I'm New And I'm Completely Lost

[stevehappens]

So I'm new to this whole world of Gluten-free. I'm still very much in the depressed stage, I guess.

I'm sure it'll get better with time, but for now, I'm struggling to know just what I can and cannot eat. Most specifically, stuff I can just buy from the store. I understand I can get Gluten-free baking ingredients and all that but I travel a lot for my work so I'm most interested in what I can eat on the go (from the grocery store/restaurants).

What brand name cold cereals can I eat?

Any restaurants that have a large gluten-free menu?

Is there a gluten-free loaf of bread that exists that isn't the size of a small hoagie? (seriously, the smallest loaf of bread I've ever seen.)

Any other tips for a newbie glutard?

Thx in advance.

[missy'smom]

Welcome. There's alot of learning to be done at first and it can seem like you have so few options but it does get much better and you will eventually realize that there are alot of choices available to us. Rice Chex is gluten-free now. It's been reformulated so make sure you get the box that says gluten-free right on it. I haven't seen any of the old stock with the old formulation lately but check just to be sure.

[psawyer]

Welcome.

There are a number of companies/brands that have a policy that they will always clearly disclose any gluten in any ingredient in a product. Along with many others here, I prefer to deal with such suppliers

Open Original Shared Link

Here is my own list, which may not be as complete:

Arrowhead Mills, Aunt Nelly's, Balance, Baskin Robbins, Ben & Jerry, Bertoli, Betty Crocker, Blue Bunny, Breyers, Campbells, Cascadian Farms, Celestial Seasonings, ConAgra, Country Crock, Edy's, General Mills, Good Humor, Green Giant, Haagen Daz, Hellman's, Hormel, Hungry Jack, Jiffy, Knorr, Kozy Shack, Kraft, Lawry's, Libby's, Lipton, Martha White, Maxwell House, McCormick, Nabisco, Nestle, Old El Paso, Ortega, Pillsbury, Popsicle, Post, Progresso, Ragu, Russell Stover, Seneca Foods, Skippy, Smucker, Stokely's, Sunny Delight, T Marzetti, Tyson, Unilever, Wishbone, Yoplait, Zatarain's.

The list covers a lot of brands that you can find at "normal" prices at your local grocery store, without having to pay through the nose for specialty brands.

Not every product by these brands is gluten-free. You must read the label carefully. But if you do, and none of the words wheat, rye, barley or oat appear, then I consider it safe.

Gluten-free bread loaves are generally smaller than wheat-based ones in physical dimensions, but they are typically much denser and may have a comparable weight. We use mostly Glutino bread products, including bagels and English muffins. We also like their brown rice pasta.

I hope this has helped. Ask questions here, there are many of us who have been at this for years and can help with answers.

[ShayFL]

Welcome!

Not knowing your financial situation, if you can afford it, there are many ready to go options. This bakery ships. The bread is super yummy and some better than gluten breads. The sandwich bread is regular size. They bake to order and ship. It will be fresh when it arrives. They put wax paper between the slices so you can freeze them and use as needed. Their french loaf rivals gluten.

Open Original Shared Link

There are companies like this:

Open Original Shared Link

Comes frozen. You just microwave and eat.

Open Original Shared Link

Restaurants that have established gluten-free menus:

PF Chang's

Outback

Carabbas

Bone Fish

Chipotle

Q-Doba

Pei Wei

There may be others. These options are for the "dont even want to think about it" and "luckily I can afford it" people. If I was single, I would be opting at least for some of these.

[stevehappens]

Awesome. It really makes me feel better to know there are other people like you out there who are making it work. I'm glad I found this forum.

[cyberprof]

Awesome. It really makes me feel better to know there are other people like you out there who are making it work. I'm glad I found this forum.

I made a reply and "poof" it was gone during the system crash.

Here are some ideas for you that I use for business/personal travel.

Rice Chex cereal is the only mainstream adult cereal that is gluten-free. It says Gluten-free right on the front of the box. There are some others but for kids (Dora Explora Stars etc.).

Thai Kitchen has some single-serve meals that are gluten-free. Just add boiling water or microwave. Says gluten-free on label.

Tasty Bite has some curries in single-serve pouches, some with a rice pouce already cooked. Says gluten-free on label.

Hard boiled eggs, mozzarella cheese sticks and cheddar cheese sticks are good options at delis and convenience stores. Oberto Regular Beef Jerky (NOT teriyaki) is gluten-free.

Hormel lunchmeat. Hormel is a company (along with Kraft) that will NOT hide gluten in their ingredient list...which is to say that if there is wheat it will say it. Hormel chili is gluten-free too.

Newman's Own popcorn is gluten-free - 94%, butter and several others. They should say if there is gluten or not.

Doritos Toasted Corn flavor is gluten-free: some other flavors may not be so read the label. Add some Old El Paso refried beans and cheddar cheese for quick nachos.

Canned tuna- never found one yet that has gluten.

LARA bars - find in the section with protein bars

Amy's frozen meals- some are gluten-free and will say so.

I've heard that a baked potato and chili at Wendy's is gluten-free.

Chipotle and Taco Del Mar burrito bowls (no tortilla) are good too. That is the only fast food I ever get. The extra hot salsa at Chipotle and the flour tortillas are the only things not gluten-free, but I don't get a tortilla at either place to lessen problems. I also have them change their gloves and don't use the cheese- the cheese is the only thing that they use their hands for on the serving line.

