Gluten and Dairy Intolerance Experts - I Need Your Help

[BabyJay'sMom]

This is going to be a bit of a pity party, so please bear with me.

Since my early 20's I've always had intermittent stomach problems, mostly the need to have a BM IMMEDIATELY.  I wondered in amazement at the people that said they only have a BM at home, never when they are out.  For me I usually feel the need to go NOW, and it can be a race to find a bathroom.  Sometimes I can't make it in time.  (Oh yes, the shame and embarrassment is awesome.)  Plus I've been losing more hair than I think I should for over the last year.  I think I even see some thinning now, which I understand is a side effect of gluten intolerance.  

I have never put two and two together until very recently.  This summer I was in cooking school and every morning I would have a bowl of cucumber soup (with creme fraiche as a main ingredient) and a big cup of coffee with cream.  (I'm not a traditional breakfast food person.)  Within a half an hour I would have to race to the bathroom.  After that I would be fine until the next morning.  (Which gave me some sense of security since I have to travel and hour each way on public transit with no bathroom access.)  I normally steer away from bread, and flour in general, and have never had a sweet tooth, so I don't get much gluten in my diet.  When I do have a lot of bread I end up with the same symptoms, so I think I have a problem with both gluten and dairy.  And I should mention I LIVE IN FRANCE.  The capital of the world for the best bread, cheese and dairy.  The realization that I have to give these things up for good is unbearable.  And will I never be able to eat in a French restaurant again?  Gluten and Dairy is in EVERYTHING!  The thought that I will never be able to have a tasting menu is a restaurant is torture...though would probably be great for my wallet.  

Just last night I made mini blueberry muffins for a picnic at my kids school and I had to try one, OK two (one of each batch.)  I can't send off food I haven't tried!  I am paying for it this morning.  But they contained both gluten and dairy, so I can't be sure what the trigger was.  I just know that being in cooking school from November to March is going to be SO HARD.  What am I supposed to do?  Not taste the food I'm putting out?  Right now I am just crushed, and feeling very down.  I plan on eating gluten and dairy free for the next few days and then eating a few pieces of cheese and see what it does to me.  I'm hoping that I can handle SOME dairy.  

Oh, and both my husband and daughter are nut allergic, so I can't just substitute nut flours for baking.  Are we really to be a nut, dairy and gluten free family?  My son won't want to eat anything but meat!!!

Does anyone have any advice for me?  Can I hear from some foodies that have faced the same obstacles I have?  I just need to feel that I'm not alone.

Thanks in advance.

[jacquelinej]

I am here to tell you, it can be done.  We are doing it, we have been off and on gluten, DF, soy free for 6 years and last February I learned I was celiac and DD was gluten intolerant, allergic to soy.  So we went strictly gluten and dairy free and soy free.  The problem with milk for gluten sensitivities is that it can act just like gluten in your system.  Once we healed everyone's intestinal tracts, we have found that cheese is OK...but we had to wait several months to try it.

We just visited Paris, I know what you are facing!  Paris was the most difficult of the european cities we visited in May and June.  But we learned that there are some natural food stores in Paris that carry gluten free foods and there is one gluten free bakery (check Facebook).  I was never able to try the gluten free bakery because it was closed all 6 days we were in Paris.  But the macaroons are usually gluten free, you just need to be concerned about cross-contamination.  If you are not celiac it may not be such an issue.  You will get sick, but not for days and days (my symptoms).  Obviously getting gluten at all is a bad idea, the goal being to be completely free of gluten so you can heal.  Carrying your own snacks and meals is the only way to go.  It's not all fun, but it's certainly worth it over being sick day after day.

I would try to eliminate milk, all milk, for 2 weeks at a minimum.  See how you feel.  You will know within the first week but it will take more then 2-3 days to find out.  Believe me, I feel so much better off of gluten and milk that I don't even look back.  I felt absolutely terrible.  I also have rheumatoid arthritis, most likely caused by the celiacs.  I wish I had known 15 years ago!  So much pain and illness would have been avoided.  It really is worth it, every painful minute.  I wanted to feel better so badly.  I wanted to have another child and it was not happening.  It was gluten and it was killing me slowly and causing the infertility, the joint pain, the stomach issues, all the bad things.

