becoming a gluten free vegan?

FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »

If you want to truly be gluten free, you'll have to buy new cutting boards, new utensils, new plates and bowls, new mixing bowls, new appliances (toaster, blender, etc). This will ensure that you are not getting cross-contaiminated.

Gluten free products are higher in calories and carbohydrates. I would highly suggest purchasing GF cook books and learning to cook GF foods yourself instead of buying pre-made GF foods.

Ignore this - they are not all higher in calories or carbohydrates (they are higher on average). Just like when you go to buy cheese and there are varying flavors, types, and densities, the same goes for gluten free products. Learn how to read labels, and look for the healthiest options if you have to use a replacement (for bread, crackers, etc.). Many of the variations i've come across haven't varied that much in terms of calories, so don't break a sweat. Just don't live off of them, since they don't tend to be nutrient dense by any means, and highly processed.

That being said, make sure that your diet is still balanced, which is easy to neglect when you're experiencing any sort of dietary restriction (gluten free, vegan, or otherwise). Having less to choose from yet the same nutritional needs means you have to be more attentive to ensure that your foods are all nutrient dense/that you're still consuming the right foods.

I was a gluten-free vegan for a rather long time, and i still eat gluten-free. My biggest suggestion would be to ALWAYS read labels VERY critically. Even if a label doesn't read 'contains gluten', it could still contain wheat, rye, or barley rather directly in the ingredients list, or indirectly. Luna bars were a good example of this. At the time (they are coming out with a gluten free line soon so yay!) of this situation, i was a huge fan of their bars and since i didn't see any sort of gluten listed as a ingredient on the package, i consumed them. I figured it was the same with any other sort of product - and since i was incredibly new to this, i was sadly mistaken. They weren't. Their bars are fermented in barley, a process not mentioned on the package and was something i found out later on when i emailed them. So be very careful to only consume foods that are certified gluten free (especially since you are being examined for full blown CD and cross contamination with factories is a concern), and/or you can find confirmation of being gluten free (smart phones are a blessing for this). Otherwise, it's a shot in the dark as to whether the facility, process, etc., are gluten free even if the ingredients themselves are!

Also, many vegan foods these days are also gluten-free, and learning to reach out to try new foods was a HUGE help for me. I've tried so many cuisines since embarking on this diet, and it's been INCREDIBLY delicious and eye opening!

May i ask - if you don't get the diagnosis, i assume you would just be a vegan? I mean, without a diagnosis of CD/a gluten sensitivity, a gluten free diet would be nonsensical, you know?

Biggirllittledreams wrote: »

FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »

If you want to truly be gluten free, you'll have to buy new cutting boards, new utensils, new plates and bowls, new mixing bowls, new appliances (toaster, blender, etc). This will ensure that you are not getting cross-contaiminated.

Gluten free products are higher in calories and carbohydrates. I would highly suggest purchasing GF cook books and learning to cook GF foods yourself instead of buying pre-made GF foods.

Ignore this - they are not all higher in calories or carbohydrates (they are higher on average). Just like when you go to buy cheese and there are varying flavors, types, and densities, the same goes for gluten free products. Learn how to read labels, and look for the healthiest options if you have to use a replacement (for bread, crackers, etc.). Many of the variations i've come across haven't varied that much in terms of calories, so don't break a sweat. Just don't live off of them, since they don't tend to be nutrient dense by any means, and highly processed.

That being said, make sure that your diet is still balanced, which is easy to neglect when you're experiencing any sort of dietary restriction (gluten free, vegan, or otherwise). Having less to choose from yet the same nutritional needs means you have to be more attentive to ensure that your foods are all nutrient dense/that you're still consuming the right foods.

I was a gluten-free vegan for a rather long time, and i still eat gluten-free. My biggest suggestion would be to ALWAYS read labels VERY critically. Even if a label doesn't read 'contains gluten', it could still contain wheat, rye, or barley rather directly in the ingredients list, or indirectly. Luna bars were a good example of this. At the time (they are coming out with a gluten free line soon so yay!) of this situation, i was a huge fan of their bars and since i didn't see any sort of gluten listed as a ingredient on the package, i consumed them. I figured it was the same with any other sort of product - and since i was incredibly new to this, i was sadly mistaken. They weren't. Their bars are fermented in barley, a process not mentioned on the package and was something i found out later on when i emailed them. So be very careful to only consume foods that are certified gluten free (especially since you are being examined for full blown CD and cross contamination with factories is a concern), and/or you can find confirmation of being gluten free (smart phones are a blessing for this). Otherwise, it's a shot in the dark as to whether the facility, process, etc., are gluten free even if the ingredients themselves are!

Also, many vegan foods these days are also gluten-free, and learning to reach out to try new foods was a HUGE help for me. I've tried so many cuisines since embarking on this diet, and it's been INCREDIBLY delicious and eye opening!

May i ask - if you don't get the diagnosis, i assume you would just be a vegan? I mean, without a diagnosis of CD/a gluten sensitivity, a gluten free diet would be nonsensical, you know?

There's no reason to ignore what I said. Everything I stated is true.