Going gluten-free, any suggestions?

eat a lean protein and a veg at lunch, who needs bread

http://www.gopicnic.com/Gluten-Free-Meal-Variety-Pack

I saw these and they might give you a chance to try snacks without buying them all. Gluten free foods can be pricey. On sneakpeeq.com they are on sale! Hope that helps!

If your doctor suggests gluten free, then do it...if not...there is absolutely no point, really...Unless you have a MEDICAL reason, there really isn't a reason for it...Just because it's the latest hype doesn't mean it's going to make some crazy difference in your life (unless its medical, once again)

Testing for issues of wheat and gluten can be expensive. I have severe food allergies to sunflower oil (I have an epipen) and yeast and a other things, but I have never been tested for gluten or wheat. The best way my doctor told me to figure out what was causing my reactions was an elimination diet i.e. just avoid certain foods. So doctor's methods of diagnosing food allergies and intolerance is not that sophisticated. Understanding how your body reacts to foods and trying to eliminate certain elements is what is required of some individuals who feel their bodies may be different. Celiac because it causes obvious inflammation of the bowel is easier to pinpoint, but that doesn't mean that other's won't see benefits from limiting or eliminating certain foods from their diet. Not bashing just saying everyone is different and some things just work better for certain people.

Here's another little interesting article about wheat to give you food for thought. It might you you research it.

http://www.science20.com/news_articles/being_glutenfree_determined_evolution_says_gastroenterologist-91578

I agree with your comments. Allergy testing is super expensive. I know because my dad chose to follow a medical field that also included allergy testing. He started testing people when docs thought that this whole thing was just nuts and some people didn't believe allergies even existed.

What I worry about is when someone says it's just some fad of a diet. That's so untrue. It's not a fad, trust me, if I could have English Muffins, Cruissants, and pastries on a daily basis - I would! I miss that stuff. But, I also know they act like poison for me. The newest studies are showing that quite a few people really have differences in how their bodies behave when it comes to food. Also, it's the food that we eat that can impact our health.

Here's an interesting article that shows the affects of imported food into the Marshall Islands. It might surprise you.

http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/072508p24.shtml

http://www.faqs.org/nutrition/Ome-Pop/Pacific-Islanders-Diet-of.html

Um. This is just for amusement. I found this food timeline. It's rather startling to see how the food evolves over time and as you scroll down you start seeing modern foods.

http://www.foodtimeline.org/

Great links.

I agree, Bakery on the Main makes great Granola.

I think the bread part is just something we're so used to having that it feels weird to not be able to make typical sandwiches. That's why I suggested the Julian Bakery stuff because my friend has been testing brands and was shocked at how these breads came out. She was eating them straight from the bad and they weren't dry (like the Udi and other brands) and hard as rocks. Normally, I toast all my gluten free breads.

Oh, fair warning, I've tried MOST of the breads that are pre-mixed (tend to have beans) by Bob Red Mill and they are downright awful. They are great at producing grains but you'll be absolutely stunned at how bad their mixes are as I couldn't stomach them. I tried like two of them and even had my mom (whose not gluten free) taste one. You know there's a problem when she runs to the sink and spits them out.

I think half of the cost to getting a good bread is finding one that's not awful and finding someone whose tested them before you. Grin.

Now, whole foods makes a great cinnamon toast and I used to sprinkle a tiny bit of sugar and cinnamon on it and toast it in the oven. It was delicious. I didn't love their bread for sandwiches. That particular bread seemed only good toasted with the cinnamon sugar.

Udi's is expensive but so far the only bread that I have liked store bought anyway. I have made a few that were ok. Be aware that many lunch meats are not totally gluten free. They also have hamburger and hotdog rolls.

I don't eat sandwiches a great deal but sometimes they hit the spot. Today I am making a dairy free, gluten free, potato vegie pizza with leftovers. Yesterday I ate some rice with a fajita mixture that I made up. I know that these may not be what you were thinking of but they can give you some ideas on what you can do. Salads are good but I am not a huge salad fan.

I am enjoying feeling good finally. But the transition can be a hard one. Message me if you need other ideas.

I am about 90% gluten free, but I will occasionally break down and eat a really nice piece of bread. But when I am off gluten my tummy thanks me.

I do rollups, so I buy Boars Head (all boars head is gluten free) roast beef, weigh out about 5 ounces, and then roll them up with a little mustard in them and just eat them like an appetizer, no bread at all. Delicious!
Salads with chicken/steak/shrimp on them
Feel Good Foods makes these FANTASTIC gluten free dumplings that I will splurge and buy once in awhile (They are expensive) can be found at health food stores.
Any veggie/meat combos are naturally gluten free
I bought this book a few years ago by Triumph Dining, it's a grocery store guide, tells you all the foods that are gluten free that aren't in the "gluten free section" of the grocery store. There are a lot of things natural gluten free, namely fruits and veggies!
Gluten free bread is kind of terrible tasting I'm not going to lie, Udi's is probably the best one I've tasted but even that isn't fantastic, I have a gluten free flatbread recipe that is really good and takes approximately 30 mins total to make, I will make that if I really need to eat a sandwich.

I will say since cutting out gluten, I do not have anymore painful stomach issues or "gotta go gotta go gotta go right now" embarrassing runs to the bathroom. It's been life changing.

I cut gluten out of my diet this past week, after some advice from fellow bloggers / acid reflux sufferers. I couldn't believe how the swelling in my feet went away in just a few days (I wasn't expecting that!), and I've been feeling pretty good! The acid reflux is still there, but it wasn't the terrible choking feeling that I've been accustomed to for the past year & a half!

And by the way, you CAN lose weight eating gluten-free. I lost 4 pounds this week! It's a lot easier staying within your calorie range when you cut out all of the gluten-filled snacks! Also, it's a lot harder to find a restaurant that serves gluten-free foods, so you can save money to buy healthy foods to eat at home.

We're on the journey with ya!

@Skinnybefore - The Outback Steakhouse has an entire gluten free menu that is really, really good. There's only one problem, the calories add up fast. If you want to keep the calories down, go for the 6 ounce sirloin and veggies. The chocolate lava gluten free desert is a killer but it would blow your diet. You may have to leave that for a day when you exercise a WHOLE lot and earn some extra calories.

Thanks Monica! Hopefully more restaurants will add gluten-free to their menu. Then again, maybe that wouldn't be a good thing! It's been great staying under my calorie goal eating at home!