Tips on Gluten Free eating

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goodfido
goodfido Posts: 127 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've been having some stomach issues for some time now so my SIL who is a nurse suggested perhaps going Gluten Free for a few weeks to see if that helps. I'm just wondering if anyone is currently eating Gluten Free and can offer any suggestions, tips, foods they like or brands they use that are Gluten Free.

Thanks! :smile:
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Replies

  • mabennett
    mabennett Posts: 53
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    nothing to add but listening in. interested in gluten free as well
  • pseusie
    pseusie Posts: 16
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    Likewise-- on day 3 of a 2-week gluten-free trial, and hoping for some advice (especially about breakfast and eating out!).
  • pixiechick8321
    pixiechick8321 Posts: 284 Member
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    Look for blogs that use low-carb recipes (skinnytaste, chocolatecoveredkatie, yourlighterside) and make substitutions like rice or quiona instead of pasta (and try to make that brown rice).

    Look for almond crackers or rice crackers instead.

    Try going into Whole Foods, Natural Grocery, Sprouts, etc and search for items.

    Breakfast specific - try eggs with meat and veggies (like a scramble); try oatmeal*(some of it, check the package), try fruit and yogurt, try smoothies

    For eating out - just tell them! Most places are accommodating - some examples for meals include rice and fish with veggie side, burger without the bun (use lettuce instead, or eat with knife and fork), chicken with cheese, etc...

    If the gluten-free time off doesn't help, try getting rid of dairy next.

    Good luck!
  • carriparton
    carriparton Posts: 62 Member
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    I am trying this out for the first time too. Any suggestions are helpful, as I have no idea what is gluten free. I did go to my grocery store last night and noticed they had a gluten free isle in the health foods section, so that was helpful.
  • TKHappy
    TKHappy Posts: 659 Member
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    I eat a lot of Gluten Free things...I honestly just feel better....not because I have to. :) GlutenFreely.com has a lot of name brand products that have gluten free alternatives. I've found some decent dessert recipes by browsing the internet, the power of Google is amazing!! If you add more fruits, veggies and protein sources in they are usually gluten free. Most corn things like taco shells are a good bet. Reading labels is always a must. I really like Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour and their steel cut oats! :)
  • allisonlov
    allisonlov Posts: 11 Member
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    Here are a few resources I have found useful. I am doing gluten free, limited sugar, dairy and caffeine, for fibromyalgia and stomach issues, not weight loss, weight loss was going well before these diet changes.

    http://glutenfreegrazer.com/
    http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/
    http://glutenfreegirl.com/category/are-you-new-to-gluten-free/
  • morgandy
    morgandy Posts: 21
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    I dreaded going gluten free... wheat has always been a staple in my diet! But it cleared up stomach issues I've been having for years and I've only been gluten free for 2 months now. Plus, the food situation is not nearly as bad as I thought... Some things that I've discovered so far:

    - Udi's gluten free bread and bagels (best brand I've tried)

    - Tinkyada gluten free pasta (many varieties - I've found it in the health food section of major health food stores)

    - Olympic balkan yogurt (which I sweeten with maple syrup)

    - shopping the fresh food isle as much as possible (because processed food is tricky! I have been "glutenized" multiple times by eating something, like a can of soup, that didn't indicate any gluten products on the label, but in fact had trace amounts of gluten in it - enough to send my stomach on a rampage). If shopping for processed food, google it first. It seems there's always someone out there who has sat on a customer help line to find out exactly what's in a company's product.

    - Watch bulk bins :( I bought a yummy (and expensive) bag of trail mix, which it turns out has gluten in it (they will coat dried berries in the flour to prevent them from sticking).

    - Watch out for any kind of sauces in restaurants. Don't be afraid to order things like burgers without the bread.

    Good luck! :)
  • AshinAms
    AshinAms Posts: 283 Member
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    I tried going gluten and dairy free at the same time for a month and it cleared up huge stomach issues for me. I re-introduced both, sadly with poor results, so will be going back to going without asap. It seems to be much worse in Europe - it's almost impossible to be vegetarian and gluten/dairy free and its very difficult to eat out. :/ My boyfriend has been more heartbroken about me being gluten/dairy free than ought to be - you would think he was the one doing it, but it really limits what and where you can eat!

    Thanks for the links, don't have any to add, just want to keep the topic up!
  • gogojodee
    gogojodee Posts: 1,261 Member
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    Bob's is my fave for brand name stuff. Udi's as well. I try to be GF but it can be pricey and whatnot. :]
  • Bob314159
    Bob314159 Posts: 1,178 Member
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    My wife and soon went gluten free based on testing and its helped a lot. I now eat much less gluten and have got used to cooking that way. My wife has created substitute recipes for baking. I still eat bagles and bread and pizza but not that often

    Agree with the Tinkyada gluten free pasta - its very good.

