Coeliacs and Weight Loss Help!!

McCoeliacs · May 2014

Hi There,

I am new to the site and joined really because I lost 2 stone in 2 months and then discovered it wasn't my awesome dieting and excercising skills but more the fact that I have had undiagnosed Coeliacs Disease for 24 years! and essentially my body went into starvation and became severly malnourished (hair was falling out, sleeping ALL the time, couldn't excercise or barely walk, feeling sick all the time etc.).

Anyway, now this is all diagnosed and sorted and I am on a gluten free diet, my weight has naturally shot back up beyond what I was when I was at my heaviest.

I am struggling to find gluten free foods that are enjoyable...salad gets kind of boring especially when a lot of dressings contain gluten. I eat on the run a lot as my job has me all over the place. It is difficult to find something (like you would grab a sandwich) equivalent for coeliacs.

I would like to prepare meals for lunch the night before but, apart from salad, I don't really know what I can do. I tried reheating pasta or having it cold (gluten free pasta obv) but it turns to glue basically! And the bread is only nice when toasted, doesn't seem to work so well in a sandwich.

I just wondered if anyone has dealt with this before or knows of any good foods I can have to help me build up the strength to excercise again as well as limit my calorie intake. I don't want to have to give up all the foods I love but they don't really specialise in low fat gluten free - most gluten free products are crammed full of sugar to make them more tasty.

I really appreciate any advice! I am really new to this gluten free stuff and it's not seeming particularly easy right now.

xx

scolloby · May 2014

As you've spelled it Coeliac - do I assume you're in the UK?

KaleeCat · May 2014

Unfortunately a lot of store bought gluten-free foods are really gross tasting. You're better off just trying homemade. Google "Gluten-Free Recipes" or maybe "Celiac Friendly Recipes" Here's a few I just found:

http://simplygluten-free.com/gluten-free-recipes/gluten-free-figure-friendly
http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/

Find some recipes you really like and try freezing them and depending on the food, reheat it or thaw it out when you're on the go or just want a quick meal.

I have a friend who has Celiac and it's hard at first, but you will adjust overtime and it will get easier!

knittnponder · May 2014

Rice, quinoa and buckwheat are all naturally gluten free and aren't horrible cold. You could try making dishes using these grains if you don't have the ability to reheat things. Oats you have to be careful because they need to be certified gluten free but many celiacs don't tolerate them so watch that one.

You can buy gluten free wraps but most of the ones I've had aren't very good so we usually just end up wrapping our sandwich stuff in lettuce. Another option is to make gluten free pancakes or waffles and use those as your "bread". We do this often and it works pretty well, just make sure if your recipe calls for vanilla to leave that and sugar out so it's more of a savory flavor. You can even put garlic and seasonings in it if you want to flavor the "bread" to suit your fillings.

I don't know if you can do dairy but cheese and yogurt are both good to take. Obviously check the ingredients but we like meat and cheese, cheese and fruit, stir nuts and fruit into yogurt or fruit into cottage cheese, etc.

ETA: Look on Pinterest for gluten free recipes. There are tons pinned there and many of us have whole boards dedicated to gluten free things.

McCoeliacs · May 2014

Thank you for all the advice!

Yes I am based in the UK, I think they are only just coming to terms with gluten free foods here!

I like the idea of making a wrap out of lettuce though, I would never have thought of that! I know oats don't agree with me and nor does full fat milk but mild cheese or skimmed milk seem to be okay for some reason (hooray!).

I think home cooking is going to be the way to go, as you said, and trial and error I guess though I am glad it is going to get easier, it is a little overwhelming at the moment!

Thank you all x

McCoeliacs · May 2014

I forgot to ask, do you know what types of flour are best for cakes, bread, savoury etc. I have been told that they all come out differently and only some are suitable for sweet and others savoury.

I loved baking with the kids but I haven't done it since diagnosis so I would be really appreciative if you could point me in the right direction

.

CorlissaEats · May 2014

Visit this website for food ideas. http://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/

I have used her empanada dough recipe and filled it with taco meat & beans for lunches, turkey sausage and eggs for breakfast, and just about any kind of filling you can imagine for easy foods on the go. Spend the time doing your food prep- its worth it!

I am not celiac but I am gluten free. I tend to eat my meals hot, or I am eating things like nuts, figs, or gluten free protein or granola bars. I also have to avoid eggs, milk products, and a bunch of other ingredients so for life on the go there is a lot of planning involved. Its not impossible, and I rarely eat salad! My diary is open to friends.

karmasays · May 2014

If you're willing to pay a little bit of money, check out emeals.com. They create weekly meals under the category you request, yours would be glutten free (they also have low calorie, paleo, clean eating, low carb, vegeterian, slow cooker and more). You can get a years worth of dinners or lunches (or both!), you can see a sample menu on their website as well (http://d3qrl2xm10iebd.cloudfront.net/meal-plans/gluten-free/emeals-gluten-free-for2-plan.pdf). They send out the menu weekly and also supply a grocery list.

