and GF versions the next, you'll likely balk. Allow a bit of time to pass, and you will actually enjoy the subs, in most cases!)

 

Some brands we like (we don't avoid corn, so please double check these before buying):

 

Udi's -- sandwich bread, pizza crusts, muffins

Rudy's -- sandwich bread

Tinkyada -- pasta (we also like Ancient Harvest, but it contains corn)

Van's GF waffles

Bell and Evans GF chicken patties/tenders

Earth Balance -- "margarine"

San-J GF soy sauce

If you are on Pinterest, look for my board ("Gluten Free and Tasty") for ideas/recipes/brands. http://www.pinterest.com/paintanything/gluten-free-and-tasty/ (Many of my links have corn or dairy -- be careful.)

 

Stock up on lots of fruits and veggies -- plain ones are always gf!

 

Check out "Living Without" magazine for tons of info and recipes.

 

HIH,

 

Lisa

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dbmamaz]

this is a great blog with some great articles - this is her 'how to go gluten free' page http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/p/how-to-go-g-free.html  

 

Its good to start with naturally gluten free foods, like stir fry and rice (using gluten free soy sauce, of course), meat and potatoes, that sort of thing.  The breads are iffy, but my boys favorite is Udi's.  They also make bagels.  Dont try home made without a mix at first, its a rather long and expensive learning curve.  

[NicAnn]

What I would do to start is NOT substitute for the GF things. Make meals that are naturally gluten free- tacos, meatloaf, stir fry, soups. With the exception of things like crackers, cereal...since they are not noticble.

 

I'm happy to give out ideas or support. We've been strict gluten free for years now.

[Dandelion]

DS has been GF for over two years now.  

 

Here's what typical meals look like for him:

 

• Breakfast:  
  • GF oatmeal (we use Bob's Red Mill)
  • GF pancakes (we use Pamela's or Bob's Red Mill pancake mix)
  • GF toast with sunbutter & honey (we use Kinnikinnick Sunflower Flax Rice bread)
  • Scrambled eggs and GF bacon (we use Hormel Natural Choice uncured bacon)
  • Breakfast pizza made with corn tortillas, scrambled egg, and crumbled bacon bits 
• Lunch:
  • Meat (organic chicken or pork), rice, & sautéed veggies
  • Ham sandwich (bread mentioned above with Earth Balance spread and Hormel Natural Choice ham) with side of sliced veggies
• Dinner:
  • GF pizza - our health food store carries a GF crust made by a local dedicated GF bakery, and I top that with tomato sauce and GF salami
  • Meat (organic chicken or pork), rice, & sautéed veggies
  • GF variations on various recipes - I use a regular cookbook and do a bunch of substitutions (in addition to being gluten free, DS is also dairy and soy free along with having to avoid several other foods/additives)

[texasmama]

I would concentrate on things which are naturally gluten free - meats, eggs, produce, rice.  Get some gluten free oatmeal for brekkie.  Use corn tortillas instead of flour.  Do the easy subs.  If it is for a few weeks, then I would not knock myself out trying to replicate gluten items which are gluten free.  You will hurt your wallet and make yourself nuts.  I spent the first month after we went gluten free in the kitchen cooking.  I also spent about $600 quickly just trying to restock the basics.  It was brutal.  Don't hate yourself like that.  lol

[kbutton]

I would concentrate on things which are naturally gluten free - meats, eggs, produce, rice.  Get some gluten free oatmeal for brekkie.  Use corn tortillas instead of flour.  Do the easy subs.  If it is for a few weeks, then I would not knock myself out trying to replicate gluten items which are gluten free.  You will hurt your wallet and make yourself nuts.  I spent the first month after we went gluten free in the kitchen cooking.  I also spent about $600 quickly just trying to restock the basics.  It was brutal.  Don't hate yourself like that.  lol

 

You are also less likely to accidentally contaminate something if you are using naturally gluten free items. Lots of things have hidden gluten, like some pre-shredded cheeses. If you stick with basic ingredients, and you know what they are, it's much easier than scrutinizing every label and wondering if you've missed something you hadn't heard of before. Sometimes no gluten ingredients are listed at all, but the small print at the end says, "contains: wheat." I've seen that on French fries (Ore-Ida has gluten free varieties that say they are gluten free). There are some great spice mix recipes online (taco seasoning, etc.).

