Newly Diagnosed

[ckmass]

Before being dx.with Celiac, I was the worlds pickiest eater. Cannot stand anything creamy,do not like salad,fruits ( just bananas and strawberries)no yogurts,tuna,just alot of foods. I am an Italian food lover with lots of pasta,red sauces,etc... I bought quite a variety of gluten free products and the taste is horrible. I am living off meat and steamed veggies. I am just learning all the do's and dont's and did not realize how serious this was and what it takes to manage this disease. It seems almost impossible to do this! Is it just me or do others feel the same way?

[RideAllWays]

It was overwhelming at first. I tried Ener-G bread and almost cried because I thought I would have to eat S**T like that for the rest of my life..but there are WAY better options out there. Things started getting better for me when I realized not to replace, but adapt.

Instead of eating sandwiches, I eat a lot of wraps (rice tortillas are cheaper and healthier than bread, and tastier IMO), stir fries with rice noodles, rice or quinoa as well as meat and veggies, raw veggies all the time. Sadly, you should try and learn to like fruit. Bananas are a good start, and you could try smoothies. My breakfast almost everyday is one banana, some frozen blueberries and raspberries, blended with a splash of almond milk. Sometimes I throw some flaxseed in there too.

It will just take some time to figure out what you do and do not like, and if you like to cook experimenting with different flours and stuff can be fun. My boyfriend always says that there isn't a thing in the world that cannot be made gluten-free, and he has helped me through this more than I can even say. If you can't find support from family (god knows mine is less than fantastic) or even friends, know that all of us are here to help!

[rachel-gf]

I guess I'm coming at it from a different perspective -- not a picky eater.

I would really recommend developing your love for Mexican, Greek, Thai and Indian food. (Do you like those?) These cuisines have a lot of naturally gluten-free food.

Do try some pastas and find one gluten-free pasta you love. Try risotto. It's sooo good and creamy. Enjoy your antipasti and the "second plates" (meats & veggies) that they serve at Italian restaurants. When all fails, try a gluten-free chocolate bar. :-)

Good luck!

[ciavyn]

Ugh! I feel you. Felt the same way. First off, don't start replacing foods yet. Take a month or two to clean out your system and eat as much unprocessed food as you can. then your tastebuds will sort of "reset," and you'll be able to add replacements in. Some gluten-free items are just gross, but to different people. For example, some people LOVE K-Toos. I think it's an insult to the Oreo Cookie! How dare they try to compare them -- yuck! But that is my taste. Others really find them satisfying.

Another word on picky eating: a lot of picky eating is habit. I was a VERY picky eater. When I got married (the first time) and had a husband who had a much broader taste palette, it was too my benefit to try things, as he always wanted to go new places. Sure enough, things I was sure I didn't like were actually very good. You have to work on altering those taste buds and texture preferences...not all at once! But try something new each week, and commit to having a small amount every day. Not huge piles, just a couple bites. If, by the end of the week, you still don't like it, so be it. But I bet you'll find things that habit has dictated your preference for, not true like/dislike.

Best of luck. And don't feel alone. We've all been there. Some of us still are!

[sb2178]

The substitutes are generally not so great. BUT, there are some pretty good things that are naturally gluten-free. See if you can find or make arepas (especially with cheese in the middle!), make rice pilafs, sweet potatoes, squash... You can put red sauce on polenta (if you make it and then bake it, it solidifies). You can grill eggplant to make eggplant rollups stuffed with ricotta instead of breading it for eggplant parm.

It is a lot of work, and harder if you have strong personal preferences or other allergies. Being able and willing to cook is helpful. I have a friend who I can't cook for. I always seem to add something she can't eat ;-). But, being healthy is worth it. I'm recently diagnosed and am feeling much much better.

And there's nothing wrong with eating lots of steamed veg and lean meat. Just throw in some potatoes and bananas once in a while!

[K8ling]

I used to be ridiculously picky as well, but I found that after being diagnosed with my food allergy, I had to eat what I could. Now I am not nearly as picky because I am not constantly in fear of something making me feel sick. It is true that your tastebuds should sort of reset for you, and maybe you can expand your eating repertoire? I also highly recommend Udi's bread if you can track it down. Kinnicknik (I spelled that wrong) makes AWESOME doughnuts and their bread isn't too bad if you toast it. There's a light at the end of the tunnel .

[Skylark]

I am NOT a picky eater but some of the gluten-free stuff is just nasty. Cardboard flavored or overly sweet bread, cookies with a weird, sandy texture, or muffins that are sticky from being frozen and thawed too many times are some of the things I've run across. There is very little from Kinnikinck, Ener-G or Food4Life that I will buy. Amy's brand is hit-and-miss for me.

