Alex J

My son drank a caramel frappe and pretty much straight away got pretty sick. I think it was probably a reaction; he doesn't want to believe it.

I think these are supposed to be gluten free, according to ingredients. Anyone know anything about whether they are prone to cross contamination? Are they made on the same machine as the flurries?

He's also allergic to nuts and fish, but that usually causes hives/swelling. He doesn't have problems with dairy foods (or large amounts of junk food, come to that).

Alex

I found them at Midtown Farmer's Market. I was reading the menu and slowly realised that nothing sounded like it had wheat - checked and they said that yes, everything was gluten free - it just worked out that way. Bacon, potatoes, eggs, grilled meat...

Alex Jeffery

Just found this new gluten free cereal called Safari Cocoa Crunch - it's MOM brand (which is Malt O Meal, rebranded, in a box): it is chocolate puffs, and they are really good.

Under their Bear Valley Naturals brand they also make this really good coco pebbles type cereal called Choco Chomp. It comes in a bag. They have various different branded versions of something similar that are also gluten free, but this one is by far the best of the ones I've tried.

Alex

Question : Are Rice Crispies Gluten Free?

Regular rice crispies aren't, because they contain malt (which is made from barley). Kellogg's do make a gluten free version, it's clearly marked as gluten free and the box is yellow.

I have been looking for gluten free red lentils for a long time and finally found them:

Open Original Shared Link

They are certified gluten free (logo isn't working on my browser but I called to check).

I just found Barilla has a gluten free pasta range. Maybe everyone else already found this because it's been out since September, but I didn't find anything when I searched the forum. It is based on corn and rice, made in Italy in a dedicated facility, is cheap compared to most gluten free pasta ($2.50ish/12oz), and is really, really, really good. Not mushy, not grainy, doesn't just dissolve away into the water as you cook it, don't have to rinse, still good cold. I feel like I have pasta back at last.

I want to spread the word because I do not want them to stop making this! I have had trouble finding it, but I called them and they told me it's in the SuperTargets near me.

I have been wanting to make some kind of Indian bread - roti or chapattis. I tried making jowar roti (jowar is sorghum) but wasn't that successful. I was wondering if you could share the chapatti recipe you use with masa harina?

Saw an ad online and they confirmed by email they are now making them. They aren't on the website, though, and I haven't seen them (and didn't ask about shared facility/equipment/whatever).

Hi

Has anyone tried any of the flours made by Dakota Prairie? I'm mostly interested in their sorghum. Is it finely ground, any problems with it?

Alex Jeffery

My son was on elemental formula as a toddler due to multiple severe food allergies (he now has celiac; he hadn't developed it/wasn't diagnosed at the time). Formula is the only form in which an elemental diet is available. The biggest problems with this idea as I see it are firstly, the cost - it is stupendously expensive and unlikely to be covered by insurance and secondly, the high likelihood that you will be unable to drink enough to sustain yourself, due to the extremely unpleasant flavor. It doesn't just taste bad; it tastes epically, unimaginably awful. And as an adult you would need to ingest a great volume, you couldn't just force down the odd cup. Infants can sometimes be induced to like it, presumably because their tastes are unformed, but most children toddler age and up who need it in any volume will need it to be tube fed.

We were never able to get enough of it into him, and as he did have some foods (fruits and vegetables and some grains) we would hide the formula in there. It was a constant struggle even so. However he started growing again when he was on it, and I really think it saved him.

I got a coupon for Quaker rice cakes that described them as gluten free. So I called the company and they said that they have now tested and are 'certified' gluten free. Nothing has changed, they have just established that they (all flavors) are gluten free. She didn't seem that knowledgeable however and didn't know what ppm they tested under; she just said they were under the level the FDA required for them to be 'certified' (whatever that means). Anyone have any more information about this? My son is asymptomatic so it's hard to introduce foods and know for sure whether they are a problem.

So, we tried the oatmeal.

Two things - I made oatmeal from 1 1/2 cups of oats and divided it amongst 4 children, and they would have eaten more. So he will probably be eating more than 1/4 cup a day, if we continue.

And my undiagnosed (but gluten free) kid woke up in the middle of the night with very bad abdominal pain. I gave him ibuprofen in desperation and in the end he went back to sleep. He had one IgG gliadin test come up positive once, and had very bad constipation that resolved on a gluten free diet (that's when I first learned that ibuprofen/acetaminophen can help temporarily with abdominal pain - if the miralax wasn't working, we used to have to dose him with painkillers at night so he could sleep). He woke up fine with no other signs of illness.

I'll give it another try because it could have been a coincidence. For some reason it hadn't occurred to me that one of the other kids might react. I have one diagnosed celiac, two who eat gluten free (one was symptomatic, the other is only three and our house is gluten free so he is), one who eats gluten at school.

Alex

My son wants to try oats, and was given the go ahead by his gi who said that according to the science, they are safe. I got some Cream Hill Estates rolled oats to try.

