I Need Your Brilliant Top Tips...

[GeordieLass]

Hello there,

I'm coming to the USA this summer & I'm trying to get all prepared. I'm a bit confused about a few things, any help or advice would be very gratefully received!!

I saw somewhere on here that manufacturers in the US only have to declare Wheat on labels, is this still the case? and that there isn't an agreed standard for 'gluten free' yet? Is there one book that lists all the gluten-free foods, like here in the UK? How do you manage, do you have to print out lists from each supermarket individually? I'm going to California & travelling around on a camping tour. Which are the best supermarkets to go for? I get the feeling Trader Joe's and Wholefoods are good, if I take their lists will I get by OK?

The other thing is thinking about eating out which I don't plan to do much but it would be super handy to know if there are any chain cafes etc which are safe to eat at? I'm thinking lunchtime food. Does anyone manage to eat at McDonalds? (just in the UK it is great as you can always get something there and they are everywhere! Other good UK places are Marks and Spencer who do salads you can takeaway and also Pret a Manger, both handy to know because they are chains).

My plan vis a vis camping is, as I'm going with a group, taking my own pot to cook with and buying a cool box, filling it with snacks, tubes of cheese spread, crackers and also tins that are sort of meals. Would anyone like to recommend their favourite:

Cheese spread

gluten-free crackers

Tinned meals e.g. baked beans, that type of thing.

PS I'll be reading the top 3 worst foods to make sure to avoid the humdingers!!

Thanks in advance

[psawyer]

Wheat must be disclosed by law, but other gluten sources can hide.

Here's a list of companies that have a clear gluten policy. If you don't see "wheat, rye, barley, barley malt, oats" on the labels, its not there, or hidden in "flavors, starches, etc." Open Original Shared Link This makes shopping MUCH easier.

Trader Joe's has numerous locations in California - Open Original Shared Link

Whole Foods is another good source, although they tend to be expensive. Open Original Shared Link

[Alex J]

I'm English and now living in the US. Some of the foods you might be expecting to find you won't, but on the other hand you'll find other things to compensate. For instance they don't really do cheese spread over here. Either cheese, or easy singles. Or there is spray cheese, but... it's not exactly food. You can find Laughing Cow but at a pretty laughably high import price. Also baked beans are very different - they usually contain a little chunk of pork fat, and are much runnier/waterier. People don't really eat beans on toast. It's more a side dish.

We haven't found any crackers that we like and are affordable. But we are buying gluten-free for 6 and also avoiding nuts so that may explain that. The only rice cakes that are gluten free here are Lundberg farms, and they are very rough hewn compared to those thin ones in the UK. There are corn thins, though, and those are good.

It's hard to recommend brands without knowing how careful you are about cross contamination. But here are some of the more instant foods we eat. Bush's baked beans are listed as gluten free by the company. For breakfast cereal - Rice Chex and Corn Chex by General Mills (listed as gluten free on the label). Kraft is good at labelling, so their cheese. Mission corn chips. I haven't found any crisps I'm completely comfortable with. Mission corn tortillas. There are large ranges of gluten free baked goods in Whole Foods Market and Trader Joes, but we pretty much can't eat those due to nuts.

What do you usually use for instant carbs? Like as bread, or instead of bread? That will obviously be your challenge. There are commercial gluten free breads but not in the way there are in England, because it's not something that's available on prescription here so it's just not the same kind of market. They are more likely to be frozen in health food stores.

This all sounds discouraging, but actually there is a lot of really great gluten free food here. It's just not necessarily the same kind of foods as you would find in England. I'll have a think about what I could suggest, or if you have any other types of foods you might be interested in ask away.

Though there isn't an agreed standard for gluten free, it is expected to be under 20ppm and I think that is the level that companies are aiming for. Recently many more products have gained a 'gluten free' label. Also, most companies here are pretty good about providing consumers with information and I pretty much call any company whose products we are thinking of trying.

[mushroom]

I'm English and now living in the US. Some of the foods you might be expecting to find you won't, but on the other hand you'll find other things to compensate. For instance they don't really do cheese spread over here. Either cheese, or easy singles. Or there is spray cheese, but... it's not exactly food. You can find Laughing Cow but at a pretty laughably high import price. Also baked beans are very different - they usually contain a little chunk of pork fat, and are much runnier/waterier. People don't really eat beans on toast. It's more a side dish.

