Your favourite gluten free foods

[helli]

I am currently waiting for the results of some blood tests including one for Coeliac Disease.
Whilst it is not certain, I have a feeling that of everything being tested, Coeliac fits most of my symptoms.
Now the test has been done, I have decided to eat gluten free for a couple of days as I wait for the results.
Which I why I am asking for suggestions.

To add to the challenge, I do not eat meat. I eat veg, eggs, dairy and fish but no meat.
I love home baked bread and cakes and find pasta a quick go-to meal (I do not follow a low carb diet) so any alternatives or recipes woudl be appreciated.

And the last question is any warning about "hidden" gluten in food that I would not expect.

Thank you for all your suggestions.

 

[Leadinglights]

I am currently waiting for the results of some blood tests including one for Coeliac Disease.
Whilst it is not certain, I have a feeling that of everything being tested, Coeliac fits most of my symptoms.
Now the test has been done, I have decided to eat gluten free for a couple of days as I wait for the results.
Which I why I am asking for suggestions.

To add to the challenge, I do not eat meat. I eat veg, eggs, dairy and fish but no meat.
I love home baked bread and cakes and find pasta a quick go-to meal (I do not follow a low carb diet) so any alternatives or recipes woudl be appreciated.

And the last question is any warning about "hidden" gluten in food that I would not expect.

Thank you for all your suggestions

Coeliac UK has food and recipes on their web site. https://www.coeliac.org.uk/
I know the edamame bean or black bean pasta I use is gluten free.

 

[helli]

Coeliac UK has food and recipes on their web site. https://www.coeliac.org.uk/
I know the edamame bean or black bean pasta I use is gluten free.

Unfortunately, the recipes are only available to paid members.
I may consider joining if my diagnosis is confirmed but not for a week of "experimenting".

I also hope this thread may be helpful for other members who want to share their gluten-free tips.

 

[Leadinglights]

Unfortunately, the recipes are only available to paid members.
I may consider joining if my diagnosis is confirmed but not for a week of "experimenting".

I also hope this thread may be helpful for other members who want to share their gluten-free tips.

Bummer, sorry I didn't check that.

 

[Inka]

Sauces are an obvious hidden source @helli eg most soy sauces. Tamari is usually fine. Crisps can catch you out too. There are gluten free corn pastas and veg pastas, which taste fine. Apart from rice, you can also have things like buckwheat (not actually wheat at all), millet, quinoa, etc. I find those very useful in vegetarian cookery.

The thing I found most tricky were breakfast cereals when I went gluten-free. The ones you can buy lacked fibre so I sprinkled rice bran over the top. I also made a buckwheat cereal, which worked well.

I recently had a faint positive on a coeliac test and they keep thinking my symptoms are coeliac but I’ve never had a diagnosis. If you do get one, you’ll need to be very strict. Alcohol is another one to watch. You really will need a list or booklet.

 

[Inka]

There are quite a few gluten-free recipes on here @helli I searched for main meals but you can search for other things too:

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-t...pecial_diets[0]=46&meals_courses[0]=29&page=2

 

[AndBreathe]

I am currently waiting for the results of some blood tests including one for Coeliac Disease.
Whilst it is not certain, I have a feeling that of everything being tested, Coeliac fits most of my symptoms.
Now the test has been done, I have decided to eat gluten free for a couple of days as I wait for the results.
Which I why I am asking for suggestions.

To add to the challenge, I do not eat meat. I eat veg, eggs, dairy and fish but no meat.
I love home baked bread and cakes and find pasta a quick go-to meal (I do not follow a low carb diet) so any alternatives or recipes woudl be appreciated.

And the last question is any warning about "hidden" gluten in food that I would not expect.

Thank you for all your suggestions.

Helli, our diets will be very different, as I enjoy eating meat, but I am assuming you "do" dairy?

In terms of a gluten free diet, once started, it can take several weeks to feel the impact of it and for "things" to change, so don't be too disappointed if your experiment doesn't feel a bit "so what"?

I have chosen not to seek out GF alternatives to foods, because it just feels to me to be something else to go wrong, or get mixed up. For me, there are plenty of naturally GF things to eat and drink out there without the alternatives.

My exceptions to that personally imposed rule are soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce.

