Have You Ever Gone All The Way Once You Realize You've Been Glutened?

[zus888]

Have you ever eaten something and then (almost immediately) realize that it had gluten in it? I've taken great care to make sure that I'm not eating gluten. The one time I did accidentally ingest it, I didn't figure out what had happened until about 3 days after the fact.

I am seriously missing pizza, angelfood cake, and dinner rolls.

I have these dreams where I eat something and immediately realize that I've just consumed something with lots of gluten, and freak out. And, I'm thinking, if that ever happens in real life (where I discover immediately that I've consumed something with gluten), I'm going to make a day of it and gorge on gluten-filled foods that I miss so much, starting with the above. I figure, if I'm going to suffer the consequences, I might as well enjoy the action and make it worth my while.

Has anyone done this???

[sa1937]

Suzanna, I can't imagine myself doing that...I am absolutely too chicken to even think what my reactions would be.

That said, there's no reason you can't have pizza, angel food cake and dinner rolls (gluten-free, of course). Do you cook? I made a really good pizza last weekend and that is one thing I really craved when I first went gluten-free. Haven't tried angel food cake yet.

[mamaw]

I agree with Sylvia totally!!!!

[zus888]

I haven't tried angel food cake because I can't even make a decent pie crust, tollhouse chocolate chip cookie or cake using Better Batter Flour, which cost an arm and leg and came highly recommended. I'm sick of using an expensive flour only to come up with a subpar end product. I'm still fairly new to the gluten-free diet, so my standards are still high. I've had a couple of different pizzas: Glutino crust (gag - not even my kids and DH would eat it), a pizza from a local shop (98% toppings and 2% crust), and a pizza made by a friend (which was the best of all of them).

None of them stand up to a glutenous pizza crust. I like a nice soft thick crust. That was my favorite part was eating the edge of the pizza. Now, I have to be subjected to thin crusts that taste like cardboard, where the only way to mask their craptastic taste and texture is to pile on the toppings so that the crust only serves as a way to hold them.

So, I dream longingly of eating a pizza. But I won't dare do it unless there's been an accidental glutening on my part. I have been only glutened once and it took me 3 days to figure out that I had been glutened. I don't seem to suffer the digestive effects. I got depressed and completely fatigued, and it was pretty bad. I just feel if I have to go through that with a small amount of gluten that I probably didn't enjoy, I might as well make the suffering worth my while if I'm gonna go through it anyway.

I wanted to try Pamela's pizza crust, but I don't have a stand mixer, which it states is required for mixing in bold letters.

[GlutenFreeManna]

I understand that you are having cravings. When I get glutened I have those weird cravings too but I just eat gluten-free stuff that will make me feel better instead. After the one experience I had about 6 months ago I would not chance eating large amounts of gluten no matter how bad the cc got me. I ordered gluten-free pasta at a restaurant with a gluten-free menu and they brought me regular gluten-filled pasta instead. I ate about two or three bites and realized it was not the gluten-free stuff. I was SO sick from those 2-3 bites of pasta that I ended up developing brochitis, which turned into pnuemonia and put me the hospital. 3 months of sickness was not worth those three bites and it wouldn't have made me any better off had I eaten the whole plate and some breadsticks too. To be clear, I'm not saying the gluten gave me pnuemonia but I have no doubt that it made me more suseptible because my immune system was trying to deal with the large amount of gluten attacking it. Even if you have very mild glutening symptoms, there are dire consequences down the line if you don't stick to the diet. I just think of my grandmother, an intestinal cancer survivor, suffering with hashi's and dementia right now and I know I don't want to end up like her. Pick a disease, any disease, that is related to un-treated celiac (which ever one scares you the most) and use the desire to avoid getting it to keep you focused on staying strictly gluten-free.

[gfkikamonster]

Yeah, I would be afraid of how much worse my reaction would be if I ate that much. I haven't made angel food cake, but I make homemade pizza all the time (Chebe is an easy option). Also, a few years ago some friends were willing to have a gluten-free Thanksgiving and we made all the hard stuff (gravy, rolls, etc).. we used Pamela's Products Bread mix and this recipe: Open Original Shared Link My friend that had never eaten gluten-free bread in her life asked me for the recipe because she loved them so much. I've had other good gluten-free dinner rolls in my life but those were the biggest success. A little extra work to make the cloverleaf style but they are so good. :-)

Basically, instead of craving things and torturing yourself by eating the gluten versions, take a leap and try making things for yourself. I bet you'll find you can satisfy most of your cravings, without making yourself sick!!

