"But You Can Eat Whole Wheat, Right?"

[miles2go]

And there are a few mustards (I've seen them at Safeway) that have wheat starch. Always read the label.

Tiffany, so adorable! Are you getting any sleep? Congrats!

Margaret

[munchkinette]

The question I always get in restaurants is whether I can still eat rice. Sometimes potatoes. I think this must be from having a lot of low carb diet customers.

Actually, my worst experience was with dairy questions. I went to a restaurant with a friend who has to be very strict about that. He asked about whether the meatballs contained dairy. The waiter said yes, there is dairy. The meatballs have eggs. (We looked at each other confused.) We asked again if there was dairy. Again, he said yes, there is dairy. "Eggs are dairy. Some people consider eggs to be dairy."

We seriously didn't know what to say.

[Skylark]

Those cow eggs get really big and tasty.

[Juliebove]

I haven't seen gluten in mustard. What is in mustard that has gluten or what kinds are "Gluten laden"?

I have but I can't remember the brand. It was in a restaurant. I believe it had wheat in it.

[Juliebove]

The question I always get in restaurants is whether I can still eat rice. Sometimes potatoes. I think this must be from having a lot of low carb diet customers.

Actually, my worst experience was with dairy questions. I went to a restaurant with a friend who has to be very strict about that. He asked about whether the meatballs contained dairy. The waiter said yes, there is dairy. The meatballs have eggs. (We looked at each other confused.) We asked again if there was dairy. Again, he said yes, there is dairy. "Eggs are dairy. Some people consider eggs to be dairy."

We seriously didn't know what to say.

I used to think that too because in so many grocery stores they are located in the dairy department. At least they used to be. These days they are usually in a separate place.

[ravenwoodglass]

Another post reminded me of this. I have recently gone back to college. I started with a math class. I got glutened right before the final. The D was over by Monday so I went to class anyway. The woman in the seat next to me noticed I was not my usual answer every question self and my mood was frankly awful. After break we were talking as the instructor was walking by. I mentioned to her that I had gotten into some wheat and the effects were getting me. (She knew I am celiac as we had talked about when she saw my med ID tag) The instructor whipped around and with a puzzled look on his face said "How and why did you manage to smoke some weed in a 10 minute break!" I then of course explained that I said 'wheat not weed' and we talked about celiac after class. Good thing too as I really did bad on the final, thank you brain fog but still managed an A- in the class.

[danaf617]

Actually, my worst experience was with dairy questions. I went to a restaurant with a friend who has to be very strict about that. He asked about whether the meatballs contained dairy. The waiter said yes, there is dairy. The meatballs have eggs. (We looked at each other confused.) We asked again if there was dairy. Again, he said yes, there is dairy. "Eggs are dairy. Some people consider eggs to be dairy."

We seriously didn't know what to say.

I just asked this question last week. Why is it that my brain associated eggs with being dairy?

[celiac-mommy]

This thread has made my day. I can't stop laughing.

Earlier this year we had to travel up to South Carolina to visit the BIL in Greenville. One morning we were stuck eating at a Waffle House. Not my choice but DH was starving. I carefully ordered eggs and bacon, explaining I'm "allergic" to wheat. I've found most people know what allergy is so that's what I say.

Me: Two eggs, over easy, bacon - and NO BREAD. I'm allergic to wheat.

The waitress: No bread?

Me: No, I'm allergic to wheat.

The waitress: Oh well then, we also have white and rye bread. That should be okay.

:lol:

When we go to a restaurant for breakfast, I just tell them "no bread because the kids are allergic to bread" No questions are ever asked!

Everyone seems to think my kids can eat graham crackers. Smores are a popular dessert for family members to serve my kids cuz they 'must' be able to eat graham's--they're not made with wheat....

There's a neat little crepe bar by our house and I went in one day to see if they had anything dairy free.

-They said no, but proudly stated that they do have a great gluten-free crepe batter.

-I asked if they cook all the crepes on their 1 giant crepe stone and they said yes. -I said, "So once you cook them on that stone, they're no longer gluten-free...?"

-I got the deer in the headlights look.

-I told them once they gluten-free batter hit that stone, they were no longer gluten-free and I hope they weren't advertising their product as gluten-free because they could really get someone sick!

-Again, deer in the headlights

[MissyJoy]

I just asked this question last week. Why is it that my brain associated eggs with being dairy?

I just read the above post about eggs not being dairy too and was asking myself this same question! I won't think of eggs as dairy anymore though, now that I have a visual of a big cow laying an egg.... It's funny. I don't even know why I thought eggs were dairy. At least I know that wheat is wheat, and bread is made of wheat!