But looking at the research it seems that if you do tolerate them, you can eat only limited amounts - 1/4 cup for a child, which isn't even a serving.

Is there any more recent research than that? Is that just the amount they studied - so that's the only amount they can say is OK - or did they see problems with greater amounts?

Those of you who tolerate them, do you limit the amount? Those who don't tolerate them, was it obvious right away?

He was diagnosed through testing (he was tested because he has diabetes) and his symptoms were not that obvious. But at diagnosis his tTg was >250 and he had a lot of damage. Now his tTg is down to 0.7 at the last test. I'm wondering how reliable a repeat tTg would be to tell if the oats are causing damage, in the absence of symptoms. The GI doesn't think a repeat endoscopy would be necessary.

He also has hypothyroidism, and all these conditions together have been affecting his growth pretty badly over the past few years. However lately he has started climbing back up on the charts. I don't want to mess with the progress we've made, but on the other hand I want to establish a very certain, very safe diet for him before he starts heading into the teenage years (he's 10). I'd rather establish now for sure whether oats are ok than have him try them in a less controlled way later.

Redbridge is pretty good - a bit bland, but no off flavors. Barts is a little stronger in flavor, and there's something about it I'm not super keen on, which I suppose might be the sweetness.

I didn't care for New Grist at all, very sour and sweet.

None of the gluten free beers are as dry and deliciously hoppy as the gluten beers I like.

Quaker says that their grits cannot be considered/guaranteed gluten free, as there may be cross contamination. I think this is true of all Quaker products (certainly true of their rice cakes).

Alex

In a rush with a child on my lap but wanted to say that we do avoid pretty much anything made on the same equipment/same facility. I also call manufacturers to find out how their foods are produced (if they appear gluten free on the label but carry no warning labels).

I have always done this, and it does massively cut down on the number of foods we could eat. But my son had food allergies before he had celiac, so I had seen from that how massive an effect a tiny amount could have on him (eg chew and spit out a carrot that had been on a plate with fish, to which he is allergic, and he had to be rushed to the ER with disfiguring swelling). I can't SEE the effect from gluten, but that doesn't mean it's not there.

My son is 5 and weighs 40 pounds which is right where he should be according to the Dr. There are so many over weight kids out there because there parents let them watch tv and eat all day instead of playing out side so when people see a child at a healthy weight it is weird to them. Her weight is fine.

I see your point - my son, who will be six in a week, weighs 36 pounds so I'm certainly familiar with smaller healthy children - but I don't think you should minimise her concern. There is a real difference between 40 pounds at 5 and 20 pounds at 2 if you look at the CDC charts. At just turned 5, 40# is a very healthy and average 50th percentile. Even my son, at almost six and four pounds less, is still clinging to the bottom of the chart (3rd percentile, ish). On the other hand the 20# two year old is well under the growth chart, which means considerably smaller than almost all children her age. At that point you really have to take a long hard look to figure out why, and to make sure there is nothing going on which is also going to affect other areas of development.

My son's came back as >250. His biopsy was pretty strongly positive (almost flat villi in areas), but I do remember that the GI didn't take it as a given that it would be.

He also had hardly any obvious symptoms. He has diabetes and was screened by his endocrinologist because his blood glucose was extremely unpredictable, which is a result of the malabsorbtion. And his growth was bad, but it still is. He had stomach aches, but far fewer than his non celiac sister.

His last TtG came back as 1.9. Woohoo!

I'm pretty sure my son reacted to Vietnamese-made rice noodles. He was eating them for a month or so before we figured it out (this was soon after diagnosis). After that we decided to eat only foods from facilities we could call and discuss production conditions with. Which is a bummer because we used to like to try all kinds of foreign foods.

Just want to add that I haven't found the labeling any harder to deal with over here than in the EU, just different. It is the case that in law gluten doesn't have to be clearly labeled over here, but on the other hand I found the way that there are loopholes in labeling it in the UK meant it pretty much amounted to the same thing. And over here, you are much more likely to get an immediate answer if you call the company and ask if it is gluten free (when I did that in the UK I was promised a call back that happened after I had left the country). Always pays to bring a mobile phone to the shop. Plus several of the largest companies have as policy that they will always clearly label for gluten - off the top of my head Kraft, General Mills (I know there are several more but those are two I trust). Kraft is absolutely immense and owns multiple other food brands - they will always (I think) say Kraft somewhere small on the package.

There is a list of gluten free brands - for sale somewhere on this site - but personally I prefer to call myself.

There are some things which make it easier. For instance it is rare to have wheat derived glucose syrup in sweet things (corn syrup instead). Wheat is less likely to be used as a filler/thickener (for instance in baking powder - that would be corn starch again).

Peanut butter would be a good thing. A huge staple here. My daughter (non coeliac, not nut allergic either obviously) eats it on celery or carrot sticks. If you have crackers you like and room in your bag, I'd bring them.