Kika

[kwylee]

I'm thinking, if that ever happens in real life (where I discover immediately that I've consumed something with gluten), I'm going to make a day of it and gorge on gluten-filled foods that I miss so much, starting with the above. I figure, if I'm going to suffer the consequences, I might as well enjoy the action and make it worth my while.

I certainly understand where your angst comes from but (I think you know what's coming here...) you might sorely regret the notion to make a day of overdosing on gluten after an accidental ingestion. There are so many stories out there of slow painful recovery from even cross contamination for some folks - consider the idea of symptoms commensurate with the amount eaten, not to mention the damage to your system. I've found so many wonderful things to eat since I cannot eat gluten, including my best friend, black bean brownies!!! 5 minutes to prepare, 15 minutes to bake. Ever so often I'll make a tray of those, and since they are gluten/casein/soy free, fabulous, and the best brownies I have ever eaten, I don't feel deprived.

I like the suggestion above about making your own treats and comforts. Decide what you feel deprived of and find a way to perfect it. I've never been much for cooking or baking before now, and I can do it, anybody can.

[GlutenFreeManna]

I haven't tried angel food cake because I can't even make a decent pie crust, tollhouse chocolate chip cookie or cake using Better Batter Flour, which cost an arm and leg and came highly recommended. I'm sick of using an expensive flour only to come up with a subpar end product. I'm still fairly new to the gluten-free diet, so my standards are still high. I've had a couple of different pizzas: Glutino crust (gag - not even my kids and DH would eat it), a pizza from a local shop (98% toppings and 2% crust), and a pizza made by a friend (which was the best of all of them).

None of them stand up to a glutenous pizza crust. I like a nice soft thick crust. That was my favorite part was eating the edge of the pizza. Now, I have to be subjected to thin crusts that taste like cardboard, where the only way to mask their craptastic taste and texture is to pile on the toppings so that the crust only serves as a way to hold them.

So, I dream longingly of eating a pizza. But I won't dare do it unless there's been an accidental glutening on my part. I have been only glutened once and it took me 3 days to figure out that I had been glutened. I don't seem to suffer the digestive effects. I got depressed and completely fatigued, and it was pretty bad. I just feel if I have to go through that with a small amount of gluten that I probably didn't enjoy, I might as well make the suffering worth my while if I'm gonna go through it anyway.

I wanted to try Pamela's pizza crust, but I don't have a stand mixer, which it states is required for mixing in bold letters.

Try this recipe: Open Original Shared Link

It's the best I have found so far. The crust comes out thick and fluffy almost like a pizza hut pizza. It does require a mixer but I just use my little hand mixer instead of a stand mixer.

For cakes--pamela's cake mix is the best I have found. Betty crocker is just okay--the chocolate is good but the yellow is too dry unless you make cup cakes or add something else to the better to make it more moist.

Pie crust is probably one of the harder things to make. I have not found one that works for me. I make crumb type crusts with chopped dates and nuts pressed into the pie plate instead.

Cookies are not as hard but you can't usually just sub any flour mix for a recipe for gluten cookies and get a good result. Try using a recipe that was written specifically for the flour mix you bought instead.

Once you get a hang of baking gluten-free you can play with subbing different flours and may be able to re-create some of your old favorites, but gluten-free flours and doughs really behave differently than glutne flours. It take a lot of expereince to know what will work as a sub in a recipe. I don't yet have that experience and I've been at this for 20 months now. I don't bake very much however.

[PadmeMaster]

None of them stand up to a glutenous pizza crust. I like a nice soft thick crust. That was my favorite part was eating the edge of the pizza. Now, I have to be subjected to thin crusts that taste like cardboard, where the only way to mask their craptastic taste and texture is to pile on the toppings so that the crust only serves as a way to hold them.

Look for a BJ's Brewhouse near you. Their gluten free pizza is AWESOME. Also, Bob's Red Mill Pizza crust is good. I'm a total fail at making pizza crust (always have been, even though I can cook almost anything else at least to some degree) and the Bob's Red Mill turned out really good. You just need one packet (as opposed to the two I used of gluten-filled packets) and I only used olives and cheese and like a 1/4 pound of hamburger meat. Come to think of it, once I find some dairy free cheese (at all >.>) I should do that again.. My pizza was better than the rest of the family's was Everyone wanted mine!

