Making Food For Others

[notme]

hey, melissa - hang in there - you might have withdrawal symptoms before you start feeling better.  most of us quit dairy in the beginning. i did for about 6 months to give damaged villi healing time.  eat simply, that is your best bet.  i went crazy at first, trying to substitute 'familiar' foods - i finally just (mostly) ate boar's head turkey on udi's bread lolz not very exciting but it works.  it is still my "go-to" when my insides are feeling wonky    and feeling better is gradual.  i think one day i woke up and said "WOW.  I FEEL GREAT!" not realizing i was feeling better and better every day.  have your vitamin levels checked - i have to supplement with D and B12 - you might want to look into a gluten-free multi-vitamin.  as you heal, you will absorb more of the vitamins and nutrients your body needs to thrive.  when i was first diagnosed, i caught every flu, cold, etc - my hair was brittle and i had rash after rash.  could not keep weight on at all.  my nails broke easily and i woke up every day thinking about taking a nap.  i am about 2 1/2 years in and happy to say that for the first time in since i can remember, i have gone the whole winter without so much as a cold.  i didn't even get a flu shot!  so, there is proof that my antibodies are staying busy keeping me well instead of attacking my insides/gluten.  stay around here and you will get alot of helpful advice!  this place and these people are priceless.  i would have done much worse (maybe not even stuck to the diet - it's hard!!) without all the tips/tricks i have learned here.  good luck and ask away - the only stupid question is the one not asked

[Melissa.77]

Well thank you and I have been eating simple. I pretty much live off of boneless skinless chicken on grill and potatoes and veggies. I make enough the night before for lunch the next day. I never was into breads but I did love pasta so its hard. I think the hardest thing is having 4 kids and hubby that dont need to do this and just making their foods make me very sick. Im not sure what to do about that but I will have my kids checked out too. Thanks for the help

[Gemini]

Look, guys, if some of you don't quit with the misinfo on the USDA "natural flavors" loophole, which allows gluten in barley and rye byproducts, and from processed starches and other grain byproducts which may not be gluten free, to be applied or used as flavoring or seasonings,  you are going to inadvertently make somebody sick.   USDA does not care at all about gluten free labeling according to a statement I have read from the current Secretary Vilsack, he says companies following VOLUNTARY food labeling for the top 8 allergens is enough and does not think the USA needs stricter standards.  Never assume. We do not have gluten free labeling standards here at this time, April 2013, in the United States. 

We may not have official gluten free labeling but what we do have, or most of us do, is a brain.....which can easily be used to figure out what is safe and what is not.  It requires some research and learning but we do not need the government to figure out what is safe for us.  Peter gave the correct information on Natural Flavorings so listen to Peter! 

[Melissa.77]

Im just so hoping this all will get easier with time. Im not a patient person and being swallon like im 9 months pregnant is so not feeling good. I cant even fit into my own clothes. Im stressed to max

[kenlove]

It really does get better Melissa. Each of us takes a different amount of time to heal. Although I had  trained as a chef I had not worked at it in 30 years until I came down with celiac about 8 years ago or. Having it really awakened me and my family and forced me to change for the better.  If cooking for your family makes  you sick I"m sure they will adjust. Try some different  gluten free pastas for them. Let yourself get creative with gluten-free cooking. There are many cook books out there and recipes online. Its a challenge but you can make it fun for you and your family.

good luck

 

 

 

Im just so hoping this all will get easier with time. Im not a patient person and being swallon like im 9 months pregnant is so not feeling good. I cant even fit into my own clothes. Im stressed to max

[Juliebove]

Well thank you and I have been eating simple. I pretty much live off of boneless skinless chicken on grill and potatoes and veggies. I make enough the night before for lunch the next day. I never was into breads but I did love pasta so its hard. I think the hardest thing is having 4 kids and hubby that dont need to do this and just making their foods make me very sick. Im not sure what to do about that but I will have my kids checked out too. Thanks for the help

Buy gluten-free pasta.  Tinkyada is very good!  Just be sure not to overcook it and if you use a plastic strainer, you'll need to buy a new one.  My Italian husband never noticed that I had changed the pasta.

