Mizzo

Hi Riceguy,

I do not have sweet potato flour and cannot bring myself to make a $3 purchase with a $8 shipping fee and I am fully stocked in all other gluten-free cooking supplies or else I would tag onto the order and make myself feel better about it. So.... I mentioned this to my local health food store owner who does not carry Barry Farms supplies and she made an interesting suggestion.

Can you substitute pureed cooked sweet potato and reduce the water to achieve a SIMILAR product. I cannot compare with this method as I do not know what your Original recipe tastes and looks like.

What do you think?

Maureen

Well, between my kiddo and I we are free of all those things. What is it that he DOES like? What did he used to eat? The answers to those questions may help us to offer some alternatives.

In addition, I suggest that you actually list(for yourself) on paper or on the computer file, the things that he CAN have-raw ingredients-spices, meats, fruit, veg. and then take that list and say, What of these does he already like and eat? Start with those. Then look at it again and say what can I make with these things that he CAN have? Also, just because something is rejected once doesn't mean we should stop offering it. Keep things available, on the table at dinner time, eat them yourselves(the rest of the family) and in time your toddler may try and find new things that he will eat.

I fully encourage the list making idea. Even setting up columns like: protein - starch - veg - fruit - fat/oil

This will make putting together a meal easier. It may not look like a traditional one but meals just need to cover the food groups NOT look like your neighbors dinner table.

The reoffer of a dismissed food is really important .Our DR said 10x and LEAVE it on the plate, even if they are not eating it this way they get used to seeing it. Of course a 3 yr old might throw it on the floor but all you can do is try. I must of given my kiddo Green beans 7 or 8 times before she finally ate some, that's a big wins for us.

Also, Making a smiley face or flower etc.. with the food really really helps it look appealing.

if you want meal ideas, post your yes food list and people will send it their recipes. good luck

imo going gluten-free immediately starts to put your system back in natural working order. I say this because my 7 yr old was on the opposite end of the charts with celiac disease. She has been in the 95th -98th percentile for wt and ht for over 2 years now and she has been gluten-free about 2 months and has finally leveled out with no weight gain. We were under the "healthy lifestyle plan" with our pedi before diagnosis. According to our GI it depends on the damage done to the Villi, for how long till you see improvement.

Nobody can honestly guarantee that, and anyone who claims to is at best mistaken and at worst lying.

I believe YOU misread the statement .

We actually had a Mcdonalds employee tell us not to get the fries as the oil is absolutely cross contaminated . If asked The manager is required to say the FF are gluten free and they take great care in cleanliness, but cannot guarantee with 100% certainty the CC will not occur.

I have heard Red Robin is very clean, considerate and have a designated gluten-free cooking area. We stick with Ore-Ida to be safe. But we indulge in the Outback for meals (never ever had a problem there).

HI,

This may be completely different but; My daughter 7 has been G.F. for 9 weeks. At 7 weeks she was still having daily pains and we put her on Prevacid. Now tummy pains gone.

We're actually not sure if it's the Prevacid or just her tummy healing but trying a Antacid can't hurt. It worked in 3 days.

Riceguy, I need help in NOT making bricks.

Can you or anyone tell me exactly, like I have never cooked before how to make your gluten-free bread.

FYI: I am mixing by hand and cooking in a pyrex dish in my oven.

How much tsp (not gram ) yeast per c. flour mix, how much guar gum & p.husk per c. flour mix to use, how long to rise (which hasn't happened yet) what is warm exactly for gluten-free flour ,70 ,80, 90 degrees. ? What do I do with the yeast, mix straight into the flour or 1st in warm water w/sugar ????? I never baked non gluten-free bread before this change so I am unfamiliar with it's needs.

As Denzel said in The Philadelphia story. Explain it to me like I am a 6 yr old. Step by step. measurement by measurement.

Is there a general rule for yeast to gluten-free flour ratio, and guar gum/p.husk to gluten-free flour ratio in case I want to try with different flours?

