Author Topic: gluten free - where do I even start? Tips, recipes, encouragement needed!!  (Read 9539 times)

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Offline Little toes

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Just wanted to add hugs and some gf foods.....forgive me if they've already been mentioned, i just skimmed the pp's. Ok, so Arrowhead Mills - good corn spaghetti and other noodles like elbow macaroni, Duinkerken - mixes for muffins, pancakes, cookies, etc. I buy both at Walmart. There are two other brands that work for us, Italpasta and Misuro (sp?) I find them in local grocery stores that sell italian brand foods. I prefer the corn pasta as opposed to rice, find it cooks much better. Shopping at these stores saves me a bit of money, I found the health food stores to be overpriced.


Offline nwmm

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I would like to listen in.  I have just been cutting back and want to learn.

Offline marensmama

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Nicole, if the GF doesn't do anything in 6 weeks, I'd then go looking at dairy & then fructose, as if she eats lots of dairy & friut they too could be the problem... I know fructose is the problem for my friend with her reflux.


I'm certainly hoping that gluten is the problem here.  Feeding her is tricky enough, but eliminating her go-to foods would be a nightmare.  I've noticed that she tends to stop eating crackers and bread after just a few bites, she'll scrape the cheese or topping off with her fingers ( ::) ) but leave the bread-y part.  Maybe she's limiting herself, maybe she doesn't feel well after eating it.  She's started asking for scrambled eggs for breakfast every morning, instead of a more typically gluten-laden cereal or toast.  I bet if I send GF crackers with GF sandwich meat and cheese for her lunch, she'd be more likely to eat it all.  Maybe it's in the presentation, too.  If I get a bento box style lunch box and the presentation is different, she won't miss the typical appearance of the sandwich.  Just thinking out loud here.

Littletoes, thanks for the info.  I'll look for those brands at my grocery store tomorrow.  Is the vegetable pasta GF, does anyone know?

Looking forward to checking out my grocery stores for this stuff.  I'm starting to feel bad feeding her foods that contain gluten as I get things sorted out... I've given myself a week to get sorted and a plan in place.  
Nicole - Mom to My Lovely Girls


Offline my3girlsjde

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I'm starting to feel bad feeding her foods that contain gluten as I get things sorted out... I've given myself a week to get sorted and a plan in place.
Hugs Nicole - I know this feeling. Just remember that during this time, cutting back will be helping iykwim.

I've noticed that she tends to stop eating crackers and bread after just a few bites, she'll scrape the cheese or topping off with her fingers (  ) but leave the bread-y part.  Maybe she's limiting herself, maybe she doesn't feel well after eating it.
This was E as well at a point. Many of the foods that didn't agree with her, she would refuse. It took six months to get her to eat an egg, and even though she's fine with them now when she's not having gluten she would get incredibly gassy and quit eating.

I so hope this works for you.

Just wanted to add that I'm a 'lister'. I have lists of things that E can eat and that she can't as well as a few maybe's. Because there's times that she's hungry and our usual go-to things aren't available I can see something that I haven't thought about giving her in a while. It saves on the frustration.
Vicki - nursing student and proud mother to three refluxers in two years





Remembering my sleeping angels: 17 Jan 06, 30 Jul 09

Offline Sam-n-Max's Mommy

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The brand of bread we use is Food for Life, Rice Almond flavor.  Like I said, it doesn't taste like real bread, but DS seems to like it especially if I microwave it first and cut off the crust when he eats a sandwich.  The same brand English Muffins aren't bad either -- I actually eat them myself.  The brand of pasta we've been trying is Tinkyada.  DS doesn't eat pasta (but he didn't before he was gf either), but DH and I have been eating it and it's pretty good.  The nut chips are called Baked Nut Chips and are by Blue Diamond.  They are a big hit.  DS eats Corn Chex and hasn't tried this other brand yet, but it is pretty yummy - EnviroKids Organic Panda Puffs (they are peanut butter flavored).

We also use Arrowhead Mills all-purpose flour, Cherrybrook Kitchen Pancake Mix, Cherrybrook Kitchen Muffin and Scone Mix, and Glutino Breadcrumbs (although I think it's just seasoned gf cornmeal). 

Here is a link to a thread I started a few weeks ago.  I posted a french toast recipe and chicken nugget recipe.  You can use regular milk and egg since you are not df and ef too.  I have some others, if you want them let me know.  I am also planning on trying to make homemade tater tots -- we'll see lol.

Give yourself a break and sometime to process it.  It is a big change and you'll have it sorted out in no time. 
--Nicole
(formerly samsmommy3312010)

Offline my3girlsjde

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How is it going Nicole?

We had a slip up as dh was 'mom' this week and E had some regular hot dogs. Today she was wheezing and needed her puffers for the first time in about six weeks.

I think we've learned an important lesson. We can do obvious things like bread for the big girls but things like hot dogs where mistakes can happen we're better off to have all of us go gf for that item.

