Safe Foods For Folks Like Us

[minnasagi]

Back in 2009, someone started a thread to get people who are super sensitive to share "best practices" on foods they've found to be safe. I've learned enough to know that things change in four years.

 

So...I was diagnosed just over a year ago, and for all the medical mystery rollercoastering I did getting that diagnosis, this last year of realizing just how very sensitive I am has been--if not worse, than.. well, not much better. 

 

I seem to do well with the GFCO's "circle-gluten-free" gluten free certification of products that are less than 10 ppm. But navigating what certified products are out there--AND identifying what products that are safe at less than 10 ppm but are not certified by GFCO--would make shopping for me and my family so much easier!  I would love to make everything from scratch, but I'm trying to strike a balance since time is always an issue. For starters, here are some of the brands and products I rely on (caveat: so far, I have not identified other sensitivities, though I can't have lactose after I've gotten accidentally glutened, and I can't handle high doses of casein). But I do react with joint pain, fatigue, brain fog, peripheral neuropathy, sometimes twitching, and difficulty with my left leg even after consuming trace amounts. I don't get those reactions when I eat only washed fresh produce and any of these items:

 

Organicville Pasta Sauce (and ketchup)--it seems to be the least expensive certified gluten-free option
Nuts.com for flours

Shiloh Farms for rice and beans (yes, I"ve reacted to cooked plain, dried beans)

Jovial pasta (I LOVE Tinkyada best, but if I have seconds, I react)

Stonyfield Farms and Chobani Yogurts

Rudi's and Udi's breads, Van's waffles and Gorilla Munch Cereal (though I don't eat them, I know I can)

NuGo bars and Svelte shakes (for instant food on the road and when travelling).

 

Any shortenings, mayonaise, mustards, lasagna noodles, cheese substitutes, vegetarian meat-subsititutes, etc.??? Cheaper (and not certified) versions of my staple products?

 

When you eat beyond just fresh produce, etc., what do YOU eat?

 

 

[dilettantesteph]

I have found that sensitivity levels vary widely, even among people who call themselves super sensitive.  It may be in part from unidentified other intolerances.  It is probably in part from misidentification of the source of the glutening.  I am good with Organic Valley 100% grassfed milk, Wegmans organic single source coffee, Wegmans sparkling water, and Bariani olive oil.

[MJ-S]

I make my own mayonnaise from scratch. It takes less than 5 minutes. I posted my recipe in this thread a while back: 

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/99299-homemade-mayo/?hl=+mayonnaise%20+recipe

 

I use Tinkyada lasagna noodles.

 

When I don't have fresh tomatoes, I make tomato sauce using Pomi. 

[MGR]

I am not too good with gluten free products , but I am also extremely sensitive to gluten full products- I try to keep my diet conservative and I feel great if I do so-except of gluten free bread, soya sauce, pasta and flower I make my own food from scratch almost always. Also I find gluten free products quite off putting- just looking at the list of ingredients makes me feel like I am not sure whether I even want to have them near my mouth!

[T.H.]

For lasagna noodles, Jovial makes these, too. I haven't seen any in the stores but you can order them online: Open Original Shared Link

 

For mustard, it's surprisingly easy to make, if you have a safe vinegar. 

 

For a fat, we ended up learning how to render our own fat. Many butcher areas at the store will save the fat for you if you talk to them beforehand, and sell it to you for not too much. Very easy to render, and if you do it right, it's a neutral smell and taste, like shortening. I never could find a shortening that worked for us. 

 

And you may want to check on the Gorilla Munch cereal if you get it again. My kids would have them as snacks at the grandparents sometimes, so I've been watching them, and for a while, they added the 'also processed in a facility that processes wheat' label for some varieties, and then only some of them I found did. Not sure where they're at now. I'm assuming there was some changing up of facilities and products, possibly, but if that's ever an issue for you, you may want to check the particular box you're buying, just in case.