Edit:

Cookies are not as hard but you can't usually just sub any flour mix for a recipe for gluten cookies and get a good result.

While I've found that to be generally true, you CAN just take a basic sugar cookie recipe, add whatever you want (removing baking powder and adding soda instead), and then add some sorghum (I forget if it has a flour in the name). Use any sort of Gluten Free flour otherwise. Sorghum is an excellent thickener. It does have a taste though. My mom didn't like it. The Bob's Red Mill "All purpose" has it premixed and I've foudn that that works for any recipe except pancakes (where it's still too lose, but that's because I don't truly measure.)

[PadmeMaster]

including my best friend, black bean brownies!!! 5 minutes to prepare, 15 minutes to bake. Ever so often I'll make a tray of those, and since they are gluten/casein/soy free, fabulous, and the best brownies I have ever eaten, I don't feel deprived.

Sorry to double post but PLEASSEEEE give that recipe away?

[kwylee]

Sorry to double post but PLEASSEEEE give that recipe away?

Oops! Here you go! Link to recipe for black bean brownies!! I use the Enjoy Life chocolate chips on top but not even necessary if you can't find them.

Open Original Shared Link

[sa1937]

For pizza, I'm generally using Jules Shepard's recipe found Open Original Shared Link. I prefer a thinner crust and use a 14" pan instead of the 12" recommended. I don't know how I'd manage though if I didn't have a stand mixer. While I do have her flour, here's a recipe for her Open Original Shared Link, which I think is probably pretty much the same. She also recommends saut

[ERR]

Have you ever eaten something and then (almost immediately) realize that it had gluten in it? I've taken great care to make sure that I'm not eating gluten. The one time I did accidentally ingest it, I didn't figure out what had happened until about 3 days after the fact.

I am seriously missing pizza, angelfood cake, and dinner rolls.

I have these dreams where I eat something and immediately realize that I've just consumed something with lots of gluten, and freak out. And, I'm thinking, if that ever happens in real life (where I discover immediately that I've consumed something with gluten), I'm going to make a day of it and gorge on gluten-filled foods that I miss so much, starting with the above. I figure, if I'm going to suffer the consequences, I might as well enjoy the action and make it worth my while.

Has anyone done this???

I haven't done it, but I have had the exact same thought process. I appreciate everyone being positive and focusing on what you can have, but I miss exactly the pizza crust you describe. Man.

[love2travel]

I can understand what you mean about going all the way if you've becomed glutened anyway, but I just could not do it. When I ate gluten (on my challenge) it did not make me sick at all. I've been gluten-free six months now and back in March was accidentally glutened but did not get sick. So, since the I have no idea whether I have been or not but am incredibly strict. Just those few bites would not be worth the potential internal damage and months of hard work.

Believe me, I hear you on the pizza. I've had the best on the planet (many times in Naples, Florence, etc.) and no matter how good the gluten-free version is (and there are a few pretty decent ones) they just do not come close. We were in Venice in May and are returning October; it is not a simple thing to stroll by pizzarias with the gorgeous scents emanating from within! I consider myself an excellent and very creative cook and have a very hard time settling for something that is second best. When I think of something I want I simply create it and very rarely purchase any gluten-free drywall snacks, mixes, blends, etc. In addition to awesome pizza crust I mourn proper buttery croissants, puff pastry, beignets, ciabatta bread and fabulous homemade pasta. Sure, there are sort of almost ok substitutes, but face it - there just is no substitute for gluten-y breads, buns and pizza. It just cannot happen because you need the gluten for stretch, chew and structure.

But cookies, brownies, cakes, pancakes, focaccia, naan, quick breads and pastries are all easy to make gluten-free thankfully. So, I use my creativity to create awesome things that do not include croissants et. al. I mentioned above. I would rather not have them at all than to have an icky imperfect version.

[T.H.]

Oh man, yes I have had that thought. It doesn't happen when I'm eating normal food and get gluten contamination, though. I just feel miserable, then.

But a few times when I'm being very careful, often in a social situation, and I have blech food only and I STILL get sick - the urge hits me. For me, though, the urge usually involves wanting to eat foods I'm mildly allergic to.

