gluten-free, Dairy Free, Favorite Things, Shopping Online

[artselegance]

I'm so overwhelmed. I have been following gluten-free since August and have done this without ordering specialty products. Since latest lab results reveal a dairy sensitivity, I am just at a loss and want some guidance.

So to all that are gluten-free and DF please share the best places on the web to shop and what things I need to even start with buying. I just want a list, actually I want someone to take over and do all this for me, but that's not going to happen I know so I have to start somewhere....

Thanks in advance.

[camoflauge]

I just noticed I have a problem with dairy. I've been taking a daily tablet (found them at Walmart) which helps considerably. I'm not sure if taking anything like that would help you or not. I've heard about casein being something that bothers some Celiacs.

Giving up gluten products has actually made me a healthier person and for the first time in my life the weight is coming off. I would begin with things that are naturally dairy and gluten free-such as your veggies, fruit, meats, rice, etc.

Here's a sampling of what I eat (keeping in mind that yogurt doesn't bother me because of the enzymes in it digest the sugar-from what I understand)

for milk substitutes-there are a lot of rice milks-but apparently they are made using barley in the process, but is not listed as an ingredient-but many react. There are plenty of safe brands. There is also soy milk-which I can't stand, and Vance's Dairy Free-it comes as a powder I believe.

Breakfast Ideas:

Yoplait yogurt (listed as gluten-free on the label)

Rice-I also eat Rice N Shine hot cereal from Arrowhead Mills

Rice Chex-gluten-free mainstream cereal with a gluten-free DF Milk-Right now I'm using Full Circle Organic Rice Milk-I chose Vanilla but they have regular and chocolate.

Soy Protein Shake-I use a brand called Naturade (got at Sam's Club around here) and is labeled as lactose, gluten, yeast, dairy free-you can mix this with water, or to make a "richer" shake I use the rice milk. You can add fruit, Davinci syrup flavorings, instant coffee, etc.

Waffles-using a flour called "Tom Sawyer" make and freeze-they have a recipe on their website. (glutenfreeflour.com) I use my rice milk in place of reg. milk and no one can tell.

scrambled eggs (made with rice milk or other dairy substitute) add ham, green peppers and onions, bacon, sausage links, top with a salsa-i love a corn and black bean salsa, make hashrowns to go along with it.

Dinner/Supper:

I use a lot of things from walmart (Great Value Brand) that are naturally gluten-free and df-spaghetti sauce-theirs is awesome and made using Tinkyada-which is the best gluten-free spagetti for the price.

Meatloaf

Ring Bologna

Brats

there are quite a few meats labeled gluten-free-Hormel is great at labeling their products gluten-free when applicable

chilli soup

chicken and rice soup

beef stew

roasts with cooked veggies

hamburgers-i don't use any bread or cheese. top with lettuce

taco salad-don't really need the cheese-or you could add just a small amount-use corn chips, beans, diced tomatoes.

I eat those Thai kitchen "bowls" made with rice noodles and they are really good. sometimes i'll add some diced meat in to add a little more "substance" to the meal.

use chebe mix (all except their original are gluten-free and lf) and make into a pizza crust (I can get you the recipe if interested) and grill invidiual pizzas. omg-this was awesome-even non gluten eating husband and kids absolutely loved it. For cheese you could either use a soy substitute-I can't find those around here, use just a small amount, or make a breakfast or taco pizza.

I haven't found a good replacement for sour cream yet-still looking. we don't have a lot of options around my small town. For cream cheese in desserts etc. I am playing around with using Tofu-and it seems ok as long as whatever you use adds the flavor as it is bland.

Desserts-use enjoy life choc. chips instead of regular ones. they are dairy free too. Dried fruits-I love to use dried fruits and make a trail mix out of them. Sweet, but still "somewhat" good for me. I'm losing my sweet tooth so the sugary junk is not really appetizing anymore. Jello-either premade or do it yourself with a little cool whip on top. I do sugar free to save calories. Very filling and sweet enough to make me feel like I got a treat. make an apple pie-that tom sawyer flour has a great pie crust and just follow a regular apple pie recipe-substituting any flour in the recipe for the tom sawyer flour.

I love the glutino crackers-even though they are a little expensive. Their pretzels are great too.

hope that gets you started. When I started this "change" I felt the same way you do, as "gluten" hides in way too many things if you ask me. I started shopping the veggie, fruit and meat aisles a lot more. Quite often your organic foods are gluten free-though not always.

As far as shopping places online, mine are close to me and not sure where you live if they would be good on the shipping. (If you want the websites let me know and I'll email you-not sure the policy on here) I've got 2 places I really count on. I live in a really rural area-we have 2 grocery stores, but neither are a chain type store so the gluten free options are really limited, and we have 100 mile drive to any major chain stores of any kind (including walmart).

Trader Joes and Whole Foods stores are great places to find gluten-free things and i'm sure you'd be able to find dairy free too. Check your natural foods store if you have one. They would probably be able to get what you're looking for.

