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Tips for gluten-free beginners?

For a couple different health reasons, starting tomorrow on a gluten free lifestyle change.... Any tips for people making the transition? Worried that I'll get bored of my fruit and veggie combos (trying to wean out dairy as well)..... All and any advice! Excited for the change but would love some wisdom

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7 Answers

  • Img_2371_small
    Reputation: 300

    Are you going full-on gluten free, or just partway? Full-on means no soy sauce (which also means no Chinese restaurants), nothing with undefined "food starch" in it, avoiding cross-contamination in restaurants and at home just in case flour or whatever was nearby, and so on. I didn't have to be that strict, so others will have to help you out with that.

    I can give you general tips, though. Eating out, most Asian food is your friend--Thai and Vietnamese especially because fish sauce is better than soy--and most Asian cuisine is dairy-free besides. Eat chickpea-batter-fried Indian pakora instead of onion rings, pad thai instead of spaghetti, pho but not ramen, etc.

    At home, explore both substitutes for wheat products like quinoa pasta or gluten-free bread (you can get most of Udi's relatively great product line at Whole Foods; also try Food for Life's English muffins) and gluten-irrelevant foods like rice, quinoa, and mung bean noodles. There's a whole world of tasty grains and grain-based foods (and even nut flours!) out there that most Americans don't eat much or even know about.

    Hang out at Uwajimaya, read the Gluten Free Girl's excellent Seattle-based recipe blog, buy some Bob's Red Mill flours and mixes, and remember not to eat oats unless they're labeled gluten-free. And get flexible: You can put tomato sauce on rice noodles, bake your own gluten-free cookies, and have rich butter (or margarine) mochi instead of cake. You might find some new favorite foods!

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  • Pigeondm2802_228x243_small
    Reputation: 593

    I've noticed that when I decided to restrict a food group in my diet it is most successful when I get excited about the new options I have. Sure you may not be eating wheat and dairy but there are hundreds of different exciting replacements out there.

    Check out a PCC, Madison Market, or another health food store. Stock up on new grains like quinoa, amaranth, millet, and interesting rice varieties. There are tons of different milk replacements to experiment with as well. Also these store carry tons of breads, crackers, and baked goods that are gluten free.

    Furthermore don't try and replace great wheat or dairy based foods with a new food try to replicate the product unless you really like the replacement. For instance soy cheeses with never live up to dairy cheeses. Sometimes I used dairy cheeses in recipes but I never add a slice of soy to a sandwich. There are better tasting nutritional replacements like avocado or hummus. Same goes for things like beer and pasta in my opinion. Try wine or corn instead.

    I'm sure you know this but make sure you get the same nutrients. Eat starches and calcium rich foods. Plus a multivitamin can help while you work out the nutritional transition. Good Luck and Good health!

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  • N546181218_6499_small
    Reputation: 7

    Pickled Ginger's answer is really great, so I'll just add that you're going to find that you live in a very gluten-free-friendly corner of an increasingly gluten-free-friendly world. I'm a third generation gluten free person, and it is a thousand times easier to be GF now than it was back when my grandma was diagnosed. There are tons of products in the stores, everything is labeled, waiters know what the hell you're talking about, and places that you'd never expect to have GF options (like bakeries and sandwich shops) now do, so don't be afraid to ask (but also, if they say no, don't be one of those entitled gluten-free jerks who acts like the world owes them a cupcake.) Be a gracious dinner guest, communicate with your hosts, offer to bring something, etc.

    It's a transition, for sure, but it's really not that daunting once you get the hang of it. Focus on all of the things you CAN eat (there are a lot!), be adventurous, and you'll be just fine.

    I second the Udi's recommendation. Also Tinkyada pasta is excellent. And there is a new GF pasta-maker - Manini's - making the rounds at the farmers markets. Best fresh GF pasta I've ever had. Seek them out!

    Last bit of advice: you will try gluten free versions of things that will make you gag. Don't give up on that thing or decide that it's not possible to make a good GF version - just try someone else's (or make your own). And Shauna Ahern (glutenfreegirl.com) is indeed a great resource.

    Good luck!

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  • Hayes_valley__76__small

    Both Pickled Ginger & Holly have said it all!

    Just a few more resources for you:
    Gluten Intolerance Group: www.gluten.net and if you are Celiac there are all sorts of associations and foundations, you've got the following:
    American Celiac Disease Alliance www.americanceliac.org
    Celiac Disease Foundation www.celiac.org
    Celiac Spruce Association www.csaceliacs.org

    Some fun magazines to flip through are:
    Gluten-Free Living www.glutenfreeliving.com
    Living Without www.livingwithout.com

    As for shopping and classes, I along with many others teach at PCC Cooks, I'll be teaching a Gluten-Free Gnocchi workshop this fall. Check out PCC's Website they do offer all sorts of GF/DF classes. PCC is also a great resource for shopping all Gluten-Free items are tagged with an orange price tag.

    We love Udi's at our house, but often make our own bread. Shauna & Daniel Ahern have a kicking recipe for Rosemary Bread in their most recent cookbook.

    If you love spaghetti, yes Tinkyada is a good substitute but try to get your hands on Andean Dreams Quinoa Pasta, it is by far the best substitute we've run into in our house.

    Lastly, we live in a gluten-free bubble here in the PNW, so like Holly said just get in the habit of saying what it is you are intolerant to and for the most part restaurants are flexible and will try to accomodate; we just had one of our favorite Thai restaurants add a gluten-free soy sauce (most likely Tamari) to their kitchen because so many of us in the neighborhood were asking what dishes could be made gluten-free and yes as Pickled Ginger advised Phad Thai is the main Thai noodle dish without Gluten. Stick to rice noodles of course and question those sauces when venturing out. Also at Maria Hine's Golden Beetle they made us a version of Kibbeh with rice instead of Bulgur Wheat.

    Babycakes has great sweet recipes if you are looking for cookbooks. Mckenna's first cookbook is Vegan and mostly Gluten-Free and her second book is Vegan & Gluten-Free so that's a way to cure a Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free sweet tooth or head to Flying Apron Bakery in Fremont.

    Most importantly, have a blast exploring all of the amazing gluten-free grains/grasses out in the universe.

    Buon Appetito!!

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  • 186245_615580377_1635073_n_small
    Reputation: 1

    In Seattle, we have a local expert/cook/celeb, Shauna James Ahern. She's been interviewed by all the major outlets and her blog is a MAJOR resource: http://glutenfreegirl.com and she's on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/glutenfreegirl

    She is super nice and helpful and most of all just wants people to be able to safely eat while dealing with being GF. Check her out!
    -Siiri
    www.aHalfCup.com

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  • Avatar_default
    Reputation: 0

    Here is a recipe for Homemade Gluten-free Buffalo Chicken Wings. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfSW7oUvzEo

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  • Dscf6268_for_web_small
    Reputation: 342

    You might want to attend this class at PCC Green Lake on Tuesday, July 12: http://mr.fusspot.net/qGFvBR

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