I started with an all vegetarian diet for 2 weeks.  All veges, fruit and I was allowed nuts, DD was allowed plain chicken breast, no nuts.  I felt so much better after 2 weeks, I did another 2 weeks of vegetarian.  No grains, no animal meat.  It's worth it.  There are a ton of websites with gluten free dairy free nut free recipes.  There is a LOT of support out there, you just have to reach for it!  

There are a lot of gluten free alternative flours available, and they are not all nut flours!  The US has a huge gluten free market.  We currently live in Japan.  Not a single gluten free product to be found.  In fact, there is an infestation of gluten foods here, it's terrible.  I am eating mostly fruit, veges and fresh meat, nothing preserved.  Japanese use MSG as a preservative on some meats and it is derived from, guess what, wheat!  Soy sauce is 40% wheat and they put it on everything!  We order a lot of our foods from the US.  It's the only way I can be assured I am not getting sneaky gluten from somewhere.  And if I do, I will know in about 6 hours and for the next 2 weeks I will be in pain.

Believe me, you can find a way and it is worth it to find it.  I would be happy to give you more info if you want it, but it's there!  And of course, I know your misery!  I love my food.  It was special before, now it's super extra special because of the work that goes into it.  

I'm around, just message me!

Jacqueline

[loveandgarbage]

I agree that eliminating dairy first makes sense. Then once you've been off of that for a little while, and eat gluten and get a reaction, you can know which one is the trigger. I've also had on and off GI issues and giving up dairy earlier this year has been AMAZING for my gut. Sure I crave buttery baked goods (especially because I'm pregnant) but the consequences are just simply not worth it. 

If your hair is falling out, are you also feeling tired or sluggish? Hair loss is a thyroid symptom and I would suggest you get that checked just to make sure. Many women with thyroid issues are also sensitive to gluten!

[BabyJay'sMom]

First, thank you both for your replies!  

That's all I need loveandgarbage!  I had my GP run a full blood panel last year, and she said nothing was "off," so when I go in soon I'll have her rerun everything and see if anything has changed.  And yes, I do feel tired and sluggish, and I've been bluer than normal, nothing excessive, but along with the 10 lbs I've gained since moving to France I know there has to be something serious going on.  And the absolute absence of GI issues when I'm off gluten and dairy tells me a lot!  Now I just have to see if I can get my GP to refer me to an allergist.  Is that what I'm supposed to do by the way?  Is there a tried and true way to confirm a gluten and/or dairy allergy?  Besides diet elimination?  I'll have to go ask Dr. Google.  

And thanks a million Jacqueline.  The GF bakery is Helmut Newcake, and I busted my butt over there with my kids in tow yesterday and found out that they don't sell bread!  Just sweets, and most made with nut flour, so not something I feel safe about having around the house.  If I had any sweet tooth it would be great, but now thinking about it, most everything had dairy.  Ah well.  I did buy some OK shrink-wrapped, good until 2057 industrial GF bread from my tiny health food store, and I was good to mop up poached eggs, but not something I'd eat alone.  I will have to head across town to the big Bio-coop and try their freshly baked breads, but from what I read they all may contain nut flours, so I'm not sure if that will work either.  And I need to brush up on my allergy French.  Thank goodness for Google Translate!

When you say sick for days and days what do you mean?  GI issues the whole time?  Cramping, bloating the such?  And your arthritis flares up?  A coworker of my husbands was celiac and lived here for two years and had a tough time.  Her symptoms were almost immediate.  Within an hour or so she'd know by GI symptoms that she'd ingested gluten, but I think for her it was no more than a 24 hour thing.  For me it seems to manifest itself overnight.  But maybe that's just because I tend to eat the gluten at night?  i.e. bread with dinner?  And the GI symptoms usually go away in a few hours.  