My chickens are getting tired of my mistakes, but the squirrels are waiting by my door. These are just too bad for breadcrumbs.

Maureen

Rice guy,

I agree it's a matter of taste. The recipes from the cookbook I have use oil and shortening and we think they do taste very good. My daughter (the celiac disease) doesn't like buckwheat so that's a no also.

I will keep trying different things! I am trying your bread (new heights post) recipe with a few changes based on what I have in the cabinet, I'll let you know how that goes. Thanks.

It really depends on the type of food. Can you give an example of a type of food you'd like to make lower in fat/calories?

I only use Stevia for a sweetener, and I think it works out quite well. Though a recipe which traditionally calls for lots of sugar or other bulky sweetener must be altered to account for the fact that Stevia adds no considerable bulk, as it only takes a tiny amount. I find that just 1/2 tsp can replace up to a cup of sugar. It depends on the recipe, and your preference.

Fats can also be replaced in some types of recipes. Again, it depends on the food, and your preferences.

I am more looking to replace :

oil in blueberry muffins

Shortening in Choc. chip cookies

I cut half the oil in pancakes with yogurt and it worked out ok. I will not use sugar substitute so I am ok there.

I often substituted Applesauce/yogurt for oil or whites for eggs in the past. Of course the texture changed but acceptably so. Also, I always cut out 1/8 of the sugar cause every recipe is overly sweetened.

I am not looking to cut out the fat that would be impossible. i just want to cut down somewhat.

Like 1/2 oil and half applesauce etc.. that kind of stuff..

I did ask the author of my book and got a vehement NO substitutes, if you want low fat, buy a low fat book.

Hi all,

I am new to gluten-free baking. I would like to substitute low fat/cal for ingredients but it seems gluten-free baking is a delicate procedure. Has anyone successfully substituted Applesauce for oil? I am using Annalise Robert baking recipes with success but all her recipes are high in fat and calories and my celiac disease is in the 98th percentile. Therefore, treats here need to be kept to a minimum and more healthy than slabs of shortening with cups of oil.

ANY suggestions.

Maureen

All the above are great idea's.

I often send in a dinner leftovers for lunch. They do not need heated meals so room temp foods are perfect for them.

invest in some kid friendly containers that can be microwaved. and a lunch bag with separate compartment's. I would pack a meal, nuke it and put in the lunch bag right away as is, no ice pack, and it always came out fine. Then pack the juice, fruit, yogurt, cheeses etc.. with the ice pack in the other part.

There are these 6oz easy screw lid cups from Ball that are freezable. I never freeze anything in them but use them for EVERYTHING. Yogurt, jello, cheese and cracker, chips, cereal anything.

Another good investment is a Tupperware container (sandwich size)with a dip well that has it's owns inner lid. Veggies and dip, cracker's with PB, etc.. Your hot meal can go in it with the well holding ketchup or BBQ sauce. The inner lid removal may need practice so as not to yank off and send contents flying, or just instruct your little one to ask for help.

Plan on 2/3 sandwiches 3/2 leftover meals , alternate days and your good.

If you like oatmeal.

The night before you can get gluten-free oats put into a container fill with water till just reaches oat tops, add raisin, coconut, nuts whatever, stir and cover. Keep in frig till next morning, then nuke it in the microwave or even take to work and heat up there. I even toss a dollop of yogurt on top. But "traditional breakfasts" are not necessary it's in our heads. Chicken and rice is just as good, roll it up in a corn tortilla if it feels more right.

Hi,

The Cocoa pebbles is ok, that was part of our parenting test by our nutritionist. I don't know about the Fruity pebbles because we dont eat them. FYI our Walmart carries Envirokids at the cheapest price $2.98 box

Here is General Mills response when I asked about Trix and Kix.

Thank you for contacting us about gluten in Trix and Kix cereals.

General Mills offers several products that are labeled gluten-free. Please check the package label for the gluten-free statement on the front/side/back of the package. Only products that can be verified to be gluten free will be declared as gluten free on the label. It is important to check the product label each time you purchase a product because it has the most accurate information about the product in the package.