Hope things are going well :)
Vicki - nursing student and proud mother to three refluxers in two years





Remembering my sleeping angels: 17 Jan 06, 30 Jul 09

Offline Katet

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I'm not sure if it is a co-incidence, but there always seems to be that "could be but might not be"
I ate a bread roll on the weekend & have had lots (for me) of wheat based foods this week (I go with trace wheat & Gluten rather than totally wheat & GF) & I have a cold. Now DS2 has also just got it, but it seems everytime I do the "lets just try & see what happens, I get a cold or the like... I actually haven't had the heavy feeling in the stomach that I used to, but I'm kind of thinking my immunity is down when I do eat wheat/gluten"
dc1 July 03, dc2 May 05

Offline marensmama

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Well so far Hayden hates everything that's GF.  ::)  However, we've been able to stick with it for her (DH and I are finishing up the wheat bread that I stocked up on, as well as the crackers and cereal that she didn't eat before anyways).  Maren on the other hand is quite interested in learning all about gluten and what foods contain it.  That's my rule follower!!!  :D  I have a few recipes to try for making GF bread (sampled the recipe already from a co-worker who is celiac) and I've managed to make some small changes to other recipes that we normally eat to get rid of gluten.  Tonight we had quesadillas in brown rice tortillas that were quite yummy.

So how is Hayden doing, you're wondering.... well, last night was the first night in recent history that she STTN and slept for 11.5 hrs, past all the things that would have woken her up before (like the shower in our ensuite waking her, or me going into their bathroom to get ready in the morning).  That was amazing, usually she's up at least once in the night and by 5:37am at the latest.  She is still complaining of tummy aches.  She is still very very touchy.  She said today that she threw up in her mouth at daycare.  But maybe, just maybe we've seen a bit of progress in the four short days that she has been GF?

Her daycare has been very accommodating, providing her with a GF cookie to replace the animal cracker they normally give each of the kids after they eat their lunch.  I realized today though, that playdoh is made from wheat flour... and since she still eats the stuff ::) we're going to have to have some alternative organized. 
Nicole - Mom to My Lovely Girls


Offline MasynSpencerElliotte

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There is a product called Moon Dough that is GF, we don't have it so I have no idea what it is like.  Spencer had playdoh aversions until recently and no way would she ever put it in her mouth!!

Wow, STTN is awesome...hopefully this is the key!  Love that Maren is all into the GF stuff, Masyn is the allergy/intolerance police at our house, even at daycare and the IL's she questions everything that Spencer is fed.  I think once Hayden gets that "gluten" taste out of her mind it might be easier. 
Heidi




Offline amandamae

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If you're still looking for recipes try http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com. My GF sister introduced me to it. She's entertaining and the recipes are pretty flexible. You can even just peruse them for inspiration. I cook from there for my family just because she has some great recipes!
Amanda Mae
     Christopher (5)
     Olivia (3)
     Mikayla (1)

Offline Buntybear

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That is a really great start, onwards and upwards I hope! Olly showed most of his allergies at night time with long NWs, once we removed the culprits he started to STTN too x

Offline Katet

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Funnily I hadn't actually connected that this week my sleep has been really poor & I've been waking at 5ish - this is the week I went off the rails. Funny how you don't notice things until you listen to others.
I'd love my family to be GF (esp Ds1) as I think it would help DS1's noisy breathing (ENT says there is no physical cause & it is probably related to allergy), but I can't see DH getting on side.
dc1 July 03, dc2 May 05

Offline Little toes

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STTN is great! Hopefully you'll continue to see improvements!

That is a really great start, onwards and upwards I hope! Olly showed most of his allergies at night time with long NWs, once we removed the culprits he started to STTN too x

I've noticed a connection with foods and sttn, wish I had known sooner.

The other day I made gf macaroni salad - corn elbow noodles, they also sell gf mayo but i'm not sure about that, if it makes a difference.


Offline okinawamama

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Do you have access to the brand Udi's? They make fantastic breads, bagels, pizza dough, muffins....it's not cheap, but it's by far the best tasting product I've found for GF breads. We only give it to DS2 (and me since I'm still BF), but everyone else in the family prefers the GF bread, it's that yummy!

Have you tried any corn tortillas? We use those in place of bread/dough's pretty frequently. I put cheese, or cinnamon and sugar, peanut butter/honey, tomato sauce with cheese.....and my little guy really likes it!

For us, the first thing that improved on the GF diet was my sons sleep. Exactly 1 week after going GF, my son slept through the night for the first time in his life! I hope that the GF diet is the missing piece of the puzzle for you and your LO!  
toddler A 3/16/2009
baby B 4/20/2011

Offline my3girlsjde

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ITA about the sleep. E is still up at night after the gluten she had a few days ago. Her sttn's started a few weeks after she went off gluten 

Hopefully the tummy aches subside with this out of her diet a while longer.

And yay! For accommodating daycare ;D
Vicki - nursing student and proud mother to three refluxers in two years





Remembering my sleeping angels: 17 Jan 06, 30 Jul 09