Australians And New Zealanders Hellooooooo :)

[Aussie Farmer]

HI everyone I've been sitting around for a few days with the good old belly burn again so for the first time I started to google the world of celiac info,,,, to distract my bellyburn

I have been Gene tested ,positive celiac 9 mths next week and I have experienced some good weeks now and then on my new gluten-free lifestyle but have had a rough week so here I am for the first time !!!!

WOW, THANK YOU ALL, I FEEL MENTALLY BETTER than i have felt in 9 months just by reading so much info on this site and hearing about so many familiar stories.

Thanks again for now and I hope you can all feel my big hug to you all

[Saz]

For anyone from or who has travelled to the uk I have found a online grocery shop that exports groceries overseas.

They have a special diet food section that includes things like naan bread, bagels and crumpets, which I've not been able to find in Australia. There are also a few other things in the other sections which are gluten-free, but aren't labelled so you need to know what your looking for.

Just be aware that the labeling laws are a bit different over there, so it might be an idea to do a bit of research just to make sure. I'm sure you could find out the ingredients list of the products featured. Some of the products featured are the supermarket own brands and I know some them list the the ingredients of the products on their websites.

www.britsuperstore.co.uk

I've not ordered anything from the site but plan to soon, I'm starting to get sick of the same stuff from coles, woolies and the health food stores.

Oh and regaurding the oats from coles. I think the poster may have meant the Freedom foods ones. These are only labeled as WHEAT free. You can buy rice porridge from lowan which is gluten-free.

If you add some stewed fruit or honey it tastes fairly good.

[Mack the Knife]

I don't think the Freedom oats are anything special. It's just a marketing ploy to whack a label on something that's wheat free naturally.

I don't think they actually have to test the oats to label them wheat free like they do with gluten. If that's the case then they're no better than regular oats.

Yeah. I like the Lowan Rice porridge brand. I liked it even better when I could afford to buy a banana to chop into it.

[sandiego88]

hey all,

33 year old guy from Melboure recently diagosed with Fustose Malabsorption.

Any other Aussies with FM here?

Hope everyone is doing good.

[ElseB]

I live in Canada, but I just wanted to say how much I miss Oz and NZ! Two months after I was diagnosed Celiac I started a 6 month trip around Oz and NZ and loved your countries! Plus, I found it so much easier to find gluten-free food there than here. I was stunned that the tiny grocery store in Cooper Pedy had more selection of gluten-free food than the biggest stores here!

[paperbagprincess]

This is a super long thread, so I don't know if my reply will be read.

But hello! I'm Sarah =] I'm from New Zealand. I've been gluten free since I was 17. Diagnosed by the blood test then feeling better and my deficiencies going away on a gluten free diet. I was too much of a chicken to have the biopsy. My Mum and Uncle both have it too.

We do have Bascos in NZ, but it's super expensive. They do a yummy apricot cereal, but it's about $12 a box.

=]

[gf-soph]

hey all,

33 year old guy from Melboure recently diagosed with Fustose Malabsorption.

Any other Aussies with FM here?

Hope everyone is doing good.

Hiya

Gluten sensitive + FODMAP + more from Sydney right here! There's a bunch of people on fructose/FODMAP diets at the yahoo group called 'fructose malabsorption australia' and there are plenty of people there who are gluten free too.

It's a massive pain having more than just gluten to deal with, but you may find that on the right diet you can feel way better and gradually expand your tolerance. Have you seen a dietician to explain the diet and help you plan? If not, it can be a great help. There are heaps of recommendations for people within the yahoo group I mentioned.

Sophie

[anabananakins]

Yeah. I like the Lowan Rice porridge brand. I liked it even better when I could afford to buy a banana to chop into it.

LOL. Yeah, bananas are more expensive than the fancy foods in the gluten free aisle!

I love the Lowan's rice porridge, but since I started experimenting with the low fodmap diet I can't eat it anymore, makes my stomach hurt.

I'm another gluten-free, low FODMAP diet person here in Sydney.

[challengeaccepted]

Hello to all the Aussies and New Zealanders!

My husband (no food issues) and myself (celiac) are traveling to NZ for the rugby world cup this year. I am not sure of what I can bring in my baggage so i still need to do some research. We will be travelling and sleeping in a camper van that we reserved last year for the 26 days.

My question is, how much am I looking at for an average box of gluten free cereal, and are there any chains, cafe's or local places that you frequent that will have reliable gluten free choices and again, average costs. We have budgeted our fuel, our fun and our shopping budget, but I am at a loss for how much money we will need for food.

Sorry, I know, thats a bit of a big request ugh :-( I am just nervous about being lost. I have a huge comfort zone with reliable brands here in Ontario, Canada but not all of it will travel well, or customs may yank it from my luggage.

