How To Start It

[UndercoverAlien]

How do you acctualy start this diet?

i mean what would i be eating in the noon,midday,evening dinner

can some one sort a basicly list of it just so i can know what im supposed to eat the day true

just a basicly a list of what to eat

i can start like only at monday or something i really want to start off without confusion and stuff

[RiceGuy]

The usual advice is to start simple - fresh veggies, fruits, meats, etc. Avoid processed foods as much as you can. The more you can prepare from scratch, the better off you'll be. Prepackaged gluten-free breads are usually somewhat disappointing, especially at first, so you'd probably be better to not bother with those. If you want pasta, Tinkyada brand makes a fabulous rice pasta. Besides rice and corn, there are many gluten-free grains to enjoy, but it isn't necessary, and can be somewhat overwhelming to try and dive into all that in the beginning. If you can eat nuts and seeds, these can be a very important source of nutrients.

If you want to make gravy, use cornstarch or arrowroot as the thickener. Though many gluten-free flours can also work, depending on your preference.

Avoid fast food places, and most restaurants too, due to CC (Cross-Contamination) from gluten. Some will have gluten-free menu items, which generally means they take at least some consideration to limit contamination, but word of mouth can still be your best source of info on where to eat out in your area, if at all.

If you have any wooden utensils, cutting boards, etc, toss them out, because wood can hold gluten, and you'd be risking contaminating your foods with them. If you want gluten-free toast, you'll need to buy a new toaster, and use it for gluten-free items only. Avoid scratched pots, pans and bowls too.

Some key nutritional supplements can also be of tremendous help, so you may want to consider some of the ones in which deficiencies are more common. These include vitamin B12, magnesium, B-complex, calcium, vitamin D, zinc, and iron. Various others can also be helpful, and for many, your doctor can run tests to determine which you tend to be deficient in.

Carefully read the labels on all packaged items, every time you buy. Some common ingredients to beware of are listed here:

https://www.celiac.com/categories/Safe-Glut...3B-Ingredients/

You will find many delicious gluten-free recipes here:

https://www.celiac.com/categories/Gluten%252dFree-Recipes/

And the members of this board have all sorts of wonderful meal ideas, sound advice, tips, etc, and you can always feel free to ask any and all questions.

It may seem overwhelming at first, but give it time. You'll get accustomed to it. We all do!

[jenkay]

I'm new to this and find this information very helpful. Thanks for the beginning steps.

[ArtGirl]

Some suggestions....

A crock pot is a useful item, especially if you work and aren't around to do much cooking. Put lean meat, some vegetables, a little water and your favorite spices - let it cook all day and you have food for three days or more (unless you have a large family).

When I do cook, I always cook more than I need, especially meats, and then freeze in single-serving sizes. That's my "fast food" for quick lunches and even breakfast. I also fry up the whole package of bacon and freeze in small portions so I can take them out whenever I want - bacon makes good snacks, too.

Rice Chex cereal is gluten free (used to contain barley malt, but now is sweetened with molasses).

Quick salty snack using Rice Chex.... melt butter/margarine and drizzle over Rice Chex. Sprinkle with salt and a little onion powder.

Eggs are always gluten-free. Boiled eggs or deviled eggs (with gluten-free mayo)

Salads are good and easy to fix. Add sliced meats and cheese or boiled eggs. Avoid salad bars at restaurants because of CC issues.

I make a smoothie of raw vegetables with a tomato - run through a blender to nearly liquified. Add a little sugar if not sweet enough (although tomato and carrot are sweet already).

You can make a sort-of sandwich with lettuce leaves - roll up the lunch meat, cheese, tomato, etc. in the leaf. I like to add a dash of Italian dressing - mayo would be good, too.

Gluten-free hot dogs and canned baked beans (all gluten-free, of course)

Bake several potatoes and place in refrigerator when cool. Then slice and fry in skillet with a little butter or margarine. Or even olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and any herbs you like, such as basil or oregano. I even like cold, sliced potatoes just with butter, salt and pepper on them. They pack well for a lunch.

Canned soups can be spooned over cooked meat, for example, fried minute/cube steak, for a filling entree. Amy's organic Tuscan Bean & Rice is one I like to use for this. It's gluten-free - but you will probably only find it in a health-food store.

Fixing gluten-free meals and snacks takes a little imagination and practice, but it will soon become second-nature to you.

Browse the recipe section on this forum for lots and lots of ideas.

[Jenny (AZ via TX)]

Here's what I did when I was first diagnosed. I bought the book Living Gluten Free for Dummies. Very easy to read and gives you the basics about having celiac. I knew absolutely nothing about it before being diagnosed.

The next thing I did was call the grocery stores and see if they have a gluten free food list. Safeway has one. I'm not sure where you live, but Safeway is also called Tom Thumb and Ralphs. Anyway, Safeway sent me a huge list of Safeway gluten free foods, including their organic line.

Check all your meds and supplements. Wheat free does not mean gluten free! I made that mistake the first month.

The easiest thing to do and what has already been mentioned is to eat simply. No processed foods. Do yourself a favor and skip the gluten free breads for now. When you first go gluten-free, the bread tastes horrible. I don't know if it's because you still remember what good bread tastes like or what. I've also heard it's hard to digest until you have healed.

Good luck to you. I wish I had found this forum early on. It took me a couple of months before I knew about it. You will be able to find a ton of info on this site.

Oh, one more thing. I found that I had to start planning what I was going to eat instead of eating on the fly. Hope this helps you.

[puggirl]

well.... Since im pretty new at this, this is what I eat:

Breakfast: Rice Chex, I usually eat them dry by hand (since Im driving cant do milk) and some sort of fruit. Apple and Pnut butter is yummy.