[notme]

Well thank you and I have been eating simple. I pretty much live off of boneless skinless chicken on grill and potatoes and veggies. I make enough the night before for lunch the next day. I never was into breads but I did love pasta so its hard. I think the hardest thing is having 4 kids and hubby that dont need to do this and just making their foods make me very sick. Im not sure what to do about that but I will have my kids checked out too. Thanks for the help

if you are putting your food directly onto a pre-gluten-free grill, you might be cross contaminating yourself - put yours in tinfoil before putting on grates.  stop licking your fingers when you are making kids' food lolz that was one i learned the hard way.  tinkyada pasta is da bomb - i am also a huge pasta lover and tink comes pretty close - it even holds up well in pasta salads.  you can make their food (dinners, at least) gluten free with out that much change.   i will make most of the meal gluten-free (say, tacos) so:  meat <i season my own with onion & garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, etc s&p all gluten-free)  top with (now i can eat it) monterrey jack cheese, lettuce tomato, guacamole, salsa, sour cream.  i heat up some refried beans, and use corn taco shells, for example.  the husband wants rice a roni <not gluten free!  so i fix it and move the pot very farrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr away from the rest of the meal.  tends to remind him that he needs to be careful.  how old are your kids?  we also have 4, but the youngest is in last year of college already.  i think she and our son probably would test to be ncgi at least....  but their symptoms are minor to them maybe because their bodies are not damaged enough for them to care yet.  son had onset of type 1 diabetes at age 19 so he already struggles with his diet.  if they were young enough that i was still feeding them, i would feed them gluten-free anyway whether i had them tested or not.  i changed their diapers....  'nuff said lolz !  

[Melissa.77]

Thank you for all the tips it realy does help to hear from all the different views people have and tips. I think Im finaly comming around to the change. I even got hubby to make sons Bday cake as I was not doing it. As for myself I even made a apple crisp glutin free so I can have a treat to as well as some sorbiet ice cream yummy. Im learning slowly. I just cant stand feeling so horrible all the time so deff need to change. My dr said Im in bad shape left untreated for 30 plus years is not good. I have been sick since a very young child. So thanks all for the support

[Ollie's Mom]

Torani flavored syrups are one example of a gluten-containing ingredient being part of "natural flavors" and not being otherwise declared. The FAQ page on their website lists the following flavors as containing gluten:

Bacon, Classic Caramel, Sugar Free Classic Caramel, Toasted Marshmallow and Sugar Free French Vanilla.

Here are the ingredients for the Classic Caramel: Pure cane sugar, water, natural flavors, citric acid, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate (to preserve freshness). I have one of the SF Classic Caramel and it does not say that it contains wheat or gluten anywhere on the package. But it does, according to their website.

I just wanted to repost this. It looks as though this is an example like Peter was looking for. It isn't "hidden" in that they clearly state on their website that these flavors contain gluten, but you'd NEVER know if you only looked at the label. So, on the label, it is hidden. It may be rare, but it does happen.

[karichelle]

I just wanted to repost this. It looks as though this is an example like Peter was looking for. It isn't "hidden" in that they clearly state on their website that these flavors contain gluten, but you'd NEVER know if you only looked at the label. So, on the label, it is hidden. It may be rare, but it does happen.

Exactly -- and it's the type of thing that makes me nervous about anything that lists "natural flavors." I read the label at the coffee shop, itched from it later, and found this on Torani's website. Reading the label did me no good.

[Cookingpapa]

I was hoping someone would repost this. I strictly avoid everything that says "natutal flavors" on the label because even though I am not gluten intolerant, my wife is. And seeing her in pain because I haven't been cautious enough doesn't work for me.

 

I'm not convinced that natural flavors are safe in the US even though Peter is very compelling in his arguments.

I just wanted to repost this. It looks as though this is an example like Peter was looking for. It isn't "hidden" in that they clearly state on their website that these flavors contain gluten, but you'd NEVER know if you only looked at the label. So, on the label, it is hidden. It may be rare, but it does happen.

[psawyer]

Cookingpapa, I am going to offer another avenue to relaxing about flavors.

There are a number of food manufacturers who have a policy that any gluten will be explicitly named in the ingredients list and never hidden. They include some of the largest companies in the business, and apply to all their brands and products worldwide.

Open Original Shared Link

With these companies, you don't have to call and ask. Indeed, if you call Kraft, the customer service representative will tell you to read the label. That is because formulas change, and the product you have may not match the current ingredients.

[khrhyne]

Well Hello everyone.

 

         Im a brand new memeber and have been reading all these post and just soaking it all in. Im having a hard time with all this at this point and assumeit will get easier at one point. I am a mother of 4 kids so making food for them has even been gettting me sick too does anyone know what to do in this situation. Im very stressed out with it all. I cant even get myself out of bed someday because im so sick or at times Im just depressed. Any Idea for help

Hi Melissa! I hope you are slowly figuring things out. I have found a wonderful gluten-free bread mix, and my kids even request it ("Mommy, could you make the gluten-free bread?"). I am not sure if I am allowed to mention the name here? Moderators, is that OK? I am getting my daughter tested this week as well, as she has tummy issues. Good luck!

[mushroom]

It is perfectly okay to mention a product you have enjoyed, so long as you are not associated with the company that makes it and do not have a pecuniary interest in the product.