Thanks in advance, getting super excited about seeing your beautiful country. I had the good luck of visiting Australia, N.S.W. area and Sydney. A month was not even close to enough time spent. One of the best months of my life.

Oh and we bought the Canada ticket packet, so we will get to watch the All Blacks obliterate our Canuck team lol :-)

[weluvgators]

In our experience, it is best to minimize food brought into the country (we took a month long trip to Australia, landing in Melbourne). Any sort of produce is absolutely out, even if dried. They had no problem with us bringing in our candy. In our experience, it is best to bring in nothing.

I am looking for some information about whole grains and beans in Australia. We stuck primarily with meats and produce on our trip there, and did quite well (except the budget seemed substantial). At home we have relied on buying bulk bags of carefully sourced grains and beans to help round out our diets. We are planning a relocation to Perth, and I am a wee bit nervous about food sourcing. How hard it is to find gluten free whole grains? We currently use WHOLE teff, rice and sorghum carefully sourced here in the states, test our bulk bags for contamination and proceed with a rigorous washing procedure. I am also trying to figure out if I will ruin my ultrasonic food washer by running it on an inverter there, as I assume that I will be unable to purchase one there for the Australia electrical system. Any insight would be appreciated.

I am also interested in hearing about food processing and preservation there, as we process and preserve a lot of our own foods here. Are mason jars and supplies easy to find there? Are small, commercial dehydrators available there, should I figure out how to better use solar energy for those endeavors, or should I consider bringing mine from the States? How is sourcing whole nuts there - easy, hard, expensive?

And does anyone have recommendations for celiac savvy healthcare in Perth? A celiac savvy allergist in Perth would be a fantastic find for us. And do you have any comments about joining The Coeliac Society of Australia? Does anyone have recommendations for compiling the most important paperwork for submission to our medical care providers in Australia, as well as submission for The Coeliac Society? Our family has members that have celiac and wheat allergy, as well as members that have been deemed too risky to challenge with gluten due to past history.

Thanks so much for any help you can provide!

[come dance with me]

Hi I'm in North Queensland

[mushroom]

Way to go, Cadel Evans - winner of the Tour de France :D

[Mack the Knife]

Hello to all the Aussies and New Zealanders!

My husband (no food issues) and myself (celiac) are traveling to NZ for the rugby world cup this year. I am not sure of what I can bring in my baggage so i still need to do some research. We will be travelling and sleeping in a camper van that we reserved last year for the 26 days.

My question is, how much am I looking at for an average box of gluten free cereal, and are there any chains, cafe's or local places that you frequent that will have reliable gluten free choices and again, average costs. We have budgeted our fuel, our fun and our shopping budget, but I am at a loss for how much money we will need for food.

Sorry, I know, thats a bit of a big request ugh :-( I am just nervous about being lost. I have a huge comfort zone with reliable brands here in Ontario, Canada but not all of it will travel well, or customs may yank it from my luggage.

Thanks in advance, getting super excited about seeing your beautiful country. I had the good luck of visiting Australia, N.S.W. area and Sydney. A month was not even close to enough time spent. One of the best months of my life.

Oh and we bought the Canada ticket packet, so we will get to watch the All Blacks obliterate our Canuck team lol :-)

I went to NZ earlier this year for the Asia Pacific Outgames in Wellington and it was awesome. Australia is pretty good at gluten free but NZ is even better.

I had no problems eating out gluten free. Most cafes had gluten free bread options (even in the small towns) and I was even able to get gluten free pancakes at a few places. The gluten free options were a little bit more expensive but not outrageous.

There is a high awareness of Coeliac disease in NZ so staff are pretty good at most places.

You'll be able to buy all your gluten free essentials at regular supermarkets and Open Original Shared Link has gluten free options.

Feel free to pack food though. As long as it is packaged, unopened food you shouldn't have any trouble getting it through customs.

[beebs]

Hey all! New Coeliac, new forum arrivee as well. I live in Sydney, work in Surry Hills, and am currently struggling with finding stuff I can guarantee is *safe* for me in that area (when I want to eat out).

I don't suppose anyone could recommend any places around there? (I know about Matsuri Japanese restaurant - they're awesome)

Cheers!

~ Andrew

pomegranate Cafe King Street Newtown and Cafe 2042 also on King street are both good. Pizza Picasso are great in terms of labelling (there are only 2 ingredients we can't eat assuming you get the gluten-free bas that is!) And Chedhi Thai on King Street has a separate gluten free menu. There is quite a bit Newtown way as you can see!

[anabananakins]

pomegranate Cafe King Street Newtown and Cafe 2042 also on King street are both good. Pizza Picasso are great in terms of labelling (there are only 2 ingredients we can't eat assuming you get the gluten-free bas that is!) And Chedhi Thai on King Street has a separate gluten free menu. There is quite a bit Newtown way as you can see!

