[wildwood]

My daughter was told she likely has celiac disease. She found out in mid August two weeks before she went away to college. It has been difficult for her to say the least. Food services has been helpful to her, but she is finding out the hard way where gluten hides. For instance, they started offering gluten free pasta last week. She was thrilled and ordered a serving of the pasta with marinara sauce assuming the sauce would be safe. Well she felt horrible all the next day. She went to food services and checked with the manager. As it turns out the marinara has gluten in it as well as all the other sauces offered! She said now she eats it with just butter or oil on it. She went from being thrilled that her dorm was right next to the dining hall to feeling bad because now it is a constant reminder of all she cannot eat. She is keeping her chin up, but I know it gets her down.

I am going to visit her in a couple of weeks. I was thinking I would bring her some gluten-free pasta sauces. She said she is pretty sure they would heat them up for her in the dining hall. Can anyone recommend any? Does anyone have any unique ideas of what I can include in a care package that might help her with this transition and brighten up her day?

We are so new to this. It is overwhelming!

[ShayFL]

Ragu - If wheat or gluten are in the ingredients, they will list them. They do not hide ingredients.

Care Package: Thai Kitchen has some easy to prepare meals. Does she have access to a microwave?

http://www.thaikitch...llergyinfo.html

Lara bars

Trail mix (make sure gluten free)

Pamela's cookies

I dont eat any processed food myself, but these come to mind.

[wildwood]

ShayFL, on Sep 8 2008, 05:04 PM, said:

Ragu - If wheat or gluten are in the ingredients, they will list them. They do not hide ingredients.

Care Package: Thai Kitchen has some easy to prepare meals. Does she have access to a microwave?

http://www.thaikitch...llergyinfo.html

Lara bars

Trail mix (make sure gluten free)

Pamela's cookies

I dont eat any processed food myself, but these come to mind.

Thanks, those are good ideas. She does have a microwave. We do not eat much processed food here at home, but unfortunately her options are very limited at school. Next year, I will try and make sure she get one of the dorm suites that has a small kitchen or something off campus so she can prepare her own food.

[Darn210]

WILDWOOD, on Sep 8 2008, 08:20 PM, said:

Thanks, those are good ideas. She does have a microwave. We do not eat much processed food here at home, but unfortunately her options are very limited at school. Next year, I will try and make sure she get one of the dorm suites that has a small kitchen or something off campus so she can prepare her own food.

Is it possible to see if she can transfer into or get on a waiting list for one of the dorm suites for this year . . . there always seems to be a student fall out rate in the beginning. I think it would be much easier if she could be in control of her own food. Celiac disease is covered by the ADA. If she has an official diagnosis, I believe they are required to accomodate her . . . that may get you to the top of the list for a suite. I don't know the ins and outs, maybe somebody else can say what she is legally entitled to.

Classico red sauces are OK, too.

[purple]

Bertoli alfredo sauce and Prego Traditional style spaghetti sauce...careful of sauces with meat.
My dd was a freshman last year and we went thru this in Feb.

Chocolate
Refried beans and gluten-free tortilla chips
items and a dish to make layered mexican dip, veggies to go on it
Thai microwaved noodles
Popcorn
celery, apples, carrot six, other fruits and veggies
peanut butter, jelly
yogurt
nuts and seeds
homemade cookies
soft kleenex-lotion kind- very comforting during a crying spell or cold
fruit cups
gluten-free rice cakes (some people have trouble with Quaker)
gluten-free toiletries-lotion, shampoo, etc.
snacks to take to dorm/room parties and movie night

When I learned how to cook gluten-free I made entrees almost every day and put them in baggies and a plastic container and labeled them(still do). Then took my dd some when ever I could to put in her fridge and a couple for her freezer. It took a couple of days to thaw the fridge ones out so she could eat for a week.
Find out where the gluten-free restaurants are for her and list whats safe on the menu.
A gluten-free cake for her birthday to share with her new dormies.
Holidays are coming so I am looking for gluten-free recipes like the "old" favorites to make...dd first holidays gluten-free this year.

[wildwood]

purple, on Sep 8 2008, 09:37 PM, said:

Bertoli alfredo sauce and Prego Traditional style spaghetti sauce...careful of sauces with meat.
My dd was a freshman last year and we went thru this in Feb.

