Struggling to transition to gluten free diet

[bright_eyes]

I just discovered that I have an intolerance to gluten and am really struggling with the transition. I am pregnant and find that cutting out all the things I would eat with flour in them but am having a hard time with replacing them with gluten free products. I was grinding my own wheat (I don't have a wheat grinder, just access to one), as I really want to use freshly ground flour. But I have no idea how to make my own gluten free flours and am not sure if the gf flours I can buy from the store will have much nutritional value in them. I was already feeling quite overwhelmed trying to change our diets over to a traditional foods one and now I am even more overwhelmed trying to change over to a gluten free, tf diet.

Does anyone have any tips/suggestions? Any books that would help? Any ideas on how to replace wheat products with healthy gf ones? Are the gluten free flours I can buy at a store healthy at all?

[quietserena]

I did what you're going through about a year ago. My solution was this: Tinkyada pasta for the pasta (and only occasionally for us, spendy and I react to rice too bleh), and give up on bread and baked goods. Nothing GF tastes right when you first go GF. Try baking once your palate has been cleansed.

I used potatoes a lot at first, and rice because there was this "I'm going to go hungry if I don't have bread at every meal" feeling. I now this that this feeling was totally the gluten intolerance talking. I let myself eat whatever I wanted (within reason - still didn't do sugar binges) as long as it was GF. If this meant eating four potatoes at a meal, fine. Two cups of rice? Whatever. It took me a few weeks to get clear. And to quit indulging in things people offered me out of the house. I told DH that if he was going to bring things into the house, that bringing GF would be best. I had a hard time giving up Twizzlers (and why was I eating those in the first place? ech!)

Now I can refuse things much easier. And while I slip a lot more since the baby has been born, sometimes out of hunger and sometimes out of that weird "I had a hard day adn deserve this!" it's a lot easier to refuse gluten once you're not quite so.. dependent on it.

Oh and for morning sickness, bananas helped me a lot. And I ate some rice cakes too which are so not TF but I needed *something* every now and then. Nut thins don't do it for me and neither do rice crackers and I haven't been willing to spend loads of money on trying a bunch of other crackers.

Regarding flours, I really can't say what's good or not. I get buckwheat and brown rice and mix them for the occasional pancakes and when the choc. chip cookie craving hits but really, I'm not an experienced GF baker by any means.

it gets better!

[blueridgewoman]

Yep, when I transitioned, I sort of let myself have whatever I wanted, within reason. Chocolate occasionally, red wine, rice, rice pasta, and, um, Bob's Red Mill GF pancake mix.

It DOES get better, and I definitely will say that GF stuff tastes totally normal and yummy now. I'm a pretty big meat eater though, and I love fruit and veggies so I don't really eat that much grain or wheat subs.

Maybe shifting your focus more towards meat, dairy (if you do dairy-- I eat tons of yogurt, cheese, etc) and yummy fruits and veggies might help. Rather than buying all those GF mixes now, I let myself splurge on meats, etc. Last week I got a lobster tail, this week a grass-fed steak. Butter is that CLA pastured stuff from Org. Valley. When I occasionally have chocolate, it's imported, best-I-can find stuff. That sort of thing.

Knowing I can still have decadent stuff like that seems to take the sting off.

[krankedyann]

There are some extremely nutritious GF flours. Sorghum is my favorite. Bob's Red Mill sells sorghum in bags. Teff, buckwheat, amaranth and quinoa are three others. Also, nut meals and coconut flour.

Go one step at a time. Use GF flours from the store and get the hang of it. Then move to milling your own once you're on your feet nad know which ones you prefer.

[deditus]

I also found it much easier to forget the grains for a while. Lots of fat, lots of meat, lots of fruits, veggies, nuts, eggs, dairy if you can do it. We do just a small amount of grains, one or less servings a day. Mostly rice, wild rice, millet, and quinoa. I really need 3/4 to 1 lb of meat a day to feel good, and a fair amount of starchy veggies. (We ate a whole case of sweet potatoes last month - 10 lbs!)

For instance, this is today's meal plan (we're dairy free):

Breakfast: 4 oz gf sausage patties (Beeler's brand)
smoothie with 1 banana, 1/2 c frozen blueberries, 1 egg yolk, 1/3 c coconut milk, 1/3 c water

Lunch: salmon patties made from canned salmon (2 cans salmon, 1 egg, 2 T gf flour mix, couple green onions) fried in evoo, 2 clementines, leftover brussels sprouts fried in bacon grease

Snack: apple dipped in sunbutter/raw honey/co mixture

Dinner: roast chicken, sweet potato pancakes, cranberry applesauce, and spinach

[hummingmom]

Coming from someone who's been GF for 12+ years and TF for 6+ years, I think it would be easier to just cut out breads, etc. in the beginning. It can be difficult and frustrating to make tasty GF/TF baked goods, with the exception of pancakes (more on that later). The usual recipes and commercial mixes are very dependent on various types of gums, which aren't traditional or (IMO) healthy. For lunch and dinner, it's easier just to have soaked whole grains such as brown rice or quinoa, or starchy root vegetables such as sweet potatoes. You can create an infinite variety of side dishes by using various cooking liquids, combining different grains, adding vegetables or spices, or using different cooking methods such as baking, steaming, or frying before/after cooking. Vegan cookbooks and web sites often have good recipes for grain dishes, and of course you're free to make TF adjustments, such as adding in some animal fats (or even putting a steak on top ).