I use them for low calorie dinners and I have yet to have a bad meal from them and it takes a lot of the guess work of "what should we have for dinner??" I'm not affiliated with them...just really like them; I find that a lot of the meals don't require a lot of ingredients and taste really good.

scolloby · May 2014

Okay - so firstly I'd suggest contacting the Coeliac Society - not only does their magazine tell you about new products, etc, but they can also put you in touch with a local support group - they often have tasting sessions, are a source of gluten savvy restaurants and cafes and also have lots of experience! On the subject of the UK and Coeliac - my husband was diagnosed over 10 years ago and in all honesty - it hasn't been difficult at all and improves all the time - so take heart!. I do agree about many commercial cakes being too sweet though. You might want to get 'Seriously Good Gluten free Baking by Phil Vickery. If you want to fit some cake/breads into your diet I can recommend this book (it's as good as the glutenous stuff - as a non-Coeliac I can testify to this) - it's more a case of can you resist it. Regarding pasta - don't assume that the times you used for gluten pasta will be the same for non-gluten. You need to have the water boiling before you add your pasta and stick to the time specified religiously. Again I eat this too as it's easier for me and hub to both eat the same meal. The one we use is Doves Farm Organic pasta made from brown rice. Other suggestions are feta cheese Greek salads - don't forget that balsamic vinegar is fine for you. Feta is relatively low calorie. You can also make a dressing from low fat youghurt, cucumber, mint and cayenne pepper. For a quick bite, try the EAT NATURAL bars - yummy! Best bread I've tasted so far which is widey available in the Genius Seeded Bread - you can get it is nearly all supermarkets. Great places for eating out? Prezzo, Pizza Express, Las Iguanas, Pierre's Bistro for chains, but in all honesty most restaurants understand what gluten free is these days because it's part of their required training. For ready meals try the Amy's range - again most supermarkets carry this - frozen stuff and also soups that are so packed with stuff that they really are a substantial meal. If you're looking for a beer - let me know as hub has recently taken delivery of 2 rather good ones! Good luck!

Forgot to say - other than the breads/onion bhajis and samosas - almost everything in an Indian Restaurant will be suitable for you!

McCoeliacs · May 2014

Okay - so firstly I'd suggest contacting the Coeliac Society - not only does their magazine tell you about new products, etc, but they can also put you in touch with a local support group - they often have tasting sessions, are a source of gluten savvy restaurants and cafes and also have lots of experience! On the subject of the UK and Coeliac - my husband was diagnosed over 10 years ago and in all honesty - it hasn't been difficult at all and improves all the time - so take heart!. I do agree about many commercial cakes being too sweet though. You might want to get 'Seriously Good Gluten free Baking by Phil Vickery. If you want to fit some cake/breads into your diet I can recommend this book (it's as good as the glutenous stuff - as a non-Coeliac I can testify to this) - it's more a case of can you resist it. Regarding pasta - don't assume that the times you used for gluten pasta will be the same for non-gluten. You need to have the water boiling before you add your pasta and stick to the time specified religiously. Again I eat this too as it's easier for me and hub to both eat the same meal. The one we use is Doves Farm Organic pasta made from brown rice. Other suggestions are feta cheese Greek salads - don't forget that balsamic vinegar is fine for you. Feta is relatively low calorie. You can also make a dressing from low fat youghurt, cucumber, mint and cayenne pepper. For a quick bite, try the EAT NATURAL bars - yummy! Best bread I've tasted so far which is widey available in the Genius Seeded Bread - you can get it is nearly all supermarkets. Great places for eating out? Prezzo, Pizza Express, Las Iguanas, Pierre's Bistro for chains, but in all honesty most restaurants understand what gluten free is these days because it's part of their required training. For ready meals try the Amy's range - again most supermarkets carry this - frozen stuff and also soups that are so packed with stuff that they really are a substantial meal. If you're looking for a beer - let me know as hub has recently taken delivery of 2 rather good ones! Good luck!

Forgot to say - other than the breads/onion bhajis and samosas - almost everything in an Indian Restaurant will be suitable for you!

You have just given me more information in one post then my dietician gave me in 4 weeks!

Thank you that really does clear up SO many questions I had and It's really good to know I can still eat out, I was putting that one off. Sometimes when you tell someone you have coeliacs they look at you like your making it up or that your just joining on the gluten free diet bandwagon. It's a conversation I get tired of having already!