    We did need extra space to store all the oddball gluten-free non wheat flours - a lot of which we can only buy in bulk by mail order.

    I make a great meat loaf with almond flour
  • itsjustdawn
    itsjustdawn Posts: 1,073 Member
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    I've done it before - went 6 weeks GF back in 2009. My stomach had never felt better. I am actually debating returning to that style of living. I already eat very little wheat though. It is more popular/common now than it was 3 years ago. And if you can go without needing to eat pasta or bread, you could probably do it pretty easily. Fresh produce, lean meats, dairy (assuming you're not going without that). Try to avoid processed foods when possible. Larabars are great for on the go. Do watch out for meat-free substitutes (Boca, Morningstar Farms) as I believe they contain wheat or are not GF. There are GF breads and pasta out there, but pricey as has been pointed out already. I don't know if this was helpful at all, but I hope you get something out of this post :-)
  • itsjustdawn
    itsjustdawn Posts: 1,073 Member
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    And just an FYI, in case you have a Red Robin in your area, they now offer a gluten-free bun! It is $1 more but I think that's worth it to avoid having tummy issues.
  • allisonlov
    allisonlov Posts: 11 Member
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    Larabars are good, but if you are watching your sugar Kind bars are also good and lower in sugar. I also really like quinoa, I season it like I used to rice. My favorite is black bean quinoa salad from Whole Foods, I buy it often but I'm sure I could make it at home too.

    Make sure you read the labels. Some processed gluten free items are higher in fat, sugar, etc than the non gluten free version. Could be a problem if trying to lose weight and go gluten free.
  • LadyFleata
    LadyFleata Posts: 32 Member
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    i am a person who has been wheat free from 8 years now, after going full into anaphylactic shock mode when ingesting any produce with wheat in.

    there are many things to take into consideration:
    burgers are not good as the above post says. most will have wheat/ rusk in as a bulking agent. only burger that say 100% beef (and even then check the label or ask if in a restaurant)
    Things you never expect to have wheat in may indeed have wheat / gluten in. items I have found that i was amazed have wheat in. Hotdogs, icecream, tomato ketchup, orange juice, flapjacks (obv have gluten in but wheat flour ?) these are examples not all OJ has wheat in as not all hotdogs do etc
    CHECK LABELS on everything every single time!! esp if you have an allergy like i do. Soup i bought for years said wheat free, then I noticed the packaging had changed and they had also changed the recipe too added wheat flour in meaning I can no longer have it.

    sometimes even the stupidest thing can catch you out.
    I have had ham, egg and chips from weatherspoons many many times loads in fact, yet this Monday I had a full blown anaphylactic shock went back to weatherspoons to complain and obv tell them that the food allergy guide is wrong. and after looking they found the Ham was processed on a line that handles wheat products. they say the chips can be a bit iffy to as they fry the chips in the same fat the fry the battered fish and nuggets etc in so again you have to be very carefull if you have a severe allergy like me.

    there are plenty of produce that is wheat/gluten free in the supermarkets, not all are great. UK wise. asda's pasta is great, dietary specials pizza bases and ready made are OK (not great but ok) Genius bread is good tho most i have found are pants IMO, free from pizza breads make a great snack with apple and cheese etc, I dont eat any of the sweet free from stuff as chocolate is my poison of choice, but there are loads of cherry bakewells, chocolate covered this and that, like chocolate covered marzipan on he market. there are also free from chicken nuggets, fish fingers, sausages, chicken burgers from UK supermarkets

    If you are a diagnosed coeliac get in touch with Juvela.co.uk their stuff is amazing but only available if you have a prescription but if you sign up they sent you a free sample box even if you dont have a prescription. box contains, bread flour, pasta, spaghetti, crispbreads, cant remember what else but its a good starter pack.

    you dont need to pay expensive prices for gluten free stuff, just look for food thats naturally wheat/gluten free! Aldi have a decent amount of gluten free produce cheaply, sometimes they even do a specials of free from food.

    rice noodles are gluten/wheat free. other noodles like egg noddles are not.
    couscous is made from wheat flour :(
    most gravy's are made with wheat flour as is most stuffing.
    be careful of breaded cooked meats and coatings on roast potatoes, parsnips, chips and other vegetables as well as sauces, dressings and other coatings.

    if you are allergic or have an intolerance eliminate ALL items in your house that do have wheat/gluten in. just one slip up can have you in hospital. i had a ****ty day reached for the pasta to make dinner, wasnt concentrating!!, picked up the wrong stuff 30 mins later, ambulance was being called.
    if you need to have 2 separate food stuffs like myself and my husband who is not wheat allergic place all your wheat free stuff in a separate cupboard well away from anything that might have wheat /gluten in.