I love it. l You are describing the schizophrenia I go through every year, alternating between colonial British (much the same thing) and U.S. I cook and eat completely differently in New Zealand and U.S. (But in NZ, none of those awful baked beans on toast, my breakfast nemesis as a child--along with oatmeall{at least now I know why} and I also don't do that dreadful Vegemite or Marmite!).

The bread in the U.S. is generally horrible. I about died with it last summer; don't know what I'll do this year. Surely Whole Foods can do a better job! May even have to bake my own. I will send an email to myself on hotmail so I can access all the good recipes I have accumulated here on the forum. Will be interesting to compare Tinkyada pasta with Orgran and San Remo. At least I will have Enjoy Life choc. chips (no soy either); I will probably eat them by the handful, won't wait to put 'em in cookies.

Can't remember now if they have a Sakata-type rice cracker. Crackers I always find to be a real problem. Will have to make the cheese cracker recipe here on the forum before I go and see if that will work. Most gluten free crackers have corn in them which may be okay for you.

I haven't tried the restaurant chains yet (was too new and scared last year to eat out), but Outback Steakhouse, PF Changs, Pei Wei, Chillis, Carinos, etc. have enjoyed mixed reviews here. Some love 'em, some have had problems with some locations. There has been endless debate here on the gluten free status of McDonald's french fries. Wendy's salads are generally considered safe. Order burgerless buns cooked on a clean grill. Same for plain chicken.

Bring a small bottle into which you can decant a gluten free salad dressing to take with you to restaurants, so you can have a naked salad. One of our local chefs ranted in the paper last week, "Naked salad? I spent all these years training to arrange lettuce leaves on a plate?"

I am still learning the gluten free scene in the U.S. too, but I've had endless tips on here. Spend some time browsing around.

Hormel chili on a baked potato, Dinty Moore Beef Stew (I think), canned tuna, sardines in olive oil on a toasted slice of that awful bread (it's not so bad if you toast and smother it). The California Monterey Jack Cheese is great. Trader Joes has salads to go (with a dressing container in the box--not guaranteed [by me] to be gluten free which is where the little bottle comes in). Garden of Eatin' corn chips are great and organic, but expensive.

Most of the supermarket chains will have online lists of gluten free or will print you out one in the store. Act dumb and helpless and foreign and someone will help you.

That's all for now.

[missy'smom]

Many of the chain restaurants, including the ones listed above have gluten-free menues/list of gluten-free food suggestions on their websites. Print them out and carry them with you in a file folio.

[GeordieLass]

Many of the chain restaurants, including the ones listed above have gluten-free menues/list of gluten-free food suggestions on their websites. Print them out and carry them with you in a file folio.

Thanks for the tips so far, it is good to have an idea what to expect. I just don't know how you cope without one list of all the gluten-free food or clear labels, it sounds like a nightmare!!

I only have to avoid gluten (as far as I'm aware!) so I wonder if peanut butter would be an alternative if there isn't cheese spread (spray on cheese....!!! what can I say?!!).

At the moment my main carbs are:

rice

potatoes

gluten-free pasta

I make my own bread and muffins (but I just use a mix, I'm not a recipe whizz!)

Today I've had a gluten-free muffin for breaky, banana, for lunch a square of spanish omlete (potatoey mmm), cheese spread, half a gluten-free bun, some crudites, sliced turkey and pickles and a chocolate bar.

I don't eat much gluten-free bread, maybe once a week or something like that but I do eat crackers as snacks either if I don't have anything else for lunch or between meals but I do detest rice cakes....! Maybe I should pack a couple of packs of Trufree ones? They are the ones I like here, nice and wholemeal feeling, with a slight salt tang.

Tinned chilli sounds good, I could get bags of tortillas to have with it for carbs. Actually, cereal would be good too for breaky as milk is definitely gluten-free everywhere. Are Rice Chex sweet or plain and are they good and filling?

I don't even know how careful I am about contamination, I mean, I am a coeliac so I am very careful, I won't eat something if it says made on a line handling wheat flour, that type of thing. But same factory I think is OK.

This is only my 2nd gluten-free holiday abroad and the other time was to Spain so despite the language issue they have the same EU laws about labelling so it wasn't

[GeordieLass]

Thanks for the tips so far, it is good to have an idea what to expect. I just don't know how you cope without one list of all the gluten-free food or clear labels, it sounds like a nightmare!!