 

I agree about Trader Joe's--their labels mean what they say. They also have a list of gluten free products they sell.

[kbutton]

Do you have a Trader Joe's near you? They label all their GF products. Do watch out for "hidden" gluten as it can turn up in things you'd never expect.

 

If you don't want to replace your toaster, then I recommend buying toasting bags.

 

I haven't heard of or seen these. Thanks for the tip.

[Joker]

Thank you all!

 

Breakfast is easy because she usually just has a few over medium eggs.

 

Lunch is hard because she usually takes her favorite leftover pasta or a sandwich. She does like sushi and soup in her lunch as well so I'll have to work with that.

 

We do have a lot of pasta and breaded things it seems for dinner. So, I'm going to have to figure out something else or a way to change them. Her favorite dinners are spaghetti, baked ziti, bowtie pasta with chicken and peppers, homemade chicken nuggets (covered with whole wheat bread crumbs), chicken fried steak, twice baked potatoes, chicken noodle soup, broccoli cheese soup, breakfast (eggs or pancakes), tacos. I'm sure there are many I am missing but just can't think of them right now.

 

 

 

 

 

[texasmama]

Get some Tinkyada gluten free pasta. It is the best, IMO. Gluten eating dh likes it. :)

[texasmama]

Also, I make homemade gluten free chicken nuggets with gluten free flour. Even Kroger has gf flour mix.

[BarbecueMom]

The King Arthur Flour GF pancake mix makes the best pancakes I've ever had. Ever!

 

We buy Schar and Ancient Harvest pastas. The corn/quinoa combination is our favorite. Udi's for bread. Hodgson Mill GF pizza crust mix.

 

The "Year of Crockpotting" blog is all GF.

 

Some people who cannot eat gluten also cannot tolerate oats, even the GF kind. I'm one of them. I can eat grits and cream of rice for hot cereal, though.

[fraidycat]

Do you have a Trader Joe's near you? They label all their GF products. Do watch out for "hidden" gluten as it can turn up in things you'd never expect.

 

If you don't want to replace your toaster, then I recommend buying toasting bags.

I just wanted to add to this, at the Trader Joe's checkout counter today when I explained we were new to gluten-free, they gave me a printed list of all of their GF products, so that I actually know what I'm looking for when I go into the store.

[kitten18]

I just wanted to add to this, at the Trader Joe's checkout counter today when I explained we were new to gluten-free, they gave me a printed list of all of their GF products, so that I actually know what I'm looking for when I go into the store.

Yes, you can print it from their website before you go or they will give you the list at customer service.

[TrixieB]

Thank you all!

 

Breakfast is easy because she usually just has a few over medium eggs.

 

Lunch is hard because she usually takes her favorite leftover pasta or a sandwich. She does like sushi and soup in her lunch as well so I'll have to work with that.

 

We do have a lot of pasta and breaded things it seems for dinner. So, I'm going to have to figure out something else or a way to change them. Her favorite dinners are spaghetti, baked ziti, bowtie pasta with chicken and peppers, homemade chicken nuggets (covered with whole wheat bread crumbs), chicken fried steak, twice baked potatoes, chicken noodle soup, broccoli cheese soup, breakfast (eggs or pancakes), tacos. I'm sure there are many I am missing but just can't think of them right now.

 

Trader Joe's GF pasta tastes pretty good and is available in a couple of different shapes.  Tinkyada (not sure if that's spelled right) makes GF lasagna noodles.  I break up Ancient Harvest quinoa spaghetti to use for soup noodles. 

 

Costco sells 5 lb bags of Namaste Gluten Free Perfect Flour Blend.  Namaste claims you can sub cup for cup in recipes that call for wheat flour.  So... I tried making a pie crust.  It tasted good, although the dough was hard to handle (roll out between 2 pieces of well-floured parchment paper).  My kids really like the pancake & brownie recipes on the bag.

 

Of the breads we have tried, Udi is our family's favorite.  I store it in the freezer.  My kids love Udi cinnamon raisin bread toasted & buttered.