My Mom was shopping for me at Whole Foods in the States today, so she picked me up a couple of bread mixes.  I know there are a few good websites I can hand pick from to compensate for the small amount of products for sale here.  

And by the way, I have been sensitive to MSG since I was a teenager, though it took me until my mid-twenties to figure out what was causing my debilitating migraines.  I can tell you if something has MSG (or one of its almost as strong derivatives companies like to hide in plain sight) within about 15 minutes of ingesting it.  It all starts with visual floaters and progresses to a full blown migraine if I can't nip it in the bud with caffeine.  (And they say you can't have an allergy to MSG.  Serious neurological symptoms?  That sounds like an allergy to me!)  I'm fascinated to know that MSG has a celiacs tie in.  I'll have to look into that more.

Thanks again, and keep the help coming.  I should be able to get into my doc in the next few weeks, so I'll let you know if I find anything new.  Oh, and my kids had handmade pasta with fresh mozzarella last night for dinner.  Getting rid if gluten and dairy is going to be hard!

[jacquelinej]

Yes, it is hard, I will not disagree BabyJay'sMom.  I too have a 6 year old who doesn't quite understand why she can't have gluten.  Her father lets her have dairy and gluten at his house, but I don't give her any.  It is a big time struggle and I may soon have to enforce some strict rules.  But DD also has ADD/ADHD and she is better off gluten.  She certainly has less ear infections (we averaged 1 every 2 weeks for months) being away from milk, and no vaginal yeast infections (which can look very innocent sometimes, but aren't so innocent) and no constipation.  But the consequences of being on gluten and dairy are not worth it.  And once you get the new restrictions down, it will be much easier.

My symptoms usually start as soon as the gluten hits my intestine, which is about 6 hours later.  If I am continually having gluten (as I was before I was diagnosed) I would have diarrhea, cramps, and bloating all day every day spotted with constipation.  These are crippling cramps, like I can't walk and I cry because of the pain, and terrible uncontrollable diarrhea.  I also had many other symptoms (like foggy brain) that were easily blamed on other medical problems, like my infertility was blamed on several things, then ultimately was unexplained infertility.  The doctors could not nail it down (IBS was often blamed, but fiber made it much much worse, and I was already eating a lot of fruit!), no one thought of celiacs even though DD showed an allergy to gluten early on.  It was a Chinese acupuncturist who suggested the vegan diet as an elimination diet.  I also had 7 weeks of vertigo diagnosed as due to an inner ear inflammation which we now think was caused by all the excess inflammation in my entire system.  I too initially thought that since I limited my gluten (I was low carb) that gluten was not my problem.  I always felt much better, lost weight, etc, when I was on low carb.  But I had rheumatoid symptoms for years that were undiagnosed because my joint pain is not typical symmetrical pain.  Now the RA diagnosis is different (better) and perhaps not so many people will slip through the cracks as I did.  So yes, when I get even the tiniest amount of gluten, even "processed on the same machines" but not having gluten in the item itself, I have a reaction.  I usually find out after, and then I am running to the box to find out what happened.  I still make mistakes.  After the cramps and diarrhea go away (2-4 days, depending on amount, can last 7 days), then the joint flare starts.  Constant joint pain, usually my right shoulder and my hands along with general malaise, exhaustion, blurry mind, etc.  Sometimes this leads to a whole body flare, which is no fun, and can last for months.  This is the state I was in, between RA diagnosis and Celiacs diagnosis, constant up and down.  I really felt like death was at my doorstep.  Getting up was a struggle as was sleeping every night (both going to sleep and staying asleep).  One of the big clues was when the doctor ran blood work on vitamin and mineral deficiency and I was desperately deficient in several which showed that I was not absorbing nutrition intestinally where many of your vitamins and minerals are absorbed.

