Help! I'm new!

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jkay55
jkay55 Posts: 6 Member
HI! I am recently diagnosed as having a severe gluten sensitivity. I am a little overwhelmed with everything that does contain gluten. That being said my goal to begin with is to just go back to basics and not add in a lot of gluten free substitutes. Any suggestions/help appreciated! Any gluten free grains that people really enjoy??

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  • cwgrlfth
    cwgrlfth Posts: 21 Member
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    Hey I have been working on this for 3 years and it gets better. It is really a preferred taste I think when it comes to the grains. You will find alot of stuff that taste better then others. I prefer the Kinnicki (not sure I spelled right) and the Live G free things for taste. Also watch your prepackaged items they are high in sodium and other things so they are not really an everyday thing you want to do.(my first mistake when I found out) Be sure that you are getting the right foods to maintain your vitamins and minerals that are required so increase veggies and fruits and I recommend a great daily vitamin helps alot. Don't get discouraged some people (like me) find it hard to lose weight since the diagnosis and others lose easily. I did alot of research in library to find the foods for me and googled alot as well. Rice based is better tasting to me and cooks up better than corn and you I found that coconut oil is amazing to cook with and use. Don't be afraid to friend me I will be glad to give you any help!! Stay focused and strong you can do this!!!
  • fattybumclaire
    fattybumclaire Posts: 91 Member
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    Hello :)

    Sticking with whole foods instead of gf substitutes is a great way to start, I find Pinterest very handy for coming up with new recipes that are gluten free.

    Good luck.
  • Lady_Clarington
    Lady_Clarington Posts: 76 Member
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    Full support for browsing Pintrest here - in fact my foods became so varied after being gluten free I've had to cut back to try and loose weight!
  • jkay55
    jkay55 Posts: 6 Member
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    Thanks everyone! Will look into Pinterest!
  • canadjineh
    canadjineh Posts: 5,396 Member
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    Any gluten free grains that people really enjoy??

    I really like quinoa, brown basmati rice, millet, and I like to mix amaranth flakes with my GF clean oats for a breakfast choice or to mix the combo into burger patties.
  • GillaMahogany
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    Yes to quinoa! I put it in everything! You can eat it hot or cold, plain or with sauce, sweet or salty, it's a miracle food! Make sure you buy "pre-washed" (or spend the energy/time to wash it yourself) or it will be bitter.
    You can cook it just like rice, even half rice and half quinoa in the same pan. Put one cup quinoa and two cups chicken broth, bring to a boil, then let turn down to a simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on tightly, and enjoy!
    Friend me if you like, I've been glutenless for a couple years now, I've actually come to love it!
  • Soggynode
    Soggynode Posts: 1,179 Member
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    Yes to quinoa! I put it in everything! You can eat it hot or cold, plain or with sauce, sweet or salty, it's a miracle food! Make sure you buy "pre-washed" (or spend the energy/time to wash it yourself) or it will be bitter.
    You can cook it just like rice, even half rice and half quinoa in the same pan. Put one cup quinoa and two cups chicken broth, bring to a boil, then let turn down to a simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on tightly, and enjoy!
    Friend me if you like, I've been glutenless for a couple years now, I've actually come to love it!

    Before I make a huge mess in my rice cooker... can quinoa be cooked in a rice cooker and would it be more similar to cooking white rice or brown rice? I know I could just toss it in and experiment but I thought I would ask and learn.
  • Soggynode
    Soggynode Posts: 1,179 Member
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    Oops, forgot to reply to the OPs question... sorry. I agree with the other posts, a lot of the pre-packaged GF stuff tastes terrible or has a very unpleasent consistancy. We bought a lot of the pre-packaged GF products when we first started GF and were very discouraged. We tried to just duplicate our existing diet in the GF world and it was tough. Once we adjusted to simple healthier foods like veggies, fruit, meat, and GF grains it became much easier.

    There are tons of good cookbooks availble for GF. Some of them have simple recipes, some not so much. For simple quick recipes I've had pretty good sucess converting a lot of the recipes on the Kraft Recipes website to GF.
  • brittanyadore
    brittanyadore Posts: 10 Member
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    Going back to basics and staying away from packaged foods is definitely a great idea. Once you get the hang of it, you can slowly supplement your diet with packaged food if you find it necessary. My advice is to buy one or two items from each brand until you know what you like and what you don't. For example; I love EVOL's chicken bowls but I'm not a fan of most UDI's products.
  • lizzito2
    lizzito2 Posts: 3
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    Here's a great place to start - and bookmark. If you're on FB, like them and you'll get update posts regularly.

    http://www.glutenfreeresourcedirectory.com/

    My granddaughter was diagnosed at 3.5 with Celiacs disease after blood work and endoscopy, her sister's blood tests were inconclusive since she was so young (1.5) and the newest member, 6 months, is involved in a celiac study through Mass General Hospital since she has a sister confirmed.

    It's a challenge to change your lifestyle even when you haven't had tests (like me) BUT I want to be able to know what my grand children can eat and use so I've jumped in the deep end and the things I've learned....wow. Many people will scoff at your words "gluten sensitivity" but pay them no mind. Take care of yourself and learn what works for you. Best of luck! :flowerforyou:
  • fattybumclaire
    fattybumclaire Posts: 91 Member
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    One of my favourite gf ingredients is chick pea flour, also called Besan flour, garbanzo bean flour or gram flour. You can buy it really cheaply in the foreign food section of most supermarkets. It is used to make bhajis/pakoras, flatbreads and fritters in asian cooking.