Thank you all for the info, it is really helpful both for my emotional state as well as the weight loss/food side of it.

blupanda12 · May 2014

My husband has Coeliac too, and it's been quite an adjustment over the last few years. I do not have Coeliac, but for my sanity in the kitchen, we all eat the same thing. I'm in the US so not sure what your brand availability is. Here are a bunch of brands we exclusively buy for his safety.

For spices, we use McCormick's gourmet blends and single spice items. Their non-gourmet blends apparently could get contaminated. I have not succeeded in the baking department, so I'll check that cook-book out too! Deli meats, we use Boar's Head - guaranteed gluten-free even though it's expensive.

We also use Shar brand pastas (cooking times are really really important) and sandwich bread for lunches every day. It's not as good as glutinated bread, but it is a decent substitute and was heaven-sent for our schedule. In terms of GF pasta in general, if I'm making extra for a 2nd meal the next day, I will either A) keep the sauce separate or

add extra sauce the next day, as it can be super absorbant. I also just fully cook it for any casseroles that get baked in the oven, and adjust the cooking times accordingly for the uncooked ingredients only.

For flour substitutes, there are a ton out there now that are available. For general flour usage (e.g. battered chicken), I use Bob's Red Mill GF All-Purpose flour mix. For baking, you need to add a binder (this is designed for xantham gum), but I've not had much success converting my normal baking recipes into GF recipes.

For pizza dough (pizza is one of our staples), I use Bob's Red Mill pizza dough mix as well. I proof the yeast, then follow package directions for mixing and rising. I grease my pan and keep my hands wet with water to spread the dough out, and get 2 16-inch pizzas or bigger depending on how patiently I let it rise (~30 minutes seems to be the magic number at our house's average temps).

For tortilla chip substitute, our favorite is Snyders Naturals Brand Sea Salt Chips. They are closer to a multi-grain cracker and are delicious! Most dairy is naturally gluten free, as are many of the canned veggies and beans. Just read the labels to be sure for your particular brands.

Normal rice is naturally gluten-free, as long as they didn't add any flavor components. Aleia's bread crumbs are amazingly awesome, we use her Italian flavor all the time for meatballs. For soup bases, I use Pacific Foods brand and get the vegetable stock, chicken stock, or beef stock. Their other available stocks we either haven't tried or are not gluten free. They are really amazing at marking packages though. Last but not least, we get Tamari sauce in the place of regular soy sauce for my attempts at Chinese. Apparently soy and tamari are essentially the same type of flavoring, but with different methods of production that makes soy sauce contain gluten and tamari sauce safe for those who avoid gluten.

For eating out, I have no suggestions for the UK. We do a lot of online research about restaurants before we try a new one. We also tend to say "Gluten Allergy" because most people tend to associate allergy with "if they eat this, I have an immediate medical emergency in my restaurant" a la severe peanut allergies. Good luck and don't be afraid! You will find what works for you! Also, there's a group on here for Gluten-free individuals ("Gluten Free") if you care to join us!

hipsdontlie1 · May 2014

I went gluten free about 2 months ago and here are some meal ideas:

Breakfast:
-eggs (1 egg, 1/2 cup egg whites), do an omelette or have scrambled. 1 piece of gf toast and I like to put avacado on top of it.
-gf oats with berries and toast
-boiled eggs

Lunch:
-I like to bring left overs from dinner mainly
-Udi's gluten free tortillas are really yummy and SO soft. You could do wraps (tuna, chicken) Mix some rice into the wrap to make it more filling. Small salad on the side or veggies.
-Tuna melts on gf bread
-Pita pizza (use udi's tortillas), pizza sauce, load with veggies, portion your cheese, add chicken, bacon, gf pepperoni

Supper:
-I like to do a lean meat with a carb and veggies
carb options: rice, quinoa, sweet potato, regular potato
generally I eat chicken, fish, lean ground turkey/chicken
Other supper ideas are pasta (do not buy rice pasta- use corn, it doesnt get mushy).
-I LOVE doing stirfrys, (mr. spice sauces are delicious and gluten free & salt free) with chicken and veggies on top of rice
-Pad thai is one of my favorite meals (this recipe: http://thaifood.about.com/od/oodlesofnoodles/r/Easy-Chicken-Pad-Thai.htm )
-Turkey burgers with gf buns but I generally just don't use a bun and just eat the patty topped with lettus and tomato. Just mix up tons of veggies (fry them first), mix with ground turkey + spices. fry

Snack Ideas:
-rice cakes (lundberg brand are gf)
-fruit/veggies
-nuts
-kettle chips (SO GOOD) I just try to portion them when I do have them
-"Vega" protein is really good. a tad expensive but I don't drink them that often so it lasts me awhile. It's gluten free, plant based and soy free.