Because we constantly strive to improve our products′ quality and nutritional value, the most up-to-date product information is on the package the product is purchased in. For that reason, we do not distribute product information lists as they could quickly become outdated. A current list of products on the market that are gluten free can be found by visiting www.liveglutenfreely.com . It is important to check the package label before purchasing for the gluten-free statement on the front/side/back of the package to verify that the package you choose is gluten free.

For products not labeled gluten free, we will always declare gluten containing ingredients if they are added to the product. If the ingredient declaration lists wheat, oats, barley, rye, or derivatives of these grains, then the product contains gluten. Examples of derivative ingredients include: malt, barley malt, organic malt, semolina, Durham, triticale, and spelt. We do not include gluten containing ingredients in the ′Natural Flavors′ or ′Spices′ on the product ingredient list. If there are gluten ingredients in our products, those ingredients are always clearly listed.

If there are no gluten- containing ingredients listed in the product ingredient label, but the product does not make a gluten free claim, it is because we cannot fully assure that this product is gluten free. While we have not added gluten-containing ingredients, factors such as sourcing, conditions of manufacture, etc. do not allow us to provide the full level of assurance that a gluten free claim requires.

Basically they cannot guarantee cross contamination at factory level so there is no gluten-free status on them.

My daughter eats both and doesn't seem affected, you would have to try it and find out.

For our girl scout troop, we send out a agenda/newsletter and appoint someone to bring snack and let them know what they can bring, due to food allergies, usually fruit, Tostito corn chips,salami, cheese, veggies. We have 2 in our troop who are gluten free, and 2 that are dairy free, the parents are understanding. It is interesting that when there is more than 1 child or person with an allergies or food sensitivity, people perk up and start to get interested, but if it is just my daughter or myself, people sometimes don't get it. We usually don't make a big deal about snack at our meeting, it is sort of off to the side and the girls eat it or they don't. We have 4th & 5th graders so they know what they can eat, or like so they are pretty much in control of their intake.

Good luck!

We have a gluten-free and a peanut and a Lactose allergy in our troop. I agree there is more understanding when there are multiples to deal with. Due to our many allergens there is nothing besides fruit and veggies our girls can all share together without it being homemade so I (gluten-free mom) always pack my girl her own that way the others can share 1 thing. Which yes, does make my girl stand out again. If anyone has any ideas for an all 3 allergen situation I will gladly listen. The troop leader has the peanut allergy and her close friends daughter is the lactose so she understands the need for being careful but doesn't know what's ok or not for gluten-free, yet. Any suggestions are welcome here also.

In our troop the leaders provide the snacks because of the allergy situation. My girl was not diagnosed till halfway thru the year so it was easier for me to provide then to change the snack list.

Good luck,

Maureen

I haven't use this but have eaten muffins and cookies used with Namaste gluten-free flour mix. I was told by the baker they used it cup for cup with their wheat flour recipes. good luck

Here's a couple ,

Slice a banana lengthwise while in peel. Spread P.Butter in center and wrap in plastic and freeze. When ready cut into slices and remove peel. Keeping the peel off just make it easier it has no other purpose.

Banana , yogurt, dash of milk and, Choc. or Strawberry sauce in blender makes a nice smoothie.

Cover banana in PButter, roll in granola or raisins and stick on bamboo skewer with pointy tip cut off. Stick makes for fun.

We are 7 weeks gluten-free and this is what we have found.

Tostitio's corn chips , the rounds with slices of cheese are a favorite here.

Utz brand chips, cheese puffs and potato sticks say gluten free right on the back on their safe flavors.

Quaker rice cake say gluten-free on them also for safe flavors my girl likes the Caramel and Chocolate

Newmans Own Soy Crisps, Cinnamon and sugar are OK

Sweet's:

Enjoy life, Snickerdoodles are really good(not cheap)try the 2 pack first usually $1 each

We also like Bob's red mill Choc chip cookies, I mix the whole batter and freeze half, bake the other half and store cookies on air tight container

Glutino cereal bars are ok

Glenny's has a rice krispie bar, we haven't tried it.