I only have to avoid gluten (as far as I'm aware!) so I wonder if peanut butter would be an alternative if there isn't cheese spread (spray on cheese....!!! what can I say?!!).

At the moment my main carbs are:

rice

potatoes

gluten-free pasta

I make my own bread and muffins (but I just use a mix, I'm not a recipe whizz!)

Today I've had a gluten-free muffin for breaky, banana, for lunch a square of spanish omlete (potatoey mmm), cheese spread, half a gluten-free bun, some crudites, sliced turkey and pickles and a chocolate bar.

I don't eat much gluten-free bread, maybe once a week or something like that but I do eat crackers as snacks either if I don't have anything else for lunch or between meals but I do detest rice cakes....! Maybe I should pack a couple of packs of Trufree ones? They are the ones I like here, nice and wholemeal feeling, with a slight salt tang.

Tinned chilli sounds good, I could get bags of tortillas to have with it for carbs. Actually, cereal would be good too for breaky as milk is definitely gluten-free everywhere. Are Rice Chex sweet or plain and are they good and filling?

I don't even know how careful I am about contamination, I mean, I am a coeliac so I am very careful, I won't eat something if it says made on a line handling wheat flour, that type of thing. But same factory I think is OK.

This is only my 2nd gluten-free holiday abroad and the other time was to Spain so despite the language issue they have the same EU laws about labelling so it wasn't

...oops I trailed off there, it wasn't too difficult in Spain, the US is going to be a bigger challenge I'm feeling. I've got a folder for all my research but I have to pack light so I'm thinking just printing the lists for Trader Joe and Wholefoods and stocking up when I see one, fruit and veg should be easier to get, and only eating out if I see one of those big chains people have mentioned like Wendy's.

[Alex J]

Just want to add that I haven't found the labeling any harder to deal with over here than in the EU, just different. It is the case that in law gluten doesn't have to be clearly labeled over here, but on the other hand I found the way that there are loopholes in labeling it in the UK meant it pretty much amounted to the same thing. And over here, you are much more likely to get an immediate answer if you call the company and ask if it is gluten free (when I did that in the UK I was promised a call back that happened after I had left the country). Always pays to bring a mobile phone to the shop. Plus several of the largest companies have as policy that they will always clearly label for gluten - off the top of my head Kraft, General Mills (I know there are several more but those are two I trust). Kraft is absolutely immense and owns multiple other food brands - they will always (I think) say Kraft somewhere small on the package.

There is a list of gluten free brands - for sale somewhere on this site - but personally I prefer to call myself.

There are some things which make it easier. For instance it is rare to have wheat derived glucose syrup in sweet things (corn syrup instead). Wheat is less likely to be used as a filler/thickener (for instance in baking powder - that would be corn starch again).

Peanut butter would be a good thing. A huge staple here. My daughter (non coeliac, not nut allergic either obviously) eats it on celery or carrot sticks. If you have crackers you like and room in your bag, I'd bring them.

When we camp, again, it's kind of different over here because you would expect to be barbecueing or cooking on an open fire. (Which is not something you can generally do at campsites in the UK). So we eat lots of corn on the cob (steamed in the husks on the fire - just soak it in a bucket then throw it on), grilled meat, fruit, and corn chips/crisps. Or you can do this thing where you put a little meat, potato, and seasoning in a foil packet and cook that on the barbecue. Or we cook a big pot of potatoes on the fire. Then cereal/fruit for breakfast. Eggs. We resorted to canned potatoes last summer camping, which are actually not that bad once you brown them up a bit and throw in some eggs and maybe bacon. Relatively instamatic. We used them to make potato salad too. Tasted of the can, but very quick. Anything not to eat another bag of freaking crisps.

Tinkyada pasta is good. I lately noticed Lundberg farms is selling little packages of ready cooked rice, which might be handy for camping (Lundberg farms is a gluten free facility and good quality rice).

Rice Chex are plain, filling-ish. If you had them with a banana and a yoghurt or something (for yoghurt avoid Dannon, lots of Yoplait are OK along with multiple health food store brands). There is also a Honey Nut Chex (also gluten free) but we can't do it (nuts).