So yes, if you tend to eat it at night, you may not have symptoms right away.  Again, you probably have at least a gluten sensitivity (AKA gluten intolerance/gluten allergy).  The medical field as a whole is very vague and knows very little about both the causes and repercussions of gluten allergy and not too much more about celiacs.  Some doctors don't even recognize it as a series allergy but it is at least as serious from my perspective as a nut allergy or insect bite allergy that causes anaphylaxis reaction.  Sure, it doesn't kill you immediately, but it can lead to horrible consequences of which mine may be an extreme.  I find it highly unlikely that I 'happen to have' both RA and celiacs which are both directly tied to the auto-immune system.  Nevertheless, why take the chance on your health when there are alternatives which are just as tasty and much more healthy?  It took 7 months for my intestine to heal after the diagnosis and that was with a whole bunch of supplements, medications and alternative therapies and I still occasionally have problems with my digestive tract and still need to take an extensive amount of supplements.

Fortunately, in the scheme of things, I initially diagnosed myself with RA after running blood work at the lab I worked at.  This was also 2 months after the vertigo.  Once I was RA diagnosed, I started seeking a cause and it did take me a year to figure out the gluten/milk.  Not everyone who has RA has a dietary issue, in fact most older generation doctors say it is not related.  To be 'officially' diagnosed as celiac, you have to have a small intestine biopsy while you remain on a gluten diet, eating it 24-7 for several weeks.  We did not do a biopsy because I was already off gluten for 2 weeks before we ran the blood tests.  I could not eat gluten knowingly at this point ever again in my life.  The doctors diagnosed me on other factors.  There are blood tests that can show some celiac traits, but allergy tests are not considered reliable enough since they can only show a sensitivity which means that if you eat a particular food often enough, you may have a sensitivity show up simply because the levels are high in your blood, not because there is actually an allergy.  So, really the only way you will know for absolute certain is by a biopsy.  The biopsy in the US takes 12 weeks to schedule so it was not even an option for me, I could not wait that long.  But in other countries, like Italy, if you go to a hospital for anything and have a blood draw, you are automatically tested for celiacs because it is so common in Europe (5-10% of population in Europe versus 2-4% in US).

Helmut Newcake, that's it!  Ah well, that is disappointing I thought they had bread too, that was what I was going for.  There was another one, I will have to look it up.  We order from IHerb, the shipping to Japan is not too much and they carry several gluten free items.  We also order from Vitacost, which ships from Germany many times.  They carry the bread, crackers and pretzels we love.  The bread is by EnerG, I like the Brown Rice Loaf which is the closest I have come to a wheat-like gluten free bread (I am not fond of white bread).  It's not perfect, but OK.  I don't know if that one is nut free, you can check the EnerG website, but I know they offer Nut-free/Dairy-free/gluten-free bread too.  My absolute favorite pretzel are Glutino pretzels (not sticks, but are same flavor) and the crackers I can not live without are Schar Table crackers.  You can get all of this online at Vitacost.  Bob's Red Mill makes a fantastic pancake mix but I don't know if it is nut free.  I use rice milk with it, and it works beautifully.  My parents never know if I am serving them GF or regular food, but it is almost always GF.

Here is a website you will find useful: http://www.triumphdining.com  They offer allergy dining cards in many languages.  They are helpful in foreign countries to make sure you are clear about your allergy.  I have the set in 10 languages since we are traveling a lot right now.  I just give it to the waiter and ask him to show the chef.  For kids with allergies, I have found this site, which also has a forum, very helpful for ideas and support: http://community.kidswithfoodallergies.org.  They have lots of good ideas and will give you a place to start from.  They were a lifesaver when I had my 2 year old (now 6) starting the allergy diet.  And as I mentioned there are a ton of blogs about gluten-free/dairy-free/nut-free cooking.  

The pasta was our biggest issue, DD LOVES pasta and red sauce.  But there are several brands of GF pasta (usually they are rice) and taste preference does vary.  We tried a bunch before we settled on one, and we still try others out.  Also making pizza dough and your own bread is an option.  We had a lot of good results.  I don't have my breadmaker in Japan (sure wish I did!!) and there are recipes on the web for that as well.

