This week at Cookerati, we’re trying to talk about Gluten Free products.  We were asked to sample some gluten free products and help our readers learn about some gluten free options.  Since we want to help our readers, and we’re game to try new things, learn about new options, address readers concerns, this week is Gluten Free week.  We’ll try our best to get it all correct, but if we don’t, feel free to help us out.

Why Gluten Free?

Gluten Free is not a health fad. Most people don’t decide to go gluten free just to be healthier, although some do.  Usually, they are diagnosed with a gluten intolerance or Celiac Disease.  Celiac Disease is a serious condition, that sometimes mimics other stomach ailments and can be mild, or as major as feeling ground up glass in your stomach if you digest something with gluten in it.  To be diagnosed with Celiac disease, you actually need to not be on a gluten free diet in order for the testing to be accurate.  Once you are diagnosed, there isn’t a cure, but then you need to live a gluten free life forever.  My mother in law hasn’t been tested or diagnosed with celiac disease, however, her doctor told her she has an intolerance to gluten and should have as gluten free a diet as she can.  Others, who have been diagnosed with ADHD, Autism, and food allergies sometimes find that a gluten free diet has helped their symptoms. Still other people are going gluten free because they just feel healthier on a gluten free diet.  If you choose a gluten free diet, make sure to get the B vitamins and folic acid, by taking supplements, or foods that have been enriched with them.

First steps to Gluten Free?

Clean out a cupboard just for your gluten free foods. If you live with others, or you have a child that is gluten free, you don’t want the foods that others may eat to cross contaminate your gluten free stash.  So, if you can do it clear your cupboards of gluten, if not, find a cupboard and use it just for gluten free.  Something I read that made sense was keep your drawers shut (no, not those, the ones in your kitchen) so that nothing falls onto anything inadvertently.  You might need separate containers, and colanders for your cooking, and even a toaster for your breads. Keep those crumbs cleaned up!

Read labels, and read and read and read.  Even if you’ve read them before, read them again.  Recipes change and companies won’t post a big notice on the front of the can saying NO LONGER GLUTEN FREE. Some companies have a whole separate facility for gluten free, those you can probably trust, but still read labels. 

Let your friends, your children’s friends, your relatives, know you are on a gluten free diet and when you are visiting, offer to bring your own food.  People will feel better if you don’t get violently ill after eating their food.  Look up, call up restaurants to see if they have gluten free offerings.  When you find one you like, stick with it. Be prepared with snacks when you go out or on vacation. That way you won’t end up hungry because you didn’t bring something along.

What can’t you eat?

You can’t eat anything containing wheat, barley, rye (no rye bread?). 

This is a really nice looking print out for the things you can and can not eat.  I would suggest keeping it near by when you make up your shopping list. Gluten Free Diet Guide for Families

What can you eat?

I’m happy to say you can have risotto - if you make it with the right ingredients, but rice is on this list.  Here are some more -

Amaranth, Arrowroot, Buckwheat, Cassava, Corn,
Flax, Indian rice grass, Job’s tears,Legumes,Millet
Nuts,Potatoes,Quinoa,Rice,Sago,Seeds,Soy(but not soy sauce),
Sorghum, Tapioca, Wild Rice, Yucca

Here’s another good page for reference - Celiac Disease guidelines

Gluten Free is a lifestyle.

If it works for you, stick with it and figure it out. There are more things that are gluten free than not, you just have to figure out what they are and where to find them.  We’ll try and help out.  If we can remember we’ll label our recipes gluten free.  Investigate the brands you love and see if they are certified gluten free.  Help us out.  In the comments, let us know what your favorite gluten free brands are, so we can share them with all of our gluten free friends and friends to be.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 20th, 2008 at 7:08 am and is filed under Gluten Free. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.