Does It Get Better?

[DiamondWoman]

Hello everyone

 

I was diagnosed as gluten sensitive a week ago. This was not totally a surprise as 3 of my aunts, my mother and my sister all are gluten sensitive as well.

 

The biggest issue I am having currently is I can't find gluten free food to fit my lifestyle. I work 3 jobs 7 days a week and am out of the house from 7:30 am to 10:00 pm. As a result I am always eating on the go, in my vehicle going from job 1 to job 2. Every kind of bread I have tired either tastes like cardboard or disintegrates by the end of the day leaving me unable to eat the sandwich I had made for myself. And because I'm  driving foods that need 2 hands are not an option. When I get home at 10:00 and then cook (normally just warming stuff up as I bulk cook for 2 months on my 1 day off in 8 weeks) for myself its 10:30 at the earliest I am eating dinner and my stomach starts hurting from eating so late. I know its not the food cause everything is gluten free and I have eaten it at my parents house with no problems before. 

 

I need some realistic suggestions of food items that will make my life easier. No i can't give up a job, no I can't cut back my hours. I already bulk cook and make lots ahead of time. I am deathly allergic to nuts and peanuts so most gluten free snack food is not safe for me. What I need is gluten free fast food that you can eat with 1 hand (realize this is probably a pipe dream but I can wish right).

 

Has anyone else done gone gluten free with a lifestyle like mine? If there is please I need your advise, my family can't help as they all work 1 job Monday to Friday 9 to 5.

 

Thanks everyone, sorry I was venting but I'm at a loss for what to do and getting really frustrated (to the point of tears) as a result.

 

Diamond Woman

 

 

 

[Judy3]

Not sure what to tell you about fast food except its probably not an option for gluten free.    I use Glutino bread and it holds up pretty well for a sandwich when I take it to work doesn't need to be toasted either and that's a plus because most of them do to be palatable.     You have a hectic life so planning is essential as you already know.  Cooking ahead is good so you just have to warm it up... you are on the right track!!    I am also allergic to nuts so I avoid the snack foods too.    I eat fruit and cheese mostly for snacks.   Seems a carb (fruit) and protein and fat (cheese) combined makes it hold off hunger longer     For a grab and go snack you could do rice chex and dried fruit (raisins, cherries etc.. ) in a bag or bowl to eat while you are driving (one handed grab!!)    Just some suggestions from what I do.   Hope you figure it out.. 

[RMJ]

Could you wrap your sandwich filling in a corn tortilla? Although they can get crumbly.

[kareng]

First - if you don't have Celiac disease - you might not have to be as careful as those of us who do.  So you might be able to take chances at places a Celiac wouldn't.  That will just depend on your system.

 

You might want to skip the bread for a while.  Sometimes it helps to "forget" gluten bread.  What about things like cheese slices and deli meat slices and crackers?  Put them in little cups in your cup holders when you want to eat?  IF you can stop, you could have a salad with meat and cheese.  Maybe make up little cracker or rice cake sandwiches with sun nut butter or cream cheese.

 

Enjoy life makes "seed mixes" & granola bars - you could try them or look at them for ideas to fix your own. Open Original Shared Link Everything they make is gluten-free and nut free.

[mamaw]

for work  is there a  microwave?  They  do  make  an instant mac & Cheese , Gluten freeda  has  sandwich pockets  in several varieties,You  also  can make  your  own  gluten-free dough & make  the  same thing... we  love  sandwich petal wraps  they come in flavors  to  wrap  meat,  cheese, lettuce &  sun dried tomatoes  up in....

gluten-free breads  are  not  forgiving  , we  now  use  canyon bakehouse  which  needs  no heating.... a  side note  is not to put  condiments  on the  bread  until ready to eat ....keeps  bread  from getting  soggy...

Munk pak  has just   recently  came out  with  pouches  of  gluten-free  oatmeal  several varieties  for on the  go... Not  bad  in a  pinch...

Go picnic has   portable  gluten-free  boxes... I'm not a  fan  but  it's  food.....

