Im New And Need Help!

[.becki.]

Hi guys im becki I just found out about 2 weeks ago that I have celiac's and Ive been having a VERY hard time finding things to eat!! I had a friend who has it and I swear things werent this hard for her.. but everything I thought would be oky to eat aren't i looked up the list of things im not supposed to eat and well it pretty much leaves me with water.. or thats how i feel.. so what do you guys do?? what are your techniques? Are there things that we arent' supposed to eat that you eat anyway?? like vineagr?? come on thats in everything!!! im getting really frustrated with this and I dont have a good support system right now.. my husband is in the navy and its hard to do alone.. after eating whatever for 22 years and now finding out this is what was wrong the whole time.. i just need help!! Any advice will be helpful!!

[ShayFL]

Apple cider and rice vinegars are perfectly safe. They say the other vinegars are fine too. Avoid MALT vinegars only.

There is a WHOLE WORLD of food out there to eat!!!! Delicious foods: ALL MEATS, ALL VEGGIES, ALL FRUITS, NUTS SEEDS, RICE, POTATOES, CORN, TINKYADA PASTA and the list goes on. There is also a gluten-free replacement for just about everything. I even found a place online that will ship cannolis to you. gluten-free cannolis.

It takes some effort if you want to eat processed/man made foods. But if you open your eyes to natural goods....the world is your oyster.

[missy'smom]

Some start with just natural foods and gradually add in processed foods and ingredients. Kraft is a company that will list ALL gluten on the label, even barley. When I learned that it helped alot. Here are some other companies who are helpful. Open Original Shared Link Don't be afraid to call the 800 numbers on packages and ask if a product is gluten-free. Not all, but many companies are helpful and prepared to answer these questions. You can also find info. online at the company websites under FAQ's or Contact Us.

[home-based-mom]

Hi, Becki

When you go grocery shopping shop around the perimeter of the store. That is where you will find the fresh and frozen meats and produce that Shay mentioned. There is indeed a whole world of healthy choices in almost infinite variety out there!

What won't work anymore is eating dried processed food out of a box and/or driving through the local fast food place. But that wasn't good for you, anyway!

Touch bases with your friend again. She may be able to give you some great hints!

[Rondar2001]

Hi Becki, hang in there, the first weeks are the worst. When my daughter was diagnosed I ended up in tears in the middle of walmart. I bought a box of rice flour and a box of potato flour (even though I had no idea what to do with them) because that was all that I new was safe. It gets better. Try the health food stores for some basic staples like cereal and go from there. Also remember that eggs, meats, and veggies are good to start off with.

[.becki.]

Thanks guys! I'm still really lost.. i eat grits.. lol.. and well i feel like im starving myself now.. I get so confused because some sites list some things as oky and others list things as not oky.. I thought I just couldnt eat

Gluten,Wheat,Barly,Flour but appearently its a mile long list! so any help with telling me what I cant have would be very helpful!!

[home-based-mom]

Thanks guys! I'm still really lost.. i eat grits.. lol.. and well i feel like im starving myself now.. I get so confused because some sites list some things as oky and others list things as not oky.. I thought I just couldnt eat

Gluten,Wheat,Barly,Flour but appearently its a mile long list! so any help with telling me what I cant have would be very helpful!!

Becki, I think you are making it more difficult than it needs to be.

You CANNOT eat: wheat, rye, barley and maybe oats. Period. Four things. Not a mile long list - four things.

You CAN eat: EVERYTHING ELSE! All meats, all vegetables, all fruits, other grains and starches, EVERYTHING except those 4 things!

If you are walking though the middle of your grocery store reading the ingredients on every box and package, it will probably seem really discouraging because processed food frequently contains one or more of those four ingredients. I buy very little from those center aisles - peanut butter, Prego Traditional spaghetti sauce, Minute Rice, not much if anything else. Frozen veggies are my friend as well as other fresh and frozen stuff.

It may require a new way of thinking and eating, but it really isn't that hard.

[Blessings]

Becki,

Things I like an

d things I have just recently tried that are yummy

omlets

gluten-free cereal

yoplait yogurt

homemade smoothies

Odwalla Strawberry Banana Smoothie (when I am out rumming around and need a pick up)

bananas

apples try pink ladies

oranges

mango

advacados

tomatoes

try different salads not just iceberg

shrimp

shrip tomato advacado mayo mixed and stuffed into a tomato

shrimp mango garlic mayo sour cream on romaine lettuce

caper dijon marinated grilled chicken and grilled romaine lettuce?? It is delicious!

newmans own ceaser dressing

Blue Bunny natural vanilla ice crean with 1/2 butterfinger smashed into it

Dairy Queen butterfinger blizzard

PF Changs spicy chicken

Namaste brownies

Pamelas Baking mix

gluten-free pancakes with choco chips

eggplant breaded with Pamelas BM

breaded chicken fish veal with Pamelas BM

homemade cheesecake

Cheesecake Factory Godiva cheesecake (can be iffy)

cheetos

fritos with refried beans

homemade hummus-1 can rinsed Kueners garbanzo beans(Wal Mart) bit of garlic olive oil salt puree can add tapenade I dipp with fritos

gluten-free bagel with lox and cream cheese

cottage cheese with del monte mandarine oranges

Homemade gluten-free pizza try goat cheese spinach sun dried tomatoes tapenade and portabella mushrooms

steak and baked potato

grilled chicken and homecut fries

Chik fil a fries and ask the manager for gluten-free grilled nuggets

AMY's frozen gluten-free dinners from Krogers (lots cheaper) All I have tried have been good

rissoto we like the parmisan (spelling?)

