Gluten-free confusion

[TwinMom]

My 5-year old just got results back from an allergy test (IgG) and surprise!! He's not allergic to dairy like we've thought since he was born (or maybe we controlled it enough that he outgrew it?), BUT he IS allergic to wheat, gluten, and eggs. Ack! I don't know what to feed him. We eat a lot of wheat; I make all of our bread, we eat seitan and other meat substitutes, but all of that has to go. What do you feed a vegetarian who can't eat wheat or eggs? Fortunately he is fine with soy and I guess he can have dairy now, but I don't want to go overboard with it. Oh, he's also mildly allergic to garlic, but I think that means he can have it once or twice a week. Truly, I don't think that I am very concerned with the garlic, you know? It's not like he's eating it by the clove.

So, tofu, beans, rice, quinoa, fruits, and veggies. That's going to get pretty boring. I love to cook! I am overwhelmed and confused and feel like a failure. I know I'm not alone, can you guys who are gluten-free tell me some meals that you make for your families?

[Kimchee]

Oh hon, it'll be okay! I found out this year by trial and error that I am severely gluten intolerant, and my middle daughter is to a milder degree too. So ALL of our 'family' meals are gluten free now (like the 'gluten eaters' still have their wheat toast for breakfast but Freya and I use gf bread...). Some dinner ideas my whole family likes include:
-tacos made with _corn_ tortillas/shells (check any taco flavouring mixes for gluteny ingredients)
-shepherd's pie (ground beef/meat sub in gravy-made-with-cornstarch/layer of corn/layer of mashed potatoes)
-pasta meals using rice-based pasta ("Tinkyada" brand is overwhelmingly the best sub for wheat pasta)
-rice-based meals of all kinds: stirfry over rice, curried lentils over rice, fried eggs and rice, etc.
-We also do 'breakfast for dinner' with gf sausages and pancakes made with a gluten-free mix (my family lov--es the Kinnikinnick mix for pancakes)
Pretty much any dinner that includes a flour- or starch-based entree can be substituted with corn(or other)starch for the flour, or a gluten-free mix.

When you buy anything in a store that isn't a whole food, you'll get used to reading the ingredients to rule out products that have wheat/gluten derivatives in them. Celiac.com is a great resource...

Good luck!
GF cooking can be overwhelming initially, but once you 'convert' enough recipes your family likes, it'll become the new normal...

Cheers,
Kim

[TwinMom]

Thanks for the support, Kim. We are vegetarian and I can't find any meat subs without wheat AND without eggs (egg allergy), so we can't use some of your suggestions. If you know of any, please let me know! I did find a gluten-free mix for pancakes that we used tonight for dinner; it was okay, not quite the right texture, but I think I can thin it out with more soymilk next time and it should be better.

I also bought a few books today--"The Gluten-Free Bible" and "Gluten-Free Classic Baking" (or something like that). Next on the agenda is informing the grandparents, which I'm sure is not going to go over well.

[box_of_rain]

As for the pancake mix - I've found the best one we've tried is the Arrowhead Mills mix. I think the Gluten Free Pantry mix and Bob's Red Mill mix both smell kind of fish-like and are a wierd consistency.

We're veggie and GF, also - for a year or so now. It was hard at first to give up some of the veggie burgers and seitan and such. You get over it after awhile, I think. The pros of the GF diet override the cons of the foods you have to give up (IMO).

If you haven't already, check out "Wheat Free, Worry Free". It's a great book.

Good luck - you'll find lots of support here.

[wendy1221]

See if your local library has "The Food ALlergy Survival Guide." It's a GREAT vegan top 8+ free cookbook. Everywherethe pp said meat, sub black beans. I'm nak.

[Panserbjorne]

I was vegan and gluten and soy free. It's definitely doable-just a matter of finding your groove. I made pancakes, waffles, yogurt, smoothies, nut balls, granola and fruit etc. for breakfast.

Lunch was usually a raw dish of some sort...zucchini linguini or rice noodles if you prefer with a variety of sauces. Tomato, pesto, olive oil and garlic with veggies, tomato with beans etc.
Refried beans, salsa and guacamole with corn chips is a great meal. Black beans and rice, sweet potato and black bean enchiladas. Huge salads. Sunshine burgers (vegan, GF, soy free and wonderful!) Sushi with tons of veggies! Just wrap whatever you want in some seaweed and chow. Pilafs are wonderful. We love spicy peanut noodles. Oh-and soup. Indian food, falafels-Goodness, the list goes on and on!