Other surprises are likely to be some soft drinks - like cola based, carbonated drinks, seasonings and coatings, so going GF brings a whole new period of distracted shopping scouring labels. Barley and rye also contain glutens, so have to be left on the shelf, I'm afraid.

Whilst The Coeliac Society may only offer recipes to paid up members, they do have food lists, if my memory servces me well, but to be honest, in this day and age, I usually just ask Dr Google if x, y or z is naturally gluten free

Bearing in mind your diet and your preferences, you might do well exploring the GF alternative, if it sits comfortably with you. Like most "special" foods, it isn't unusual to pay a premium.

If diagnosed coeliac, you may be able to have some products on prescription.

Whilst I am reconciled to living GF, and do well on it, I do hoe you manage to swerve the need - whether coeliac or not. A lack or, or low antibodies in your blood test is not conclusive, and of course you can be sensitive to gluten without being coeliac. My Endo (whom I see for my errant thyroid) suggests anyone with AI conditions seriously consider adopting a GF diet, as they tend to do very well on it (or without it - gluten that is).

 

[AndBreathe]

@helli - Just an after thought, I know I have stated that it can take several weeks to assess the benefits or a GF diet, I should have added that it is important that GF is exactly that GF. Cutting down a but doesn't cut it.

 

[helli]

I have been doing a fair amount of reading as I impatiently wait for my test results. Still waiting.
I have learnt Coeliac disease is not a gluten intolerance. Like Type 1, it is an autoimmune disease (I knew that bit). The body attacks cells in the stomach that break down the gluten and as a result the body is unable to absorb certain vitamins such as B12 and iron (is iron a vitamin? No need to answer. That was a rhetorical question).
The key point is that someone with Coeliac would be as annoyed about being told they have a gluten intolerance as someone with Type 1 is when someone suggests they have a carb intolerance.
They both have an intolerance to being told they have an intolerance 😛

Members of Coeliac fora also seem to have an intolerance to people with a gluten intolerance. 😳

 

[Drummer]

I have been doing a fair amount of reading as I impatiently wait for my test results. Still waiting.
I have learnt Coeliac disease is not a gluten intolerance. Like Type 1, it is an autoimmune disease (I knew that bit). The body attacks cells in the stomach that break down the gluten and as a result the body is unable to absorb certain vitamins such as B12 and iron (is iron a vitamin? No need to answer. That was a rhetorical question).
The key point is that someone with Coeliac would be as annoyed about being told they have a gluten intolerance as someone with Type 1 is when someone suggests they have a carb intolerance.
They both have an intolerance to being told they have an intolerance 😛

Members of Coeliac fora also seem to have an intolerance to people with a gluten intolerance. 😳

Ah - my sister's daughter was told that she had coeliac disease after she was found to be severely, dangerously anaemic as a girl. For some time my sister altered her daughter's diet and then my niece was very careful about gluten once she left home - but like all the family when adult, she began to eat more low carb and after some time she was told that she did not have coeliac disease after all.
With the information they were given that seemed impossible, but if the information was a simplification or just incorrect, then perhaps that is what happened.

 

[Lucyr]

I am currently waiting for the results of some blood tests including one for Coeliac Disease.
Whilst it is not certain, I have a feeling that of everything being tested, Coeliac fits most of my symptoms.
Now the test has been done, I have decided to eat gluten free for a couple of days as I wait for the results.

It’s not advised to go gluten free following the blood test as it will take a lot longer than a few days to recover from gluten if you do have coeliac, and if the blood test is positive you may need a biopsy which you would need to eat gluten every day for several weeks beforehand.

If you get negative results and decide on no biopsy, or a positive result that is high enough that no biopsy is required, then you can go gluten free.

It’s a complete pain being gluten free but worth it for me. I get whatever bread is reduced at Tesco and freeze it rather than specific brands.