When we camp, again, it's kind of different over here because you would expect to be barbecueing or cooking on an open fire. (Which is not something you can generally do at campsites in the UK). So we eat lots of corn on the cob (steamed in the husks on the fire - just soak it in a bucket then throw it on), grilled meat, fruit, and corn chips/crisps. Or you can do this thing where you put a little meat, potato, and seasoning in a foil packet and cook that on the barbecue. Or we cook a big pot of potatoes on the fire. Then cereal/fruit for breakfast. Eggs. We resorted to canned potatoes last summer camping, which are actually not that bad once you brown them up a bit and throw in some eggs and maybe bacon. Relatively instamatic. We used them to make potato salad too. Tasted of the can, but very quick. Anything not to eat another bag of freaking crisps.

Tinkyada pasta is good. I lately noticed Lundberg farms is selling little packages of ready cooked rice, which might be handy for camping (Lundberg farms is a gluten free facility and good quality rice).

Rice Chex are plain, filling-ish. If you had them with a banana and a yoghurt or something (for yoghurt avoid Dannon, lots of Yoplait are OK along with multiple health food store brands). There is also a Honey Nut Chex (also gluten free) but we can't do it (nuts).

I'm English and now living in the US. Some of the foods you might be expecting to find you won't, but on the other hand you'll find other things to compensate. For instance they don't really do cheese spread over here. Either cheese, or easy singles. Or there is spray cheese, but... it's not exactly food. You can find Laughing Cow but at a pretty laughably high import price. Also baked beans are very different - they usually contain a little chunk of pork fat, and are much runnier/waterier. People don't really eat beans on toast. It's more a side dish.

We haven't found any crackers that we like and are affordable. But we are buying gluten-free for 6 and also avoiding nuts so that may explain that. The only rice cakes that are gluten free here are Lundberg farms, and they are very rough hewn compared to those thin ones in the UK. There are corn thins, though, and those are good.

It's hard to recommend brands without knowing how careful you are about cross contamination. But here are some of the more instant foods we eat. Bush's baked beans are listed as gluten free by the company. For breakfast cereal - Rice Chex and Corn Chex by General Mills (listed as gluten free on the label). Kraft is good at labelling, so their cheese. Mission corn chips. I haven't found any crisps I'm completely comfortable with. Mission corn tortillas. There are large ranges of gluten free baked goods in Whole Foods Market and Trader Joes, but we pretty much can't eat those due to nuts.

What do you usually use for instant carbs? Like as bread, or instead of bread? That will obviously be your challenge. There are commercial gluten free breads but not in the way there are in England, because it's not something that's available on prescription here so it's just not the same kind of market. They are more likely to be frozen in health food stores.

This all sounds discouraging, but actually there is a lot of really great gluten free food here. It's just not necessarily the same kind of foods as you would find in England. I'll have a think about what I could suggest, or if you have any other types of foods you might be interested in ask away.

Though there isn't an agreed standard for gluten free, it is expected to be under 20ppm and I think that is the level that companies are aiming for. Recently many more products have gained a 'gluten free' label. Also, most companies here are pretty good about providing consumers with information and I pretty much call any company whose products we are thinking of trying.

I want to buy a waffle iron. Does anyone have one that works well with gluten free batters? Cooks evenly, doesn't stick, easy to clean...

Also, I have four children, so need one that makes more than one waffle at a time.

She is 10 going on 11 if that matters.

Oh, I think it matters. This is so painfully familiar. The extreme pickiness, constant complaints and rejection of all foods, junk food obsession, sulking.... I'm really heartened by the person who said the teenage years are easier because I was thinking the tween thing was just the beginning of a rollercoaster ride that could only get worse.

I don't have much advice but I can say hold on tight, because my daughter just turned 12 (yesterday!) and it is definitely better about food now. A lot better. The things I did: gave up catering to her tastes beyond avoiding things she'd always disliked, because I realized the problem wasn't really that she was picky about food, it was that she wanted to assert herself, was dissatisfied with aspects of her life (growing pains) and chafing against it. I started talking to her a lot about feelings, about how they can get twisted sideways so that you end up expressing loneliness or anger through food (or through hitting your brother, a problem that arose at the same time). I also talked to her about hormones and how they affect feelings. I started trying harder to find areas where she could have a little more control or freedom in her life.

Good luck. By the way my daughter has no food restrictions but during this period she was far harder to feed than my son, who has celiac and multiple food allergies.

Alex

Does this mean the Poconos cream of buckwheat is from the same dedicated facility? I couldn't find it on the website and keep forgetting to call in business hours.

Should have read on to discover someone already answered this. Good to know!

Birkett Mills buckwheat products a dedicated facility

Does this mean the Poconos cream of buckwheat is from the same dedicated facility? I couldn't find it on the website and keep forgetting to call in business hours.