Wow, thanks for this! All near my work. I've been sticking to eating at Guzman & Gomez a lot (burrito bowls) and never get sick, but that's more casual. I need to branch out, sounds like there's a lot of other options I've been missing.

[amber]

In our experience, it is best to minimize food brought into the country (we took a month long trip to Australia, landing in Melbourne). Any sort of produce is absolutely out, even if dried. They had no problem with us bringing in our candy. In our experience, it is best to bring in nothing.

I am looking for some information about whole grains and beans in Australia. We stuck primarily with meats and produce on our trip there, and did quite well (except the budget seemed substantial). At home we have relied on buying bulk bags of carefully sourced grains and beans to help round out our diets. We are planning a relocation to Perth, and I am a wee bit nervous about food sourcing. How hard it is to find gluten free whole grains? We currently use WHOLE teff, rice and sorghum carefully sourced here in the states, test our bulk bags for contamination and proceed with a rigorous washing procedure. I am also trying to figure out if I will ruin my ultrasonic food washer by running it on an inverter there, as I assume that I will be unable to purchase one there for the Australia electrical system. Any insight would be appreciated.

I am also interested in hearing about food processing and preservation there, as we process and preserve a lot of our own foods here. Are mason jars and supplies easy to find there? Are small, commercial dehydrators available there, should I figure out how to better use solar energy for those endeavors, or should I consider bringing mine from the States? How is sourcing whole nuts there - easy, hard, expensive?

And does anyone have recommendations for celiac savvy healthcare in Perth? A celiac savvy allergist in Perth would be a fantastic find for us. And do you have any comments about joining The Coeliac Society of Australia? Does anyone have recommendations for compiling the most important paperwork for submission to our medical care providers in Australia, as well as submission for The Coeliac Society? Our family has members that have celiac and wheat allergy, as well as members that have been deemed too risky to challenge with gluten due to past history.

Thanks so much for any help you can provide!

Hi,

I am from Melbourne so I can't really speak for Perth but I would think you should be able to get whole nuts and grains. I know that here in Melbourne there are places where you can get those things. I am not sure about Perth though. I would suggest that when you come to Australia that you join the Coeliac Society in Perth. What you will need is a doctors letter of some sort saying that you are required to be on a gluten free diet. Only one of you need join. What you will receive is membership to the society which includes information books, recipe books, a quarterly magazine and state newsletter, food samples etc.

Here is the website for the Coeliac Society:

Open Original Shared Link

There is plenty to read on the site and if you click on Western Australia on the map you will get information specific to Perth (Western Australia).

They should also be able to help you with finding dieticians, doctors etc. with a special interest in coeliac disease.

If you want to do preserving and dehydrating you can do that here. I remember my Dad buying a preserving kit and preserving fruits when I was a small child so yes that should be no problem. I don't know what mason jars are though. Just google preserving kits Australia or dehydraters Australia. You can buy dehydraters for drying fruits etc. also.

There is gluten free bread available in the supermarket and there are plenty of gluten free bread mixes around to make your own bread. There are many gluten free products available and awareness is very good and improving all the time. As I said I can't speak for Perth which tends to be less up to date as the Eastern states in many areas but I think you will find what you are looking for online.

[Xsara]

Cathy,

Do you have any info on O'Brien Brewing? Saw from website they have a gluten-free beer. I also saw they will be doing something in Sydney on Sept. 29. Maybe someone could try the beer and give an opinion on it's taste.

Tom

The O'Briens beer is OK and was rated higher than many of the recognized beers by a panel of brewing experts. Great taste and proper crown tops that you need a opener to remove. Available from Dan Murphys

[beebs]

I have found two new snack bars that are gluten-free in woolies the other day. THey are divine - and neither have any sugar added.

One is the new Go Natural "soft Eating" bars - the choc, almond and raspberry one is gorgeous

and the other are Emma & Tom's raw fruit n nut bars, the cacao and orange one is yummoooo!

[Saz]

Does anyone ever use any online stores to buy gluten-free foods? Which ones do you use? I have found a few who stock different breads and pastry products than what I can buy from the supermarket or health food store but not sure how reliable they are.

For some reason most of the health food shops I go to have gotten extremely slack with the variety of gluten-free food they stock or they all stock the same few things. After traveling to the uk last year I think that the variety we have here, especially in terms of bakery items is very poor. I loved going into a supermarket and buying bread rolls, crumpets or croissants.

I know the population is larger over there but some of these items I can't even find in health food shops here. Surely I'm not the only gluten free person in the country who would like to have bagels and pastries? And would it be that much to ask to be able to buy (decent sized) bread rolls in a supermarket?

