In Tears Preparing Meals For My Gluten Free Family

[NoGluGirl]

I really need help because I am having a literal breakdown over this. My husband and 4 yr old daughter are both on gluten free diets. My husband won't eat anything from a regular supermarket because he is afraid of contamination. So, I have been buying everything from Whole Foods. I literally spent 2 hours at Whole Foods going through their 20 page list of gluten-free items. I bought salt free 365 beans that were on the list along with other gluten-free items.

Everytime I cook, my husband says he has been contaminated by whatever canned goods I use. I am beside myself because I love cooking and food. I have really compromised my life to help adjust to a gluten free eating style. But my husband will only eat whole foods that are uncanned. He says that a lot of people experience this contamination, but I find that hard to believe. Are we destined to flavorless nothing for every meal because everything is a contaminant?

He is convinced that my spices are contaminated. I don't know what to do. I am angry and resentful because I have worked so hard to educate myself and accomodate my family. I am so sad.

Dear Lailabean,

I have been gluten-free nearly a year now. I have had a lot of anxiety over what I could or could not eat. This can be exhausting. In the beginning, I spent half the day on the phone with manufacturers and the other half obsessively cleaning and cooking. The good news is, there are things at the regular supermarket that are safe! I get a violent reaction to even a microscopic amount of gluten you cannot see.

I share a kitchen because I am stuck living at home with my parents. They do not take Celiac very seriously, and often blatantly refuse to accept the fact I have it! My parents say I am paranoid. There are things that can make me terribly sick that they do not pay attention to, nor do they suffer the consequences. I think it is wonderful you have been making such an effort!

The good news is, you can tell your hubby a lot of products, especially the ones at Wal-Mart, are gluten-free! They are labeled, too. Anything made in a facility with gluten or dairy has a warning.

Canned veggies, fruit, and so many other things are safe. DeBoles pasta is sold there. I just got some spaghetti, and penne rigate. You can get the Great Value pasta sauce, which is Wal-Mart's very own brand (labeled gluten-free), and then make the pasta and pour that over it in a casserole dish. Jimmy Dean Fresh Taste Fast Sausage is safe, and you can cut it up and mix it in. Then, take some Kraft shredded Mozzerella (fat-free is safe, too!) and allow it to just melt! Tasty food that is also safe and affordable for Celiacs!

I have a little present for you! I have a list that should really help. This is overwhelming. I went through this with myself eleven months ago. You spend most of your day cooking and cleaning obsessively. The rest you are on the phone with reps from companies trying to find out what is safe. I decided to save you the trouble!

1. There are a number of things in the regular grocery that are safe. Some things are labeled already. Wal-Mart's Great Value brand has numerous things you can eat.

2. For the love of God use Coupons on items you are allowed to eat. People can get them and print them out online even. Call some of the local stores and ask if they accept online coupons.

3. Check the ads online and in the newspaper. You would be surprised how many people do not do this.

4. Some items like rice flour and rice noodles are safe to buy at the Chinese or oriental market. The merchants are more than happy to help you if you cannot read the label.

Now, here is my list of great things to get you started:

Condiments:

Smart Balance Margarine*

Crisco Shortening

Crisco Oil

Pompeiian Olive Oil

Great Value soy sauce

Heinz Ketchup

Lea & Perrins Worchestershire Sauce (all Lea & Perrins Products are safe)

Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce

Kraft French Fat-Free Salad Dressing

Kraft Thousand Island Fat-Free Salad Dressing

Pace Picante Sauce

Ortega Salsa

All Classico Red and *White sauces

All Jif Peanut Butters including Smooth Sensations

Welch's Grape Jelly

Cool Whip*

Philadelphia Cream Cheese*

Miracle Whip

Daisy Sour Cream (fat-free, low-fat, regular)*

Snack Foods:

Utz Potato Chips (Found at Sam

[tiredeyes]

I have a 4 year old daughter who was diagnosed earlier this year. I bought a toaster, new wooden spoons and bread board just for her foods, though no one else has celiacs in the family that we know of yet we are very careful as cross contamination goes. I can fully understand how hard it can be to prepare food for someone else. I am lucky because she likes fruit and vegies. There are so many foods that although they may not state it they are gluten-free (gluten free), I fined if something states "may contain gluten or wheat" I don't use it. You can get things like gluten-free soya sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce and so and they taste the same as the "normal" ones. Not every thing has to state "GLUTEN FREE" to be gluten-free and it can work out cheaper if you know what you are looking for. With herbs if in doupt just buy fresh ones or make a small herb garden it can even be put in a pot if you lack space. I hope this has been of some help but I truely do understand how you feel. Best of luck.

[Nancym]

I see someone else likes rice vinegar like me! Nothing better to me than a simple olive oil/rice vinegar dressing on salad. I recently tried to have red wine vinegar and I was all "ew... not as good"!

[Juliebove]

I know this is an old post, but I am going through something similar. My husband is not on a gluten-free diet, although most of our food is gluten-free because of daughter's allergies. He is however, taking a med that changes the way food tastes. He knows this, yet he is always accusing me of doing something to his food. It seems the only things that taste right to him are raw fruits and vegetables, so that's mainly what I buy for him. I have tried buying pre-packaged things that he has eaten in the past and liked. I figured that way he could open the package himself and see that I have not touched the food. But he still accuses me of doing something to it. It's very frustrating and I am to the point of making meals for my daughter and myself, but not him. I buy him plain lunch meat, fruits and vegetables, nuts, cheese, chips, bread, cereal and milk. All plain foods and all just for him.

[kera87]

Since he has only been gluten-free for a few months, it's totally possible that he is still just healing. I've been gluten-free for 6 months and get so frustrated because I still occasionally get sick. It's normal to still have symptoms while the intestines are healing.

It's so awesome that you're going to make your house gluten-free soon! But until then, you'll need all new pots, pans, utensils, basically if you get all new things it will make him feel better that those can't be reasons for contamination. And if he is ok with cooking and is ok with simple things, that may be better for him in the long run. Eating a plain piece of chicken and some rice and veggies may make him feel a lot better, I know it does for me.

When I am home for summers my mom cooks meals for me a lot and we come up with some cool gluten-free dishes. Basically anything you need to cook with can be found gluten free, with a little research. We get bread crubs, soy sauce, dressings, spices, it just takes effort and sometimes many trips to different stores. It's hard but it's great you're being so supportive and going gluten-free as well, I'm sure it means so much to him.

[linda7276]

and tell your hubby if he's going to be that big of a pain in the ass COOK FOR YOURSELF THEN!

YEAH!!!! LOL...totally agree with that, the skunk!!!

A hug to lailabean...hang in there.

Hey I want the cookie recipe...

Ooops I see this is an old thread, but I still agree with Melrobsings, and want that cookie recipe...