[gibbsgirl]

our doctor has suggested that I change our diet to gluten free to see if that helps with one of my children who has been having some unexplained health issues, before we explore some other testing to rule out some other things.

I have been attempting to learn about doing this from information on-line. to be honest i'm feeling a little overwhelmed. I would like to hear from some people who already do this. how difficult was it to make these changes for you? where do I start?

I don't think I will be able to keep up with a cold-turkey change. and, if the gluten is not the issue, I don't want to have thrown out everything only to find it was a waste because gluten is not the problem

i'm wondering if there are some good store bought alternatives that I can start with and then maybe some simple alternative for making homemade foods to replace ones we are accustomed to eating.

have you found it easier to just feed everyone gluten-free or just the one family member with the issue?

thank you all.

 

[Coco]

I gave up everything to do with grains as I was not just gluten sensitive I just can't digest any grain ( gas and bloat and just not well) . I would start cold turkey with her for a week then add back 1 grain a week to see what she does well with.

I'm so sorry she is not doing well, but it will get sorted out.

 

[TenBusyBees]

We are a family with food allergies and in the last 4 months have also eliminated gluten.
That was far easier than hfcs or food additves.
We all eat the same food and none of the "offending" food ever comes into the house....who wants to cook two seperate meals 3x a day. Plus who wants to be an oddball and eat something different every meal than what everyone else is.

We eat a LOT of Mexican food...rice, beans, corn tortillas, meat/cheese
Meat and potatoes....Man food as dh calls it.
Veggie/meat fried rice (with Bragg's instead of traditional soy sauce)
Loaded up salads
Nachos...macho nachos....super loaded up nachos are our usual Saturday night dinner as we watch a movie.

They have lots and lots of gluten free mixes...pancakes, biscuits, bread, pizza crust, etc. They also aren't cheap eats.

We eat a lot more ice cream and pudding for our Sunday dessert....no complaints from the kiddos. I miss pie though. I did make some gf cookie dough a few weeks ago and patted that into a pie pan, naked it for a pie crust. It was the yummiest chocolate cream pie!

 

[Marcia in MT]

Check out your local library and see what books they might have on this subject to lend out. That way, you aren't out any money and if you find one you like, then you can buy it.

 

[marytx]

We also started with chicken/beef and rice dishes, Mexican dishes with corn tortillas, etc.

We tried several different gluten free pastas and the only ones we really liked were the corn based. They actually are as good or better than regular, and you can order them from Amazon with free shipping.
http://www.amazon.com/Sam-Mills-Glu...7&sr=8-2&keywords=sam+mills+gluten+free+pasta

I also ground brown rice to use in making banana bread and such. It's not quite the same, but it's good.

Also there are more and more gluten free packaged foods in the stores, but they tend to be very pricey.

 

[marytx]

btw You probably need to give the diet a couple of weeks to really have an idea of whether it is helping. Good luck!

 

[Coco]

there is nothing wrong with a diet with out grains, it takes some getting used to but don't worry about it, fresh veg,organic meat and good fats are a wholesome diet, along with fish and fruit, and I can do dairy, with cheese , youghurt , but no milk . then there are the good nuts, keffer and up and onwards to good health. you will succeed in finding the right and good combinations for her for her health, and she will be so much better in health for it.

 

[Oma2three]

I started my GF diet a couple month ago,and it's not bad at all.If you have an Aldi store their GF items are cheaper than in other stores.I love the baking mix,pizza mix their noodles ,crackers and bread,actually everything they sell GF. Really like spaghetti made out of corn.Since I love sweets I like the baking mix better then using all the different GF flours I went out to buy in the beginning.It is not the same as regular food but if that is what one needs I am grateful for all the variety one can buy now.I still cook regular things for my family since I have a lot on hand.We all like rice and potatoes,so that is a good thing.Meat, vegetables and fruit are fine.But you have to really read labels for all the gluten that you would not think is in the different foods.Also you need to be careful about cross contamination,if you cook regular food and Gf ,don't stir with the same spoon.Also had to get a toaster just for my bread.It might all sound complicated and intimidating but it's not
If I make pie for the family, I just make a small one without the crust for me .A good and easy GF cookie recipe is a peanut butter cookie.One cup pb ,one cup sugar and one egg
no flour. It is amazing what a difference Gf eating has made for me with my IBS .I do have to say it's just about impossible to eat out anymore.
Hope things go well for you .

