4 Days gluten-free And Have A Few Questions

[missmommy]

well i have gone 4 days gluten free! the first few weeks i guess i didnt know what i was up against and i messed up a lot!

i guess finding out your pregnant and a celiac within two days of each other can fog your brain a bit.

but im still not sure what i can eat. i know to read labels and read them again. but one big problem is i dont know all the sneaky athother words there are for gluten yet.

i got the newbie list (which is great!!!) but I've been very queasy, and eating mostly eggs, potatoes, and rice (since i know those wont make me sick)

i dont know how to throw meals together since i only know a handful of things i can have, none of them really seem to go together for like a dinner.

my husband is being really supportive, and said the whole family will go gluten-free with me but im afraid i wont be feeding my children balanced diet.

im also pretty worried since it seems like none of my dr.s around here have even heard of it. my dr told me, i should be able to eat most anything i want and not to really worry about it! she thinks its just a tummy thing. i tried telling her that most my symptoms werent in my stomach and she looked at me like i was a kook.

so since i cant ask my dr i will ask you all what is there to eat at dinner besides the potato?

[Ursa Major]

You can eat a perfectly normal dinner, your family won't even notice the difference. You can eat all meats, fish, eggs etc., all vegetables are naturally gluten-free, and so are fruits. You can thicken gravy with cornstarch or light buckwheat flour, and nobody will tell the difference.

You can cook rice pasta (Tinkyada or Glutino, and there are other good brands) with regular spaghetti sauce, and nobody will even know unless you tell them it's not wheat pasta.

And nobody needs any grains to have a balanced diet. Vegetables and fruits contain all the carbs and fiber anybody ever needs, and meat and eggs will supply the protein.

Believe me, I have completely lived without grains and other starches (including rice and corn) for 1 1/2 years now, and I don't feel deprived. Your children and husband will be just fine without gluten. In fact, they will likely be healthier than other people, since gluten isn't really good for anybody.

[Murph]

I noticed u didn't mention any meat.

My fav now is wild sockeye salmon, broiled to perfection. At first it's hard to not cook it too much, resulting in dry fish w/ not near the flavor. But once I learned that just a few minutes is enough to get it fully cooked yet still a bit wet inside, it became my fav main course by far.

[StrongerToday]

Don't forget peanut butter - good for baby and mommy!! I like to dip apple slices in it, or spread on gluten-free rice cakes.

[confused]

Don't forget peanut butter - good for baby and mommy!! I like to dip apple slices in it, or spread on gluten-free rice cakes.

or on bananas or celery, tg for peanut butter it gets me threw most days lol. I love in rice cakes to with homemade jelly that a friend makes for us, its the best

paula

[April in KC]

I love peanut butter, but I have a caution. I will word it strongly (warning, even graphically) but hopefully with some common-sense guidelines. I do not think everyone needs to avoid peanuts. If you and your husband (the child's father) do not have any relatives with asthma, eczema, food allergies or drug allergies, then you're probably fine eating peanuts, and read no further.

I had undiagnosed celiac when pregnant with my oldest son, and he developed a life-threatening peanut allergy as an infant. I was eating PB while pregnant and nursing. He also has Celiac (which we only found out this year, when he was six). I don't know if the "leaky gut" of Celiac contributed to allowing his immune system to get sensitized to peanut protein, but until proven otherwise, I will think of it as a possibility - especially when I see how many other people around here (gluten free) have developed other food allergies.

The peanut one is scary - speaking as someone whose husband has carried our limp child into the ER with blue lips and fingers, vomiting out nose (and we were lucky that his airways were not completely swollen shut as sometimes happens).

If you or any relatives have so-called "atopic" illnesses (allergies, eczema, asthma), I would avoid peanut butter and peanuts (and shellfish and possibly other allergens) while pregnant and nursing. Life-threatening food allergies are on the rise in atopic children born this decade. Peanut is a highly allergenic foods, and research has shown that its proteins cross the placental barrier and also are present in mom's milk.

