Guide For Starting Gluten-Free

[superfob]

Hi,

I plan on starting a gluten free diet in two weeks, after all my testing. I'm looking for some comprehensive guides of what to do in order to avoid cross contamination, and other tips to make eating easier. I tried searching through the forum but had difficulty finding a good thread. I want to purchase a book to act as a guide for me: I was thinking of Gluten Free for Dummies, or Wheat Free Worry Free. Anyone else have recommendations?

Also, I live with three other people, so I'm looking for some good advice on how to make that work. I've read that I am going to need separate pans, cutting board, and strainers. I am also thinking of using a separate rice cooker since I use that a lot and it is hard to clean. Also, are pots, plates, and utensils ok to share? And what do I do about flour and breadcrumbs which are being used for cooking? I hear that the particles can be airborne. Should I wipe and vacuum the kitchen/apartment thoroughly before beginning? And does it matter what type of material I carry my food in - glass, plastic, metal?

Any help, or redirecting to another thread is greatly appreciated!

[Wolicki]

A good link for starting out is: Open Original Shared Link

I started with the gluten-free Diet by Elizabeth Hasselbeck. It was a really great beginner's guide. There are a few inaccuracies in the book, but nothing that will make you sick. She just tends to be a bit overcautious.

For sharing a kitchen, just make sure you have all your own stuff: toaster, strainer, etc. If you have scratched teflon, gluten can hide there, along with muffin tins and cake pans.

My SO occassionally has gluten. He keeps his toaster out of the kitchen, and keeps wheat bread in ziplocs, then cleans the counters when he finishes. So far, so good. Good luck to you.

[Monklady123]

My best advice is to read this board. I went back to page 20 or so and worked my way forward. I kept a small notebook near my computer so I could write down things I read that I wanted to remember.

And...you mentioned you were getting a new rice cooker. But rice is gluten free, so if that's all it's used for then you can use it too.