I like Udi's breads, the Whole Foods baked goods, and most things made by Glutino. I buy the Tinkyada spinach rice pasta, because the spinach flavor makes it taste closer to normal spinach pasta. I agree the normal rice pasta doesn't quite taste like normal pasta but when I'm really wanting spaghetti, it works for me. The gluten-free Betty Crocker mixes are so good you really can't tell them from normal.

There are recipes for gluten-free breads, pastas, and other foods. Sometimes it's better to work on your own recipes and adjust them to your taste if you're picky.

[glutenfreegirl]

It was overwhelming at first. I tried Ener-G bread and almost cried because I thought I would have to eat S**T like that for the rest of my life..but there are WAY better options out there. Things started getting better for me when I realized not to replace, but adapt.

Instead of eating sandwiches, I eat a lot of wraps (rice tortillas are cheaper and healthier than bread, and tastier IMO), stir fries with rice noodles, rice or quinoa as well as meat and veggies, raw veggies all the time. Sadly, you should try and learn to like fruit. Bananas are a good start, and you could try smoothies. My breakfast almost everyday is one banana, some frozen blueberries and raspberries, blended with a splash of almond milk. Sometimes I throw some flaxseed in there too.

It will just take some time to figure out what you do and do not like, and if you like to cook experimenting with different flours and stuff can be fun. My boyfriend always says that there isn't a thing in the world that cannot be made gluten-free, and he has helped me through this more than I can even say. If you can't find support from family (god knows mine is less than fantastic) or even friends, know that all of us are here to help!

So glad to hear I am not the only one with a less than supportive extended family...as side from my kids and hubby, no one cares to learn anything to help make this easier...

Their loss, we just stop going to family funtions at their homes...Thank goodness for all of you guys here

[ckmass]

It was overwhelming at first. I tried Ener-G bread and almost cried because I thought I would have to eat S**T like that for the rest of my life..but there are WAY better options out there. Things started getting better for me when I realized not to replace, but adapt.

Instead of eating sandwiches, I eat a lot of wraps (rice tortillas are cheaper and healthier than bread, and tastier IMO), stir fries with rice noodles, rice or quinoa as well as meat and veggies, raw veggies all the time. Sadly, you should try and learn to like fruit. Bananas are a good start, and you could try smoothies. My breakfast almost everyday is one banana, some frozen blueberries and raspberries, blended with a splash of almond milk. Sometimes I throw some flaxseed in there too.

It will just take some time to figure out what you do and do not like, and if you like to cook experimenting with different flours and stuff can be fun. My boyfriend always says that there isn't a thing in the world that cannot be made gluten-free, and he has helped me through this more than I can even say. If you can't find support from family (god knows mine is less than fantastic) or even friends, know that all of us are here to help!

Thank you Rideallways, I will try the wraps. And I am not a good cook,but I guess I better start learning!

[ckmass]

So glad to hear I am not the only one with a less than supportive extended family...as side from my kids and hubby, no one cares to learn anything to help make this easier...

Their loss, we just stop going to family funtions at their homes...Thank goodness for all of you guys here

Thank you so much to all who responded! Your wonderful. I have written down all your tips and appreciate them all. So glad I found this forum!

[i-geek]

I second the recommendation for Udi's bread. I can't eat too much of it because tapioca starch and I don't always play well together but it's the best gluten-free bread out there, I think. Husband and I had grilled cheese sandwiches on it last night and they were really tasty. The bread held together nicely and got crispy on the outside from the butter. Good stuff. Our local Whole Foods store sells it on the regular bread rack.

I also recommend Ancient Harvest corn-quinoa pasta. It cooks up like standard wheat pasta and in sauces we can't tell the difference. I buy it by the case on Amazon. We just couldn't get used to the Tinkyada and we've tried on several occasions because everyone raves about it. If we cook it for the recommended time the outside turns to mush. Any less than that and the center is crunchy (not al dente, but outright crunchy). Maybe it's the water in our area because my parents had the same problem with the pack I gave to them.

Finally, this is one of my favorite websites for gluten-free recipes: Open Original Shared Link. The blogger is also dairy- and egg-allergic, but the recipes work with regular milk, butter and eggs. I use the focaccia recipe for everything from sandwich bread to pizza crust.

[Fey]

I'm very picky as well. Foods with the wrong taste, texture, flavor, etc -- I just can't force myself to eat it.

That being said, there's still a variety of foods I have found to eat. I'm living off rice, pinto beans, potatoes, meats (beef and chicken, I don't eat pork or fish) for meals. Snacking on Larabars (fruit-based, you may not like it, but they have tons of flavors. soy/dairy/gluten free), gluten-free chocolate, cheetos/lays, hard boiled snacks, corn chips and homemade salsa, smoothies and juice.