K-Kritters animal crackers (these are like a SUGAR cookie )

I find it's worth baking brownies (pamela's or Bob's) or a cake( Pamela's) and packing those up for snacks, cheaper for sure.

UDI's white bread is the closest we have found to a wheat bread, My 6yr old is enjoying her PBJ sandwiches again. My girl also likes Tapioca loaf from Energ, It's kinda a weird semi-hard white bread but it does have more protein and fiber than the other Energ breads so she get that for bologna and turkey (Oscar Mayer) and Udi's for PBJ.

Ocean state job lot also carries a decent selection of corn and rice pasta the cheapest prices I have found. FYI Kraft brand mac and cheese cheese packet is gluten-free, NOT the pasta, If you have any keep the cheese packet for a gluten-free pasta, it is much better that Annies brand IMO

The hardest part once you find product you like is finding the best price, expect to spend a lot more grocery money the first month, then know it will get better as you shop around and get to know brands.

Don't know what state you are in but here are my shopping stores in Ma.

In MY OPINION:

Whole foods: most options also most expensive

Stop and shop , less options cheaper prices

Hannaford, decent selections, average prices

Ocean state job lot, average to cheaper price , lots of Bob Red Mill product and occasional chip and cracker selections.

Walmart , very small selection, cheapest prices

Target, I have heard they sell gluten-free but the ones near me do not

My girl has 2 weeks of girl scout camp in July and I found Smoreables for her gluten-free smores at Whole foods, so she can even have that.

Good luck

Hi Sarah,

Firstly understand every Celiac case is different. As much as I hated to hear that from our Doc it's true.I have talked to many adults and parents of celiac disease and they all had a different recovery story, anywhere from 5 days up to 2 months. but eventually everyone gets there. It takes 6 months to a year+ for the Villi to grow back completely depending on their level of Atrophy.

Unfortunately it's a wait and see , disease.

As far as Cross contamination, since you still control the food going into your child and home you needn't go Gluten free unless you want to. Just be very careful about how his food is prepped . I just prep my girls stuff first. some people find using plastic utensils and paper plates for the celiac disease child works for them. I keep my Gluten food in one refrigerator drawer and one cabinet only. But my girl can get her own drinks and snacks so I have to separate.

I did find it helpful to insure all my frig condiments were gluten-free( just easier that way), and I replaced the toaster, the knife block and thoroughly cleaned the cabinets and put a cover on my silverware to prevent cc. Some people replace blenders and mixers, I just thoroughly cleaned them.

Our dietician explained it this way, a thumbnail size of gluten is the max amount a celiac disease person should encounter per day, when you have healthy Villi.

You will figure out what works best for you.

good luck .

Maureen

Hello everyone. I'm new here - just found out my son most likely has celiac disease. We're actually waiting on the final blood results to come back, but starting Friday, we've moved to a gluten free diet and I feel like I've seen some changes in him for the better.

He's 17 months old, and has been sick/ out of sorts for the past month. Just in this weekend, his diarrhea has tapered off, and he is starting to get interested in things again. Even though he still has NO desire to walk.

Anyhow, a couple things I wanted to ask about. First, how long did it take for your child to bounce back once diagnosed? While it's been only a month, I miss my sweet little boy! He's still very "fragile" and whiny. I'm happy to see the progress I've seen in only 3 days, but I'm just wondering how much longer to expect this to go on.

Along this front, was your childs sleep habits messed up? DS was a GREAT sleeper, and now he might sleep for 6 hours straight, then he's up every 2 hours after that. Naps- HA! We're lucky if we get 45 mins from him - and he used to be a solid 2 hour napper kid.