Chocolate
Refried beans and gluten-free tortilla chips
items and a dish to make layered mexican dip, veggies to go on it
Thai microwaved noodles
Popcorn
celery, apples, carrot six, other fruits and veggies
peanut butter, jelly
yogurt
nuts and seeds
homemade cookies
soft kleenex-lotion kind- very comforting during a crying spell or cold
fruit cups
gluten-free rice cakes (some people have trouble with Quaker)
gluten-free toiletries-lotion, shampoo, etc.
snacks to take to dorm/room parties and movie night

When I learned how to cook gluten-free I made entrees almost every day and put them in baggies and a plastic container and labeled them(still do). Then took my dd some when ever I could to put in her fridge and a couple for her freezer. It took a couple of days to thaw the fridge ones out so she could eat for a week.
Find out where the gluten-free restaurants are for her and list whats safe on the menu.
A gluten-free cake for her birthday to share with her new dormies.
Holidays are coming so I am looking for gluten-free recipes like the "old" favorites to make...dd first holidays gluten-free this year.

Those are all good ideas. What are some of the meals that you make that freeze well? She has a very small freezer, but I figure I can bring her a least a few meals to keep in there. Thanks for suggestions.

[wildwood]

purple, on Sep 8 2008, 09:37 PM, said:

Bertoli alfredo sauce and Prego Traditional style spaghetti sauce...careful of sauces with meat.
My dd was a freshman last year and we went thru this in Feb.

Chocolate
Refried beans and gluten-free tortilla chips
items and a dish to make layered mexican dip, veggies to go on it
Thai microwaved noodles
Popcorn
celery, apples, carrot six, other fruits and veggies
peanut butter, jelly
yogurt
nuts and seeds
homemade cookies
soft kleenex-lotion kind- very comforting during a crying spell or cold
fruit cups
gluten-free rice cakes (some people have trouble with Quaker)
gluten-free toiletries-lotion, shampoo, etc.
snacks to take to dorm/room parties and movie night

When I learned how to cook gluten-free I made entrees almost every day and put them in baggies and a plastic container and labeled them(still do). Then took my dd some when ever I could to put in her fridge and a couple for her freezer. It took a couple of days to thaw the fridge ones out so she could eat for a week.
Find out where the gluten-free restaurants are for her and list whats safe on the menu.
A gluten-free cake for her birthday to share with her new dormies.
Holidays are coming so I am looking for gluten-free recipes like the "old" favorites to make...dd first holidays gluten-free this year.

Those are all good ideas. What are some of the meals that you make that freeze well? She has a very small freezer, but I figure I can bring her a least a few meals to keep in there. Thanks for suggestions.

[wildwood]

Darn210, on Sep 8 2008, 08:48 PM, said:

Is it possible to see if she can transfer into or get on a waiting list for one of the dorm suites for this year . . . there always seems to be a student fall out rate in the beginning. I think it would be much easier if she could be in control of her own food. Celiac disease is covered by the ADA. If she has an official diagnosis, I believe they are required to accomodate her . . . that may get you to the top of the list for a suite. I don't know the ins and outs, maybe somebody else can say what she is legally entitled to.

Classico red sauces are OK, too.

I will discuss this with her when I see her in a couple of weeks. If she wants to proceed, we can go to housing services while I am there and see what we need to do. Thank you very much for the good advice.

[purple]

WILDWOOD, on Sep 9 2008, 01:20 AM, said:

Those are all good ideas. What are some of the meals that you make that freeze well? She has a very small freezer, but I figure I can bring her a least a few meals to keep in there. Thanks for suggestions.

Spaghetti with veggies mixed in
Lasagna with veggies mixed in
Chili
Rice dishes with different sauces or veggies
Mini potpies with assorted fillings-made in a jumbo muffin pan
Taco meat for chips or hard shells (beef or chicken)
Taquito or Fajita meat for chips or hard corn shells
Beanie wienies
Pizza slices
BBQ chicken meat for chips
Soups like minestrone made with rice instead of pasta
Enchiladas
Beans, corn and rice casserole to just eat or make nachos with
Treats made and frozen ahead of time- don't need to be kept in the fridge when she gets them
Fresh breakfast burritos or frozen "breakfast" in a pot pie


DD didn't like the chicken alfredo with rice noodles frozen-she said they were soggy
I made a mexicali cornbread casserole-soggy too

I drop it in sandwich baggies, then I put 2 entrees into a flat square container then labeled with the item and date. I put mini muffins or cookies in all the little spaces so she gets a surprise sometimes and it fills up the space too. Just wrap them individually in plastic wrap. I could send her about 5 containers at a time, 2 for the freezer and 3 for the fridge. She didn't eat in the lunch room much...all gluten but fruit which was usually offered in the morning.

[kbtoyssni]

Chili always freezes well.

