Is a mixed kitchen realistic?

[creativemuse]

I am newly/tentatively diagnosed (sero positive, biopsy negative, but gastro sypmtoms vastly improved without gluten, so I am going with it).  I have a husband and 3 kids, 9, 13 and 15 years old (plus 2 grain eating dogs and 2 grain eating ferrets). I figured it would be just me going gluten free, we cleaned the kitchen end to end, all the nooks and crannies, sanitized the plastic cutting boards, got rid of the wooden ones, etc. I came home from a party where I did not eat anything, even the veggie tray, out of an abundance of caution and found a big plate of garlic bread and crumbs EVERYWHERE. Is the idea of a mixed kitchen insane? (My husband is down cleaning it up now, I refused to touch it, not because it would be dangerous but because I was so frustrated I could scream).

[GFinDC]

Hi,

Welcome to the forum!

A mixed kitchen with kids and a hubby maybe difficult.  The kids you can train but the hubby could be a lost cause!

Actually, there are ways to live in a shared kitchen with gluten eaters and do ok.  I do it every day.  I have a separate dorm size refrigerator that I keep most of my food in.  I also have a container that I put my silverware and utensils in.  When I do put something in the shared refrig I try to put it on the top shelf so gluteny food particles don't fall on it.  And always it is something in a closed container.  I have my own pots and pans I keep separate too.

I keep old gluten-free bread sacks or other gluten-free bags and place them on a small section of counter where I prepare food.  Some people use freezer paper or some other paper for this.  I often rinse silverware before using it to be sure.

I have my own jars of peanut butter, mustard etc.

I also keep CVS brand Me + My gluten Assist on hand for any possible cross contamination problems.

It works pretty well for me.  But I am quite a few years down the road on being gluten-free.  When I was newly gluten-free, I seemed to react to much smaller amounts of gluten and everything else for that matter.

Your family should know that celiac disease has a genetic component.  So there is a higher than average chance for them to contract it at some point.

[cyclinglady]

I feel for you!  

GFinDC has excellent tips!  

My hubby was gluten free 12 years prior to my diagnosis.  We had a shared kitchen, but...I was the only one who cooked and prepared food (besides hubby) and cleaned up.  I prepared gluten free dinners for all three of us, but still made gluten items for myself and my daughter for lunch and breakfast.  By the time I was diagnosed and my daughter expressed interest in cooking, we made the entire house gluten free.  It was just easier.  I send my daughter off to school with some gluten in her lunch (usually prepackaged items or I pack and freeze small portions for her).  I also send  her off with cake and brownie mixes to her friend’s house to bake but amazingly she like gluten-free cakes and cookies.  I just made a batch of spice raisin cupcakes yesterday.  They were so good and the balance of the cupcakes are in the freezer.  I have a 17 cu/ft freezer in the garage.  It is a lifesaver!  

My daughter comes home and washes her hands.  We all do.  We also  (and this was strongly in effect when she was younger) eat only in the kitchen and wash up afterwards.  We did not want to gluten Dad!  We do not need gluten spread all over the house.  Three boys.  That requires a lot of training, but you can do it.  

Get your kids tested now before they become gluten light.  They should be tested every few years, sooner if symptoms present.  Some celiacs do not have any symptoms at all (silent celiacs).  

Have the meltdown.  They need to learn.  Consider some temporary notes taped on the kitchen cupboards.  It can help.  Just give them some time.  It takes three weeks to change a behavior!  

Brush teeth before kissing!  

[Nikki2777]

It can be a challenge, but we've lived that way for 5 years.  We have two teenagers and, among the four of us, i'm the only one who is gluten free - here's our house:

- Stainless steel pots and pans (we had these before, I prefer them) - gluten can get caught in scratches on non-stick surfaces.  I re-rinse the pots before using them for my stuff.  I do have a non-stick wok and a griller that are dedicated gluten-free and I use them very often.  My own toaster oven, too.  I put parchment paper down on cookie sheets before using.  I also wipe down countertop before using.  I have a separate hand mixer for baking just because the holes that the whirly things go into gets crudded up with dough.

- Separate cutting boards.  I have multicolored ones to make them easily identifiable.  Separate mayo and any condiment that one re-dips into - we label them with a sharpie, but others use color stickers.  Kids know to scoop out anything they may use from the container (e.g., hummus) into a small bowl before dipping, and to wash their hands before reaching into gluten-free snacks (they prefer my pretzels).  I also put  elastics or clips on all chip bags, etc. if they will be in close proximity to mine just to keep things from falling out.

- Don't kiss a bearded and mustachioed husband after he's eaten pizza.  I speak from experience here.

The biggest issues in our house right now are the pizza box/pizza dust when we order in and that my daughter has recently taken up baking with a vengeance and I've had to teach her how to keep the flour contained and surfaces wiped down.  Not sure if she'll be able to continue this hobby with gluten flour if she doesn't get a little better at it.  I think it would be harder to do this with toddlers, but my kids were already pretty able to follow instructions when I was diagnosed.