One thing we had a tough time replacing was cream, as in whipping cream.  There is a product called coconut cream (not coconut milk) that can be whipped and it looks and tastes close to the real thing.  It has the right mouth-feel.  You can add sugar, but we don't, and vanilla or chocolate is also a variation that has worked.  There are some specific directions for it, and if you are interested (I have seen it in Paris in health food stores or order it online) I can share my directions along with the website I read it at.  It works beautifully for pancakes and fruit desserts and as a treat in coffee.

For milk, I would start with a name brand milk alternative and give it a few weeks possibly longer for everyone to adjust to the taste.  We use both rice and almond milk since we can's use Soy but you can use rice and soy.  I find soy is good for some things and rice is good for others.  

Yes, I have always been sensitive to MSG in the US (had massive headaches) but even when I wasn't getting MSG, I still had migraines.  Guess what, since the celiacs diagnosis, very few migraines or even general headaches.  Now they are usually tension headaches.  But the MSG in the US is NOT derived from wheat, it is derived chemically which is why so many people are sensitive in the US.  In Japan it is naturally derived from wheat (not a chemical) but this makes it a minefield for me in Japan.  I rarely eat out at a restaurant here (Japan) because its not worth the risk of getting so ill.

Who knows, this may be your future calling as a chef!

Sorry, this was a long one!

~j

[BabyJay'sMom]

Thanks again J for all the great info.

So far it is going OK.  We wen't away for the weekend and while I avoided all gluten, I know there was some butter in the meals I ate, and I seemed to do OK.  For now I will avoid dairy as much as I can, but heavens!  It's Paris!  There is butter in everything!  Luckily I love cooking with olive oil and have recently discovered coconut oil.  My Mom is sending some GF baking and bread mix, so I'll try that out.  Now I just need to redo all my favorite recipes without gluten or dairy!  Aack!  Wish me luck...

And if you don't mind, would you share the brand of your favorite GF pasta?  I've tried a few rice ones and have not been impressed.  Blech.

[Mylie]

Gluten,Dairy,soy,Apple free here..Plus we avoid food coloring,artificial flavors and preservatives..The latter out of preference..The first four out of nessesity for my just turned 5 year old granddaughter..She is allergic to them.My home has been free of these since she was a year old and labeled failure to thrive..I am not going to lie..It can be tough and it can be frustrating..Espessially if you don't have a great store like Whole Foods/Trader Joes at you beck and call..I don't..The nearest if 4 hrs away..I just keep it simple around here..budget wise I have to anyway..We just made a huge move and I am unemployed still and had to go ask for food assistance so I have to be super careful with what I buy..I just make good simple wholesome meals..Meat,Potato/or rice,veggie..L loves Spaghetti so I splurge on Tinkyada noodles 2x's month so she can have it but to be honest I do all my shopping at the Super Walmart and a local store here called Plumbs..I have nothing else..The nearest Meijers if 45 mins away..Just pick your favorite meals and go with it..That is what I do..I try to listen to L and see if she wishes she had something.But to be honest she hates sugar so she doesn't care much for alot of the kind of stuff..So I am lucky when it comes to that..But if your child does I would keep some of that around to make them happy.Kids who don't feel deprived don't complain and they don't cheat..Let me know if you need some simple meal ideas...Around here that is what we do..Simple:)))

[loveandgarbage]

My fav brand of rice pasta is Tinkyada. You simply cannot over cook it to make it mushy. If that happens, you rinse it in water and it's firm and magical again! Some rice pastas (especially those that attempt to mimic italian style over asian style) are straight-up disgusting. If you're open to non-rice varieties, bionaturae makes a gluten free pasta that's decent. I think it's potato and corn maybe? I also tend to like quinoa pasta but it definitely has a distinctive taste. As for dairy alternatives, do you have access to earth balance products in France? I use their sticks to bake, and their whipped margarine in a tub for spreading. It's the best fake butter I've had.