Travelling is hard, but you can always eat fruit and salads. I know that I end up eating less junk.

Good luck!

~Laura

[Phyllis28]

I travel some on business. I usually go one place for a week. I rent a hotel room with a kitchen. If a kitchen is unavailable I will look for a room with a microwave and a refrigerator. I premake and freeze most of my meals in single servings. I pack them in a softsided can cooler/lunch box and wrap them is blue ice mats, put the put the cooler/lunch box in my suitcase and check it. Examples of some of the food I have brought with me are spegetti sauce over rice or rice pasta, chili over rice or rice pasta, gluten free pizza, gluten free muffins, gluten free pancakes, cold grilled chicken, a half a loaf of gluten free bread, peanut butter and jelly.

I locate a grocery store at my destination with gluten free food before i go. First I look to see if there is a WholeFoods within a reasonable driving distance. If not, I search the sites of companies that make specialty gluten free food (Enjoy Life, Glutino are examples) using their store locator. When I arrive I buy the rest of my food.

I bring or buy ziploc sandwich bags, a few large ziploc bages, plastic forks, spoons, and knives, plastic/paper cups, plastic/paper bowls and plastic/paper plates. Most of the items I uses to make a lunch. I ask before I leave home if there is a microwave available.

I suggest you browse through the Travel section of the board for more coping strategies.

[gfpaperdoll]

Boars Head Deli meats are gluten-free & you can buy as many slices as you need. pick up some baby carrots, a small piece of broccoli, some salsa (almost all are gluten-free, read label), some Mission Brand Corn Chips & a couple of pieces of fruit & you have lunch. I just eat my deli meat rolled up & dip in any salsa or dip. I do not attempt bread because of my many allergies & I was already used to not eating bread before I was gluten-free.

Check the fast food and chain restaurants on line, most have gluten-free menus under the nutritional or speical diet needs. I print out all gluten-free menus & keep them in a notebook in my car.

Contact your local support group, they will have a lot of local information for you & most of them also do a great job of investigating area restaurants. If you are headed to Houston, just PM me!!

At hotels, for breakfast I never have a problem with the bacon, hash browns, eggs, or boiled eggs, & fresh fruit. But if you do go for the scrambled eggs ask- because some people add pancake batter to them - to make them fluffier

[kateg1]

I'm not new, but I'm depressed, too. I just found out that the Bayer aspirin I just washed down with an Arizona Tea will probably make me sick for the next 3 days (at least.)

Whole Foods has wonderful bread. I use both the sandwich bread and their Prarie Loaf, but both hold together better if they are toasted. Lucky me, I love toasted sandwiches!

Look for KIND bars as well as LARA bars. KIND bars come in a myriad of flavors and are all delicious. I alwys take a couple of boxes with me when I travel, and I don't mind having to skip a meal when I know I can have that treat.

[Meleficent]

Welcome! I have only been at this for 4 weeks, and I hear you on the not knowing what to buy. I find it helps to look at things like it is not the end of the world, just a new way of looking at it. The more positive you are, the easier the change is (at least for me.....)

That being said -- Triumph Dining (Open Original Shared Link) publishes 2 books. 1 is on gluten free items available in grocery stores (including store brand medicines) and the other is a list of restaurants that offer gluten free items. It also has information regarding some fast food type places. There are even some of the gluten-free menus in the back. Oh -- and they publish dining cards in several languages, so you can give one in Thai if you go to a Thai restaurant. I just found these and am ordering my copy next week (pay day), but it looks like a good travel reference.

As for going into the grocery store - I have found that Jewel-Osco and Meijers do a good job of labeling their gluten-free products and some even have a seperate section. Grocery shopping is going to take longer, but it is worth it. I also have a list of gluten-free products put out by Heinz floating around and another from lays. A good starting point with that is going to the companies website. Also, Whole Foods and Trader Joes are national stores that have lists of their gluten-free products.

See if you can get ahold of any support groups in your area. I live in Chicago and I have found 3 in my area. They can provide you with resources to help you out, or put you in touch with someone to talk to.

Food tastes a bit difference, passing up on the office cakes/donuts/buffets can stink (my biggest challenge) but I remember how I felt before and that helps.

Good luck and let me know if I can help with anything!

[ericajones80]

I recommend the Triumph Dining books as well...they've saved me

[loco-ladi]

Steve....

I know exactly what you are going thru.... I am a railroad engineer and my job requires overnight stays with either non-exsistant or gluten filled kitchens.

my "plan of attack" is as follows:

I take my own meals made at home and are packed in microwaveable containers (special for my use no-one else in the house uses them), leftovers work great for this and I pack a cooler with me. However I make sure to cover my food in the micro's and clean them well beforehand as well, I wont say I have never gotten glutened this way but it sure helps cut it down alot!

I also pack a couple "emergency meals" normally Hormels beef stew,, they store easy in my bag and are gluten-free and work well for those times I need an extra meal or 2.

I also started bringing bleach wipes with me to wipe down the control stand of the loco's and also the desk area in my room. I also after seeing the roll of paper towels in the kitchen sitting on the toaster started bringing my own paper towels as well.... I do carry more weight than others of my profession but I figure the extra weight lifting will help keep off the extra pounds I get from carbs