New Member So Please Be Patient With This Question

[ozziepuppy]

I have been burned several times recently by foods that were supposed to be gluten-free but were not. I decided to look for an online source for gluten-free food that is reasonably priced and does not have high shipping costs. I live in Kansas. I thought a forum might be a better source of information rather than just googling for "gluten-free groceries." I would really appreciate it if you could recommend some reliable sources.

I know I should search through the forum to find topics that relate to this but to be honest I am just not feeling that great and do not have the patience to do that right now. Please be kind--I have been sick for several days after eating something that clearly triggered a reaction. I would like to go back to feeling better without having to spend an arm and a leg at the local health food store. However, if I have to continue to do that, I will do so.

Thank you for any assistance you can give me. I am relatively new to all of this and I want so much to continue to get my health back.

[curlyfries]

I would suggest that for now, you stick to natural, unprocessed foods....meat, fruit, veggies, beans, etc. It 's safer and easier on the pocketbook. When I do eat something processed, I try to stick to things that only have about 3 things listed for ingredients. I rarely buy specific gluten-free items, pretty much only noodles and pizza crust.

[ozziepuppy]

I do try to do that. However, I work at 5 different public schools and I can't eat most school lunches nor do I have time to go out to eat. I need to be able to bring food that is healthy and gluten-free. I have brought hemp milk with protein powder, cheese and gluten-free crackers, canned salmon and beans, fruit, gluten-free soups, and a few other things, but I am getting tired of always eating the same thing--or so it seems. The times I have bought school lunches and only eaten what I thought was gluten-free have been disasters. Once I ate tomato soup (contains wheat) and another time I ate what I thought was hamburger (it had some kind of artificial stuff in it that must have contained wheat--it was not all beef for sure). I am still learning but I do try to be very very careful. I guess I am looking for something I can easily pack into a lunchbox and still have some variety.

[curlyfries]

Yeah......I work at a school and won't touch anything there. I usually eat leftovers. However, I don't travel, so I have access to a fridge. Perhaps you could use ice packs, or heat up leftovers and keep in a thermos. I love tortilla chips dipped in peanut butter. .....or carrots or celery. Try googling school lunches on this site. A lot of people here have great ideas on what they pack for their kids' school lunches.

[Juliebove]

I buy a lot of my gluten-free stuff from this site right here! I buy Ener-G bread straight from them.

[ozziepuppy]

Thanks for the suggestions!

[minniejack]

If you are having problems with milk, try Kefir. It's a great product.

As someone else said, in the beginning, it's a lot easier to eat the way we should be anyhow--whole foods. Just think of it like this: We all are now on the "French Women Don't Get Fat" diet.

In that book, the French eat a lot of soup, drink a ton of water, and eat whole foods. And walk every where.

For my hubby and kids, I make meat roll-ups with lettuce or meat rolled up. Healthy Valley makes a fantastic vegetable soup. (I wasn't impressed with their cream of chicken though) Pacifica has great tomato soup.

Have you checked into seeing if there are any co-ops in your area. Maybe check with United Natural Foods home and see where they deliver in your area. (UNFI.com)

And don't forget to just go down to your local store and tell the manager what you want--you would be surprised how quickly they can get something in for you.

My local Kroger guy told me that when he put out the Kinnikinnick chocolate sandwich wafers (Oreos) that he never thought in a million years that they would sell because they were $4+ per box. But within days, he had to place another order. I just keep going in and telling him what I want. He has gotten most of the items and trust me, I've asked for a lot!

He said that his entire area started about 25 yrs ago, when 2 grandmothers came into his store looking for food for their grandson.