[jacquelinej]

Originally Posted by BabyJay'sMom 

Thanks again J for all the great info.

So far it is going OK.  We wen't away for the weekend and while I avoided all gluten, I know there was some butter in the meals I ate, and I seemed to do OK.  For now I will avoid dairy as much as I can, but heavens!  It's Paris!  There is butter in everything!  Luckily I love cooking with olive oil and have recently discovered coconut oil.  My Mom is sending some GF baking and bread mix, so I'll try that out.  Now I just need to redo all my favorite recipes without gluten or dairy!  Aack!  Wish me luck...

And if you don't mind, would you share the brand of your favorite GF pasta?  I've tried a few rice ones and have not been impressed.  Blech.

Butter *seems* to be ok for us, and cheese, as long as we are not in a total flare and/or have had gluten recently.  But milk is a big no-no.

Our favorite pasta.  Wow we have tried so many and I think DH is bringing some back from the US as we speak.  We were not able to get the brand we usually favor in Japan.  I think our favorites have been the Tinkyada, Orgran and Bionaturae.  We just tried a Tinkyada lasagne and it was really good.  DH did a great job on it, did not even have to pre-cook it.  But again, you really have to try them, on by one, because each one is different.  I don't like really mushy soft pasta - I like it al dente - but you can't always do that with the gluten-free pasta.  And since it has been 4 months since we had any of our better pasta, I can't remember exactly which one was our favorite.

A lot of the things we have attempted, we found recipes to start with on the web.  It is a great resource and give you a bit of guidance.  We have yet to perfect a pie crust from scratch.  That has been difficult, DH is getting desperate!

[jacquelinej]

Originally Posted by Mylie 

Gluten,Dairy,soy,Apple free here..Plus we avoid food coloring,artificial flavors and preservatives..The latter out of preference..The first four out of nessesity for my just turned 5 year old granddaughter..She is allergic to them.My home has been free of these since she was a year old and labeled failure to thrive..I am not going to lie..It can be tough and it can be frustrating..Espessially if you don't have a great store like Whole Foods/Trader Joes at you beck and call..I don't..The nearest if 4 hrs away..I just keep it simple around here..budget wise I have to anyway..We just made a huge move and I am unemployed still and had to go ask for food assistance so I have to be super careful with what I buy..I just make good simple wholesome meals..Meat,Potato/or rice,veggie..L loves Spaghetti so I splurge on Tinkyada noodles 2x's month so she can have it but to be honest I do all my shopping at the Super Walmart and a local store here called Plumbs..I have nothing else..The nearest Meijers if 45 mins away..Just pick your favorite meals and go with it..That is what I do..I try to listen to L and see if she wishes she had something.But to be honest she hates sugar so she doesn't care much for alot of the kind of stuff..So I am lucky when it comes to that..But if your child does I would keep some of that around to make them happy.Kids who don't feel deprived don't complain and they don't cheat..Let me know if you need some simple meal ideas...Around here that is what we do..Simple:)))

I would love to hear your ideas.  We often eat simple in Japan because there is no other way we can eat here and because I am moving us to a whole foods diet and less pre-packaged foods.  I also see the expense of GF products and I limit them pretty severely (a box of cookies, 2-3 bags of pasta, 2-3 loaves of bread and a bag of GF pretzels for a month).  We have no Trader Joes/Whole Foods, etc here.  Just a normal Japanese grocery store and what I can get shipped overseas.  I am trying to find more lunch ideas for DD to take to school and for me to have as well.

[Mylie]

Ask and you shall recieve...lol  I got this menu idea from a mom who does gluten/casein free on youtube..I tweeked it a bit to be more to L tastes because she doesn't like mexican food so I took that out:))

By doing this I always have my grocery list and I about know what I am going to spend and I always know what is for dinner:)) Doesn't mean that I can change it if I need to but I rarely do..I even have my Menu posted on my fridge that way everyone knows what day it is and what is cooking...I rotate this menu every two weeks.Which means we have these meals twice a month..But L doesn't mind so I don't mind...