I react with sore throat, headache, stomach ick, and flu-like symptoms to most of my food allergies. So when I'm suddenly dizzy and sick, from food I didn't even LIKE? Yeah, I have given in and eaten a couple foods I'm allergic to that taste good at that point.

And then usually regret it pretty much by the time it hits my stomach, if not before. And feel even more terrible and can't imagine why I thought this wouldn't be worse than just gluten sick.

[zus888]

Well, one craving is gone. I just ate half a package of Kinni-Toos (gluten-free oreos). I feel a bit better now. And, really, I could eat the rest of the package. Nevertheless, I sure would like to sink my teeth into some gluten-filled stuff!

[PadmeMaster]

Well, one craving is gone. I just ate half a package of Kinni-Toos (gluten-free oreos). I feel a bit better now. And, really, I could eat the rest of the package. Nevertheless, I sure would like to sink my teeth into some gluten-filled stuff!

you managed to stop at half?! I have to bag them when I get home (and by then a third of the package is gone anyway) to make them last!

Just take the gluten-free version. It's typically better anyway I look at a regular oreo and think "that looks interesting, but mine is better!"

[zus888]

Except you get more for your money. Yeah, the bag is gone. I ate all of it in one day except the one cookie my DH grabbed. That's 1000 calories of cookies right there. Yet, still can't stop thinking of pizza crust, angel food cake, and soft dinner rolls. I really need to try the Bob's Red Mill crust and Chebe rolls I have here.

[Monael]

I know exactly what you mean. I took my kids to a local Pizza place that also serves gluten-free pizza and it just was not the same! Pizza is the #1 thing I just can't replace with a gluten free option.

HOWEVER, I am too scared to eat gluten filled food. I haven't even been formally diagnosed, but my symptoms are almost completely gone, and I don't want to go back to that ever again! A few moments pleasure - for me - is just not worth it. There are too many yummy things to eat that I can't in good conscience complain about not being able to eat gluten anymore.

[sa1937]

Except you get more for your money. Yeah, the bag is gone. I ate all of it in one day except the one cookie my DH grabbed. That's 1000 calories of cookies right there. Yet, still can't stop thinking of pizza crust, angel food cake, and soft dinner rolls. I really need to try the Bob's Red Mill crust and Chebe rolls I have here.

Well, at least you got that craving out of the way!!!

And if for some reason you don't care for Bob's Red Mill pizza crust, don't give up. There are a lot of recipes and mixes available.

[zus888]

I know exactly what you mean. I took my kids to a local Pizza place that also serves gluten-free pizza and it just was not the same! Pizza is the #1 thing I just can't replace with a gluten free option.

HOWEVER, I am too scared to eat gluten filled food. I haven't even been formally diagnosed, but my symptoms are almost completely gone, and I don't want to go back to that ever again! A few moments pleasure - for me - is just not worth it. There are too many yummy things to eat that I can't in good conscience complain about not being able to eat gluten anymore.

Well, I wouldn't deliberately gluten myself...UNLESS I was ALREADY glutened and knew it in enough advance (like, immediately). I'm just thinking if I'm already going to suffer the consequences of getting accidentally glutened I might as well go whole hog and make it worth my while to deal with 4-5 days of misery. At least I could take some comfort in enjoying what made me sick as opposed to dealing with 4 days of depression and fatigue over drinking contaminated water!

[zus888]

Had a dream last night that during my meal I realized that I had just consumed gluten after I had already eaten 1/2 a large corn muffin. I freaked out and called my DH, but upon realizing that there was nothing I could do at that point, I decided that we were going to order pizza for dinner, and I was going to make an angelfood cake! I woke up before I had a chance to eat any of it though. If this ever does happen in real life, I'm going to go into a glutenous frenzy. It's all I think about lately.

[LuvGems]

Yes I've done it. It started me back eating gluten again about once a week. I'm not sure I have the strength to cut gluten out completely again even though I hurt a lot.

My recommendation? Don't do it even once.

[zus888]

Yes I've done it. It started me back eating gluten again about once a week. I'm not sure I have the strength to cut gluten out completely again even though I hurt a lot.

My recommendation? Don't do it even once.

Ack. I didn't want to hear this at all. Yet, I do need to hear it because that could easily be me, especially since I don't have digestive issues as much as the depression and fatigue. *le sigh*