becoming a gluten free vegan?

TinyGypsy wrote: »

i was not made aware til now that they're higher in calories... that is a major disappointment. but with the progression of my gluten intolerance i'm not going to be able to continue eating it much longer without completely destroying my bowels. -__-

Some of them use almond flour, coconut flour, tapoica starch, etc or a blend of them which is largely why they're more caloric.

As FFF says, unfortunately loads of pre-packaged GF food does tend to be pretty high in calories because they are often laced with a tonne of sugar and sweetner or higher-calorie oils, presumably to make it taste better, goodness knows why though, I have coeliac and can home-bake a very nice GF sponge cake without using my body weight's worth of sugar!
I can't afford to eat fresh all the time but I wish I could, as calorie-wise I have found it to be better. Not that I'm against junk food by any means, I totally love my sugar, lol, it just becomes harder to keep to your daily calorie goal when you have to use so much of them up just at dinnertime, or a large chunk of them on one single snack.

Speaking as someone who has lived with celiac disease for 17 years, can I give you some advice if you're diagnosed?

For the most part, skip the gluten-free replacements of gluten-y things and eat naturally gluten free foods. The world is full of cuisines (many of which are vegan) that are naturally gluten-free. There are so many rice and bean dishes out there that the mind boggles.

Yes, there's rice pasta, but there's also bean pasta (Explore Asian brand) that's high in protein and fiber. I'm an ovo-lacto veggie and that's my personal choice because more protein is always a good thing.

If sweets are your thing, there are naturally gluten free desserts on the world stage too. Most of them aren't vegan, but flourless peanutbutter cookies are the bomb if you decide you want to eat an egg.

Speaking of the vegan thing, it's going to be tough if you do decide to do GF replacements for gluten items. A lot of leavening in gluten-free baking is done with eggs. I believe there is a brand, Enjoy Life, that has some cookies that you could eat.

Gluten free analogs of gluten items are usually higher in calories than their counterparts, though... for processed items like breads, rolls, cookies. I believe that's what FFF was referring to.

....And postage-stamp sized pieces of some brands gluten-free bread have criminal amounts of calories compared to wheat bread!

We're GF, sugar free, dairy free, and red meat free. It's hard.

There are a lot more gluten free vegan bakery items out now. I have 9 stores or restaurants within driving distance of me (that I can think of off the top of my head) where I can get gluten free and vegan desserts (pre-packaged and/or made in a gluten free facility.) These products are usually very expensive, but there are choices now. (Lucy's cookies are sooooo good.) You can get cupcakes, cakes, "ice cream." I would skip the gluten free bread and get the multiseed Food for Life English muffins when you want that bread taste.

The best thing you can learn to do for yourself as a gluten-free vegan is to learn to cook. Sites like TheVedge.org, OhSheGlows, Chocolate Covered Katie have recipes that are gluten free or easy to convert to gluten free (and they are all vegan.) Bob's Red Mill all purpose gluten free flour has not let me down. But these sites have recipes to make your own wraps and products rather than having to pay $7 for six English Muffins. Buy your flax seed, quinoa, chia seed, etc from places that have bulk bins. Buy only enough for what you need soon. You'll pay more to buy them already packaged, and some products run the risk of going rancid if you don't use them quickly enough. You'll need chia or flax to make "eggs" for your baking, but you won't need much.

...and not anyone picks up on the obvious.
Proclaim your method!

cindytw wrote: »

I do advocate the use of regular foods, like beans and rice and quinoa. My issue is that I have issues with those as well. Hopefully the OP doesn't!!

Quinoa is not regular food. It's food that is being absconded from native peoples on a fad.

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.