Mahee

Breakfast: Two slices homemade gluten-free bread with raspberry jam and natural peanut butter. Also half a glass of carrot juice.

Snack: Cauliflower florets and cucumber slices dipped in olive and sun-dried tomato hummus (also homemade)

Lunch: 1 homemade veggie burger (veggies, hemp seed, rice, herbs) with a homemade gluten-free bun. Served with a kale, cabbage and pumpkin seed salad and a few slices of roasted butternut squash.

Snack: 15 or so rice crackers (masala flavoured) and a glass of chocolate soy milk

Supper: Since my boyfriend is going away tomorrow I will be making him a treat for supper I'm making a mixed mushroom and caramelized onion pizza seasoned with white wine, rosemary, garlic, shallots and topped with vegan (Follow my Heart) cheese.

I was officially diagnosed in March of this year, but had been told around X-mas that I probably had it. I feel some differences since going gluten-free, but I know that I have a long way to go.

I don't think I have ever seen a buckwheat or quinoa plant. What are they? Seeds? A fruit of a plant? Alien life forms?

Quinoa is actually a seed I eat buckwheat but I'm not sure what it is, but strangely enough is NOT a wheat.

And just for interests sake

Quinoa plant

Open Original Shared Link

Buckwheat plant

Open Original Shared Link

I would also suggest what many others have: to eat before and consider bringing something for yourself. You can even offer to make an entire dish or two for occasions like this, so you at least have something you can eat.

I would also say to be assertive. I know that for some people this is easier said than done, but people need to understand that this isn't a lifestyle choice, it's a medical treatment. For people that you are close with, such as your mother-in-law, I would print off information that shows the medical reality of the damage that gluten causes. Make a little booklet and drop it off to her. When I went vegan, my mother was not happy with me at all. We fought about it a lot, and it wasn't until I printed off information about the treatment of animals on modern farms that she backed off.

Thank you for posting these! I'm vegan and gluten-free too, and always looking for new recipes! Many thanks...

I usually cook because I'm vegan (as are hubby and kids) so it's easier to make meals at home. We do eat out occasionally; there are a couple local restaurants that are vegan friendly -- our favorite is a Thai restaurant.

I now feel like I can never eat out again. I went to a restaurant with my sister last weekend and was pleasantly surprised that they had gluten free penne pasta. But halfway through the meal I found a couple of (regular, not gluten-free) spaghetti noodles in my food. As if that is not bad enough, I even found a small piece of chicken in my pasta. So much for vegan and gluten free. (I should have complained but I didn't.)

What this tells me is that even the places that offer gluten-free food may not actually serve you gluten-free food. We are planning a trip to San Diego, where I always enjoy eating out because of the abundance of vegan restaurants but now I feel like canceling the trip because I don't want to deal with the stress of finding vegan, gluten free food.

What can I eat now when I go out? Salad? Is that my only option? I knew this diagnosis was going to be an inconvenience but this is even worse than I anticipated. Anyone have any vacation and/or restaurant survival tips for a gluten free vegan?

Hi, I know this is a bit late, but I thought I would respond to this anyway.

I'm a vegan, and also recently gluten-free (3 months), and I know how hard it can be to eat out at restaurants. One suggestion I have would be to try to stick to vegan or vegetarian restaurants. I don't know what it's like in San Deigo, but I find in my city that restaurants that deal in dietary restrictions on a regular basis (such as veganism) also are more aware of other dietary issues, such as gluten-free diets. Another option is to scout out restaurants online, and email or call the restaurants that look promising and ask them what steps they take to ensure that their food is not contaminated. This will give you a good idea on whether or not they truly understand how to make safe gluten-free meals.

And it would also be best to pack some foods that can fit in a car, purse or back pack that you can carry with you such as granola bars, rice crackers or fruit. This might help you feel a little less stressed out and frustrated when you can't find something to eat in a restaurant.

And if it's summer when you go (or at least warm) you can always grab some veggies, hummus, etc. and have a picnic in a park while touring the city as an alternative to eating at a restaurant!