Help For A Newbie To All This Finding Gf Foods.

[Gojo]

Hi all. I am going to try a gluten-free diet for a month and would like to know the best way to discern which foods are truly gluten free.

Do I simply look at the ingredients on the package looking for stuff on the 'forbidden' list?

Thanks!

-=Gojo=-

[tarnalberry]

Quite honestly, the easiest thing to do is not cook with packaged products - or if you use them, use very basic ones, like pure rice or rice noodles, peanut butter, and orange juice. Not even spice mixes that you haven't checked with the maker of. (Pure spices are usually fine.)

Cooking whole foods (whole vegetables with fresh seasonings (like fresh herbs, garlic, onion, ginger, etc) and root vegetables (like potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, turnips, etc) and known gluten-free grains (like rice, wild rice, millet, etc.) and beans and meats means that you'll know each and every ingredient that goes into your food. With things like chicken, you ought to also ask the butcher or check the packaging to see whether or not it's been injected with broth.

There are a lot of ways to make this not take so long. Stir fries and casseroles and other one dish meals like chili are pretty quick and easy to clean up. Look around at cookbooks and see what strikes your fancy and adapt from there. Focus on things that are naturally gluten free (beans dishes of all sorts, corn based things like polenta, rice based dishes like stir fries, etc.) and it will be a bit easier.

[Gojo]

Thanks for the reply!

My question is really more basic. Not so much for cooking but for anything, like what about a candy bar from a snack machine?

Does gluten-free mean ZERO food from machines?

I've only been reading on this for a few days but I haven't seen it written clearly yet.

[DLayman]

Check out this site it is a list of commercial foods that are gluten-free Open Original Shared Link

That should have some helpful items on it for you!

[tarnalberry]

For me, I find it much easier (not to mention healthier) to stay away from almost anything that I haven't made myself. Including anything in a snack machine. :-) I know, I know... that's more easily said than done for some people depending on all sorts of circumstances. I just feel wary about companies changing their ingredients or processing before I'm aware of it. That list though, should help if avoiding prepackaged food just isn't an option.

BTW, Gojo - I love that pic of the cat. :-)

[Guest jhmom]

Hi Gojo, love the cat pic too !

Yes you need to become very familiar with the forbidden food list and you need to read ingredients on everything, but even then you can take a chance on cross-contamination. For me, I like to stick to the foods that I know are gluten-free. Here is a good list of some of the gluten-free out there - www.glutenfreeinfo.com

Someone posted here (I think on the old board) a good list of gluten-free foods (more than what is on the list above). If you could find it I would suggest you print it down. I look at mine everytime I make my grocery list. I will look for it too and let you know if I find it.

As far as the snack machines, if you look on a gluten-free food list they do have certain snacks listed there, I would just stick to those

I hope this helps you.

[Gojo]

Wow!

Thanks for all the help!

I'm going to check out those links right now.

Wow! Those links are Awesome! Thanks so much.

But I've decided to get tested for Celiac instead of just 'trying' the diet. I've read where it can take months to show results and frankly I'm not willing to do that unless I KNOW that's my problem.

Thanks again!

[mom of 5 celiac]

Is the website that has all the gluten free food updated and it is all okay? There is

really a lot of foods on there that I wasn't sure about. Karen

[Guest jhmom]

Karen:

As far as I know the foods listed are in fact gluten-free at least at the time they were added to the list. If there are any you are not sure about I would call the Company just to make sure

[mom of 5 celiac]

Thanks Stacie, I am going to assume that when I see Modified Food Starch on any of these products Iw ill know it is from corn. I wll call some of the company's just to make sure.

[alexa11219]

Hi everyone. I began my research for gluten-free food all on my own, even before I had my gastroscopy and colonoscopy done, I was striken with grief and despair, didn't know what products were left for me that I was allowed to eat (in addition to gluten problem, I have a large variety of other food allergens). At book stores, cooking section, I found many books with very interesting introductory articles. They give so many useful tips! From there I learned that modified food starch is not allowed. Unfortunately, I don't know if it refers to modified corn starch. If anyone has info, let me know.

There's a product ignored by Americans and loved by Russian - buckwheat (it has nothing to do with wheat) which is full of iron. 1 cup buckwheat, 1 1/2 cups water, 1 teaspoon or less salt. Boil the water, add grains and salt, bring to boiling, cover, and cook on low for about 15 to 18 minutes. Don't stir before it's ready. You can eat it as hot cereal with milk with or without sugar (I hate adding sugar, but my cousin loves it) or as a side dish with meat or fish. It's very cheap, less than a dollar for a pound. If you can't find it, I have a lot of Russian stores around here and can mail out some for you or anyone else to try if I have your address. Hey, don't feel embarrased to tell me you want it, OK? Let me know.

Alexa, alexa11219@aol

[mom of 5 celiac]

Alexa,

I do know that all the modified food starch made from corn are safe. You hve to call and ask the company what the source is. They will tell you. Hormel told me that most of their MFS is from corn. If it isn't it will be labeled as such. I know that MFS is in almost everything. I also go to a health food store here in Atlanta and it has A LOT of foods like bread (good bread), Hamburger buns, hot dog buns, rolls, bagels, donuts (good ones). It is called Kinniknik( not sure if the spelling if right). I also get a pizza crust and take it to the local pizza place and they cook it for me and it turns out really really good. They wash the pans before they use them. I haven't had a problem with this.

[Marti Sc]

they said that mcdonald fries were safe to eat, but be careful as i had them today and got very sick again, must have been cross contamination~~ I have eaten them numerous times, but struck out this time

[Marti Sc]

i have also ordered big macs and wendys classics without buns, and have had success~~With the low carb thing, other people celiac or not are ordering it this way~~They do not seem to mind doing it without buns, and they serve them in a little plastic tray~~

[j9n]

Carls Jr. Low carb 6 dollar burger is pretty good. They wrap it in a lettuce leaf and you eat it like a burger. It is alot better than knife and fork!

[moving on]

mom of 5 celiac. Where in Atlanta is the health food store? I am 2 hours below Atlanta but so far am limited to the few items I can find in my local Kroger. They did get some pizza crust for me - I found them as they were being stocked today. No Rolls or buns, donuts, etc. It might be worth going out of my way occasionally.