Good luck. I think everyone has been where you are at-frustrated at the options of eating. My health has definately improved since finding out I can't eat gluten. My whole family eats better too. We no longer eat the chips, chicken nuggets, deep fried things. We rarely go out to eat because of the risk of being glutened.

Heather

[lizard00]

I'm so overwhelmed. I have been following gluten-free since August and have done this without ordering specialty products. Since latest lab results reveal a dairy sensitivity, I am just at a loss and want some guidance.

So to all that are gluten-free and DF please share the best places on the web to shop and what things I need to even start with buying. I just want a list, actually I want someone to take over and do all this for me, but that's not going to happen I know so I have to start somewhere....

Thanks in advance.

I had that feeling, too. It was not a good day when I realized I couldn't eat cheese...

Anyway, then I realized that a lot of my food was already DF. I'm a bit health conscious, so I didn't eat tons of it anyway. I missed my yogurt and cheese, and that was about it.

So, for yogurt I have found So Delicious coconut milk yogurt. It's a little expensive, but I buy 2 or 3 for the week and it's like my little treat. I also get their ice cream when I need a "fix".

Cheese is a little different. Someone here will probably post some websites, but so far I've just gotten used to not having regular cheese. But if you like goat cheese, it's good and another treat for me. I get the crumbles for salads and stuff. Same with butter, you can find goat butter for toast and stuff, although I woulnd't bake with it. For baking I use earth balance. You can also investige various milks... almond, soy, rice, hazelnut... I like rice milk for cereal and baking.

And the enjoy life chocolate chips are about the best thing I've come across. I bake with them, put them on stuff, or just eat them by the handful.

[Mother of Jibril]

If you're intolerant to "dairy," I would assume that means casein. Casein is in ALL cow's milk dairy products. Lactose intolerance is a different story... as far as I know, it's uncomfortable (causes bloating and gas), but it doesn't damage your intestines or cause your body to produce antigens. Casein intolerance does.

I eat small amounts of goat cheese too It doesn't bother me... and it doesn't bother my (breastfed) son who's really sensitive to casein! I tried the coconut yogurt, but I didn't like the texture. Soy yogurt is good.

The alternative milks are good... I haven't tried hemp, but I love soy and almond milk. Rice milk (except for Rice Dream) is fine too.

Actually, at home I find it's very easy to avoid dairy as long as I read the labels carefully. Whole foods (meat, fruit, vegetables) make it REALLY simple. Restaurants are a different story... foods that don't have gluten often have dairy products for "flavor." I'm a real foodie and I used to LOVE eating out, but these days there are just so few things I can eat... it takes a lot of the fun away. At least I'm saving money Vietnamese and Thai food are good choices for Gluten-free Casein-free people. Too bad there's no Vietnamese food where I live. I could totally go for a steaming bowl of pho right now

Tofutti makes good substitutes for sour cream and cream cheese. There are some dairy-free cheeses (made of soy or rice)... but I draw the line at fake cheese. I'd rather go without.

[ShayFL]

Check out SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet). A lot of recipes with no gluten or dairy. They sometimes call for butter or SCD yogurt. I sub out coconut oil for the butter and coconut yogurt for the yogurt.

[artselegance]

Thanks so much for the responses.....

Grocery shopping in my area is limited. There is a whole foods about 45 minutes away that I'm going to make a trip soon....I know for right now I just need to stick with the basics.

[Cheri A]

My dd eats gluten and casein-free, as well as a few other things. There's a definite learning curve there. I make a lot of her food (bread, cookies, bars) from scratch. She doesn't care for any of the cheese replacements that we've tried. Occasionally, she'll want some on pasta, but usually she wants it plain.

These are the special items that I buy nearly every month:

Tinkyada pasta - even the gluten eaters like it

Vance's Dari Free, Vanilla - she won't drink it straight, but I use it in the bread recipe, make ice cream, and hide it in smoothies.

Glutino pretzels

Earth's Balance margarine

Enjoy Life chocolate chips - as needed

Kinninickinick K-Toos - occasionally.

Silk Live soy yogurt - occasionally

Bob's Red Mill sorghum flour

Bob's Red Mill potato starch

Tapioca Starch - cheapest at the grocery store

Bob's Red Mill Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix - from (Company Name Removed - They Spammed This Forum and are Banned)

Glutino cracker - from (Company Name Removed - They Spammed This Forum and are Banned)

By the time you pay for shipping, I found that ordering any of the package goods were cheaper at my co-op. They give a case discount, too. Recently, I ordered a case of Cerrone Cones to get us through the winter months. I didn't know they were seasonal, and we couldn't get them for months.

I have recently begun using (Company Name Removed - They Spammed This Forum and are Banned) They have a subscriber program that you pick the frequency and shipping is free. I was paying $6.xx for a box of Glutino crackers. With Amazon, it works out to $4.xx/box for a case of 6. I'm going to get a case every month. It was a similiar savings for the Bob's Red Mill chocolate chip cookies. I'm signed up for shipments every 3 months for that. I don't have the cash flow or the storage for the pretzels, but that was cheaper too. You can change the shipment frequency at any time, too.