For breakfast, soaked GF oats and cream of brown rice are yummy, esp. with fruit. We usually make our own cream of rice, using a grain mill. IMO the grain mill is a must-have in the long term, as fresh flours and meals are much tastier and less likely to be rancid. In the short term, though, Bob's Red Mill is a good brand that's widely available. Just check the freshness date on the package to make sure it's far in the future, and always store it in the fridge or freezer.

It's also quite easy to make GF/TF pancakes, either with sourdough, or soaked with some kind of fermented milk. There are a bunch of recipes out there, and most of them are relatively foolproof. (Things are busy around here right now, but I'll try to add some links when I have a chance.) They'll work with brown rice, oats, sorghum, or pretty much any other kind of grain, and they're especially good if the flour is freshly ground. In addition to having pancakes for breakfast, you can let them get cold and use them for sandwiches, or let them dry out in the oven and use them as crispy flatbreads.

As far as commercial flours go, the ones from Authentic Foods are finely ground and free of cross-contamination, and they're packaged in foil so they stay relatively fresh. Bob's Red Mill would also be a reasonable choice, if that's what you have access to. Again, check the dates on store-bought flours, and once you buy them, keep them in the freezer.

Since you're just getting started, if you want to have "regular bread" as an occasional treat, I'd just use a decent quality, whole-grain commercial GF bread mix (Bob's Red Mill, Pamela's, etc.) for now. The quest for a delicious GF/TF bread is a long term project for many of us.

Most of all, don't worry if you can't do everything perfectly... nobody can, and it's important to relax and enjoy eating, esp. when you're pregnant. But do try to go easy on the grains and starches, even if they're high-quality and properly prepared. Many people have triggered a latent gluten intolerance by eating too many grains, and they often continue that pattern after going GF. You're better off focusing on other nutritious and tasty foods, of which there are many on a TF diet.

[quietserena]

Originally Posted by hummingmom

Vegan cookbooks and web sites often have good recipes for grain dishes, and of course you're free to make TF adjustments, such as adding in some animal fats (or even putting a steak on top ).

I'm gonna be cracking up about this all day long.

[lindsayjean]

Originally Posted by quietserena

I'm gonna be cracking up about this all day long.

lol me too. My inlaws are vegan... I wonder what they'd do if I put a steak on top of my mother in laws cooking hahaha.

[krankedyann]

Originally Posted by hummingmom

Since you're just getting started, if you want to have "regular bread" as an occasional treat, I'd just use a decent quality, whole-grain commercial GF bread mix (Bob's Red Mill, Pamela's, etc.) for now. The quest for a delicious GF/TF bread is a long term project for many of us.

I've actually found one. It stays soft and luscious even after it's cooled. It's at http://everythingfreeeating.blogspot...revisited.html I can't rave enough about this bread.

[changingseasons]

The Allergy Self-Help Cookbook is great- is talks about different grains/flours and how you can use them in different types of cooking.

We only eat buckwheat because of DD's allergies- I buy it in bulk (25# of raw hulled groats) and grind it myself daily to use for pancakes, tortillas, whatever.

There is a recipe sticky in the Allergy forum that might help too. It's not all TF stuff, but definitely gluten-free for the most part.

[suzukiaustin]

Originally Posted by hummingmom

Most of all, don't worry if you can't do everything perfectly... nobody can, and it's important to relax and enjoy eating, esp. when you're pregnant.

:

Originally Posted by hummingmom

But do try to go easy on the grains and starches, even if they're high-quality and properly prepared. Many people have triggered a latent gluten intolerance by eating too many grains, and they often continue that pattern after going GF. You're better off focusing on other nutritious and tasty foods, of which there are many on a TF diet.

Speaking from experience, :

And, adding a steak on top really cracked me up, too!!

OP, look at the Grain Free Gourmet cook books (good not only for grain free folks, but gluten free folks, too) for some nutrient dense meal ideas. I believe their second book, Everyday Grain Free Gourmet has a menu planning section. If you are OK with dairy, it should help you quite a bit.

Good luck and take care of yourself.