Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Cous Cous Gluten Free On Menu

kellynolan82

Recommended Posts

kellynolan82 Explorer
kellynolan82
Posted

A friend of mine has made this statement:

Is there such a thing as gluten-free cous cous? I went to a restaurant earlier this evening and the cous cous on the menu was labelled as a 'gluten free' option. I got some on the side but now I am feeling some odd sensation in my lower-back...

I thought cous cous contained semolina (which comes from durham wheat). Did they not read the packaging correctly or something? Let me know what the story with this might be.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


GlutenFreeManna Rising Star
GlutenFreeManna
Posted

No Cous cous is NOT gluten free. You are correct. It's possible to make a "mock" cous cous out of other thigns such as brown rice or quinoa but the restaurant probably would have disclosed that if it was not real cous cous. Perhaps this was just an oversight on the restaurant's part not realizing that semolina flour is made from wheat? Your friends should write to them or call so they know that cous cous is not gluten free. I have seen some instances of restaurants calling barley soup gluten-free as well because they get so caught up looking for "wheat" in the ingredients.

come dance with me Enthusiast
come dance with me
Posted

No it can't ever be.

Reba32 Rookie
Reba32
Posted

Just another example of uneducated restaurant owners/chefs thinking that gluten is only a problem with wheat.

A friend of mine even went to a holistic practitioner who claims to specialise in food intolerances/allergies and told her she has a gluten sensitivity, but barley and rye were ok, just to stay away from wheat!

kellynolan82 Explorer
kellynolan82
Posted
  • Author

Just another example of uneducated restaurant owners/chefs thinking that gluten is only a problem with wheat.

A friend of mine even went to a holistic practitioner who claims to specialise in food intolerances/allergies and told her she has a gluten sensitivity, but barley and rye were ok, just to stay away from wheat!

But cous cous IS wheat!!! So why would they think it doesn't cause problems for people who have problems with wheat???

I'm sorry for the person who received false information. I'd be promptly trying to correct that person and possibly requesting a refund from the practitioner.

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

No it can't ever be.

Did you even take the time to look?

There is gluten-free couscous.

Open Original Shared Link

There is also a millet version that has been eaten in the Middle East for as long as wheat couscous.

Open Original Shared Link

I would have asked what the couscous was made of before I ordered it, though.

Gemini Experienced
Gemini
Posted

Did you even take the time to look?

There is gluten-free couscous.

Open Original Shared Link

There is also a millet version that has been eaten in the Middle East for as long as wheat couscous.

Open Original Shared Link

I would have asked what the couscous was made of before I ordered it, though.

Skylark,the voice of reason..... :D

I have tried the Lundberg gluten-free cous cous and it's horrible. The brown rice versions stick together like glue and no matter what

you do, it just isn't the same texture as the wheat version. I haven't tried the millet version but that's an interesting substitute.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

Skylark,the voice of reason..... :D

I'm not in hypothyroid ornery mode today. :P

I do have to see if I can track down millet couscous in the US. Thanks for comments on the Lundberg stuff. I'll save my $$.

Gemini Experienced
Gemini
Posted

I'm not in hypothyroid ornery mode today. :P

I do have to see if I can track down millet couscous in the US. Thanks for comments on the Lundberg stuff. I'll save my $$.

You too? I can always tell when my thyroid isn't happy...at least the symptoms make it obvious. :lol:

I really like Lundberg products, in general, and have never had any type of reaction from them so know they are safe for Celiacs.

I was surprised when the cous cous didn't turn out so well. I ate a lot of cous cous pre-diagnosis so am familiar with making really good cous cous. This stuff was far from light and fluffy. Rice isn't always good for everything.... :(

  • 4 weeks later...
kellynolan82 Explorer
kellynolan82
Posted
  • Author

Quinoa was something Anthony Demetre (a coeliac who goes gluten free for 3 months at a time but gorges on "as much pasta and pizza as I (i.e. he) can get a hold of" for 2 weeks following this period of so-called 'gluten-free-ness') had a passion for working with. Perhaps some of his suggestions would be helpful. :rolleyes:

Reba32 Rookie
Reba32
Posted

problem is, most people don't even know that "enriched flour" or "all purpose flour" found on most ingredients lists is made from wheat, so how would they know that genrally speaking, cous cous is wheat? A woman I used to work with said her mother has Celiac but her doctor told her it's ok to eat spelt. Which is also a wheat. If the "specialists" don't know what to stay away from, how is a restaurant chef supposed to keep up?

