People experienced in giving up the gluten

Kimenem

Cathlete
This is probably a stupid ? but.....everything I have read says to give up the obvious things (breads, cakes, cookies, pasta, etc.). But it also says you have to really read labels. I looked at a few things in the pantry I already have, such as chilli and soup, and nothing said the actual word gluten. So what other names does it go by? How do you know which ingredients to avoid? I want to try this ONLY becaue I'm wondering if my hair with thicken back up if I avoid it for the most part. If I have any other symptoms, they aren't noticeable enough for me to care about them yet.

Second thing. I'm also wondering this. Since I don't HAVE to give it up, will just a significant reduction help? I'm talking about just giving up the obvious stuff, which I really need to do anyway, just for overall health. I'm thinking breakfast would be hard, though I read that corn flakes are ok. What about milk or cottage cheese. Thanks! :)
 
Anything that says it contains wheat is a no-no. Corn flakes are ok as are most of the Chex cereals. Corn Pops are not. Pretzels are out. Oatmeal is really iffy. You have to really watch soups. I have only found a few that are wheat free. I find breakfast easy. Lunch is more difficult since I get tired (or my body gets tired) of eating salad every day. I have yet to find a frozen meal that is wheat free. Milk and cottage cheese are both fine. Bread is another difficult one. There is gluten-free bread but it is definitely NOT like regular bread. It is much more dense. I like the almond flavored one but not the white rice.

As for if only a reduction will help, each person is individual and you should probably try it. Good luck to you in your endeavor. I have been gluten free since the first of the year and it is definitely work but it is also kind of fun! I am certainly learning more about ingredients.

Carrie
 
If you make most of your food from scratch, with whole ingredients, it's easier to know exactly what's in it, including gluten.

For breakfast, whole grains are healthier than that prepared boxed stuff anyway. Oats are gluten free (but are often processed in the same factory as gluten grains, so unless they are labeled "gluten free," there could be cross contamination that would not be acceptable for someone very sensitive to gluten), as are quinoa, millet, buckwheat and amaranth.

I'm sure there are many books (and possibly web sites) that list ingredients that those avoiding gluten should avoid.

Some gluten-free substitutions for gluten-containing foods:
Make zucchini pasta and use it instead of grain pasta (you can make "fetuccini"-type noodles by using a vegetable peeler to slice long strips and then cut them into the width you want. YOu can cut them even thinner for more spaghetti-type noodles.

Use green leafies for wraps and 'bread' instead of grain-based wraps and bread. Two big leaves of Romaine lettuce work well as a sandwich holder. Collard greens (cut off the stem that sticks out from the leaf, and thin the thicker part of the stem that is on the leaf, soak for 30 minutes or more in a bit of lemon juice + salt to soften, or put in the freezer for about 20 minutes for the same purpose, then use the leaf, shiny side down, to make a roll up). (much tastier and nutritious than some gross 'gluten-free' grain wrap made of rice flour or soy flour or potato flour).
 
It's very easy to find gluten free products these days.

My DD has gluten sensitivity and even in my little town, our Stop & Shop has gluten free bread in the freezer of the organic section. There's brown rice bread & millet bread. She also eats brown rice pasta (available in the organic section of grocery stores, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, health food stores, etc).

She has no problems w/ Quaker Oats Old Fashioned oatmeal. Trader Joe's has gluten free frozen waffles and Van's is a nationally distributed brand. Whole Foods has frozen gluten free pizza crust (similar to Boboli).

I think if you're wondering if you have a wheat/gluten allergy, it's really easy to find substitutes for the big items. Don't make yourself crazy about all the little bits of it at first. See if you feel better cutting out the big items, then if you do, you can look to eliminate the small amounts added to things like salad dressing.

Like others suggested, stick w/ real food & it' a lot easier than you think to avoid gluten.

HTH.
 

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top