Food Ideas

[Omshanti2]

Hi! My son is on a gluten free diet and I am starting him as Casein free as well. He is three years old.

I find shopping a chore. I have found a few items he likes but I would to find out what your favs are.

He likes Glutino Bagels, Ogran Choc. animal cookies, Pamela's pancake mix, Rice Chex, Enviro Cereals.

He loves meat. So that's never a problem.

what other good foods are there?

And as far as dairy is concerned: What rice, Almond milks are tasty?

What is a good substitue for butter? and for cheese?

Is it worth buying a bread machine and making my own bread?

Sorry about the amount of questions.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!!!!!!!

[lizard00]

I try to be CF too... although it's a new goal everyday that I wake up. (see my signature )

Enjoy life brands has cookies and snack bars that I think are pretty good. They make chocolate chips that are DF if you want to bake with them or snack on them as I do.

You have to investigate crackers, because some of them have milk products as part of the flavoring. I didn't look one day, and my stomach was definitely not happy with me later.

Do you bake? I don't often, but I found this blog that I love (actually my husband found it) and she has multiple food allergies, including being gluten-free and CF. I've seen this website posted here a few times, her stuff is great! Not just baked goods, but her breakfast brownies got me out of a breakfast rut!

Open Original Shared Link

Can he have soy? The purely decadent or so delicious brands of ice cream are pretty good. I got a pomegranate chocolate chip kind a few days ago that is totally dairy free.

[buffettbride]

I could be mistaken, but I think Pamela's pancake mix contains dairy. I can't remember off the top of my head though.

One of our fave gluten-free/cf foods are soft mission corn tortillas and mission corn tortilla chips.

[Omshanti2]

I could be mistaken, but I think Pamela's pancake mix contains dairy. I can't remember off the top of my head though.

One of our fave gluten-free/cf foods are soft mission corn tortillas and mission corn tortilla chips.

I will check on the pamela's, thank you!

My son loves tortillas so that is a great idea. THANKS!

[Omshanti2]

I try to be CF too... although it's a new goal everyday that I wake up. (see my signature )

Enjoy life brands has cookies and snack bars that I think are pretty good. They make chocolate chips that are DF if you want to bake with them or snack on them as I do.

You have to investigate crackers, because some of them have milk products as part of the flavoring. I didn't look one day, and my stomach was definitely not happy with me later.

Do you bake? I don't often, but I found this blog that I love (actually my husband found it) and she has multiple food allergies, including being gluten-free and CF. I've seen this website posted here a few times, her stuff is great! Not just baked goods, but her breakfast brownies got me out of a breakfast rut!

Open Original Shared Link

Can he have soy? The purely decadent or so delicious brands of ice cream are pretty good. I got a pomegranate chocolate chip kind a few days ago that is totally dairy free.

This has been extremely helpful. No am not much of a baker :-(

But I am willing to try anything. Do you use a bread maker at all?

I tried the glutino crakers but I don't know if they have milk. I must check.

Zachary, my son, doesn't seem to like soy it much. He seems to like almond milk. But that pomegranate choc chip sounds fantastic!!!!!!!!!

[lizard00]

This has been extremely helpful. No am not much of a baker :-(

But I am willing to try anything. Do you use a bread maker at all?

I tried the glutino crakers but I don't know if they have milk. I must check.

Zachary, my son, doesn't seem to like soy it much. He seems to like almond milk. But that pomegranate choc chip sounds fantastic!!!!!!!!!

I have a bread maker, but used it in my gluten days... so needless to say I don't use it. But there are a lot of folks on here who bake bread, hopefully they'll give you some info. I don't really miss bread much, and when I do, I go buy a loaf of Kinnickinnick as a treat.

I also bought a book called The Gluten Free Vegan for ideas to be DF/EF (I am allergic to egg whites). It's got some great recipes.

I don't like soy milk at all. I use rice milk when I use milk. Almond milk is pretty good too, although I found it to be a little thick for my taste. But, it's all about preference.

And the pomegranate chip is FAB!!! Can't tell the difference, and I am an admitted ice cream snob. I don't like the chocolate by itself, tastes like frozen choc soymilk... but if it's mixed with something, it's good.

As for cheese, haven't found one. Soy cheese IMO, is not great. But my son eats soy cheese at my mom's house and he seems to like it. If you have a Trader Joe's nearby, you can usually find it there rather inexpensively.

[Omshanti2]

I have a bread maker, but used it in my gluten days... so needless to say I don't use it. But there are a lot of folks on here who bake bread, hopefully they'll give you some info. I don't really miss bread much, and when I do, I go buy a loaf of Kinnickinnick as a treat.

I also bought a book called The Gluten Free Vegan for ideas to be DF/EF (I am allergic to egg whites). It's got some great recipes.

I don't like soy milk at all. I use rice milk when I use milk. Almond milk is pretty good too, although I found it to be a little thick for my taste. But, it's all about preference.

And the pomegranate chip is FAB!!! Can't tell the difference, and I am an admitted ice cream snob. I don't like the chocolate by itself, tastes like frozen choc soymilk... but if it's mixed with something, it's good.

As for cheese, haven't found one. Soy cheese IMO, is not great. But my son eats soy cheese at my mom's house and he seems to like it. If you have a Trader Joe's nearby, you can usually find it there rather inexpensively.

I was planning to go to Trader Joes today. I will look for the cheese there. Do they have the ice cream there?

[RiceGuy]

In place of butter and margarines, try coconut oil. It's really good for cooking and baking too, and can also be made into a delicious "mayo".