I hope this helps!! My body has already changed alot by eating like this! Good luck!!

Four_Leaf_Clover · May 2014

I do not have celiac, but often cook for someone who does.

The easiest thing is just to keep it simple - lean meats, fish, potatoes, any and all fruits and veggies, nuts and legumes, homemade soups and stews, etc.

I often eat GF at lunch just because I tend to skip a carb for that meal. I have grilled chicken with a big side of veggies or maybe with a 1/2 a sweet potato. What about lettuce wraps for your sandwiches? Giant romaine leaves filled with your favorites - meat, cheese, veggies, hummus, tuna, whatever you like!

I know salad gets boring, but think outside the box - say, salad nicoise - tuna, hardboiled egg, green beans, diced potatos, olives, a homemade vinaigrette.

Also - make a batch of something in your crockpot and freeze in individual servings to take to lunch. This blog has a lot of crockpot recipes and most are GF or can be made GF. They are not all super low cal, but they may give you ideas.
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

curlergal14 · May 2014

After years of eating really really bad bread, I finally found a brand which a) doesn't all apart and b) tastes good without toasting. The UK site is here: http://udisglutenfree.co.uk/. Seriously, I'll make a ham and cheese sandwich now.

I had a similar struggle with pasta and the one I've found that is the best, and allows for a bit of imperfection on the cooking time is Tinkyada. I can now buy it in every store in the US (we used to order by the case from Canada), but I'm not sure if you have it in the UK. http://www.tinkyada.com/. It actually reheats quite nicely as well.

To add to @blupanda12 above: Bob's Red Mill is great. Xantham gum is expensive but lasts forever and worth the investment. I've had pretty good luck converting recipes using a 1:1 flour ratio and you add 1 teaspoon xantham gum per cup of flour. Often you may find the need to add an additional egg to the recipe. It takes some trial and error but is worth it to have homemade baked goods!

Generally restaurants have gotten pretty smart about Gluten Intolerance. Just make sure to ask the server what on the menu is gluten free, and if they seem like they have no clue, don't feel bad about asking to speak with a manager or chef.

Let me know if there's any baking recipes you're dying to have, I can probably dig some up I've made and enjoyed.

Celiac for 15 years and going strong!

blupanda12 · May 2014

I'd love a good recipe to replicate graham crackers if you have one. One of my husband's favorite desserts was No-Bake Eclair, which used graham crackers as the crust and layer separation. No luck finding a decent (not horribly expensive) replacement. Everything I have found either A) sucks or

is super high in calories for the serving size (e.g. 2 2-inch square crackers are about 200 cals each). I tried crumbles, but those don't layer well enough and I have a pudding pile instead of a pudding cake.

Also, a carrot cake recipe - my favorite! I don't dare make a regular one at home, and shouldn't eat the whole thing anyway. If you are a baker, I'd love a chiabatta bread or french bread imitation. I was just starting to experiment with artisan breads when he got diagnosed

McCoeliacs · May 2014

After years of eating really really bad bread, I finally found a brand which a) doesn't all apart and b) tastes good without toasting. The UK site is here: http://udisglutenfree.co.uk/. Seriously, I'll make a ham and cheese sandwich now.

I had a similar struggle with pasta and the one I've found that is the best, and allows for a bit of imperfection on the cooking time is Tinkyada. I can now buy it in every store in the US (we used to order by the case from Canada), but I'm not sure if you have it in the UK. http://www.tinkyada.com/. It actually reheats quite nicely as well.

To add to @blupanda12 above: Bob's Red Mill is great. Xantham gum is expensive but lasts forever and worth the investment. I've had pretty good luck converting recipes using a 1:1 flour ratio and you add 1 teaspoon xantham gum per cup of flour. Often you may find the need to add an additional egg to the recipe. It takes some trial and error but is worth it to have homemade baked goods!

Generally restaurants have gotten pretty smart about Gluten Intolerance. Just make sure to ask the server what on the menu is gluten free, and if they seem like they have no clue, don't feel bad about asking to speak with a manager or chef.

Let me know if there's any baking recipes you're dying to have, I can probably dig some up I've made and enjoyed.

Celiac for 15 years and going strong!

Thank you for the offer, basically any kind of normal cake recipe like cupcakes or chocolate sponge. I used to always make the kids devil food cake on their birthdays because they love it but making it with the gf flour seems to leave it oily and flat (and also the base on cupcakes tends to stick to the paper, it's really weird I dont know if something has sunk but its like a flat circle of glue!?). Of course I can just make them 'normal' cakes which is what I've been doing but, on a selfish note, I always feel like i'm missing out!

Coeliacs and Weight Loss Help!!

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