Second, and I feel my ignorance coming through on this, but I've been reading a lot about cross-contamination. The information makes me feel like my son will die if I touch a piece of bread before making his food! We, of course, want to be as vigilant about this as we can be, so I'm trying to get a grasp of how pervasive gluten is and how easily it can be transferred.

(As we haven't gotten the final results yet, we haven't discussed yet if we will go gluten-free or not in our home. I'm using this time to read up and prepare so that if it is an official "yes", we can move forward w/ a good, base understanding).

Any feedback/insight is greatly appreciated!

Sarah

Hi all,

I was at a health food store Saturday picking up some cooking stuff and they had a bread sample they were giving out. It was Udi's White sandwich bread. I have never seen or heard of this before. But then again we have only been gluten free for 6 weeks. Anyways my 6 yr old loved it. I honestly could make a PB&J with it with out having to toast it. It even had air holes in it like Wheat bread.

I am sad that after only 6 weeks of Gluten free I am this Jazzed up about a bread, my empathy goes out to all you long term Celiacs.

Anyways, Is this new to market or new to me?

Anyone know which stores sells it ( In Ma.)? The market I was in will probably be ordering it for there shelves but it will take a while.

Maureen

Hi,

My 6 yr olds only symptoms were constipation and belly pains and she is in the 98th percentile for ht and wt also. So yes the Celiac symptoms are varied.

Our GI was running a battery of blood tests which was how we were diagnosed (the constipation was going on it's year and half mark). Then she was scoped.

If you really want the scope done which can show more accurate results you need to stress your position with the Dr. Even if you have to 'EXAGGERATE' your anxiety over it, to get the test ordered and covered by insurance.

Good luck!

My daughter went gluten free 1 month ago based on positive blood work and scope. She still has daily tummy pain, although shorter in length and intensity. A common thread I read about was dairy intolerance. Just wondering if this is very common or not. I very specifically asked the nutritionist this question and her response was

"Do not take her off dairy the benefits of dairy out way the possibility of aggravation, besides it would only be for a month or so" I am not sure I agree with this.

Dairy is a huge part of her daily life, so this would change a lot even if temporary but I am willing to try it. More so, I really just want her to stop hurting .

Any thoughts out there.

This is our first summer with celiac disease in the family. I usually go camping(at a family camp park) with the friends and family every summer. We have ability to cook on stove top but it is a shared option with 3 other families none of which have celiac disease or any allergies . Any suggestions for making this happen at least somewhat smoothly.

Thanks.

Hi,

My celiac disease child which was recently diagnosed at 6 1/2 was also a carb addict. Also only ate carrots and 1 tbls of peas or green beans for her veggie. We have recently graduated to mini cuke slices with lots of ranch dressing , this I am sad to say excites me.

I am going to start making different gluten-free muffins and breads to substitute snacks with, by adding banana, berries, carrots, zuchini etc..I will also add in ground Flax seed and fiber supplement for her needs. Also, my friend suggested yogurt & fruit smoothies in a thermos for school lunch/snack time. Even cheese slices with Tostitos are ok.

I do food process veggies of ALL kinds and they go in my meatballs, meatloaf, burgers etc.. Which are always all turkey or half turkey, half Hamburg. It's definitely an adjustment I am still working on, but this is a good start for both of us.

Good luck

My 5 yr old daughter had her scope done 3 weeks ago. They could visually see the effects Gluten had on her and tell me immediately. I had to wait 4 days (they say 5-10) for the biopsy results.

You CAN get a false negative on blood work, I do not believe you can get a false positive. You CANNOT get a false negative or false positive on a biopsy if they are checking for infection. The scope itself may not conclude if you have celiac disease if your Villi are not affected. Therefore, MAKE sure your child EATS gluten regularly before the test to improve chances of a good identification. YES it's stinks to give it too them but better to give them it short term than a bad diagnosis and problems for long term. If you want details on the scope email me and I'll tell you how it was handled.

Really important to eat Gluten before the scope.

The scope will also show if there are ulcers or other things going on to cause stomach pain and swelling.

Good luck,