[stanleymonkey]

Corn pasta is also good

[heather806]

You'll be great at this after a bit of time and practice, Melissa! I only cook gluten free for my myself and my husband and when people come over.  I make a yummy tinkyada spiral pasta salad with mozarella and tomato and other stuff and people are always surprised it is gluten free. 

 

If you happen to live where they have Wegman's -- I made the wegmans gluten-free brownies tonight and holy cow I have to stop myself from eating the whole batch!!  So good.  Nobody would know the difference.  Your kids can still enjoy the traditional "sweet treats" -- you just have to be a little creative and find brands that work for you.  I wish I had some vanilla ice cream to put on these brownies....yum!   (I am mostly eating healthy but sometimes you gotta have a treat)

 

I still have some non gluten-free items in the house so my husband can make a regular sandwich or whatever for himself but we have separate items like butter tubs etc to help avoid cross-contamination. 

 

You can do this!

[Lisa]

I just wanted to repost this. It looks as though this is an example like Peter was looking for. It isn't "hidden" in that they clearly state on their website that these flavors contain gluten, but you'd NEVER know if you only looked at the label. So, on the label, it is hidden. It may be rare, but it does happen.

That is old information, and their website is out of date.  Caramel coloring/flavoring and vanilla flavoring  are no longer considered to contain gluten.

[Ollie's Mom]

That is old information, and their website is out of date. Caramel coloring/flavoring and vanilla flavoring are no longer considered to contain gluten.

Can you provide a source for this?

[psawyer]

Caramel color is one of those celiac urban myths that just won't go away.

Here is Shelley Case's take on it, from Gluten-Free Diet A Comprehensive Resource Guide:

Although gluten-containing ingredients (barley malt syrup and starch hydrolysates) can be used in the production of caramel color, North American companies use corn as it has a longer shelf life and makes a superior product. European companies use glucose derived from wheat starch, however caramel color is highly processed and contains no gluten.

[Emphasis in original]

[Melissa.77]

Well Im still not all the way there but am learning slowing some of the secrets in glutin free eating. love the support here

[Melissa.77]

I have a question to anyone out there that may be able to answer it. How does anyone afford to shop glutin free is there a good place to shop that is affordable. I have a house of 5 and my pockets aren't deep enough to afford the cost of glutin free foods. Help

[tarnalberry]

Don't buy processed gluten free foods. Use whole, naturally gluten free foods. Beans, lentils, rice, corn, buckwheat, quinoa, eggs, fruits and vegetables that are in season, lots of root veggies and winter squash when in season. Small amounts of meats or fish.

There are lots of blogs with inexpensive, whole food recipes. We do dinner with a family once a week, and for the six of us, the full cost of dinner runs between $15 and $30 (usually when we do salmon fillets ), including two to three leftover servings for lunch the next day.

What sorts of foods do you usually eat and are willing to eat?

[notme]

i usually 'splurge' on:  bread, pasta, (i still use lactaid, but i probably don't need to) i have no reaction to boar's head cold-cuts, so i buy a little for me and a cheaper brand for everybody else, pizza crust, burger/hot dog buns <so, still bread items..  the 'fake' soy bragg's enzyme sauce, certain flours <and that you will collect different ones over time.  i don't use pre-mixed - just combine depending on what i'm making.  if i find (omgosh, udi's cinnamon buns on the reduced rack for a dollar a package, HELLO i bought all of them haha ) a deal on something i will load up the freezer.  if you're not feeding everyone gluten-free, just use (say) one burger bun for you and feed the rest regular wheat buns.  that saves me $$ i eat my sloppy joe on my expensive bread and he can eat his on the cheap-os.  everything else i can usually fake lolz  and a few years ago, we started planting veggies and can them ourselves.  that way, i know exactly what sort of (vinegar, NATURAL FLAVORINGS LOLOL etc) are going into our food.   if i make a bunch of something and freeze it, i have a dinner for myself if everyone decides they really need to eat kentucky fried chicken or whatever.  or if i have to run out the door, i usually have something to chuck into my backpack so i won't starve to death.  i swear, sometimes, i won't be hungry until i leave the house!!  i think my car makes me hungry haha

[karichelle]

That is old information, and their website is out of date.  Caramel coloring/flavoring and vanilla flavoring  are no longer considered to contain gluten.

Are you stating that Torani's website is out of date? If so, what is your source?

 

Open Original Shared Link Under product-related questions.

[psawyer]

Are you stating that Torani's website is out of date? If so, what is your source?

It may be based on outdated thinking about certain ingredients. I already responded here regarding caramel color.

 

http://www.celiac.ca/index.php/about-celiac-disease/what-to-eat/'>Here is a link to the Canadian Celiac Association page that lists vanilla as safe.

 

As testing technology has advanced over time, some things, like these, that were once feared to contain gluten have now been scientifically shown not to contain it.