5 replies to this topic

[Cindy71]

Hi everyone! I'm new to this gluten-free stuff. I've read a few posts where people mention bagels, breads and english muffins. Can you please tell me where I can get stuff like that that tastes ok? I've tried 1 kind of bread so far and I couldn't finish it - it was extremely dry.
Also, what kinds of french fries are ok to buy? And how can we cook it? I work at a place where they have a cafeteria. They cook them in vegetable oil. The place where they cook them is strictly for french fries. Is it ok for me to get them from where I work ?
I've been stressing out what I am going to have for my next meal because the diet seems so limited and nothing tastes right. I'm also not interested in cooking (which I know will probably have to change).
Sorry if it sounds like I'm complaining. Thank you so much for your help!
Cindy

[tarnalberry]

Hi! Did I see you over on WebMD? :-) (The login looks familiar.)

I've opted to mostly just not have bread and bagels (I can get hypoglycemic, so it's just not worth the trouble for me), but I know that a lot of people have recommended Kinnikinnick for their breads, as well as Manna from Anna. I've used Foods4Life Fruit-Juice Sweetened Rice Bread for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It needs to be refrigerated, and is too sweet and heavy for meat sandwiches, but works great for PB&J. Most of the other ones need to be toasted before they're good.

There's a recent post along the lines of "Daily Menu" that a number of people have noted what they tend to eat, and you may find some good suggestions here.

Almost forgot... french fries... most of the frozen ones are ok (of course, check the bag and/or call the company and/or check out the lists people have posted around here), and if they don't have a coating with wheat, frying them in a dedicated fryer should be fine.

[lovegrov]

I'll be honest with you -- I've found no breads that I think are anything like wheat bread. Most are dry and fall apart. I simply don't eat bread any more because I'll be darned if I'm going to pay that much for something I hate. For sandwiches I either roll cheese and lettuce up in deli meat, or I roll the meat along with condiments, lettuce, tomato, you name it in a corn tortilla.

Some people say the Manna from Anna mix makes a good bread but I haven't tried it (do a search and you'll find a web site). I've been told Glutino bagels are pretty good, but you'd have to order them. I haven't found an English muffin worth a hoot. You can find mixes for or make from scratch pretty good muffins, corn bread, cake, pie crust, pancakes and brownies.

If you don't want to make your own fries Ore-Ida has a whole list of their gluten-free products. Your cafeteria's fries SHOULD be all right if they have dedicated fryers, but there are some brands of fries that have a flour coating or use flour in spices if the fries are spiced. If the cafeteria doesn't cut the fries themself, you need to find the brand and call the company to make sure.

You said you don't want to cook but you're right about that needing to change. Eating out is very risky because of cross contamination. I DO eat out, but I try to do it as little as possible. Start by making real simple stuff and bring leftovers for lunch (as a side bonus you save tons of money). There are also some premade foods that are gluten-free. For instance, Hormel has a whole list of gluten-free items and it includes stuff you can just microwave. Go to www.hormel.com and click on the FAQ.

richard

[Cindy71]

Yes I've been on WebMD before, so some of you have seen me there!
Thank you so much for your suggestions. I will check those websites out and go from there. I miss not having to worry about food, but I know you all feel the same way. We're all in this situation together.
Thank god for these message boards!!
Thank you,
Cindy

[judy04]

Cindy,

If you don't want to cook you might try Amy's frozen dinners and
Van's waffles. My local supermarket carries them and they also
have web sites. These are nice if you are in a hurry and want something tasty.

[celiac3270]

Kinnickinick has a great bread. I used to use Ener-G, but Kinnickinick breads are one step up.

Foods By George producs are amazing -- the brownies are free of virtually everything: gluten, casein, dairy, lactose, soy, etc. Their english muffins are probably the best product they have. I've also tried, with satisfaction, their corn and blueberry muffins.

OreIda french fries are fine to buy (i use shoestrings), but there is one kind that's not gluten-free. You should call them to find out.....some kind, like "steak fries" or something is not gluten-free, so be careful.

At first the diet may seem challenging, but once you get used to it, it's not a big deal at all and not hard to follow.