ICR which brand of taco shells says gluten free on the box (hard shell, corn-flour), but I bought a lot. That way I can eat leftovers in a taco shell in a pinch, to give me some variety.

[Coolclimates]

I'm not a picky eater, but I've found this to be a very challenging diet to say the least. One major reason is that I can't eat foods with a high oxalic acid content (such as berries, greens, spinach, beets, very spicy foods, soy products, peanuts, pecans, etc etc) without having to pay for it later. Since very few of the foods high in oxalic acid overlap with the gluten-free diet, it's been a hard transition. Also, I just got tested for other food allergies like dairy, soy, etc. I've been on this gluten-free diet for about 6 weeks but haven't felt any better. I'm just hoping that it is the result of having Celiac so long before being diagnosed (I estimate at least 10 years) and that's why it's taking me longer to feel better.

[Kelly&Mom]

Luckily, my hubby is very supportive and likes to do research online so he found the best baking mix and bread mix-Pamela's!! The pancakes are really good, the whole family eats them and we made some fantastic Belgian waffles too. The bread is good, takes about 3 hours in the bread machine. The chocolate chip and gingershap cookies are good! I recently discovered Udi's bread in the freezer section of Sprouts and it is very decent! Got several cookbooks and have made chocolate cake, cookies, banana bread, etc. that were decent. My 14 yr. old daughter also has celiac and is pickier than I am. We eat a lot of chicken, beef and potatoes. Also discovered that quinoa pasta is MUCH better than rice pasta. Made a great pasta salad w/ veggies, turkey and Italian dressing! Hang in there. Still looking for an equivalent mac n' cheese for my daughter but hubby did make a decent lasagna

[hazeleyez682]

So glad to hear I am not the only one with a less than supportive extended family...as side from my kids and hubby, no one cares to learn anything to help make this easier...

Their loss, we just stop going to family funtions at their homes...Thank goodness for all of you guys here

Trust me i know what your feeling. I often bring food myself now, because my sister insisted that her potroast was gluten free she checked spices and everything! i was so excited and ate it, about half way through my meal my brother in law said " Gee that can of beer i dumped into the crockpot really tenderized this meat!" When i pushed my plate away and refused to eat anymore he said i was dramatic and a little beer wouldnt hurt me! Actually it did i was sick for two days. Unfortunatly sometimes all we can do is rely on ourselved and other celiacs to know what it's like.

[i-geek]

Still looking for an equivalent mac n' cheese for my daughter but hubby did make a decent lasagna

Will your daughter eat baked mac and cheese? I've used Open Original Shared Link for years, minus the bread crumb topping and using all sharp cheddar cheese. When I went gluten-free in December, I was sad about not eating it any more (also had a lot of dairy problems that were celiac-related) but once my gut started to heal, I made a half batch with a box of quinoa macaroni, brown rice flour (to replace the all-purpose) and lactose-free milk. It worked a charm and we couldn't tell the difference, taste-wise. The only way I knew the difference was because I didn't feel sick after eating. You could also just make the sauce, stir it into fully-cooked pasta and eat it without baking it- I do it this way because I really like the crunchy baked cheese layer on top.

[K-Rae]

Before being dx.with Celiac, I was the worlds pickiest eater. Cannot stand anything creamy,do not like salad,fruits ( just bananas and strawberries)no yogurts,tuna,just alot of foods. I am an Italian food lover with lots of pasta,red sauces,etc... I bought quite a variety of gluten free products and the taste is horrible. I am living off meat and steamed veggies. I am just learning all the do's and dont's and did not realize how serious this was and what it takes to manage this disease. It seems almost impossible to do this! Is it just me or do others feel the same way?

I was just diagnosed last week and I have cried almost everyday since, I am a very picky eater and too love pastas and especially my homade breads and desserts. It is very hard to adjust to the taste of the very different foods we have to eat. Iam experimenting and still need lots of help. This is NOT going to be easy

[ravenwoodglass]

I was just diagnosed last week and I have cried almost everyday since, I am a very picky eater and too love pastas and especially my homade breads and desserts. It is very hard to adjust to the taste of the very different foods we have to eat. Iam experimenting and still need lots of help. This is NOT going to be easy

Don't try to replace your favorites for a bit. Also many of us go through a withdrawl period, it will pass and is likely contributing to your depression. There is a bit of a greiving process when newly diagnosed. For now concentrate on all the stuff you can eat. Rice, beans, fresh meats and chicken, seafood if you like it, fruits, veggies, chocolate that is gluten-free like snickers bars, DARK milky ways, Necco wafers, Peppermint patties, gluten-free ice cream (many are but not all)etc. Things will get easier.

Ask any questions you need to, check out the products section of the board and read as much as you can here. Things will get better, I promise.