Meaty Mondays..

1)Beef Roast with Potatos and carrots in the crockpot(I usually add cabbage also).

2)Minute Steaks with Mashed Potatos and Broccolli.

List..Beef Roast,3lb bag red potatos,sm bag baby carrots,sm head cabbage,Pk Mini Beef steaks,Box gf instant mashed potatoes,sm bag frozen broccolli,Morton Natures seasoning salt,Wesson Canola oil,and Earth Balance soyfree/dairy free butter..

Soup Tuesdays..

1)Beefy Veg Soup with Biscuits

2)Chicken Noodle Soup with Crackers.

List..I use the leftover beef roast and broth,Big can Veg-all and water and season with Mortons..2 boxes of gf Chicken broth,seasalt,Can of carrots,2 stalks of celery,1lb Tinkyada noodles and can of shredded Chicken.Scharr has great gf table crackers that L loves to put in her soup.

Chicken and Veggie Wednesdays..

1)Baked Leg/Thigh Combo and Mashed Potatos and Gravy,Diced tomato/Cucumber salad

2)Hm Rottisserrie Chicken,Baked Potatos with Butter and Chives.

List..Pk natural leg thigh combos,Instant gf Mashed Potatos,1lrg tomato and 1 lrg cucumber,Rice flour,Mortons seasoning,I use drippings to make gravy,and Butter.1 Natural whole chicken,2 large baking potatos,Butter and Chives.Mortons Seasoning salt.

Aisen Thursdays..

1)Chicken Lo-Mein and Fried Rice

2)Beef w/Broccolli Stirfry with Rice

List..Leftover chicken,gf  pasta,gf coconut aminos,ginger,sugar,2 boil in bag rice made night before in fridge,Tiny can of peas and carrots,Canola oil and gf coconut aminos,Sm bag of broccolli florets,small pk of strips of Beef,gf coconut aminios,ginger,sugar,Canola oil and white boil in bag rice.

Fishy Fridays..

1)Shrimp Linguine

2)Crabby Patties and Fries

list..bag shrimp,box gf angelhair pasta,butter and small can of peas.garlic powder,can salmon/or alaskan white fish,shar crackers,egg and s/p and baking potatoes to make steak fries.Canola oil.

Italian Saturdays..

1)Spaghetti and Hm Meatballs

2)Hm Lasagna Hamburger Helper

Hamburger,egg,seasonings,Tinkyada noodles and Bertolli Sauce,hamburger,gf lasagna noodles,butter,cornstarch,seasoning salt.

SunnySide Up Sundays(breakfast)

1)Pancakes,bacon and hashbrowns

2)Sausage Gravy with Biscuits and Hasbrowns

List..King Aurthurs gf pancake mix,egg,canola oil,Hormel Uncured Natural bacon,potatoes shredded and cooked with seasoning,real maple syrup or Natural strawberry jam.Jones Natural Sausage,Corn starch,butter,Rice Milk(unflavored and unsweetened)shredded potatoes fried.Mortons seasoning..

I usually make a batch of biscuits on Saturday Night for the week..I use either Bobs or King Aurthurs mix to make them..I freeze the rest for the week meals that need them.Not exotic but good and filling..I use Coconut Aminos which is like Braggs Aminos without the soy because L can't tolerate that much soy..

We also throw pizza in there sometimes..Udi's Pizza crust,Bertolli regular sauce,gf pepperoni and Daiya Mozzerella cheese.

The chicken soup sometimes instead of noodles I will do dumplings instead..Take a Udi's pizza crust and cut into strips and throw into the boiling broth..They make great dumplings..I also thicken the broth with a cornstarch/water mix when I do this..I can get all this at my super walmart and local store...Except for L's Rice milk.I buy that from Amazon.Breakfast around here is usually Cream of Rice,Toast with butter and Strawberry jam,sausage patties,bacon slices,fruit or even pancakes..Lily usually asks for what she wants and I fix it for her..

