Brand New Today

[tat000z]

I just found out that I have celiac disease. For 2 months I've been in pain and I'm now relieved. Only because I know it could be worse. I received the diagnosis today 3.22.07. Question, Is there a widely used brand of yogurt that is gluten free? I eat yogurt every morning and every night. I actually feel a little overwhelmed with all that i've read today. What will I eat for dinner? I usually eat english muffin only for breakfast.....please share any brief words of wisdom for the new kid on the block. thanks.

[Guhlia]

You can still eat english muffins - www.kinnikinnick.com

Yoplait yogurt is mostly gluten free, just read the labels.

[Jestgar]

Hi! Welcome to the board.

Don't worry, it does all get easier. You can find substitutes for most things, although you might decide it's better to just redesign your diet. Like maybe a baked potato for breakfast instead of an english muffin.

[Kyalesyin]

If you use pure, natural yougurt there shouldn't be anything nasty in it. Its easy enough to add your own flavouring- Jam, crushed chocolate, honey... you'll find yourself eating things you'd never even have thought to try before long!

[Phyllis28]

Below are links to two stores that carry good selection of gluten free food. There is a place on each website to locate a store near you.

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

[kevsmom]

Welcome! I have learned so much from everyone here. All you have to do is ask. We have all been through it. It will get easier to learn what to look for when reading the ingredients. I agree that Yoplait is generally O.K. (With the exception of the ones with the cookies and crumbs).

[JNBunnie1]

I just found out that I have celiac disease. For 2 months I've been in pain and I'm now relieved. Only because I know it could be worse. I received the diagnosis today 3.22.07. Question, Is there a widely used brand of yogurt that is gluten free? I eat yogurt every morning and every night. I actually feel a little overwhelmed with all that i've read today. What will I eat for dinner? I usually eat english muffin only for breakfast.....please share any brief words of wisdom for the new kid on the block. thanks.

Also try plain yogurt with applesauce, it's really surprisingly good, however strange it sounds...

You might want to check any vitamins or pills you take against the list of unsafe ingredients on the website here, it's easy to pay attention to your food and forget about the other things you ingest.

And if all else fails, just buy rice cakes!

[larry mac]

....Question, Is there a widely used brand of yogurt that is gluten free? I eat yogurt every morning and every night....

Welcome tatoooz, oops I mean tat000s. Does that mean you have tattoos on your toes? I eat any kind of yogurt, as long as it doesn't say wheat in the ingredients. Am trying to gain some weight back so get the most fattening I can find. The Mediterain brand is really good, made in Canada. 8.2% milk fat, 250 calories, almost like ice cream.

Never tasted the stuff in my life before having "stomach problems". Now I eat one every morning.

best regards, lm

[Susanna]

Welcome, Tat000z--You have a diagnosis--halleluia--now you can eat to treat, and soon feel better. Here are some key coping strategies to get you started.

1. Know that you will grieve your old favorite gluten-filled foods. I actually tear up when I see a brioche sometimes. Grieving is normal. People around you will eat treats you can't have and you will feel sad and isolated. Strategy: stock your car, office, purse, backpack, secret drawer at home with gluten-free treats you can reach for any time you are feeling deprived. This really helped me. I recommend Baby Ruth Bars, Snicker Bars, Lara Bars, Dove Dark Chocolate, meringue cookies, macaroon cookies (read labels), Butterfinger, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. You get the idea.

2. Know that it will take time (months, probably) to figure out what to eat (it took me 6 mos.) and during this time, it'll be kind of a daily challenge to plan meals. Every time you go to the store it'll be a challenge to choose groceries. Strategy: plan on an hour--don't bring kids or friends. Go the bathroom before you start grocery shopping. Bring your reading glasses--read every label. This gets a lot easier after a while. The good news is, THIS GETS MUCH BETTER OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS AS YOU GET USED TO TO THE DIET.

