What now??

[envy]

I’m 23 and I’ve just been diagnosed. I really only have what’s online to help me figure all of this out. I have some questions that maybe someone could help me with!!

 

1. Are there any tell-tale ingredients on nutrition facts other than wheat?

2. Is it okay to occasionally eat something that contains gluten?

3. Why is everything gluten free so expensive?? 
4. Are there any quick gluten free snacks (Goldfish were my favorite!) that I can get from somewhere fast like a gas station? 
5. How serious is cross-contamination? i.e. I had gluten free pizza from Domino’s last night, but since there are a lot of ingredients including gluten around, does the “gluten free” thing just become obsolete? 
 

If anyone has any other tips for a freshly diagnosed celiac, let me know!! I’ve been having symptoms my entire life. Stool samples when I was 10, lactose intolerance diagnosis when I was a teenager, then previously accepting my symptoms as an adult and ignoring them until I couldn’t. Blood tests, colonoscopy, and endoscopy in tow, now here we are! I have been cutting out gluten as much as I can, but it’s hard to leave behind a lot of my favorite foods and restaurants. SAUCES HAVE GLUTEN?? It’s all so much to take into account even when you just want something to snack on. I appreciate this forum and site a lot! Thank you everyone for all your questions and answers to look back on for help!

[trents]

1. Besides wheat, barley and rye also contain gluten. Look for terms like "malt flavoring". Also watch out for this in the allergen information section of the ingredient list: "manufactured in a facility or on equipment that also processes wheat" or similar statement. There is potential for cross contamination there.

2. Absolutely not okay to eat gluten containing food occasionally. If you do, you will continue to experience inflammation in the small bowel and prevent healing. Never purposefully eat anything you know to contain gluten. You will have enough to deal with in the area of cross contamination without purposely ingesting gluten.

3. Gluten free foods are expensive for a number of reasons. Mostly it's because it must be produced on dedicated equipment. Also because it must be tested to be gluten free and finally, the ingredients that go into it are more expensive. Also, there isn't the volume of sales seen with conventional food. However, you don't need to buy "gluten free" food in order to eat gluten free. But you would have to focus on fresh food instead of processed food, cooking from scratch, and eating simple instead of pre-made things that have tons of ingredients, coatings and flavorings. Fresh meat, fresh vegetables and fruit.

4. Quick snacks? Yes. Plain potato chips and Fritos come to mind. You must become and ingredient reader, however.

5. How serious is cross contamination? That kind of depends on how sensitive you are to gluten and can only be answered by your personal experience. Two celiacs will react very differently to Dominos gluten-free pizza.

Yes, sauces can definitely have gluten and many do. Spices as well. Almost all canned soups have gluten. It is a cheap thickener. Most soy sauce has gluten.

 

Edited October 19, 2023 by trents

[Scott Adams]

The following two lists are very helpful for anyone who is gluten sensitive and needs to avoid gluten when shopping.

It's very important to learn to read labels and understand sources of hidden gluten, and to know some general information about product labelling--for example in the USA if wheat is a possible allergen it must be declared on a product's ingredient label like this: Allergens: Wheat.

 

 

 

[envy]

53 minutes ago, Scott Adams said:

The following two lists are very helpful for anyone who is gluten sensitive and needs to avoid gluten when shopping.

It's very important to learn to read labels and understand sources of hidden gluten, and to know some general information about product labelling--for example in the USA if wheat is a possible allergen it must be declared on a product's ingredient label like this: Allergens: Wheat.

 

 

 

Thank you so much!! I’ve been trying to look for ingredients and nutrition facts on things but sometimes it’s tougher than it just saying “wheat”. These are super helpful!