For lunch she takes hers..leftovers in the thermos,sandwich with Hormel lunchmeat and ketchup,Meat roll-ups,or a muffin.We add a veggie,fruit,salty and sometimes a sweet(cookie) on Fridays she gets a "goody" and she always takes a Britta Bottle filled with water..

Snacks..gf crackers,gf pretzels,gf animal crackers,baggie of gf potato chips,she loves grape tomatos and cucumber slices..I send in any kind of fruit except for apples(she is allergic)..She loves to take a small tub of either hm hummus or pb to dip veggies (carrots or celery)in.

On Fridays I send in a super special treat..Like Annies Organic fruit snacks or natural sweet tarts that kind of thing...

If you have any ?? or need specifics feel free to ask..I know how hard it was was I first started..Like being on a different planet..

[etsdtm99]

My husband is Gluten and diary free (also almond & sesame so that complicates things with packaged foods)  I make bread, cookies, muffins, pancakes etc.  its really not hard at all if you can get the flours (i use rice, millet, and sorghum primarily some quinoa) - all of these things freeze well so you can make a big batch and then have them available ..   the only pre-packaged GF food we buy is pasta (we use the trader joes brand, i'm just not that picky) 

we just eliminated eggs(plus G&D) for my oldest (as a trial at this point) and that is complicating things for us, makes gluten and dairy free seem like it was easy lol..   send me a private message and i can send you recipes for all the baked goods if you want them. 

[BabyJay'sMom]

I am so loving this thread ladies!  Keep all the great ideas coming.

And Staci, I think I would go nuts if I had to give up eggs too!  

I'm going to make a loaf of GF DF bread this morning.  I'll let you know how it goes!

I have the ability to order from Amazon, so I'm going to order all sorts of flours in hopes that I can make my own pastas and breads.  And I'm looking right now at all the GF pastas. It looks like Tinkyada has a bunch of choices.  Thanks Jean!  And no, I have no access to Earth Balance products here, but there has to be something similar.  I'll add that to my grocery list.  Luckily I'm not a sweets fan!!! 

[kjbrown92]

We have been dairy, gluten, soy free for 4.5 years (two of my kids and me). One of them also can't have egg (recently found soy-free eggs which he tolerates) plus a whole host of other things. My husband can't have peanuts/tree nuts, and I can't have peanuts. So.... there's still plenty to eat. And I thought in Europe it was easier to get gluten free food because they've been aware of it for longer over there than we have in the US. You can make lots of things yourself. I make poppyseed pastry, English muffins, bread, zucchini bread, muffins, pancakes/waffles, cake, brownies, cookies, etc. Yes, there's some trial and error involved but it's so worth it to make your own.

[ALM0612]

I would try to stay away from pre-packaged foods. Processed foods even if "gluten free" are still processed foods and they are not really healthty for you anymore than the ones that contain gluten. You are best to make your own. I am still going through the trial and error stage myself.

I made some English Muffins Last night and they seemed to turn out OK. Still trying to find a good bread recipe. Problem I have is that my son is also allergic to eggs and it is hard to make gluten free with out eggs. Whole real foods is the best way to go.  We have nut allergy issues too and trying to find grain free recipes that don't use nut flours is difficult.  I have found a Pumpkin Seed Flour that I want to buy and try out. I think it could be a good alternative in some recipes.

I am also a Holistic Health Coach that is specializing in hidden gluten sensitivities, as there are many reactions people have that are gluten related only they don't know it because they do not get physically sick, like myself. There are over 200 medical issues that could be gluten related.  Also to be on a "True Gluten Free Diet" your diet really needs to be grain free, as even corn, millet, sorghum and rice have gluten in them.

I use some Buckwheat Flour and Coconut Flour when possible as substitutes. I have a recipe for Sourdough Bread with Buckwheat Flour that I want to try. Hoping it works out because I miss having a sandwhich once in awhile.