Jerky &  cheese  with gluten-free  crackers...

Pacific  has  small boxed  soups  to have  either cold  or  heated, drink right  out of carton....they have  heatable  thermos  on Amazon...just  add  your  soup.

individual  tuna  &  crackers,,  add a fruit  & there is lunch....

Lance  has  come out  with gluten-free  peanut butter  or  cheese  crackers  for  snacking...

Do you  like  protein  shakes?  Blender  bottle  &  mix  it  up....these  can be  made  with  a lot of  leftover  fruit & veggies add flax  or  salba  seeds  to boost  the values....

Cold  pizza, not  everyone  likes that  but  ! !!!!

salmon  spread  on  rice  cakes , gluten-free  chips....

[nvsmom]

Our fast foods include: hard boiled eggs, roast leftovers (cooked in a slow cooker, raw veggies and dip (tzaziki or hummus), wraps (use coconut wraps), crackers and cheese, pepperoni sticks, nuts, seeds, Thai noodles, leftover rice, leftover anything (burgers, salmon, etc). Leftovers are the key.  If you are gluten-free you'll hav eto cook more (or have someone cook more) so make a lot and freeze the extras.

 

Welcome to the board.

[Googles]

I drive for work too and have to find foods that I can eat while between jobs. I use sting cheese (well used to before having to go dairy free), carrots (i buy baby carrots and throw them into a  bag), chips (I find corn chips work best), beef jerky  (oberto brand original is gluten free), pepperoni (I just use sliced pizza pepperoni), there are these crackers at Kroger that I get that are gluten free but I don't know if they are nut free (I know they have sesame seeds). I will also buy other prepared vegetables from the store and throw them in a bag together to make a "salad". I hope this helps. Think Thin bars are gluten free (don't know if they are nut free-some definitely are not) and I will eat those. Also applesauce pouches are really easy to eat while driving. It ends up being like drinking applesauce. There are multiple flavors. I hope this helps. 

[StClair]

I pretty much carry organic brown rice cakes everywhere I go. Yesterday I topped them with hummus, the day before with cheese (I can tolerate that about once a week), another with Di Lusso turkey, another with almond butter, etc. They have stepped into the bread role for me. Make it yourself trail mix with known safe ingredients, in a paper cup, go with me on road trips. Pre cut fruit pieces, carrot sticks. Best of luck figuring it all out.

[Zebra007]

I am trying to think of what might work....What about toasting your bread in the evening, then making up your sandwich, then putting it into the fridge overnight, that way it should keep the bread "together"  longer, or what about using those Gluten free wraps that are popular, they will enable you to roll up your ham and cheese easily and then wrap in cling film, and again put in the fridge overnight...for snacks, maybe a plastic container with some nice fresh fruit in one container, and in the other you could try things like dates, which are one of the most popular fruits,  then there are figs, and apricots! Things that are quite sweet, but are extremely good for you. 

[Zebra007]

I pretty much carry organic brown rice cakes everywhere I go. Yesterday I topped them with hummus, the day before with cheese (I can tolerate that about once a week), another with Di Lusso turkey, another with almond butter, etc. They have stepped into the bread role for me. Make it yourself trail mix with known safe ingredients, in a paper cup, go with me on road trips. Pre cut fruit pieces, carrot sticks. Best of luck figuring it all out.

Can I have that recipe? 

[nonnarae]

Even before going gluten-free I used bell pepper halves and filled them with things like chicken salad or tuna. Egg salad in cucumber boats. Of course the regular fruits.  Lettuce wraps or I found an easy delicious tortilla recipe on epicurious. Even my teenage kids friends love them. They actually ask for them.  They freeze and thaw well. 

 

if you can eat corn taco shells those pre-made hard ones filled with lunch meats or salad type things are not to bad for one handed. 

 

I just keep a small cooler that I pack. I haven't figured out how to eat out yet. 

 

if you open the container the boats and such are one handed eats  that fill you up and taste great!