New Guy- Needs Help To Start Diet For The New Year!

[jay81]

Hello everyone. I have recently decided I would try and eliminate gluten from my diet which is going to be really hard. I'm determined to learn how to cook and give this a go, to try and see if it helps with my stomach issues. I'm just really confused with so many things containing gluten.

 

I know veggies and fresh fruits are good and meats without seasoning. Also anything labeled gluten-free is a go. I've also heard rice and potatoes are good.

 

I'm really more stumped by products to cook with like cooking sprays/ olive oils. Butter and that type of thing.

 

If anyone can give me some good start up advice/ pointers it would be much appreciated. Trying to google everything, is making me nuts.    

 

Thanks

[bartfull]

Go to the coping section here and read the Newbie 101 thread. Make sure you click on all the links provided. It'll give you a wealth of information.

[glutenfreeliac]

Butter and oil should be fine, unless you're using something weird (you probably aren't). You absolutely *can* season meats -- I prefer just salt and pepper when it comes to red meats, but most seasonings are fine. Just read the labels to make sure there aren't any additional ingredients, particularly if you're using seasoning blends. Rice and potatoes are fine, though, again, if you're using stuff from boxes, check the ingredients. Fruits and vegetables are fine, with the same caveat.

 

My advice is to start simple -- meats, basic starches, veggies --  before expanding your repertoire, especially if you're a beginning cook. And, yes, while googling stuff can seem daunting, I've discovered there is a recipe out there, modified to be gluten free, for just about anything you want to tackle in the kitchen!

[mommida]

Avoid some of the gluten free product overload.  Give yourself some time to adjust your taste buds.  Enjoying food is a texture and taste adventure, and gluten definitely supplies texture in food.  Baked goods taste much sweeter without the wheat flour.

 

Keep a food journal.  It can help trace cross contamination, hidden gluten, or another food intolerance.

 

I was just in Costco the other day and was amazed at all the gluten free products available!  10 years gluten free and there are so many more products available and the prices are starting to lower too.

[LauraTX]

Something else that may help you, that helped me greatly when I went gluten-free a year ago now, is one of the gluten-free grocery guides available.  The one I use is the Cecelias marketplace one, they just put out a new edition, which I preordered.    Open Original Shared Link

Triumph also makes a guide book, but I haven't looked at it. Both will have an alphabetical list of foods that are okay.  So, if you want sausage or something that may or may not be gluten-free, you can look up what brands to look for in there. 

 

But, since you are not sure if gluten is the problem or not, I would just stick to the more obvious foods and see how you react before investing money into it.  Best of luck to you!

[GFinDC]

Well Jay,  making you nuts is our main goal, so yeah!    Not, kidding, and welcome to the forum.

 

You asked about cooking oils etc.  Some things you can use.  Coconut oil is good  and better for you than many oils.  You can also fry chicken breasts or sausage and save the grease in a ceramic cup in the fridge.  Works out to be basically free cooking oil.  Get the family packs of chicken breasts with skin and bones on.  Usually called split chicken breasts.

 

Something else you might want to try is cooking in a crock pot.  These things are so easy to use it's pathetic.  The trade-off is that they are slow.  You can put you meat and veggies in at night or in the morning tho and come back later and have a meal ready.  No standing close by watching it to be sure it doesn't burn or set off the smoke alarms etc.  A pressure cooker is another low maintenance way of cooking.  But it is much faster than a crock pot.  In fact, it is faster than most means of cooking.  Both are a good investment.  And cheaper than a wife for sure.  And both get kinda warm so not that much difference.  Ok, New Years eve joke ladies, don't get your panties all in a bunch!   Do make sure and follow the instructions for the crock pot or pressure cooker if you aren't married.  No one to blame it on in that case after all.  That sitch always kinda scks

 

It's helpful to cook large amounts of food at a time and freeze smaller portions for later eating.  Kinda like storing a kill in a nearby tree for later munching.  But it really can save you time during the week just to nuke a small portion of pre-cooked food.  If you make a different version of say, rice and meats and veggies every weekend for a month, you can have nice variety to munch on for a while with little effort.  Basically you are making your own frozen meals, but much less expensive than buying commercial frozen tv dinners.  You don't actually need the rice, quinoa is an option (healthier) or no starch at all is ok.

 

You can also buy pre-cooked hams, even turkeys at some stores.  If you watch for sales they are sometimes cheaper than buying the raw meats.  There is a cooking section of the forum with lots of recipes if you are adventurous.

 

I suggest you avoid Pacific ocean fish for now, until the radiation levels taper off a bit.  An internal glow is nice in some cases, but not always.  Sorry, this is what happens when I drink wine on New Years eve.  No offense intended, I hope something here helps. 

[mommida]

Ohhhh  I forgot to tell you katz gluten free products offers a free sample pack of Kosher gluten free products.  You do have to pay for shipping.  I do not have to be Kosher but I enjoyed some food items I never had before. 

 

Back to the reason for the food journal, I found out coconut makes me vomit.  I never really ate much coconut before, and didn't know until going gluten free and adding it to my diet that I am intolerant to it.

[cyclinglady]

Yep, increasing coconut (yogurts, milk) into my diet (just shredded in cookies occasionally before) did not agree with me at all!

