Chicken Salad

[ekdumas19]

Hi everyone

So I think I am on my second glutening of the week here, and it is sooo frustrating, because I know its my fault for not being extra careful but I am just tired of eating with fear.

So yesterday I was really craving chicken salad so got some from my local Coop. Now sometimes chicken salad has given me some problems in the past--but for some reason I decided to throw caution to the wind. Does anyone know if deli's or salad bars add anything to their chicken salads that would make me have such a reaction. This time it was practically immediate but sadly the damage was already done. I am pretty sure it was gluten cuz I had brain fog, stomach cramps and then the Big D this AM. But chicken salad?? I guess it could be cross contamination. Obviously I should have cut out deli's a long time ago--but its hard when sometimes that's your only option!!!

[CarlaB]

I don't buy prepared foods from delis, unless I know their procedures ... like at our local health food store that carries gluten-free items and even gluten-free sandwiches at their deli. Beyond that, I don't trust that crumbs aren't in my food.

I learned this the hard way, too. Right now I only eat what I prepare, and my gluten problems are gone! My body still needs to recover from the years of stress from eating gluten, but no more gluten reactions. When I feel better, I will take chances by eating out ocassionally, but while I'm still sick, I'm not eating anything I didn't make.

[happygirl]

Did you read the ingredients?

If you don't know 100% what is in something AND how it was prepared, you have every reason to eat in fear....that is scary to me!

When in doubt, go without. I know it is tough and it gets tiring. And boring. And frustrating. And all those other conflicting emotions. But your fear WILL go away when you are truly eating 100% gluten-free all the time.

I'm sorry you are sick...I hope you feel better!

[gfp]

Did you read the ingredients?

If you don't know 100% what is in something AND how it was prepared, you have every reason to eat in fear....that is scary to me!

When in doubt, go without. I know it is tough and it gets tiring. And boring. And frustrating. And all those other conflicting emotions. But your fear WILL go away when you are truly eating 100% gluten-free all the time.

I'm sorry you are sick...I hope you feel better!

I gotta agree.....

its pretty sad it was a chicken sald you could have made yourself but we all make mistakes and we learn from them.

Hope you start picking up soon.... look on this as a learning experience not in a negative way

[Guhlia]

Lots of "salads" have bread crumbs in them to enhance the flavor.

[mythreesuns]

Does anyone know if deli's or salad bars add anything to their chicken salads that would make me have such a reaction.

Salad bar!? I never trust food out in the open like that. Any spoon from any other food could have been put in there, and you'd have no way of knowing.

I stay FAAARRRR away from salad bars!

[loraleena]

The mayonaise probably had grain vinegar in it. This is common.

[CarlaB]

The mayonaise probably had grain vinegar in it. This is common.

Distilled vinegar is okay, the distillation removes the gluten. If the label said just plain vingegar, then it was apple cider vinegar by law.

Vinegars that are not okay are flavored vinegars or malt vinegars.

[IrishKelly]

What kinds of vinegars are not okay? What are some examples of flavored vinegars or malt vinegars?

Distilled vinegar is okay, the distillation removes the gluten. If the label said just plain vingegar, then it was apple cider vinegar by law.

Vinegars that are not okay are flavored vinegars or malt vinegars.

[cgilsing]

I know they say distilled vinegar and alcohol are supposed to be gluten free, but I swear I get sick any time I eat/drink them. I'd stay away! But then I get sick from McDonald's fries too (which are supposed to be ok)...so maybe it's just me

on the chicken salad - I don't know where they got their chicken, but I believe some brands of canned chicken (often used in chicken salad) are not gluten-free

[TinkerbellSwt]

As was mentioned in another post.. my experiences with a salad bar is asking for trouble. I wouldnt trust anything on it. I have thrown caution into the wind and took some stuff from a Whole Foods salad/food bar. I got lucky and never have gotten sick. I only have done it twice and each time I know I am asking for trouble.

And again, the breadcrumbs subject. I know for a fact that a lot of places put breadcrumbs in their salads to make them taste better and to have them last longer. My mother asked in a supermarket if their tuna salad was ok.. the person behind the counter immediately said.. no way! That the salads at this particular market have breadcrumbs in them.

So, I hope you feel better. Just chalk it up as a learning experience. We all had them in the beginning, heck I still do!!

[IrishKelly]

Sometimes McDonalds fries can make us sick if they fried nuggets or fish in the same oil as the fries...and you also never know how well they cleaned the fryers before reusing them for the next day, so there can still be traces of gluten in them that way too. If i want fries i use my "fry daddy" at home with my own store bought frozen bag of shoestring fries and oil, and it literally only takes 5 minutes and tastes just as good

I know they say distilled vinegar and alcohol are supposed to be gluten free, but I swear I get sick any time I eat/drink them. I'd stay away! But then I get sick from McDonald's fries too (which are supposed to be ok)...so maybe it's just me

on the chicken salad - I don't know where they got their chicken, but I believe some brands of canned chicken (often used in chicken salad) are not gluten-free

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Most supermarkets make their chicken salads from leftover rotisserie chickens. Sam's Club ROtiesserie chickens (I believe) are gluten-free, but GIant Eagle (my local supermarket) uses soy sauce (with wheat) to marinate their rotisserie chickens before rotisserie-ing them.

That is a likely source of your glutening.