Glutino pretzelsdipped in Nutella

Glutino Lemon Wafers

Enviro kids crispy bars

ruffles potato chips

Beanie Weanies-Bushes baked beans with Oscar beef Hot dogs chopped into it.

Chilli's ribs no no on their salads

homemade leek and potato soup

bake leeks sliced in half with 1/4 tomatoes and sliced onions and drizzled with olive oil add grilled chicken toppedwith goat chees or cream chees and broil

Pamela's chocolate cake with dark chocolate frosting

cheddar Nut Thins

asparagus

grean beans with hormel bacon

legal corn chips with shredded cheese microwaved

1 can corn 1 can black beans (rinsed) mix with salsa for a yummy dip

rice crakers with chicken salad

egg salad on lettuce

Thai Kitchen Bangkok Curry Instant Rice Noodle Soup

corn on the cob

Haribo Gummi bears

Make a batch of gluten-free corn bread in mini muffin tins and put a piece of Oscar beef hot dog freeze them for a quick corn dog snack yummy with ketchup and mustard

Patak's Tangy Lemon & Cilantro cooking sauce (Wal Mart)with chicken and Tinkyada brown rice pasta shells

Rice Chex Muddie Buddies

Northland Pomegrante cranberry juice (Wal Mart)

Minute Maid Low Acid Low pulp OJ

Crepes from Pamelas BM 2 cup mix 2 c milk 4 eggs maybe a bit more milk to make it runny fry up sprinkle with sugar or PBJ or PB and Nutella

homemade shephers pie

homemade gluten-free lasagna

homemade spag sauce thick and chunky with squash and sausage and chunks of tomatos and onions mmmmm

Aidelles gluten-free sausage Habanero is not to spicy (Wal Mart or Sams)

So many yummy things

try epicurious.com and put in a food under the search. Then adapt the recipie using gluten-free products.

email me if you meed more ideas

God Bless,

Vicky

[Phyllis28]

In my opinion one of the keys to eating gluten free is to throw out the concept of the "Standard American diet". You can every food other then wheat, oats (unless certified gluten free), rye and barley. I would suggest not trying to replicate what you were eating before, look for receipes that are naturally gluten free to make. There are many on this site and other receipe sites.

Think outside the box. Most Amercians only eat spegetti sauce with meat over pasta. I have eaten it over rice (brown and white), over spegetti squash, in a stuff potato, over gluten free pasta, layed in corn tortillas with cheese and over mashed potatoes.

Also, any food in the kitchen that is gluten free is available for any meal. Eggs and potatoes for dinner or left over dinner for breakfast is just fine.

There are lots and lots of foods you can eat.

[puggirl]

Hi Becki, Im also new to the Gluten free Diet, I've actually been Gluten free for just a week and a half. At first I felt like there was NOTHING to eat, But i've found that there is actually alot, you just have to research it first and look for it at the store. I used to eat a ton of bread and different cereals and pasta. So it was very difficult to kick the Bread and yummy cereal. But I havent had any in a week and a half. So I basically cut out Bread Cookies, cakes, snacks, stuff thats not even good for me. I've been feeling better then I had before I started the Gluten Diet. I havent had any stomach aches or anything wich is NICE! I did alot of research on the internet and just typed in if what ever I wanted to eat had Gluten in it and usually an old post from this forum pops up and tells me yah or nay. If you have a Safeway store around you there is a list of all the Safeway Brands that are Gluten free. I can post it if you would like. I found it on this forum. If I can do it... You can! trust me. Since I cut carbs out almost completely, i think i've also lost a couple pounds. thats always nice... good Luck with your search for yummy food!

[kelly6976]

HI becki I just want you to know that its easier as time goes on. I was lucky like you and i have a friend of the family also has this. It will take time to know everything you can and can not have. I eat a lot of steak, taco, fajitas and my own version of chinese food at home. I make things from scratch, not to many frozen things. It's all how you make it. I have given up fast food because of cross contamantion. I kept getting sick. Except i just went to wendy's and had a baked potato. It was really good. I'm here in southern cal and we have health food stores/farmer markets such as henry's, sprouts, whole foods that sell gluten free products. Now, my husband is not gluten free and he has been so great. When I make something pasta he says that i don't have to make 2 differ kinds, he's eating my gluten free food. (But when he goes out, he's all about the gluten) At first it was really hard for me because we ate out all the time (fast food and resturants) We still go to resturants I just explain my gluten-free and most people will accomadate. Not all but most. I even look at the menu before we go and if i have any questions I call the resturant and they look at the ingrendents for me. So I already know what im getting b4 i get there. This is a life style change. I don't look at like a "diet". Diet fail. It took me awhile. And when I was gluten-free for a good while and somehow came in contact with gluten and became really really sick. one of the worst it made it worth staying an trying even harder to stay gluten-free. My mother in law gave me a great cook book which I have taken some of the receip out of that. You start getting use to the food. (EXCEPT the pizza

, nothing is like dominos') But the pasta isn't bad. You have to take it easy on the gluten-free fronzen meals they have a high level of sugar.

Sorry if this was long winded.... if you have any questions. please drop me a line. I've been diagnois since 2/07

[mymagicalchild]

Hi, Becki...it's really easy. HO HO HO. You must go cold turkey and eat NO PREPARED food until you educate your brain and your gut. (Your brain will be in denial. Your gut will tell you immediately when it's been bombarded.)

That means you purchase all your food in its original form. That means you eat no fast food. That means you eat at no retaurants. Fresh veggies and fruits. Everything cooked with your dear little hands.

Your life has been forever altered. WELCOME TO THE CLUB!