Rice Dream

[Guest alex j]

My son is also allergic to dairy, soy, and tree nuts, as well as having celiac.

It is tricky finding a safe milk. Lots of them have nut problems due to shared lines with almond milks. The safest one I have found so far is the 365 brand rice milk. It does carry a nut warning, but apparently this is because their oil supplier may also press nut oils (as well as the canola or safflower oil that is in the milk). So - not entirely risk free, but it's a pretty minimal risk, and they have investigated the chain of supply, which is a good sign that they are taking the problem seriously. (I wonder how many companies without nut warnings actually do that). We haven't had any problems. Though if anyone finds one without any nut x-contam risk, I'd be very interested.

I haven't looked into the Trader Joe brand but I think they don't have a great reputation for preventing nut cross contamination.

Added bonus is that 365 brand is cheap ($1.49 a quart, cheaper if you buy it by the case).

Alex

[Guest Robbin]

If you'd like to try this, it's delicious. The only bad thing might be that it's not enriched with vitamins as commercial rice milk is. But it's easy- I make it ahead for the week.

RICE MILK

4 cups hot/warm water

1 cup cooked rice (I use white; you can use brown)

1 tsp vanilla (also make my own vanilla by putting three vanilla beans in brandy for 3 or 4 weeks-that way no grain alcohol in vanilla)

4 Tables. Sucanat (pure cane sugar) or regular sugar

Place all ings. in a blender til smooth. Let set for about 30 minutes, then pour into jar for storage. This will make about 4 and one half cups. Leave most of the sediment in the blender. Sometimes I cook the rice twice for a really smooth drink. And it doesn't come out as well with cold water or cold rice- better to make when warm.

This has helped me; I hope it does you, too!

lisa

Lisa, thank you so much for this -I will definitely try this for myself. My son is in the same situation as others -no soy, nuts, dairy, so we use the Pacific brand rice milk. For my own use, I use mainly Almond Breeze. One of the really nice people on here uses Vance's Dairy Free-made from potatoes-you can order it online I understand. That may be another option you might check out. The rice breeze ticks me off so much. They are so devious with that labeling-you would tend to think it was ok, but believe me-I had the worst reaction to it when I was first gluten-free and got horrible canker sores from it, as well as severe D. Why on earth they have to even put the barley malt in so much is beyond me, but I digress, sorry Take care.

[NancyKay]

If you'd like to try this, it's delicious. The only bad thing might be that it's not enriched with vitamins as commercial rice milk is. But it's easy- I make it ahead for the week.

RICE MILK

4 cups hot/warm water

1 cup cooked rice (I use white; you can use brown)

1 tsp vanilla (also make my own vanilla by putting three vanilla beans in brandy for 3 or 4 weeks-that way no grain alcohol in vanilla)

4 Tables. Sucanat (pure cane sugar) or regular sugar

Place all ings. in a blender til smooth. Let set for about 30 minutes, then pour into jar for storage. This will make about 4 and one half cups. Leave most of the sediment in the blender. Sometimes I cook the rice twice for a really smooth drink. And it doesn't come out as well with cold water or cold rice- better to make when warm.

This has helped me; I hope it does you, too!

lisa

Thank you so much for this recipe. I'd love to make my own. Has anyone made this in a Vitamix?

Nancy

[dionnek]

Just wanted to say thanks for this post - I too had bought Rice Dream without thinking (why in the world would rice milk have gluten in it?!) but came across this post before using it - a whole jug down the drain but at least my tummy was happy

I like Almond Breeze (the chocolate is great for a treat!) and 8th continent (soy) light vanilla.

[Tigger18]

oh no! I just bought rice dream "ice cream" last night! Is that not safe either? Should we boycott the brand b/c they tried to trick us by hiding the warning on the rice milk?

[penguin]

oh no! I just bought rice dream "ice cream" last night! Is that not safe either? Should we boycott the brand b/c they tried to trick us by hiding the warning on the rice milk?

Here's their list: Open Original Shared Link

The following products do not contain gluten:

Rice Dream Non-Dairy Frozen Desserts and Novelties

The following varieties only (pints/quarts):

Vanilla

Strawberry

Cocoa Marble Fudge

Orange Vanilla Swirl

Vanilla Swiss Almond

Carob Almond

Neapolitan

Cookies n Dream

[lonewolf]

Here's their list: Open Original Shared Link

The following products do not contain gluten:

Rice Dream Non-Dairy Frozen Desserts and Novelties

The following varieties only (pints/quarts):

Vanilla

Strawberry

Cocoa Marble Fudge

Orange Vanilla Swirl

Vanilla Swiss Almond

Carob Almond

Neapolitan

Cookies n Dream

Wait, this says that Cookies n Dream is gluten free? It has wheat flour listed in the ingredients. The cookies part of the coookies n dream are wheat cookies.

Edit - I have eaten most of the other flavors of Rice Dream with no problems. I wouldn't boycott them because it's about the only ice cream substitute I can have.