[bettyandbob]

Sushi. Doesn't that have soy sauce? Are you preparing it yourself? You can get GF tamari instead of soy sauce. I haven't found commercially prepared sushi that was GF.

 

Lunch: my dd eats leftover dinner, salad, fruit, cubed cheese and GF crackers, boiled eggs, humus and veg sticks (celery, cucumber), chicken salad, tuna salad

She has a bento box. So, things pack into small containers. You can get those small ziplock containers and fill them with little things. Don't forget a fork or spoon.

 

Dinner: focus on basics. Grill meat, steam or grill vegetables, brown rice quinoa or potatoes, salad with GF dressing and cut fresh fruit.

[Lisa in Jax]

Thank you all!

 

Breakfast is easy because she usually just has a few over medium eggs.

 

Lunch is hard because she usually takes her favorite leftover pasta or a sandwich. She does like sushi and soup in her lunch as well so I'll have to work with that.

 

We do have a lot of pasta and breaded things it seems for dinner. So, I'm going to have to figure out something else or a way to change them. Her favorite dinners are spaghetti, baked ziti, bowtie pasta with chicken and peppers, homemade chicken nuggets (covered with whole wheat bread crumbs), chicken fried steak, twice baked potatoes, chicken noodle soup, broccoli cheese soup, breakfast (eggs or pancakes), tacos. I'm sure there are many I am missing but just can't think of them right now.

Be careful with sushi: fake crab has wheat, and soy sauce has wheat, too. 

 

Tinkyada pasta comes in a variety of shapes. We also tried the Mueller's GF penne pasta recently, and liked it a lot (not sure if it has corn, though). So your pasta dishes and soups are easy to "fix."

 

Use rice flour and/or almond flour for your homemade chicken tenders or chicken fried steak.  For the potatoes, use coconut milk instead of dairy milk, and try "Daiya" cheddar cheese. 

 

The Daiya mozzarella would be good for anything baked (ziti, lasagna), too.

 

Broccoli cheddar may be a hard switch, b/c of the consistency.  

 

Pancakes are easy -- use buckwheat as the main flour, and add gf flours for the remaining flour.  Use coconut milk in lieu of dairy.

 

Use arrowroot starch instead of flour in gravies, etc.

 

HIH,

 

Lisa

[Joker]

Okay. A few people are also mentioning dairy. Do you have to cut out dairy to be gluten free? I thought it was mostly wheat. I feel I have a lot more to learn than I thought I did.

[Crimson Wife]

For breading on chicken nuggets, I usually crush up Corn Chex and use that. If you are trying to avoid grains, almond meal can be used.

[Crimson Wife]

Okay. A few people are also mentioning dairy. Do you have to cut out dairy to be gluten free? I thought it was mostly wheat. I feel I have a lot more to learn than I thought I did.

The chemical structures of casein (dairy protein) and also soy protein are very similar to that of gluten to the extent that they may cause a reaction as well in people who are gluten intolerant. Youngest DD's doctor advised her to cut out all 3. He said at some point her body may heal enough to stop cross-reacting to casein & soy, but for the time being we are continuing to avoid them in her diet.

[kbutton]

Okay. A few people are also mentioning dairy. Do you have to cut out dairy to be gluten free? I thought it was mostly wheat. I feel I have a lot more to learn than I thought I did.

 

I originally stumbled into gluten free from a general elimination diet. I have some lactose intolerance, and when I ate wheat, it was really bad. Now, it's rare to have a problem. I also have some "yeast" troubles that affect my gut, so if I eat too much sugar or forget my probiotics, I will experience some lactose problems. Otherwise, I don't have trouble with dairy. Some gut issues seem to be intertwined or feed off of each other. Gluten free has nothing to do with dairy from an "ingredient" point of view. If you are worried about gluten, some paleo sites are good for both dairy and gluten free recipes.

 

I didn't mention this before, but one "flour" I like to bake with is coconut flour (ground up coconut flesh). You have to use lots of eggs with it, but there are some good brownies and muffins made with it. I like it particularly because it's not just a bunch starch--it's protein and fiber. You can't really use it in place of regular flour though; you'll want to use recipes designed specifically for it.