    DOnt worry about eating out so much, i used to have panic attacks and eventually gave up on eating out altogether, because on incidents like the weatherspoons one last Monday. check the food allergy guide, tho as i have found out its not infallible. this cuts down your choice, I only hve one choice now on the weathspoons menu and thats Jacket Potato with either tuna or beans and thats it. i guess is means it wont take me long to pick next time i go.

    oh one last thing. HOT CHOCOLATE! most hot chocs have wheat in. Options doesnt, as does asda smart price is wheat free. MOCHA's!! if you love your mocha's check please check, some company's use choc syrup which you need to check, but is usually fine, some use hot chocolate powder which is more than likely to have wheat flour in.

    cant think of anything else atm add me to friends if you have any questions about a wheat /gluten free diet or if you have an allergy to wheat/gluten and want to trade advice and tips.
  • misskerouac
    misskerouac Posts: 2,242 Member
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    My tip is - if you can make it from scratch, do it. Gluten is hidden in so many things.

    My second piece of advice that I wish someone had told me, corn pasta is 100x better than brown rice pasta (taste wise and texture wise)
  • Eadne
    Eadne Posts: 18 Member
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    Genius bread is amazing, and Orgran pasta is good too. Rice, rice noodles, potatoes, quinoa, corn tortillas, etc are all gluten free. You can also buy gluten free porridge oats and breakfast cereals, and even pizza bases! Sauces can be a problem - get some cornflour and make your own, or if you're in the UK you could try Bisto Best gravy powder.

    Be prepared to cook a lot of meals at home and forego eating at buffets and cafeterias. A packed lunch box is essential. A jacket potato is usually the easiest lunch option if you're eating out, or an Italian restaurant (steak, chicken and risotto), or an Indian restaurant (virtually everything is gluten free except the bread). Nando's chain restaurants also have a good gluten free selection.

    The most helpful website I've found is http://glutenfreegirl.com/
  • runlaugheatpie
    runlaugheatpie Posts: 376 Member
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    My tip is - if you can make it from scratch, do it. Gluten is hidden in so many things.

    My second piece of advice that I wish someone had told me, corn pasta is 100x better than brown rice pasta (taste wise and texture wise)

    this ^^

    going gluten free doesn't just mean replacing your bread with GF bread. Gluten can be found in a LOT Of stuff.

    making things yourself with a basis of protein/veg/fat is probably your best bet. IF you are going to eat dairy you need to watch out for gluten in LF or FF items - my advise is eat REAL food (ie normal fat yoghurt for example) but eat less of it. If looking to replace rice, cauliflower is a GREAT substitute. Once you don't have bread or pasta for a while, you don't miss it, but luckily there are replacements. For carbs eat veggies, sweet potatoes, etc. You don't NEED bread or pasta as a core carb even though people say you do. (just my opinion of course)

    A lot of my diary is in Dutch, but you are welcome to add me and/or check out my diary. I'm about 85% paleo which means mostly GF. I also have some stuff in my blog about it which is at www.lowfatpie.com/blog

    Good Luck!
  • mumsanutter
    mumsanutter Posts: 3,067 Member
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    I found that soya sauce, teriaki sauce and worcestershire sauce all contain gluten. Makes cooking for me a little harder, can anyone recommend anything that I could use to replace?
  • jimmie25
    jimmie25 Posts: 266
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    Well, I had stomach issues for months until my doctors found out I had celiacs. So I naturally am gluten free now. Have been for about 1.5 months. It's probably the best that has happened to me, since I feel so much more energetic and less anxious. I'm not saying it's cool to be forced to read EVERY (!) food lable every time at the grocery store, but I'll get used to it.

    To the OP: If you REALLY need to go gluten free (gluten sensitivity can have the same symptoms as celiacs, consequences are the same though = gluten free diet), you need to talk it over with a doctor and a nutritionist who knows about that stuff.

    Oh and, prepare yourself for some nasty periods of withdrawal symptoms.
  • spngebobmyhero
    spngebobmyhero Posts: 823 Member
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    I have been gluten free for about 6 months. I feel much better. I am also mostly grain free along with legume free. No more bloating or fatigue! I haven't replaced my gluten-laden things with the gluten free alternatives because most of these are higher in calories and very processed. Occasionally I'll have a treat, but its like once a month. I sometimes eat corn and rice.

    I have a blog and the recipes are gluten free all the way back to July of 2012. Maybe this can give you some ideas on what to cook?
    wifeasaurus.blogspot.com

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