[Sweetfudge]

Cutting out dairy was a struggle for me. I was such a cheese and milk person.

First of all, I couldn't replace milk w/ any substitutes, as far as drinking or pouring over cereal. I know some people can, but I couldn't. So, don't be disappointed if you can't either. I've learned to enjoy my Chex and Gorilla Munch plain as snacks instead of breakfast. However, I haven't found any problems subbing soy/rice/almond milk for regular milk in baking (breads, pancakes). I have also found it works pretty good in making gravy/cream of mushroom soup.

Second, goat cheese was disappointing to me. I couldn't get over the weird flavor. So, don't go out and buy a ton like I did, until you try a small bit, and decide if you like it or not.

As far as products I love, my #1 is Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips. I don't do much online shopping, but I bet you could find them at amazon. Another product I like is Smart Balance spread w/ flax, which is like butter, but it says on it that it is gluten-free and DF. My MIL got me hooked on that, and you can buy it at the grocery store. I've only ever found it in the smaller sized tubs though, you might have to grab a couple. I don't go through it that fast, and DH has his own margarine.

Another product I LOVE is Luna and Larry's Coconut Bliss ice cream substitute. It's the richest and creamiest one I've found out there. It is expensive though, so I save it for that time of the month when I need chocolate most And apparently if you don't live in one of the states where they sell it, they can overnight it to you: Open Original Shared Link

Good luck to you, and if you ever have any questions, feel free to message me

Too bad there's no Vietnamese food where I live. I could totally go for a steaming bowl of pho right now

Check out this link, I've been meaning to try this soup, but it looks great! Open Original Shared Link

[Mother of Jibril]

Goat cheese does have a really specific taste. Either you love it or you don't. Sometimes feta cheese is made from sheep's milk instead of cow's milk... that could be a good substitute.

I never would have thought of making pho in a crock pot! I'll have to keep that in mind. The catch is that my favorite pho has tripe in it. Yeah... thin slices of cow's stomach. A (very good) Vietnamese friend of mine convinced me to try it. It has a mild flavor, however the texture is like a cross between noodles and octopus tentacles. Very interesting. Unfortunately... there's no access to an ingredient like that in the town where I live. And even if I did have access, I'm a little squeamish to cook it (but not to eat it! ) I've seen it and it comes in blocks that look like insulation.

Sorry to get off on this tangent... giving up dairy is not easy. I can cook a lot of things, but pho is one of those dishes I used to reserve for restaurants. Now that I'm learning about CC issues, I guess I'll have to branch out and try cooking some new types of cuisine.

[SGWhiskers]

I'm Celiac, Milk and Egg allergic.

Chocolate bars with 70% chocolate or more are frequently casein free. (I have not purchased one since going gluten-free)

Soy Garden "butter" is casein/egg/gluten free

I got used to soy milk by drinking the chocolate or plain with coffe syrups added (I don't know if the syrups are gluten-free)

Hershey's chocolate syrup is gluten-free/milk/egg free

Bob mighty tasty hot cereal with a spoonful of jelly or maple syrup is yummy

I didn't like the pancake mix from Bob

Soy Dream ice cream with nuts or coconuts is bliss.

I lost a LOT of weight when I went milk/egg free. I started drinking a soy protien shake 1x/day to maintain.

When you start the soy, you should look into Beano. I don't know if it is gluten-free, but if it is, it is a must. (Soy is a bean).

I didn't like the rice milk, but almond milk is better.

Jello cook and serve puddings are gluten-free/Milk free. You can use soy or water.

Ragu, super chunky mushroom (and SOME others) are gluten-free/DF

Canned pumpkin has infinate possibilities in baking, cooking, and desperate eating (sugar, cinnamon, nuts).

Heinz catsup is safe

Old el Paso mild taco seasoning (and maybe other spiciness) are gluten-free/DF/MSG-free

You will find that a lot of the foods you eat will be safe. The reading is a pain in the rear, but becomes second nature. You get a good memory too. I never found a cheese that was truly casein free. If you are allergic to cow's milk, you are likely allergic to goat milk. There are some good soy yogurts. I don't know if they are gluten-free though. (I found out about my Celiac 3 years after milk/egg allergies).

I've become soy intolerant, and have given it up in large doses for the time being.

Nature Made vitamins are often gluten-free (read label). The multivitamins are gluten-free.

Kroger (if you have one) has a decent gluten-free/Milk/Egg fee section.

Excedrine is gluten-free.

Unilever products and Covergirl products label their gluten easy to read (wheat, oats, etc).

Burt's bees has a list online of gluten-free with all ingredients listed. I think I'm going to replace my current make up with theirs. I bought CG lipstickgloss, and it tasted horrible.

Don't forget the dentist's office. I got sick there already.

Enjoy your new healthy way of eating. It will become second nature after a while.

SGWhiskers