 

[gwithrow]

there is a great cookbook from Cook's Illustrated called 'I can't believe it is gluten free' or close to that name....well worth the investment to cook food that really is tasty as well as gluten free

 

[Whisperwindkat]

Our whole family went grain free a year ago and it was the best thing we did for all of us. We all saw huge health improvements. One cookbook that has been invaluable for me is Dr. Davis's Wheat Belly 30 minute or less cookbook. Most of the time we just do without the bread, wraps and such. Hamburgers go just fine wrapped in lettuce. However, for those family members that still grumble a bit there are wrap, tortilla and a sandwich bread recipe in there that are all easy to make. Realize that gluten is in everything...spice mixes, salad dressings, sauces, soups, everything. Not only that but other grains have a habit of cross reacting with gluten, meaning they act like gluten and cause the same reaction for the body. Like another poster said eliminate all grains for a few weeks and then start adding them in one by one to see if you have a problem with any besides wheat. Corn and rice both cause the same reaction as wheat for me. That cookbook though is great. You will learn to use alternatives like almond meal, coconut meal, bean meal, etc. Blessings, Kat

 

[V-NH]

My advice is to avoid brownies made from chick pea flour. A friend of mine who is gluten free shared one with me and it tasted like it would go great with hot dogs. It must be really tough being gluten intolerant... that removes one of the most affordable food sources from your diet.

 

[mpillow]

http://glutenfreemom.com/gluten_free_recipes/#.VDqSC_ldUqZ

lots of good ideas/recipes

 

[gibbsgirl]

thanks everyone for the advice and encouragement. I feel like it's a big job just to keep 3 squares a day and hubby taking food to work so we avoid eating out. I do cook a lot homemade now, but we still buy some package premade foods. so, going gluten free just i feeling like it's adding a lot to an already full plate. like i said, we don't know what's wrong, so i don't know if this is the solution. but, i hope it helps.

I do have aldi's about an hour away, and we go to that town usually every couple of weeks. so, I'm excited to try and find the gluten free foods they offer. I love Mexican food and the kids do good with many vegetables and fruits. but, I really love my sauces and salad dressings so i'll have to figure that out.

 

[Jennifer L.]

Don't think just "gluten free" when you are looking for recipes, search for Paleo recipes. Paleo diets are grain free, and give great options.

 

[mamaboog]

I'm in your boat, but it's me.

And on top of the doctors wanting me to be gluten free... they also want me to be dairy free, because of my Hashimoto's.

UGH. There is no replacement for cheese. I can stomach corn pasta noodles. I can't stomach fake cheeeeese.

 

[TraciInTexas]

...



UGH. There is no replacement for cheese. I can stomach corn pasta noodles. I can't stomach fake cheeeeese.

Check out Nutritional Yeast, it is what the Vegans use for cheese substitute, and it's a close proximity to cheese in flavor and taste, kinda. LOL!

 

[Dorothea]

Google will be your best friend to find a product that is GF also Kraft is GF as well,,just accept bread is a no no,,cream soups and most Campbell's soup have wheat in it,,i was shocked tomato soup had wheat in it,,i also had problems with certain GF flours,,,GF pancakes are awesome,,i double rinse pasta i couldn't stand all the starch in GF pasta,,once you figure out what products you can have it isn't that hard,,good luck hope it all makes you feel so much better

 

[Laura Zone 5]

www.happyandraw.com

Look at your local Health Food Store (Whole Foods / EarthFare /Fresh Thyme) they have demo's, and flyers with recipes that you can take.