[GlutenFreeManna]

I just asked this question last week. Why is it that my brain associated eggs with being dairy?

Most eggs are in the dairy case, that's probably why people make this mistake. I can actually remember getting milk in glass containers and farm fresh eggs from my great grandmother's farm delivered every week. Customer's getting milk and eggs delivery were the bulk of their business and they came in a car with the word "DAIRY" in big bold letters on the door. I think the two have just always been associated in agriculture and that's why they are in the same section in stores too. One time I even saw a coupon that was good for anything from the Dairy department. It had a picture with milk, eggs and cheese on it. Of course eggs are not technically dairy, but the coupon was good for them. I'm not saying I think eggs are dairy, but it's understandable why some people make that mistake. I bet if they stopped to think about it they would know that eggs come from chickens and not cow's. They just might have a wrong definition of the word "dairy". Of course I'm sure if we went around telling people we had a milk allergy, we would get some people that would ask if we can still eat cheese. So it's not an association problem for everyone.

[Traveller]

After my gluten-free steak came covered with deep-fried and breaded onion rings the waitress said "We'll take the onion rings off and put the steak on the grill to burn the gluten off"

[LauraBeth]

After my gluten-free steak came covered with deep-fried and breaded onion rings the waitress said "We'll take the onion rings off and put the steak on the grill to burn the gluten off"

That's is insane that anyone could think that! What did you say to her?

[munchkinette]

After my gluten-free steak came covered with deep-fried and breaded onion rings the waitress said "We'll take the onion rings off and put the steak on the grill to burn the gluten off"

This brings up an interesting point. At what temperature does the protein denature? I had a friend who could eat deep fried stuff. I just don't know how. I definitely can't eat deep fried wheat. She claimed it was because the protein denatured. She had a PhD in cell/molecular biology. She clearly isn't as sensitive as everyone else.

[K8ling]

This brings up an interesting point. At what temperature does the protein denature? I had a friend who could eat deep fried stuff. I just don't know how. I definitely can't eat deep fried wheat. She claimed it was because the protein denatured. She had a PhD in cell/molecular biology. She clearly isn't as sensitive as everyone else.

I do believe it is 650 F but I am not entirely sure

[psawyer]

My understanding is that gluten can be destroyed by heating to at least 650F throughout and then holding for at least thirty minutes. Any food you did that to would no longer be edible and would be full of newly created carcinogens. Bon appetit!

[miles2go]

Is this person saying that because the proteins are denatured there is no possible IgE response? Because if you think about it, most egg protein is denatured at a much lower temperature and yet you find people everywhere eating cooked eggs, yet still with allergies to that situation. With the protein and all. Denatured.

[K8ling]

My understanding is that gluten can be destroyed by heating to at least 650F throughout and then holding for at least thirty minutes. Any food you did that to would no longer be edible and would be full of newly created carcinogens. Bon appetit!

SO true. I think this was more referring to grill grates and the like. I dunno. I personally still would not eat it.

[psawyer]

SO true. I think this was more referring to grill grates and the like. I dunno. I personally still would not eat it.

Yes. This is a suitable treatment for grill grates and cast iron cookware to clean them. A self-cleaning oven will reach and hold this temperature. I'm not so sure about the barbecue getting that hot. And fer sure, it won't work with food.

[Skylark]

This brings up an interesting point. At what temperature does the protein denature? I had a friend who could eat deep fried stuff. I just don't know how. I definitely can't eat deep fried wheat. She claimed it was because the protein denatured. She had a PhD in cell/molecular biology. She clearly isn't as sensitive as everyone else.

If it's "cooked" and has changed texture, it's denatured. Your friend with the Ph.D. probably has a true allergy. Either that or she has not done her reading on celiac.

In true allergy, the immune system tends to recognize the surfaces of folded proteins. Heat can sometimes change the shape of an allergen through denaturation (unfolding) or aggregation (clumping) to the point that the antibodies don't recognize it. In celiac, we are sensitized to digested fragments of gluten, not the whole protein. It doesn't matter whether it's denatured or not. Your gut digests raw or cooked/denatured gluten into small peptides and the celiac-provoking gliadin peptides are released either way.

It would take extreme conditions, like acid hydrolysis or outright burning, to break down gluten to where it's not a problem for celiacs.

[afreeclimber74]

Me- I'd like to order off the gluten free menu. I'll have the steak.

staff-what side do you want: veggies, potato pancakes, side salad...

Me- are the potato pancakes gluten free?

staff- no

Me- I'll have the veggies then

staff- do you want bread with your meal?