[penguin]

Wait, this says that Cookies n Dream is gluten free? It has wheat flour listed in the ingredients. The cookies part of the coookies n dream are wheat cookies.

Yeah, I had wondered about that one, too. But, since I've never bought non-dairy ice cream, I didn't know...

Hopefully it's a misprint!!!

YUP! Here's the ingredients for the cookies & dream:

Ingredients: Filtered water, organic brown rice (partially milled), expeller pressed high oleic safflower oil, tapioca starch, chocolate cookies (enriched wheat flour, brown rice syrup, expeller pressed canola oil, cocoa, vanilla, soy lecithin, chocolate flavor, baking soda, sea salt), tapioca starch, natural flavors, guar gum, sea salt, carrageenan.

[lonewolf]

Yeah, I had wondered about that one, too. But, since I've never bought non-dairy ice cream, I didn't know...

Hopefully it's a misprint!!!

YUP! Here's the ingredients for the cookies & dream:

Ingredients: Filtered water, organic brown rice (partially milled), expeller pressed high oleic safflower oil, tapioca starch, chocolate cookies (enriched wheat flour, brown rice syrup, expeller pressed canola oil, cocoa, vanilla, soy lecithin, chocolate flavor, baking soda, sea salt), tapioca starch, natural flavors, guar gum, sea salt, carrageenan.

It definitely SHOULDN'T be on their gluten-free list. I've gotten sick from this flavor before, when I didn't know about hidden glutens and didn't read labels carefully. After I got sick I read the label and realized it was the wheat in the cookies.

[Nisa's Mama]

I am breast feeding my daughter and trying to find out what is bothering her, i've have been on a full elmination diet, but drinking a lot of rice dream, i just read the box and it says "gluten free" and "now organic" and no where warns about gluten. Is this a new batch, did they change? Could this be effecting her via my milk???

~Barbara

[Nisa's Mama]

I just found this link:

Open Original Shared Link

from rice dream saying "all their beverages do not contain gluten"

what do you think? was something changed?

~Barbara

[Fiddle-Faddle]

There have been a few past threads about this. My understanding is that they did not change their formula but that they are legally allowed to call their product "gluten-free" if it is under 200 ppm.

Many here react strongly even to that small an amount of gluten. I don't--but I realize that if others react strongly to it, then it could possibly cause damage to me even if I don't feel a reaction, so I avoid it. I have enough gluten-induced autoimmune problems as it is.

Hooray that you are nursing, and that you are being so careful! My babies did not react to gluten in my milk, but the oldest reacted horribly whenever I ate Mexican food. It was the only times he was ever fussy. Funny--I haven't liked Mexican food since, and that was 12 years ago.

[ravenwoodglass]

There have been a few past threads about this. My understanding is that they did not change their formula but that they are legally allowed to call their product "gluten-free" if it is under 200 ppm.

Many here react strongly even to that small an amount of gluten. I don't--but I realize that if others react strongly to it, then it could possibly cause damage to me even if I don't feel a reaction, so I avoid it. I have enough gluten-induced autoimmune problems as it is.

Hooray that you are nursing, and that you are being so careful! My babies did not react to gluten in my milk, but the oldest reacted horribly whenever I ate Mexican food. It was the only times he was ever fussy. Funny--I haven't liked Mexican food since, and that was 12 years ago.

Isn't our government wonderful to tell us how much poison we can legally injest without recourse to the company that poisoned us or even the priviledge of knowing that the product can make us sick. I may be wrong but I expect all those wonderful cereals like rice crispies and corn flakes etc will soon carry a gluten free label also and the barley malt that makes them unsafe will go back to being part of their 'secret' seasonings and flavors. I for one feel that gluten free should mean no gluten containing ingredients, period. It can't hurt to contact the FDA and your representatives on this matter. They really let us down on this one.

[misdiagnosed6yrs]

I am soo confused. so now if things say Gluten free, we cant assume thats correct either? Come on... this is just getting harder and harder. I feel so discouraged

[Juliebove]

The boxes in my area still say that they contain gluten.

[taweavmo3]

Well, add me to the confused list, lol. SO...the new "Organic" Rice dream that says gluten free, still has 20ppm of gluten in it? Nothing actually changed except for their label?

That's a bit scary if we can't really trust things that actually say gluten free.

I also wanted to mention for people looking for a different milk alternative, you could also try Hemp Milk. We have Living Harvest vanilla, and chocolate hemp milk, it tastes great and is full of calcium. It's a bit pricey though ($3.50 a carton) so we don't drink it that often.

[mftnchn]

I checked all the Rice Dream labels, and most were dated 2005 and had the barley warning. One box, was "enriched" organic and doesn't list the barley. It is dated 2007. I am assuming it does have barley in it, since all reports are that the formula hasn't changed.

Grrrr. No other rice milk is available here. But I am going to try making my own.