 

[Lucyr]

Once you are able to try gluten free, then to find gluten free foods, most supermarket apps (definitely Tesco Sainsburys Asda at least) have a filter that you can set to only show gluten free foods. Annoyingly you need to readd it on every search though

 

[helli]

Once you are able to try gluten free, then to find gluten free foods, most supermarket apps (definitely Tesco Sainsburys Asda at least) have a filter that you can set to only show gluten free foods. Annoyingly you need to readd it on every search though

Thanks.
If I have to, my preference will be to eat "naturally" gluten free foods such as oatcakes instead of crackers and bake cakes with polenta or almonds rather than wheat flour. I am trying to familiarise myself with foods with "hidden" gluten. At least foods I wouldn't expect to have gluten in such as my veggie sausages.

I don't use online shopping as I appreciate the reason to get out of the house and exercise (I do the weekly shop on foot - the supermarket is about 30 minutes downhill from home so I have an uphill slog with full shopping bags). But it's a good tip to take a look online to familiarise myself with the options.
Fingers crossed I can continue to eat home baked bread and normal pasta.

 

[Lucyr]

If I have to, my preference will be to eat "naturally" gluten free foods such as oatcakes instead of crackers

Oatcakes aren’t naturally gluten free, they’re only safe to eat if made with gluten free oats. Nairn do a gluten free version of oatcakes.

You’d also need to be careful with polenta. Sainsburys one isn’t safe for coeliacs but as it isn’t something I really eat much perhaps other shops are or perhaps you could make it safely.

 

[helli]

Ah - my sister's daughter was told that she had coeliac disease after she was found to be severely, dangerously anaemic as a girl. For some time my sister altered her daughter's diet and then my niece was very careful about gluten once she left home - but like all the family when adult, she began to eat more low carb and after some time she was told that she did not have coeliac disease after all.
With the information they were given that seemed impossible, but if the information was a simplification or just incorrect, then perhaps that is what happened.

I assume this was some time ago.
I have 3 obvious anomalies from recent blood tests which could be explained with Coeliac and waiting for results of latest blood test to test my response to gluten.
I have a couple of other mild symptoms which could be explained with coeliac.
Plus Type 1 increases the probability because auto immune conditions like to gather.

Whilst I would rather not have Coeliac, it would be great to have a reason for my recent anomalies.
It feels a bit like when I was diagnosed with diabetes. I didn't like it but grateful for an explanation for feeling tired, weeing frequently, thrush and losing weight. At least I then had a way out.

 

[helli]

Oatcakes aren’t naturally gluten free, they’re only safe to eat if made with gluten free oats. Nairn do a gluten free version of oatcakes.

You’d also need to be careful with polenta. Sainsburys one isn’t safe for coeliacs but as it isn’t something I really eat much perhaps other shops are or perhaps you could make it safely.

Thanks for these tips. I am picking them up through my research.
Such as oats are not gluten free but can be eaten by most people with Coeliac because of the type of gluten. I read a long article about it. Turns out not all gluten is equal.

 

[Leadinglights]

I met someone 45 years ago who eventually was diagnosed as Coeliac after years of being told being unwell was all in her head. She had to do exclusion food tests by starting with a very restricted menu and adding what should have been OK foods for 3 consecutive meals. It was surprising how related food were not necessarily ok, for example cucumbers were OK but not courgettes and the like. Even different brands of coffee so it was not so simple. Much better information now, then it was guess work.

 

[Lucyr]

There are some foods like gravy granules or your veggie sausages as an example where some normal brands are gluten free and some aren’t.

Eg bisto favourite gravy granules aren’t GF but bisto best are a may contain, so not suitable for coeliac but may be ok for some with gluten intolerance. Then bisto gravy pots or bisto gluten free are actually GF.

I’m not saying you necessarily eat gravy granules, just as an example of how the shopping apps with filter can help on finding safe brands or varieties of foods when unfamiliar.

 

[AndBreathe]

....

Members of Coeliac fora also seem to have an intolerance to people with a gluten intolerance. 😳

There are reasons, beyond already practising excellent gluten avoidance, why someone living with coeliac will not fail a standard NHS coeliac panel. Just as an example, individuals are rarely investigated for general IgA deficiency.

It is such a great shame such attitudes exist, and frankly, they are white noise, but it just goes to show that superiority and bigotry is no isolated in the diabetes community.

I hope you don't have to wait too much longer for your results.

 

[cheekychops99]

I've been Gluten Free for a while, and I have found teff is a great substitute for wheat. It's gluten free, high in fibre, and iron.