Me- (puzzled) no. I am ordering off the gluten free menu. My meal has to be gluten free.

staff- okay.

(a while later)

staff- here you go (laying down my plate that's covered in fried onion rings)

Me- I can't eat this. My meal had to be gluten free. Besides, I didn't even ask for onion rings.

staff- oops

[munchkinette]

If it's "cooked" and has changed texture, it's denatured. Your friend with the Ph.D. probably has a true allergy. Either that or she has not done her reading on celiac.

In true allergy, the immune system tends to recognize the surfaces of folded proteins. Heat can sometimes change the shape of an allergen through denaturation (unfolding) or aggregation (clumping) to the point that the antibodies don't recognize it. In celiac, we are sensitized to digested fragments of gluten, not the whole protein. It doesn't matter whether it's denatured or not. Your gut digests raw or cooked/denatured gluten into small peptides and the celiac-provoking gliadin peptides are released either way.

It would take extreme conditions, like acid hydrolysis or outright burning, to break down gluten to where it's not a problem for celiacs.

I'm not sure what her deal was in terms of food. I knew she couldn't possibly have celiac if she could get away with something like that. (I'm only moderately sensitive, and I'd be in bed for a week if I did that.) I guess I was thinking of something along the lines of maybe only the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th structures got denatured, but the polypeptide stayed in tact. Or something along those lines, where it only got partially denatured. I'm not how hot deep fryers are, but I'm thinking about 300 degrees? 350? Like you said about the fragments- I haven't actually read up on those things since before I went back to school for biology, so I have to admit I can't even remember what the fragments are.

[GlutenFreeManna]

This isn't really about gluten but I was ordering from the gluten free menu and I don't think they took me very seriously:

Me: I'm ordering off the gluten free menu, would you please make sure that my order is safe (second time I have mentioned the gluten free thing to the waiter BTW)

Waiter: Okay, what can I get you?

Me: I'd like a burger with no bun, it needs to be gluten free, and fries, they need to be made in a dedicated fryer so they are gluten free.

Waiter: Do you want cheese and bacon on your fries?

(restaurant was crowed and noisy and I only heard something about bacon.)

Me: What? No, NO BACON. I'm Allergic to Bacon! DO NOT give me anything with bacon.

Waiter: Nods his head at me and then turns to take my husbands order.

He asks my H the same question. My husband declines the cheese and bacon as well. At that point I realize it was something about cheese and bacon and I try to tell him again I DO NOT want any cheese or bacon on my fries, they need to be gluten free (who knows what's in the cheese sauce) and that is not on the gluten free menu. Waiter dude nods at me and walks away.

Order arrives and my fries have cheese and bacon on them. The waiter is no where to be found. I'm starving, so my husband who doesn't have a bacon allergy takes my fries and gives me his (all of the fries are supposed to be made in a dedicated fryer so they should have been safe. When the bill comes I see why he was trying to get us to add cheese and bacon. There is an extra charge for it. He was upselling to increase the bill. Well it didn't work, he just decreased his tip by at least that much. I got very ill (probably from some gluten cc in the fries or the burger) later and the rest of our evening was ruined. Won't be returning there anytime soon.

[mushroom]

So we go to Carino's where they have a gluten free menu, (2:30 p.m.) s l o w, and I ask, I suppose it's too much to hope that with a gluten free menu you have a gluten free beer? Blank look, very blank.... and he says, I don't think we have any alcoholic drink that is gluten free , so I says, well, how about wine for starters?? Another blank look. He'd obviously never had a gluten free customer before, nor been trained in the basics. We both managed to order gluten free drinks We both decide to order caesar salads, me with chicken and without the tomatoes (tomatoes in caesar??? anyway), dh with artichoke hearts. We had to convince him three times not to bring the bread, and he finally asks, "So if I leave the croutons off the caesar salad that's gluten free??" I said, very gently under the circumstances, yes, in this case that's right

[anabananakins]

My favourite french seed-y mustard had wheat in it. There's another brand I found to replace it but it's kind of bland tasting. Oh well.

I have loved reading these posts!

[GirlScout]

Is it too early in the morning for wine? I'm new, and will be doing another post, but my moment just happened with my husband... just now.

Me: Wow, it says here that "every crumb could matter". Maybe that's why I was in so much pain last night? (We share all surfaces, as well as butter, mayo... I try to keep crumbs out.)

Hubby: Oh well that's not you, your probably not that bad... I doubt you're that sensitive...

(really are you a Dr or specialist? ARG)

Me: Well you just ate a bagel so I'm not going to kiss you.