This PB cookie recipe travels well and doesn't go stale - they'll last for a several weeks.
PB cookies

1 c. Peanut Butter
1 egg
1 c. sugar ( I substitute 1/4 c. sugar and 3/4 c. splenda since my husband is diabetic and it works great)
1t vanilla
mix, roll into balls and press out on cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 mins at 375. I make 4 batches at once and am set for about 10 days. They're delicious and EASY and portable.

[wildwood]

Thank you for the good suggestions.

[mandasmom]

One of my daughters favorites is one of those indivdual packages of microwavable brown rice (minute rice or trader joe) covered with a can of sheltons chili--nutricious, easy and calorie reasonable

Peanut butter is a college staple--works great on rice cakes

lots of fruit and nuts

indidual packages of salad dressing, soy sauce and crakers (glutino makes these packages) will help her easily take along what she needs to join her new friends for meals.

I think a much more indepth meeting with the college dining facility is in order--most acadmeic institutions have an ADA officer---that person should accompany her to that meeting and be sure she gets all of the accomdations neccessary! We tried really hard to keep our daughter int he dorm--meal time is a h uge social thing for college freshman and she will likley feel another sense of loss if she has to give that up too!!

Good luck to her and kudos to you for allowing her to spread her wings and find her way!!

[wildwood]

mandasmom, on Sep 11 2008, 09:28 AM, said:

One of my daughters favorites is one of those indivdual packages of microwavable brown rice (minute rice or trader joe) covered with a can of sheltons chili--nutricious, easy and calorie reasonable

Peanut butter is a college staple--works great on rice cakes

lots of fruit and nuts

indidual packages of salad dressing, soy sauce and crakers (glutino makes these packages) will help her easily take along what she needs to join her new friends for meals.

I think a much more indepth meeting with the college dining facility is in order--most acadmeic institutions have an ADA officer---that person should accompany her to that meeting and be sure she gets all of the accomdations neccessary! We tried really hard to keep our daughter int he dorm--meal time is a h uge social thing for college freshman and she will likley feel another sense of loss if she has to give that up too!!

Good luck to her and kudos to you for allowing her to spread her wings and find her way!!

Thanks for your reply. These are good ideas. She just called me to say she ate some soup and was so sick this afternoon her professor excused her from class. I told her you idea for the individual packets of soy sauce and she liked that idea very much. I will look into some gluten-free canned soups for her also. I feel she is starting to get discouraged. I am glad I am going to see her next weekend. I have been gathering alot of ideas for her and I can try and reinforce to her where gluten may be hiding. I know she will find her way, but I am hoping she does not let it get her down. I try to keep things as upbeat as possible and to let her know she will get the hang of it. She will just be learning alot along the way. I will also be discussing with her your suggestion of a meeting with the dining facility. I really don't think she would be happy leaving the dorm because that is where all the freshman reside. If I were able to get her into a suite she would be with upper classman. She may be okay with that idea. It is another option I will offer her although I suspect for now she will want to stay put because she has made some nice friends where she is. Thanks again for your suggestions

[JNBunnie1]

WILDWOOD, on Sep 11 2008, 07:26 PM, said:

Thanks for your reply. These are good ideas. She just called me to say she ate some soup and was so sick this afternoon her professor excused her from class. I told her you idea for the individual packets of soy sauce and she liked that idea very much. I will look into some gluten-free canned soups for her also. I feel she is starting to get discouraged. I am glad I am going to see her next weekend. I have been gathering alot of ideas for her and I can try and reinforce to her where gluten may be hiding. I know she will find her way, but I am hoping she does not let it get her down. I try to keep things as upbeat as possible and to let her know she will get the hang of it. She will just be learning alot along the way. I will also be discussing with her your suggestion of a meeting with the dining facility. I really don't think she would be happy leaving the dorm because that is where all the freshman reside. If I were able to get her into a suite she would be with upper classman. She may be okay with that idea. It is another option I will offer her although I suspect for now she will want to stay put because she has made some nice friends where she is. Thanks again for your suggestions

I would add only that maybe you could get her a hot plate so she can boil eggs. If you put a splash of vinegar in with your eggs with the boiling water it makes them easier to peel too.

[wildwood]

JNBunnie1, on Sep 13 2008, 09:27 PM, said:

I would add only that maybe you could get her a hot plate so she can boil eggs. If you put a splash of vinegar in with your eggs with the boiling water it makes them easier to peel too.

She is not allowed to have a hot plate in the freshman dorms, but I will remember this for next year. Thanks