I guess I shouldn't complain so much, I remember the days when you were lucky to go to the health food store and have a choice between jam drops or chocolate chip biscuits. If you could eat them without needing a drink to wash it down you were lucky. *rant over*

[come dance with me]

Does anyone ever use any online stores to buy gluten-free foods? Which ones do you use? I have found a few who stock different breads and pastry products than what I can buy from the supermarket or health food store but not sure how reliable they are.

For some reason most of the health food shops I go to have gotten extremely slack with the variety of gluten-free food they stock or they all stock the same few things. After traveling to the uk last year I think that the variety we have here, especially in terms of bakery items is very poor. I loved going into a supermarket and buying bread rolls, crumpets or croissants.

I know the population is larger over there but some of these items I can't even find in health food shops here. Surely I'm not the only gluten free person in the country who would like to have bagels and pastries? And would it be that much to ask to be able to buy (decent sized) bread rolls in a supermarket?

I guess I shouldn't complain so much, I remember the days when you were lucky to go to the health food store and have a choice between jam drops or chocolate chip biscuits. If you could eat them without needing a drink to wash it down you were lucky. *rant over*

I have bought from here: Open Original Shared Link

I also buy from here: Open Original Shared Link

[anabananakins]

After traveling to the uk last year I think that the variety we have here, especially in terms of bakery items is very poor. I loved going into a supermarket and buying bread rolls, crumpets or croissants.

I know the population is larger over there but some of these items I can't even find in health food shops here. Surely I'm not the only gluten free person in the country who would like to have bagels and pastries? And would it be that much to ask to be able to buy (decent sized) bread rolls in a supermarket?

Oh my god, can you get gluten free crumpets in the UK? I'd put those on my mental "will never eat again" list. I'm in the UK next week. Which supermarket chain would you say was the best?

Generally I think it's easy to be gluten free in Australia (eating out, for example) but I loathe the Country Life bread you get in the supermarkets here. I ate it for the first few months I went gluten free until I realised that I'd rather never eat another sandwich than to continue to deal with that taste (I think it's the tapioca that I can't stand, so maybe other people don't dislike it the way I do). There are better brands (I found a good range in the freezer at the IGA at North Sydney) but you don't find it in the main supermarkets.

[mushroom]

In New Zealand, just read in the newspaper that Vogels is converting their Huntly bakery to a dedicated gluten free bakery - no word yet on their breads.

[beebs]

Oh my god, can you get gluten free crumpets in the UK? I'd put those on my mental "will never eat again" list. I'm in the UK next week. Which supermarket chain would you say was the best?

Generally I think it's easy to be gluten free in Australia (eating out, for example) but I loathe the Country Life bread you get in the supermarkets here. I ate it for the first few months I went gluten free until I realised that I'd rather never eat another sandwich than to continue to deal with that taste (I think it's the tapioca that I can't stand, so maybe other people don't dislike it the way I do). There are better brands (I found a good range in the freezer at the IGA at North Sydney) but you don't find it in the main supermarkets.

Yeah re country life...it smells like the ocean when you toast it...ugh

Although I have heard they are changing their recipe - so fingers crossed. I will try it. Its so hard making bread all of the time...

[beebs]

Sydneysiders. I have found another safe restaurant for us. My other Coeliac friend took me there on friday - they are just lovely, great service, really helpful and they have a large choice of gluten free - but of course don't forget to mention that you are gluten-free:)

Its called Tulsi and its Indian - really special though - not like all the Indian takeaways were are used to They are located at Double Bay in Sydney. Open Original Shared Link

[Saz]

Oh my god, can you get gluten free crumpets in the UK? I'd put those on my mental "will never eat again" list. I'm in the UK next week. Which supermarket chain would you say was the best?

Generally I think it's easy to be gluten free in Australia (eating out, for example) but I loathe the Country Life bread you get in the supermarkets here. I ate it for the first few months I went gluten free until I realised that I'd rather never eat another sandwich than to continue to deal with that taste (I think it's the tapioca that I can't stand, so maybe other people don't dislike it the way I do). There are better brands (I found a good range in the freezer at the IGA at North Sydney) but you don't find it in the main supermarkets.

You sure can. Not only crumpets but bagels, englsih muffins and naan bread. The crumpets I tried were from tesco, I didn't have a toaster and still enjoyed them. Also if you can get to to a waitrose you should try the croissants - They even had chocolate filled ones. Another thing to try is Genius bread,edible without a microwave and it was almost normal sized. I also found some gluten free jaffa cakes in waitrose.

It is easy to find gluten-free stuff in australia, I guess it's just for me the types of food I could buy in the uk were more to what I like to eat.

I was there for a month and the only reason I went into a health food store was just to see what they had. It was just nice to go to a supermarket and buy things like bread rolls, and ready made slices and even iced cakes. I also liked the fact they weren't frozen.