3. It may take a while for your gut to heal, depending on how damaged it was at the time you went gluten free. So, you are going to have to be patient with your body--some people feel better immediately after going gluten-free, but most of us take longer than that. Don't give up if you don't see instant results. Strategy: Maximize your general health by getting enough rest, water, exercise, and limiting stress. Maximize your digestive health by limiting foods that are hard on the gastrointestinal tract until you're feeling better: limit irritants like dairy, caffeine, alcohol, and fried foods--these are all hard to digest--go back to them when you feel your gut is recovering.

4. Accept right now that it will be YOUR job to teach those around you about your diet--they will NOT figure it out on their own. I mean, if you don't advocate for yourself, why should anybody else advocate for you? If you're not already an assertive person, this will be good training for you.

5. Here are some meal ideas: ALWAYS READ LABELS!

Breakfast:

eggs, turkey bacon, gluten-free cereal, cream of rice cereal, rice pudding with raisins-yum! For grab n' go breakfast, hard boiled eggs, piece of fruit, cottage cheese and yogurt stirred together. Most yogurts are gluten-free.

Lunch:

cold cuts and cheese rolled up in a lettuce leaf

rice cake with peanut butter and raisins, or almond butter and dried cherried

rice cake with cottage cheese and cherry tomatoes

beef jerkey (read labels--the ones soy sauce have wheat and these aren't OK. Bridgford Original is OK, Kroger Peppered Beef jerkey is OK) I have this in my desk at work and it is a lifesaver--great for camping, too.

Fruit: fresh, canned, dried

Tortilla chips and bean dip

Hard boiled eggs

leftovers from last night

Several Progresso soups are gluten-free: Creamy mushroom (a lifesaver for me in cooking quick dinners), chicken and wild rice, etc. READ LABELS.

Snacks:

Fritos

Cheetos

Tortilla chips

Most potato chips

popcorn

mixed nuts

trail mix (read labels)

gluten-free candies I mentioned above

Lara Bars

Some flavors of Zone Bars (Fudge graham, chocolate coconut crunch, chocolate almond raisin)

Dinner:

Main dishes: omelets, baked salmon with olive oil/salt/pepper, baked chicken with Progresson creamy mushroom soup with a little sour cream stirred in and poured over, grilled hamburgers (use giant lettuce leaf as a wrap, tacos with corn tortillas, split pea soup, etc.

Starchy sides: baked potatoes, any other kind of potatoes, too) rice pilat, polenta, grits, steamed squash, creamed corn.

Veggies--steamed, with a little butter on top is yummy.

Dessert: chocolate mousse, creme brulee, rice pudding, ice cream (read labels--avoid ice creams like cookie and cream, birthday cake, cookie dough flavors, but all the chocolate, vanilla, sherbets, coffee flavors are generally OK), chocolate dipped strawberries, flan, custard, most puddings, gelatin.

Convenience foods:

Amy's rice crust pizza

Many Amy's frozen entrees are gluten-free--read labels--I get these at Kroger, Safeway, and the health food store

Thai kitchen--many of their rice mixes are gluten-free, and you can get these in mainstream grocery stores

gluten-free bread mixes make great gluten-free bread--if you don't have a bread machine, get one--you can usually pick one up for cheap at second hand stores.

Good luck!

Susanna

[jkmunchkin]

These are hands down the best gluten free english muffins (and bagels) around. They taste exactly like regular ones.

Open Original Shared Link

I believe Stonyfield Farms yogurt is gluten free but that was one of the things that wasn't worth the hassle to me so I just stopped eating it.

[pnltbox27]

good luck with the new diet , im on week 3 and im really trying but its one hell of a challange, my suggestion for breakfast is vans gluten-free waffles . i make 2 every morning and use jelly and eat them on the run, but stay on this site the people here are extremly helpful. i found the waffles at walmart and they were $1.72 for a pack of 6

[Susanna]

good luck with the new diet , im on week 3 and im really trying but its one hell of a challange, my suggestion for breakfast is vans gluten-free waffles . i make 2 every morning and use jelly and eat them on the run, but stay on this site the people here are extremly helpful. i found the waffles at walmart and they were $1.72 for a pack of 6

Those vans gluten-free waffles are great! I use them for pb & j sandwiches, cold cut sandwiches, etc. My 11 year old celiac son loves them, too.