Peanut allergy is not something that ran in our family. What did run in our family: my mom's brothers (twins) had mild-moderate asthma as children (which they mostly outgrew), I had a drug allergy to penicillin, and my husband had seasonal allergies, while my dad's family seems to be the source of the celiac disease.

Sorry to post something that could be construed as alarmist. I don't mean it to be that way - I just think the world is changing when it comes to food allergies.

Sorry again! I will post a separate reply with some ideas about foods!

[April in KC]

My "survival" meals at first were:

* Once a week: Pot roast with root vegetables; plenty of leftovers for the rest of the week

This is super easy - Mine has just five ingredients, takes minimal prep, always turns out great, and makes the house smell good. If you don't have one, buy a big crock pot / slow cooker.

Shop for: washed carrots (you'll use about half a big bag), potatoes (about five medium), onion, beef roast (2-3.5 lb. chuck roast, arm roast, whatever cut looks good and suits your budget), whole bay leaves (with the spices).

Cut the potatoes and onions into chunks; everything can be very rough and "rustic" - you'll get very fast at this - I can throw it all together in about 5 minutes. You can leave the potato skins on if you're not sensitive to them (some people find they are).

Put a layer of veggies (potatoes, onions, carrots) on the bottom of the pot; put the uncooked roast on top of the veggies (no need to brown it separately); add salt and pepper to the rost; add the rest of the veggies along the sides and even on top of the roast. Tuck in a couple of bay leaves. Add just 1/4 cup of water - more than 1/2 cup and you will dilute the flavor. Set slow cooker on high setting for 5 hours or low setting for 8 hours. Enjoy!

* Mexican - lots of variations here - a good way to work in some veggies.

* Chili - traditional beef chili is good; I also make a "pantry" chicken chili version using only items I can store in my pantry.

Pantry chili: I am a super busy working mom of three, and I need to be able to have some meals that don't require fresh ingredients from the market. My "pantry" chili (serves two people; adjust as numbers grow) is this: 1 can of organic chicken, rinsed and drained. 1 can of Libby's organic kidney, red, or pinto beans. 1 can of tomato sauce OR 1 serving of Gerber infant organic carrots (makes a great less acidic chili base; also great if you're intolerant of nightshades like some Celiacs are). Salt and Williams chili seasoning to taste - I use quite a bit. Throw in some Canola or olive oil if you're trying to add calories and heart-healthy fats. Cooks in one skillet in minutes, because the chicken is already cooked.

* Tuna or Salmon cakes: This is a great recipe if you buy or make gluten free bread and you have some crumbly bits that fall off (works great for the parts of the loaf that get "wasted" to the bread machine paddle). You can also buy gluten free amaranth crumbs, but they're kind of expensive. In a medium mixing bowl, mix tuna/salmon, approx. 1/2 cup of gluten-free bread bits or bread crumbs; one egg; salt and pepper; maybe basil or other spices. The mixture should be fairly wet but able to be formed into small patties. Put some canola or olive oil in a frying pan and cook over medium heat until browned and crispy.

Snacks my kids like:

Tings - Cheeto-like snacks available at health food stores, and Hy-Vee in the midwest

Caramel Pirate's Booty

Air-popped popcorn with canola oil and either salt or cinnamon sugar

Glutino pretzels and pizza sticks

Van's Wheat Free / Gluten free waffles with Aunt Jemima syrup

Dora the Explorer Cereal (by General Mills) (they eat it with Almond Breeze almond milk b/c dairy/casein is an issue)

Kinnikinnick cookies - Montanas are their favorites

Enjoy Life chocolate chips

Good luck! You will find that after you get over the shock of losing the foods that were your old standbys, that a LOT is available to you.

When you need a special treat, go to Outback Steakhouse and ask the server for the Gluten-free menu!

April