Lunch: Either I do left overs from the night before, and If I dont have left overs I usually Eat a yogurt and another piece of fruit. also snack on Corn tortillas you can also eat some salsa's too.

Dinner: We ususally cook Some sort of Beef, Chicken, Turkey and have Veggies, and some sort of potato (mashed, baked or Fries) or rice

Dessert: I usually have some Icecream w/ hersheys syrup or you can have hot pudding Yummy...

Marshmallow are s good little snack to eat. I also enjoy M&M's since they are gluten free and Hersheys Bar

You can have the rice pasta you'll have to look into the sauces that you can have. yu can also have lunch meats and cheeses just look and make sure they are gluten free... or Go to the Brand Website or call the company to make sure.

Apple Sauce and most canned fruits you can have as a snack.

I know that I didnt used to eat as much fruit as I have been lately, so Its a little hard to get used to. But eventually you do. I never ate that much fast food except Subway and now I cant eat any of that. Bread was that hardest thing to quit.

good luck.

[roxana]

Hi, everyone. My name is Roxana, I'm from Romania and I'm a celiac for 9 months. Starting this diet was very difficult for me ( and it still is in a way) not because I find it hard not to eat gluten but because even with the gluten-free diet I keept feeling bad. I went to a doctor in Milan, Italy and got some precious diet advice. So besides not eating gluten a celiac has to eat for the first year and a half or two years very healthy and keep a balanced diet. Avoid processed foods( like someone already said here) but also be very attentive on how to combine foods because different combinations may cause bloating, constipation, stomach cramps etc. For example, it's better to eat meat but combined with fresh vegetables not with rice or potatos or pastas because the starch and carbohydrates in pastas/rice/bread combined with the proteins in meat cause fermentation and bloating hence a bad digestion. Pastas and rice are better combined with vegetables. Plus it's not advisable to eat fruits or desert right after a meal because they cause fermentation and bloating. Find another moment of the day, between meals when you can eat a fruit.

My advice is to eat a fruit or a glass of milk with corn flakes in the morning, or a simple yoghurt ( you can try soya yoghurt it's delicious, because too much lactose at the beginning of the gluten-free diet can cause stomach cramps). At around 11 or 11:30a.m. a little snack ( a fruit, a yoghurt ). Lunch should be rice or pastas with veggies and for dinner meat with vegetable salad ( preferably without any dressing just some olive oil ). It's also better not to fry meat too much or eat fried potatos, grilled meat or veggies ( like aubergines, zuchini ) is much more healthier. And fish is delicious and so healthy! Look into Italian recipes, Italian food is so healthy and balanced.

Eating healthy and balanced enables the stomach to heal better and avoid problems like bloating, cramps, etc. I know this cause I've been through it. At first when I started the diet I ate too much bread and pastas and lactose and I put on weight fast and felt bloated all the time. Plus the rice and potatoes and corn are not so rich in fibre which our body needs so other gluten-free cereal like buckwheat can be helpful. Or fruits that contain fibre like apples for ex.

I hope the info is helpful. I've learned all this after 9 months of continuous search on how to feel better.

Best wishes to all.

[UndercoverAlien]

thanks for all the support and info im really upsett mayonaise is also gluten sinds mayonaise is really something that spices everything up expecialy these things http://iwm.index.be/Uploads/PITTASLA_web.webp anyway knowing that eggs doesnt have gluten is really a nice start

also apples seem to have even a more huge effect on my stomach

[ArtGirl]

im really upsett mayonaise is also gluten...

Not all mayonaise has gluten. Hellmann's brand even says "gluten-free" on the label. That's the one I use.

ALL fresh fruit and ALL fresh vegetables (in the produce section of the grocery store) are naturally gluten-free, because gluten comes from grain and fruit and vegetables are not grain. If you stick to whole foods (just as they come off the tree or plant) you are safe from gluten. Apples, oranges, bananas, lemons, etc., and carrots, celery, turnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc. Also safe are frozen vegetables and fruit, with the vegetable or fruit being the only ingredient in the bag.

For a long time I couldn't eat raw apples, but if I cooked them slightly I could. Peel and cut in small pieces, put in a small sauce pan and add a little water (or apple juice) and sugar and cook on low until the apple softens. For variety, add some raisins and/or nuts.

[UndercoverAlien]

ok thanks,

hellmann's brand i dont think they got that in my country

anyway how long does it takes till my anoying brain fog dissapears?

[puggirl]

where do you live?

[ArtGirl]

hellmann's brand i dont think they got that in my country

Read the labels on the mayonaise brands. Mayo is basically oil and eggs, with lemon and/or vinegar and sugar added for taste. What you need to look for is something that may contain gluten, such as "natural flavor" - which may or may not be made from the gluten grains. If in doubt - call or email the manufacturer and ask if any of the ingredients are made from wheat, barley, rye or oats - or if the products contains any gluten ingredients.

What country are you in. There may be some others on this board near you who could point you to safe brands.

The brain fog clears after you're 100% gluten-free for a while - a few days, a few weeks, a month or more - it's different for everyone - especially if there are other food sensitivities that haven't been eliminated yet.

[UndercoverAlien]

reply fast!

is fish gluten free

is union gluten-free

are tomatos gluten-free?!!!

[ArtGirl]

Gluten is found in four grains - wheat, barley, rye and contaminated oats

If it is a whole food, like meat, fruit and vegetables, and has not had anything added to it, you can safely eat it because it has no gluten in/on it.

fresh and frozen fish are gluten free IF nothing has been added to it like a broth or something that might have gluten in it.

Fresh tomatoes are gluten-free - but if they are in a can, you need to read the ingredients.

I don't know what "union" is.

edit: Oh, is that "onion"? Yes, a fresh onion is gluten-free. Cooked in oil, still gluten-free (if the oil is pure and has not had a flavoring added to it).