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. trents
      - trents replied to SilkieFairy's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      4

      IBS-D vs Celiac

      No coincidence. Recent revisions to gluten challenge guidelines call for the daily consumption of at least 10g of gluten (about the amount in 4-6 slices of wheat bread) for a minimum of 3 weeks. If possible, I would extend that two weeks to ensure valid testing.
    2. SilkieFairy
      - SilkieFairy replied to SilkieFairy's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      4

      IBS-D vs Celiac

      Thank you both for the replies. I decided to bring back gluten so I can do the blood test. Today is Day #2 of the Challenge. Yesterday I had about 3 slices of whole wheat bread and I woke up with urgent diarrhea this morning. It was orange, sandy and had the distinctive smell that I did not have when I was briefly gluten free. I don't know if it's a...
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens. I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium. I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells. When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly. This is safe...
    4. Jane02
      - Jane02 replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency. I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently...
    5. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Hello, @Jane02, I take Naturewise D 3. It contains olive oil. Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets. Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking. Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,336
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Jeffrey Yeres
    Newest Member
    Jeffrey Yeres
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      IBS-D vs Celiac

      By trents · Posted

      No coincidence. Recent revisions to gluten challenge guidelines call for the daily consumption of at least 10g of gluten (about the amount in 4-6 slices of wheat bread) for a minimum of 3 weeks. If possible, I would extend that two weeks to ensure valid testing.
    • SilkieFairy
      IBS-D vs Celiac

      By SilkieFairy · Posted

      Thank you both for the replies. I decided to bring back gluten so I can do the blood test. Today is Day #2 of the Challenge. Yesterday I had about 3 slices of whole wheat bread and I woke up with urgent diarrhea this morning. It was orange, sandy and had the distinctive smell that I did not have when I was briefly gluten free. I don't know if it's a coincidence, but the brain fog is back and I feel very tired.   
    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens.  I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium.  I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells.  When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly.  This is safe and nontoxic.  Vitamin D level should be above 70 nmol/L.  Lifeguards and indigenous Pacific Islanders typically have levels between 80-100 nmol/L.   Levels lower than this are based on amount needed to prevent disease like rickets and osteomalacia. We need more thiamine when we're physically ill, emotionally and mentally stressed, and if we exercise like an athlete or laborer.  We need more thiamine if we eat a diet high in simple carbohydrates.  For every 500 kcal of carbohydrates, we need 500-1000 mg more of thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  If there's insufficient thiamine the carbs get stored as fat.  Again, recommended levels set for thiamine are based on minimum amounts needed to prevent disease.  This is often not adequate for optimum health, nor sufficient for people with absorption problems such as Celiac disease.  Gluten free processed foods are not enriched with vitamins like their gluten containing counterparts.  Adding a B Complex and additional thiamine improves health for Celiacs.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine helps the mitochondria in cells to function.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins.  They are all water soluble and easily excreted if not needed. Interesting Reading: Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/ Safety and effectiveness of vitamin D mega-dose: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34857184/ High dose dietary vitamin D allocates surplus calories to muscle and growth instead of fat via modulation of myostatin and leptin signaling https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38766160/ Safety of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31746327/ Vitamins and Celiac Disease: Beyond Vitamin D https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11857425/ Investigating the therapeutic potential of tryptophan and vitamin A in modulating immune responses in celiac disease: an experimental study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40178602/ Investigating the Impact of Vitamin A and Amino Acids on Immune Responses in Celiac Disease Patients https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10814138/
    • Jane02
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Jane02 · Posted

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency.  I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently meet from my diet is vitamin D. Calcium is a hit and miss as I rely on vegetables, dark leafy greens as a major source, for my calcium intake. I'm able to meet it when I either eat or juice a bundle of kale or collard greens daily haha. My thiamine intake is roughly 120% of my needs, although I do recognize that I may not be absorbing all of these nutrients consistently with intermittent unintentional exposures to gluten.  My vitamin A intake is roughly 900% (~6400 mcg/d) of my needs as I eat a lot of sweet potato, although since it's plant-derived vitamin A (beta-carotene) apparently it's not likely to cause toxicity.  Thanks again! 
    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @Jane02,  I take Naturewise D 3.  It contains olive oil.   Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets.  Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking.  Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the jar, and thus may be irritating to the digestive system. I avoid supplements made with soy because many people with Celiac Disease also react to soy.  Mixed tocopherols, an ingredient in Thornes Vitamin D, may be sourced from soy oil.  Kirkland's has soy on its ingredient list. I avoid things that might contain or be exposed to crustaceans, like Metagenics says on its label.  I have a crustacean/shellfish/fish allergy.  I like Life Extension Bioactive Complete B Complex.  I take additional Thiamine B 1 in the form Benfotiamine which helps the intestines heal, Life Extension MegaBenfotiamine. Thiamine is needed to activate Vitamin D.   Low thiamine can make one feel like they are getting glutened after a meal containing lots of simple carbohydrates like white rice, or processed gluten free foods like cookies and pasta.   It's rare to have a single vitamin deficiency.  The water soluble B Complex vitamins should be supplemented together with additional Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine and Thiamine TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) to correct subclinical deficiencies that don't show up on blood tests.  These are subclinical deficiencies within organs and tissues.  Blood is a transportation system.  The body will deplete tissues and organs in order to keep a supply of thiamine in the bloodstream going to the brain and heart.   If you're low in Vitamin D, you may well be low in other fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Have you seen a dietician?
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.