Whoa, Yes, I Am A Bit Overwhelmed

[Javamom]

New member here. I do not have a celiac diagnosis. I have been gluten-free for about 2 weeks and it has made a big difference! However, the more I read, the more questions that I have.

Perhaps a few opinions would help? Here are my main concerns (so far) and questions.

Sandwich bread is a huge thing here. I am not able to bake right now, but I will get there. What is a good brand that my husband will enjoy too? He's going gluten-free with me (he may actually need it more than I do). We like whole wheat, the kids like the white stuff.

Stocking my pantry (once I get the chance to bake):

Should I invest in an All-Purpose gluten-free flour, AND also get some other flours for specific cooking applications (ex: nut flours, rice flours) and xanthan gum?

I know that with my time being at a premium, and my frustration level high, I need to have the right products. These are pricey items, so I have to choose well. I am not sure why this is my biggest question right now, other than it will help me to know how to proceed to feed the family.

Thank bunches!

[bartfull]

For bread I like Udi's multigrain. Canyon Bake House San Juan Seven Grain is really really good too. It is more like those multi-grain breads in the supermarket with little nutty bits in it.

I don't want to put a damper on anything for you but I will tell you about my experience. When I first realized I had a problem with gluten I went out and bought all kinds of flours and gluten-free foods. I stocked up on hunt's spaghetti sauce and gluten-free pastas. I gave away every bit of gluten food in my kitchen and replaced them with gluten-free foods.

And THEN my corn intolerance hit. I had to give away all of the expensive gluten-free foods, and all of those spaghetti sauces. I have given away HUNDREDS of dollars worth of food!!

A LOT of us develop intolerances to other foods after being gluten-free for a while. It might well happen to you too, so I would recommend going slowly. Only buy what you will be using within a week. That way you won't waste money.

Usually after the gut heals, people get back a lot of the foods they lost but it takes time. I lost potatoes and corn but have gotten both back, 14 months later.

But I have learned my lesson. I won't go buying a ten pound bag of potatoes. I get just enough for the week, just in case.

[eatmeat4good]

Yes, I agree with Bartful. Don't buy a lot of things until you know you can tolerate them. I would suggest you find a recipe you want to try and then buy what you need for that recipe and that way you won't be investing in a lot of stuff you don't really like. For example, I hate bean flours. Any mix with bean flour in it got donated or trashed outright regardless of how expensive it was. I developed the sensitivity to Soy shortly after getting rid of gluten, so out went all the flours and gluten free products with Soy! I outright trashed them after I read how bad soy is for people.

I would suggest Udi's Multi-grain for you and hubby and Rudy's gluten free bread for the kids. It's softer and more like white bread in texture. The other thing to do is buy one mix for example Pamela's, but there are others and see if you like the things it makes.

Be careful because Rudy's also makes gluten bread.

I didn't feel much like baking so I stuck with Elana's Pantry for recipes because her recipes are very simple and good and they don't take a thousand kinds of flour or ingredients. That got me by just fine.

Good luck with all of it. It can be overwhelming at first. But try to keep it simple and try just a few things at a time. You can always stock up when you know you really like something and can tolerate it.

[mamaw]

Would you mind telling why you decided to go gluten-free ? You said you have no Dx's............

If you live near a Whole Foods they have a new breas from the UK called Liv Well, it comes in multi grain & white. 10% off of a case of 6.....I'm a gluten-free tester & a suuport group leader & this is one of the best breads.. There are other good ones as mentioned, another is Three Bakers...

Breads by Anna is excellent a whole grain type....

Are your children gluten-free too?

[justlisa]

Would you mind telling why you decided to go gluten-free ? You said you have no Dx's............

If you live near a Whole Foods they have a new breas from the UK called Liv Well, it comes in multi grain & white. 10% off of a case of 6.....I'm a gluten-free tester & a suuport group leader & this is one of the best breads.. There are other good ones as mentioned, another is Three Bakers...

Breads by Anna is excellent a whole grain type....

Are your children gluten-free too?

I was quite impressed with Three Bakers.... The only problem that I have is that I can't get individual slices from the frozen loaf (have to thaw the whole thing). We just don't eat enough bread to make it worthwhile...so most of it went in the trash...

That's the biggest reason why I've been thinking of baking my own bread...so I can freeze it in smaller amounts...

But, again, the Three Bakers was quite good...

