Hi all,
I am finally giving in and trying the gluten free path of life. I started on Tuesday and so far its going ok, I have gotten Udi's buns and bagels, so I'm doing ok with the bread thing. But, I am really struggling with not being able to eat my frosted shredded wheat, it was my go to snack for myself and the kids. Obviously the kids can still have it, but I am missing that quick go to snack with the touch of sweetness. The other thing I am really missing are my graham crackers with cinnamon. I used to eat some before bed as a late night snack instead of the really yummy things like cake and cookies for my sweet cravings. Do any of you have some ideas of what could be similar to these foods that I could eat? I know that fruits and veggies are good choices, but they just aren't the same bready thing I am really wanting, I've tried and they just aren't working.
Thanks for you ideas and help! Oh, and any other good recipes or good ideas would be welcome as well. I appreciate it.
Thanks to all of you for your advice. I hadn't realized that Chex had so many flavors, I will check them out for sure! and I'll look around too. I am doing a 3 week trial recommended by my doctor to see if I am sensitive because I am sick to my stomach all the time and the GI endoscopy didn't show anything, but some white blood cells in my small intestine. The biopsy was inconclusive, and the blood test was negative. She said that after 3 weeks I will know if it affects me or not. Obviously I am hoping that it won't make a difference so I can have regular food, but we'll see. I am sick of being sick! so I gave in to the doc's advice and am trying it. So far I am doing ok, but gluten is in so many things! I am not avoiding the infintessimal amounts that are in things like beef stock or soy sauce, since I'm just not that bad. So far, I haven't noticed any changes, but it'll be a week tomorrow, so we'll see...
Again, Thanks for the ideas!
Why are you doing gluten free? Do you have to or do you think it is a good thing to do. Docs say not a good thing to do if you do not need to.
First, do you really need to be gluten free? Have you been tested? I've seen so many people jump on the band wagon of this social trend...it's like "fat free", low carb, low glycemic, etc, etc.
If you don't have a gluten allergy, there's no reason to put yourself through this.
Try Cinnamon Chex cereal! I like Chocolate Chex too. A handful of almonds with chocolate chips are a nice little dessert. And if you make rice crispy treats using vegetable oil instead of butter (add a sprinkle of salt too) it is a dessert that everyone can enjoy. Good luck!
I did paleo for almost a year , kind of got tired of it. Check out "Just eat real food " on Facebook , they have AMAZING gf recipes
do you have celiac or an allergy? Going gluten free unless your dr. said to, isn't really good for you. If there is no reason to be gluten free, then don't torture yourself! It's really not all that healthier. My daughter is gluten free because she has a life threatening allergy to wheat (yes we have needed an epi pen). We are still going through more testing, but she is 8 years old and totally hates the gluten free diet and cries about how it's not fair.
(we only found out about her allergy in March so for most of her life she had a regular diet)
My daughter likes Udi's gluten free whole grain bread, gluten free donuts, and cinnamon rolls. We use gluten free soy sauce (which tastes the same as regular) when I make stir fry or adobo. For flour I use bob's red mill all purpose GF flour. I've had good luck baking cookies and brownies with it. You just have to add xantham gum.
There are a lot of things that are naturally gluten free. There are also a lot of things that have hidden gluten in it like chicken broth and soy sauce. You just have to read labels and call the company if you aren't sure.
Good luck but you really shouldn't be doing this unless your dr. says so and there is no medical reason to do so
Try cinnamon chex!!!
Are you going gluten free because you NEED to? Or because it's what everyone else is going and people seem to think its a weight loss tool?
If you don't NEED to (you don't have a sensitivity to it), you can keep your treats. Just cut it out for baking and breads, etc....
Are you trying this just because it is the current trend, or is this due to medical advice? I ask because you say you're "giving in and trying" as if this was just a phase or a diet plan.
If you think you have an actual intolerance, then you need to undergo testing *before* you stop eating it for accurate results.
What about Rice Chex or Corn Chex? You can also find gluten-free graham crackers (though you might have to look online). The thing is, you probably want to slowly ease off even the gluten-free bread stuff because it's not all that great for a person either, but it can really make the difference between staying on the wagon or falling off of it when it comes to eating gluten free!
there are some GF graham crackers & graham animals out there, made by kinnikinnick. my kids love them but i can't say as i am paleo and can't eat those things :( they smell good though. some of GF stuff is probably not going to taste right to you at first.
apples with cinnamon is tasty. fruit leathers for sweets or trail mix. Udi's has some tasty granola. there are some sweet granola-type bars too. give some GF cereals a try. my kids like the GF rice krispies so you don't have to miss out on rice krispie treats :) depending on how GF you are going, sunrise cereal is really good but is made in a shared facility.
i see you don't have a big chain nearby but i think a trip to whole foods or new seasons is in order. there is a GF store in vancouver called Lingonberries. they tend to be pricier than whole foods but sometimes they have things that whole foods doesn't. it's fun to browse at any rate. amazon's prices aren't usually very good.
check out the glutenfreecookingschool.com. she posts free recipes sometimes. also http://gigswwa.blogspot.com/ i'm not the cook in the house so i'm sorry i can't help with specifics! my husband does a lot of meat, veggies, and rice.
Almonds with raisins and chocolate chips. Yum! Berries are also a yummy dessert. Rice crackers with cheese, Most chex are gluten free and they have some good flavors. Popcorn is always a great snack too. Oh and don't forget tortilla chips and guac or salsa. There are a bunch of homemade desserts you can make too that you can find online. We are trying to cut back on gluten because we all have a skin disorder caused by gluten. I also feel bad if I eat too many carbs now, so gluten free can be helpful for people who aren't actually "allergic". I think it keeps our moods more even too. Just thought I'd chime in on that.