Vegan Planet was a great book for me. Alot of the recipes are GF, and those that aren't are easily converted.

[late-night nan]

Thanks for this thread. I've recently had to switch to a gluten-free diet and am looking for resources. I did some searching on amazon, and it seems the cookbooks by Bette Hagman are very well-respected. There was one published in 2005 with recipes of comfort foods that looks good for kids. I just ordered it from the library and am looking forward to having more guidance also.

I also have the Arrowhead Mills All-Purpose GF flour, which I'm using as a substitute for flour when making bechamel sauce. we made polenta lasagne, and it was really delicious. use slices of cold polenta instead of pasta.

ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BREAD?
I think this GF diet will make a baker out of me, and I can't wait to make my own. But right now, I don't have the time, so my favorite store-bought so far is French Meadow Rice Bread. Not sure whether it's entirely gluten-free, but I haven't had a reaction to it. It tastes much better than the Food for Life rice bread, which tastes pasty and unnecessarily sweet.

[TwinMom]

Thanks for all the replies, I'm going to check out the books and authors when I get a chance. One more question--do you think I should be seeing a dietician? Or would a dietician even understand gluten-free + no eggs + no meat?

I am feeling really sick right now, but when I feel better (and when I have time) I will try making some GF bread and cookies. Looking around at what was available at Whole Foods, I didn't see any treaty type things without eggs.

This is making me depressed.

[Panserbjorne]

There are plenty of treat type things. Look for Gluten Free Pantry mixes and use an egg replacer. My favorite bread is Enjoy Life hands down.

I woudn't see a dietician. They won't understand. I have seen several and they all just manage to tell me I'm neglectful.. Even a good friend who is a nutritionist thinks it's a really bad idea. I dunno. You could certainly try, I just wouldn't recommend it.

[TwinMom]

Hey, everyone, just a quick update. We have been eating gluten-free for 11 days now and the poop issues have resolved already. He still has an unexplained rash that comes and goes, so maybe he is getting some cross-contamination somewhere. I have not replaced all of my cookware or cutting boards or mixer, etc. yet, so it could be my fault. I can't afford to replace everything right away! Today he had a blood draw to check for celiac; I'm not sure if we'll also do a scope if it looks positive, probably not. Maybe when he's older.

I have been making GF bread, from recipes in "The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread," and everything I've tried has been soooo yummy! I highly recommend that book.

Thanks for the support and I'll update again when we know for sure about celiac.

[mclisa]

Glad things are going better for you!

We have a bread machine somewhere...maybe I should dig that out so we could make my allergic one some bread. She's essentially a gluten-free vegan. There is some rice bread at the health food store, but it has such a long shelf life, that it makes me wonder how good it can be for her.

She does a lot of black beans and rice. She recently discovered that she likes tomatoes.

We haven't been brave enough to let her try any almond butter yet. It seems so sticky yet for her (she's 15 months.)

If you lived here in SD, I would so recommend the nutritionist that we saw. He's a registered dietician. He made us do a 3 day dietary recall diet for her and then analyzed it. It made us feel better that she was actually getting some good nutrition in there. She needed a bit more fat and extra fiber, but otherwise was doing well. So, I guess it depends on what is available in your area.

[TwinMom]

Mclisa, the bread is so easy to make, you don't even need a bread machine. Basically, you mix it up like you would cake batter, then dump it into a loaf pan, let it rise once, then bake it. I really miss kneading, but it's just not possible with gf bread. I did get to knead a little last night, making gf biscuits, so that made me a little happy. I know, I'm weird.

[DanAbimytwomiracle]

Originally Posted by TwinMom

Hey, everyone, just a quick update. We have been eating gluten-free for 11 days now and the poop issues have resolved already. He still has an unexplained rash that comes and goes, so maybe he is getting some cross-contamination somewhere. I have not replaced all of my cookware or cutting boards or mixer, etc. yet, so it could be my fault. I can't afford to replace everything right away! Today he had a blood draw to check for celiac; I'm not sure if we'll also do a scope if it looks positive, probably not. Maybe when he's older.

I have been making GF bread, from recipes in "The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread," and everything I've tried has been soooo yummy! I highly recommend that book.

Thanks for the support and I'll update again when we know for sure about celiac.

If you have stainless steel cookware you don't need to replace it, only non-stick. Your mixer should be fine, too, but the cutting board you should replace. Just make sure you don't reuse the sponge you use to wash anything with gluten on it