[Javamom]

Would you mind telling why you decided to go gluten-free ? You said you have no Dx's............

If you live near a Whole Foods they have a new breas from the UK called Liv Well, it comes in multi grain & white. 10% off of a case of 6.....I'm a gluten-free tester & a suuport group leader & this is one of the best breads.. There are other good ones as mentioned, another is Three Bakers...

Breads by Anna is excellent a whole grain type....

Are your children gluten-free too?

I have had to figure this out for myself. I have battled GERD for almost a decade. My doctor has tried different meds with varying success. I even lost a lot of weight over the course of a year, but then steadily gained it all back over the next three. The foods that worked then, are not working now. I asked my doctor on more than one occasion if it were possible that I am just allergic to food. It seemed like everything I ate gave me issues.

It all came to a head in the last few months. The GERD got even worse, I couldn't sleep at night because I was coughing up food, and I developed diagnosed sleep apnea. I was falling asleep as soon as I came home from work, but had a family to care for. Faced with this new hurdle, I decided to investigate my allergy suspicions. The more I searched, the more I began to suspect gluten. I should add that my oldest sister went gluten-free 10 years ago.

Out of desperation, I decided to chuck the gluten from my diet and see what would happen. It was almost immediate. My nightly battle with reflux ended. I could sleep and not wake up choking on food that my body didn't like. I found out that some of the things that I had blamed the GERD on were not really the culprit. My husband says that I am not tossing and turning as much. I am not 100% better yet, as I think my gut needs to heal. I think that I need to get on a probiotic. I am having some stomach aches in the morning, but I am learning that may be the apnea talking.

It is possible that I may have more than one food allergy. I guess that I will figure that out in due time.

[mamaw]

Many of us have allergies to food & other things as well as celiac.. Nightshades would be a great example... I understand why you took matters into your own hands also very coomon. These docs sometimes just don't get it or even care... I'm so glad that being gluten-free has helped you....

Just remember that CC can also play a big part too, so make sure you check all your kitchen gadgets....animal foods as well....

If your kids are gluten-free I would maybe try to get them tested before school as school's usually want documentation of an illness... if they are home schooled then no worries they will get gluten-free for lunch!!!Being tested would mean they need to be eating wheat/ gluten or the test would not be accurate ....

Note the the other poster (sorry , I forget who commented on three bakers bread)... If you let the bread set out for a few minutes & use a butter knife to separate the pieces it comes apart fairly easy .......I wish these bakers/vendors would put parchments sheets between the slices.. Not all of us use a loaf of bread at a time....when I make homemade bread I always use a paper in between slices.....

[Javamom]

Many of us have allergies to food & other things as well as celiac.. Nightshades would be a great example... I understand why you took matters into your own hands also very coomon. These docs sometimes just don't get it or even care... I'm so glad that being gluten-free has helped you....

Just remember that CC can also play a big part too, so make sure you check all your kitchen gadgets....animal foods as well....

If your kids are gluten-free I would maybe try to get them tested before school as school's usually want documentation of an illness... if they are home schooled then no worries they will get gluten-free for lunch!!!Being tested would mean they need to be eating wheat/ gluten or the test would not be accurate ....

Note the the other poster (sorry , I forget who commented on three bakers bread)... If you let the bread set out for a few minutes & use a butter knife to separate the pieces it comes apart fairly easy .......I wish these bakers/vendors would put parchments sheets between the slices.. Not all of us use a loaf of bread at a time....when I make homemade bread I always use a paper in between slices.....

Thank you. My kids seem to do OK with gluten, so I am not going to force them to be gluten-free. If problems arise, we can revisit that. We are segregating the kitchen, and whatnot. Sometimes the kids want to try the gluten-free stuff, so they may just fall into naturally because that is what is going to be around the house.

I suppose that I should see if there are any celiac docs in town? My husband and I have pretty much given up hope on our DO, for various reasons.

[GFinDC]

Hi,

You can also use corn tortillas instead of bread. Look for tortillas with minimal ingredients, and you can check their gltuen free status with the company or by doing a search on line. Mission brand is a good one. But I have tried others also and had no problems. There are also rice tortillas from a couple of companies that are cheaper than the bread.

I experimented with making gluten-free pancakes as bread for a little while. Works ok.

Rudi's is making tortillas now also.

Rudi's facebook promo for their tortillas:

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