On the rice milk, avoid Rice Dream - it is NOT gluten-free! Always check labels. You can also make your own nut milks in the blender or food processor. I find a bit of xanthan or guar gum provides a nice creamy consistency too.

A number of members have mentioned Vann's gluten-free waffles as being good.

About bread - the consensus is that homemade is much better than prepackaged. I don't use a bread machine, but many do. I Think either way is fine, but to each his/her own.

HTH

[Juliebove]

This cheese is good:

Open Original Shared Link

Be sure to get only the vegan as the other contains casein, a dairy derivative.

Also this stuff is really good:

Open Original Shared Link

Their gravies are good too!

[purple]

Check out this recipe for waffles:

Open Original Shared Link

Banana nut waffles, it makes alot but easy to wrap, freeze and pop into the toaster or use for sandwiches. I use about 1 1/2 cups almond milk. Finely chop the nuts. So good you don't need to have butter...just eat them plain or put peanut butter on them like my dh does who is not gluten-free and neither am I but we love them. Full of good things. Egg, soy, dairy, gluten free.

Breakfast brownies (posted on glutenfreegoddess) are so easy to adjust items. I use chopped dates, chopped sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Put in anything you like. I even put it in 2 8x8"pans with different goodies in each pan. Cut into bars, wrap and freeze. Fast granola bar/snack. WONDERFUL! gluten-free and dairy free recipes on Karina's blog.

Open Original Shared Link

allergy sensitive substitute ideas, kid friendly ideas, fun web site

Need a birthday cake that is gluten-free/dairy free? Here is a fantastic chocolate one:

Open Original Shared Link

Or make cupcakes and freeze them.

This one might help:

Open Original Shared Link

Also watch for vegan recipes, they are dairy free just sub the milk for what you can have.

A really good allergy friendly cook book you should get is:

"Cooking Free" by Carol Fenster

[BarbaQ]

Hello

My son is also gluten-free and DF.

As far as cheese goes, try goat cheese. There are various brands, but President's Choice makes a goat mozarella. My son loves it. It has a bit of an after taste, but it is definitely better than soy or rice cheese. The protein is different than the one in cow cheese. I have also found a goat marble cheddar (another brand that escapes me right now) that my son loves. There are some spreadable feta products, very similar to the consistency of cream cheese.

Another fun snack is rice wraps. You can find these in the chinese food section. You simply put them in hot water for a few seconds and then fill them with whatever you want...shredded lettuce, tomoatoes, rice noodles, basil, ...

I push the fruit and veggeis since it is so convienient. we use a goat yogurt as a dip. If your kids are young, they can get used to the taste. For us adults, I can certainly taste the difference in the aftertaste.

If you find an Italian specialty food store, ask for their gluten free products (apparently it is quite common for Italians to have gluten intolerance...who knew?) I have found a wonderful cracker made from potatoe and corn flour. They taste much better than the rice crackers you typically find, also with no diary.

Hope this helps.

Barb

[Omshanti2]

You have all been so helpful!I am writing this all down for my shopping trip and writing the websites down as well.

This advice was MUCH needed. I feel like I have more options now. And it's good for my options to be ones people actually like!

[buffettbride]

It was bugging me so I had to look it up. Pamela's isn't CF.

Here's the ingredient list for Pamlela's pancake mix:

INGREDIENTS: Brown Rice Flour, White Rice Flour, Cultured Buttermilk, Natural Almond Meal (may appear as brown flecks), Tapioca Starch, Sweet Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Grainless & Aluminum Free Baking Powder (Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Potato Starch), Baking Soda, Sea Salt, Xanthan Gum.

We have also used Arrowhead Mills buckwheat pancakes and they are very tasty:

Open Original Shared Link

There are many tasty pancake mixes out there that are gluten-free/CF.

[lizard00]

It was bugging me so I had to look it up. Pamela's isn't CF.

Here's the ingredient list for Pamlela's pancake mix:

INGREDIENTS: Brown Rice Flour, White Rice Flour, Cultured Buttermilk, Natural Almond Meal (may appear as brown flecks), Tapioca Starch, Sweet Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Grainless & Aluminum Free Baking Powder (Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Potato Starch), Baking Soda, Sea Salt, Xanthan Gum.

That would explain why I felt so stinking sick the last time I ate pancakes. Serves me right, though. Lesson learned.

Liz

[purple]

I just came across this bread recipe:

Open Original Shared Link

I never tried it but I hear that everything Annalise Roberts makes is really good. (I decided to make it now so I will let you know the results)

There is another recipe that is fast/good called Quickie Flaxmeal Skillet Bread but it takes buttermilk so you would need a sub. It makes great hamburger buns if you put them in a jumbo muffin cup pan...I make 5 buns with it, perfect size for your son. (I got my pan at Fred Meyers, Walmart doesn't have them)

Open Original Shared Link

I flip the "cake" looking bread out of the pan and after it cools, cut it into 4 pieces than with a thin knife I slice each piece so you have 8 slices when you are done.

Another idea for breakfast/snack/bread is to find a good muffin recipe that you can add-in whatever you want like apples, applesauce, peanut butter, nuts, pumpkin, bananas, berries etc. Make them mini if you want and freeze them.

My dd likes this recipe, you could add an egg to it if you wanted to:

Open Original Shared Link

I fill the pans then add different add-ins to each cup to make a variety, even jam in the middle works great.

Spread peanut butter on top or in the middle when you eat them.

Also I freeze bananas for the muffins and waffles (on my other post) so I always have some on hand.

[purple]

I found these:

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link