[jay81]

Thanks for all the help everyone. I'm going to wander around the grocery store tomorrow and just read labels. Lol. But, there's a lot more I found I can eat than I originally thought. My previous diet consisted a ton of snack foods like waffles, muffins, graham crackers, and so on. The cravings are rough at the moment, but I found some gluten free waffles that aren't too bad. Plus rice pudding is good. Any of you guys have favorite snack type foods? Thanks again

[MissyBB]

Jay, I think you will find, after a while, that you will lose your craving for all that previously, fluffy-white, baked stuff. I know I was a huge dessert freak. I LOVED my carbs. I LOVED muffins and crumpets and cupcakes and pie and bread.....oh, how I loved the bread! But now that I have been off of all that stuff for ten months I have to honestly say that I don't miss it. In fact, once in a while I will *think* I really want something I used to have. I will make a gluten-free version of it (I am a great baker  ), eat it, realize it DOES taste pretty good but then realize, "meh, it's not all I thought it was chalked up to be". I have really lost my desire for most of that stuff now.

 

When I realized I was gluten-intolerant or celiac (haven't officially tested) I was VERY reluctantly on the Primal/Paleo diet (hubby wanted to do it so badly and, well, I am the chief cook in this house). I did NOT want to do Primal/Paleo because of the loss of baked goods and breads. But I did it anyway and that was when I realized how crappy wheat made me feel. I mean, alllll my symptoms went away.

 

So maybe it is a good idea to just try some clean eating for a while. You know, not filling up on the gluten-free versions of all the muffins, cookies etc. It DOES allow your body to readjust to clean eating and then you WILL lose some of your desire for all that fluffy-white stuff. At least it did for me.

 

Going gluten-free I have lost 20 pounds now in ten months. That might not seem like a lot but that was with no trying at all! I never deprived myself, I never TRIED to lose weight. It is just the result of cutting out all that fluff I used to eat by proxy of me not being ABLE to eat it. Now when we have hamburgers I will just eat it without the bun. Cut out a 150 calorie bun, or equivalent traditional "wheat" food once a day and those calories really add up and your body is better without all those carbs anyway!

 

I'm not saying I never have gluten-free bread or a gluten-free bun. I just eat waaay less of them. Most of going gluten-free is really in your head. It's realizing you just WANT the muffins or the waffles etc because, well, now they are sort of forbidden. Once you get past your own headspace it gets easier.    

 

Good luck!

[GF Lover]

Hi Jay,

 

When you get that craving for a great snack, make a batch of Brownies.  Bob's Red Mill and Betty Crocker have excellent mixes.  You really cannot tell the difference in taste.  Then wrap each one in Plastic Wrap and put them in the freezer, after you have wolfed a couple down, then you can pull one out and nuke it for a quick, satisfying snack.  Really try and stay away from buying alot of snack foods and processed foods.  They are very high in sugar.  It took me almost two years before I started baking successfully but I finally got there.  I make waffles, bananna bread, pies etc.  It will come with time.  As others have said, keep your diet as simple as you can for now.  

 

Good Luck and we are here to help you along the way.

 

Colleen

[kareng]

This is the Frito Lay list for the US. I think it's slightly different in other countries.

Open Original Shared Link

Yes, People! I know none of these items are good for you! But sometimes, a Celiac needs some normal junk food!

[GFinDC]

Hi Jay,

 

You can look for corn tortillas or rice wraps a an alternative to gluten-free breads.  They are generally much cheaper and gluten-free.  Just check the labels or search online for the product name and gluten free.  Often the gluten-free goods are kept frozen in the stores.  In the USA Chex makes some gluten-free cereals.

[LauraTX]

Hi Jay,

 

You can look for corn tortillas or rice wraps a an alternative to gluten-free breads.  They are generally much cheaper and gluten-free.  Just check the labels or search online for the product name and gluten free.  Often the gluten-free goods are kept frozen in the stores.  In the USA Chex makes some gluten-free cereals.

White corn tortillas make really good soft tacos without the "corny" taste.  And of course, they are pennies on the dollar to the gluten-free tortillas.

[MissyBB]

White corn tortillas make really good soft tacos without the "corny" taste.  And of course, they are pennies on the dollar to the gluten-free tortillas.

 

 

I agree. I use corn tortillas for all sorts of wrapped foods - gryos, tacos, breakfast burritos etc etc.

[mommida]

I finally got to try Udi's bread.  It is awesome.   (I also checked my stock, and guess what?  The company acquired Udi's!  Every time I buy a loaf of Udi's, I'm kinda paying myself!) :D :D

[MissyBB]

I finally got to try Udi's bread.  It is awesome.   (I also checked my stock, and guess what?  The company acquired Udi's!  Every time I buy a loaf of Udi's, I'm kinda paying myself!) :D :D

 

The Kinnickinnick new Soft Bread is also exceptional. 

[bartfull]

I finally got to try Udi's bread.  It is awesome.   (I also checked my stock, and guess what?  The company acquired Udi's!  Every time I buy a loaf of Udi's, I'm kinda paying myself!) :D :D

Well, I usually buy Canyon Bakehouse bread, but I DO buy Udi's Double Chocolate Muffins. First of all, I'm glad to help you out on the stock, but second of all, if you haven't tried the muffins yet, DO! They are unbelievably good. You'll probably spend every penny you make on the stock buying these muffins, which will increase your stock's value which will have you buying MORE muffins which will increase your WEIGHT, but with all that money you'll be making, who cares?

[mommida]

I'm a little pee wee stock person, but I believe in supporting myself.

 

My daughter has been challenging eggs.  It's going well, and it looks like she will be able to keep eggs in the diet. There was a lot of gluten free products she couldn't have.  I'll be looking for the muffins next time I head out!