Gluten free food

caringa

My daughter has just been advised to go gluten free. Can anyone give some tips on the best places to shop - it all seems very expensive!! and maybe some recipe ideas. Thanks!!

The_Book-keeper

Asda, Tesco, Sainsburys etc have a reasonable choice- look for the free from section, but be warned that it is very expensive. Genius fresh bread is pretty good as is Warburtons gluten free. If she has been diagnosed as having coeliac disease she will be able to get the basic staples on prescription (bread, flour, pasta) so might be worth buying a prepaid prescription.

The_Book-keeper

Amoy Straight to Wok Rice noodles )
Blue Dragon sweet chilli & garlic stir fry sauce)
Add the above to a selection of stir fried vegetables and/or a piece of chicken - this is quick and tasty and is suitable for gluten free.

Pataks and Sharwoods both do cook in indian sauces which state on the label they are gluten free. Plain boiled rice is naturally gluten free.

On the free from section at M&S they sell large bags of nachos at 2 for £1.50. I make a nacho meal with these using a spag bol mince mix, grated cheese, and soured cream topping ( I buy Mexi Grande bottles 69p at B&M)

Quite a few of the jars of pasta sauce are gluten free (but always check the label), mix these with cooked gluten free pasta, quite tasty.

I keep a few staples in my cupboard:-
gluten free soya sauce (tamari)
Tiger Tiger Worcester sauce gluten free
Bisto Best granules (chicken & beef) - excellent for adding flavour
I always use heinz baked beans as these are gluten free

The list is endless - it takes time to educate yourself into what you can and what you can't use, and unfortunately, Manufacturers do change recipes so you always need to check the ingredients to see if they contain gluten.

Blueyez

*if you have facebook there is a group called *Gluten Free Bargain & Deals - They list offers and deals that are available in supermarkets.

soolin

Blueyez wrote: »

*if you have facebook there is a group called *Gluten Free Bargain & Deals - They list offers and deals that are available in supermarkets.

There are a lot of other facebook groups as well that are worth joining. However be clear what it is your daughter needs to avoid as it can be confusing, I am a coeliac so am not allergic or Intolerant to wheat or cereal products, I have an auto immune disease that means my insides are affected if I eat gluten. On some of the groups we have people who are intolerant to wheat and gluten products so sometimes something that is recommended might not suit those people.

In the UK something can be labelled gf if it contains a small amount of gluten (somehting like one part in a million ) and there are some products that are GF but contain wheat that has had the gluten removed - but would not be suitable for someone who is wheat intolerant.

So basically find out exactly what your daughter is being told, and why. If the GP suspects she might be coeliac then get her biopsied- the GP should be able to advise on all this but you can also try coeliac UK for advice as well.

Blueyez

soolin wrote: »

There are a lot of other facebook groups as well that are worth joining. However be clear what it is your daughter needs to avoid as it can be confusing, I am a coeliac so am not allergic or Intolerant to wheat or cereal products, I have an auto immune disease that means my insides are affected if I eat gluten. On some of the groups we have people who are intolerant to wheat and gluten products so sometimes something that is recommended might not suit those people.

In the UK something can be labelled gf if it contains a small amount of gluten (somehting like one part in a million ) and there are some products that are GF but contain wheat that has had the gluten removed - but would not be suitable for someone who is wheat intolerant.

So basically find out exactly what your daughter is being told, and why. If the GP suspects she might be coeliac then get her biopsied- the GP should be able to advise on all this but you can also try coeliac UK for advice as well.

Quite right. when in doubt read the ingredients (and check every time you buy because sometimes they do change) , I'm a coeliac who is also dairy intolerant and has a egg allergy and the amount of times I was caught out after my diagnosis

soolin

Blueyez wrote: »

Quite right. when in doubt read the ingredients (and check every time you buy because sometimes they do change) , I'm a coeliac who is also dairy intolerant and has a egg allergy and the amount of times I was caught out after my diagnosis

That must be difficult - so much of the stuff I buy for convenience has dairy in it!

OP, also remember that non processed food tends to be safer anyway, so potatoes , plain rice, meat fruit and veg etc is all fine - most of my diet is just that. It is the extras that can cause problems- adding gravy to a meat dish or a sauce to a rice dish is where we can get caught out.

Mojisola

caringa wrote: »

My daughter has just been advised to go gluten free. Can anyone give some tips on the best places to shop - it all seems very expensive!! and maybe some recipe ideas. Thanks!!

It's worth looking at changing her diet to naturally gluten free foods rather than just paying for expensive replacements for foods that normally contain gluten.

Blueyez

soolin wrote: »

That must be difficult - so much of the stuff I buy for convenience has dairy in it!

OP, also remember that non processed food tends to be safer anyway, so potatoes , plain rice, meat fruit and veg etc is all fine - most of my diet is just that. It is the extras that can cause problems- adding gravy to a meat dish or a sauce to a rice dish is where we can get caught out.

My diet is mainly fruit and veg these days I lost the enjoyment of food when I became Ill and never regained it. Even with my fruit and veg diet I have to be careful as I also have IBD and a few other allergy's so I cant have certain fruits and veg either- Potatoes being one of them I sound like a hypochondriac writing this but you don't realise how lucky you are until you cant have something so simple as a certain food because it will make you ill or kill you.
Also be careful of things like soap powder/fabric softener, shampoo/conditioner , make up and toothpaste- some can contain Gluten, I know you don't eat these things but depending on the person and their sensitivity they can cause things like rashes, blisters and hair loss


*Also try to avoid cross contamination- toasters, cutlery ect