[GeordieLass]

Just want to add that I haven't found the labeling any harder to deal with over here than in the EU, just different. It is the case that in law gluten doesn't have to be clearly labeled over here, but on the other hand I found the way that there are loopholes in labeling it in the UK meant it pretty much amounted to the same thing. And over here, you are much more likely to get an immediate answer if you call the company and ask if it is gluten free (when I did that in the UK I was promised a call back that happened after I had left the country). Always pays to bring a mobile phone to the shop. Plus several of the largest companies have as policy that they will always clearly label for gluten - off the top of my head Kraft, General Mills (I know there are several more but those are two I trust). Kraft is absolutely immense and owns multiple other food brands - they will always (I think) say Kraft somewhere small on the package.

There is a list of gluten free brands - for sale somewhere on this site - but personally I prefer to call myself.

There are some things which make it easier. For instance it is rare to have wheat derived glucose syrup in sweet things (corn syrup instead). Wheat is less likely to be used as a filler/thickener (for instance in baking powder - that would be corn starch again).

Peanut butter would be a good thing. A huge staple here. My daughter (non coeliac, not nut allergic either obviously) eats it on celery or carrot sticks. If you have crackers you like and room in your bag, I'd bring them.

When we camp, again, it's kind of different over here because you would expect to be barbecueing or cooking on an open fire. (Which is not something you can generally do at campsites in the UK). So we eat lots of corn on the cob (steamed in the husks on the fire - just soak it in a bucket then throw it on), grilled meat, fruit, and corn chips/crisps. Or you can do this thing where you put a little meat, potato, and seasoning in a foil packet and cook that on the barbecue. Or we cook a big pot of potatoes on the fire. Then cereal/fruit for breakfast. Eggs. We resorted to canned potatoes last summer camping, which are actually not that bad once you brown them up a bit and throw in some eggs and maybe bacon. Relatively instamatic. We used them to make potato salad too. Tasted of the can, but very quick. Anything not to eat another bag of freaking crisps.

Tinkyada pasta is good. I lately noticed Lundberg farms is selling little packages of ready cooked rice, which might be handy for camping (Lundberg farms is a gluten free facility and good quality rice).

Rice Chex are plain, filling-ish. If you had them with a banana and a yoghurt or something (for yoghurt avoid Dannon, lots of Yoplait are OK along with multiple health food store brands). There is also a Honey Nut Chex (also gluten free) but we can't do it (nuts).

Thanks especially for the camping trips, I hadn't really thought about open fire cooking, I was going to buy my own cooking pot but maybe I should look at alternatives, I'm going to need a long shopping list and a couple of hours at one of these trader joes!

About Chex though, I've checked their website & the honey nut ones contain barley malt extract which might be OK for some people but I definitely avoid it.

[missy'smom]

Do check the boxes of Chex in the store as well. The rice is all gluten-free now and some of the other flavors are evidently possibly changing over to gluten-free but some old stock is still out there when they do this. New boxes will say gluten-free if it is. So far in my area I've only seen the corn and honey nut marked gluten-free I think, not the other flavors, and it varies by store when they first get these reformulated products out there. They list barley malt on the label as you pointed out.

[GeordieLass]

Do check the boxes of Chex in the store as well. The rice is all gluten-free now and some of the other flavors are evidently possibly changing over to gluten-free but some old stock is still out there when they do this. New boxes will say gluten-free if it is. So far in my area I've only seen the corn and honey nut marked gluten-free I think, not the other flavors, and it varies by store when they first get these reformulated products out there. They list barley malt on the label as you pointed out.

Hello there again! five and a bit weeks to go, just had a thought for something else to ask, which crisps and chocolate bars are gluten free, the kind of thing you might be likely to buy in a garage?

[missy'smom]

Hello again. Here's a link that will hopefully help. Please read the note at the bottom. Only the Staxx line is made on dedicated equipment.

Open Original Shared Link

We're not big chip eaters so maybe some others can offer some other suggestions as well. Good luck in your preparations!

[GeordieLass]

Hello again. Here's a link that will hopefully help. Please read the note at the bottom. Only the Staxx line is made on dedicated equipment.

Open Original Shared Link

We're not big chip eaters so maybe some others can offer some other suggestions as well. Good luck in your preparations!

Thanks Missy'smom, that a really long list, wow!! great! Do these crisps have gluten-free anywhere on their label? or do you have to take a list with you?

[missy'smom]

I don't usually don't purchase the others so I can't say but the Staxx line says "this product is naturally free of gluten" on the label.