Going Gluten Free.....Good Resource to Get Started??

[yourbadd]

After trying the traditional medical approach to solve my GI tract issues with NO SUCCESS, I have decided to make the leap to a GF diet. No, I have not been tested, my doctor is certain I have Ulcerative Colitis and the only solution is an immunosuppressant medication. Uh...no thanks!!

I know I have absorption issues and have been B12 def in the past (labs show normal now) as well as iron and Vit D def.
currently.
What is a good book with recipe ideas to start me out. I'm not looking to be overwhelmed with data and statistics, yet!! I just need the basics and a bunch of good recipes that my whole family will like. I figure I'll switch us all to a GF diet while I'm at it.

I know I will spend a lot of time reading labels but thankfully, we don't eat a ton of processed foods. Condiments, seasoning packets and the occasional frozen french fry!

Also, if anyone has a tried and true GF bread and pizza crust recipe to share I'd appreciate it. I will need to be creative with my girls' lunches.

 

[TanksHill]

Bubbling Brooks is probably best to answer this.

My family is not completely GF. But I find that just by substituting a few key things it is actually pretty easy. I do not use a specific book. I pretty much use all my same recipes but substitute Bob's Red mill flour for regular, Bragg's amino for soy, corn tortillas instead of flour etc.. With most of your diet coming from whole foods the transition should be relatively easy for you.

Good luck, I hope being GF solve the issues your have.

g

 

[Farmfresh]

I became GF when my daughter (D2) was diagnosed with Celiac. I have not been "tested" either, but I am also Celiac.

Before going GF I had severe acid reflux. The doctor had prescribed over the counter medications and other treatments and was ready to "step me up to stronger drugs" that I had been refusing.

I started with a "two week" elimination diet ... except for that two weeks is still going on close to 5 years later. Once the gluten was out of my system and I had begun to heal the acid reflux was gone! I discovered that I am really Celiac and possibly also wheat allergic when I first ate something with some gluten in it. Within 30 minutes my body was preforming it's own "eliminations".

As for a good basic diet that your family will like think simple for a start.

We did lots of potato dishes, like home fries, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes etc. Rice is also good and easy as are bean dishes like soups and chili. Mexican dishes with corn tortillas are easy to be made GF. Mexican is one restaurant that I usually have several choices to pick from. Instead of sandwiches I often do roll-ups with a warmed corn tortilla.

Be aware that commercially made french fries usually have modified food starch on them to keep them separated. Often times modified food starch is wheat based, although some is corn based, unless it is labeled corn I stay away.

Chex has several GF cereals. Barley malt is the gluten ingredient to avoid in many cereals. Bob's Red Mill carries a line of GF oatmeal and other hot cereals that are good and Cream of Rice is also quite tasty.

If you are going to do a GF diet ... this is a great time to be doing it. Lots of choices! There are several great GF pastas on the market these days. Even Betty Crocker is on the GF bandwagon with GF Cake Mixes, GF Brownies and really good GF Chocolate Chip cookies. Junk food is even easy. There are lots of chip brands (look up Frito-Lay's web site) and way too much candy that is GF. So is many types of soda. Of course that is not on a healthy diet.

The hardest thing is of course bread and baked goods. Bob's Red Mill is my favorite bread mix maker. They have lots of kinds. Also Bisquick now has a GF mix.

If you plan, do a bit of research and make just a few brand changes your family could be gluten free and not even realize it.

 

[Emerald]

While so far we have not had anyone tested the boychild decided to go wheat free the last 6 months and his acne cleared up and he says he feels much better.. he does have a bit here and there lately but says it doesn't bother him as much as before.
One thing that we found and just love are the "Mai Fun" rice sticks. They are easy to cook and we have used them in many dishes where traditional angel hair pasta would have been used. They take flavor very well with what ever I decided to do with them.
The big hit was just cooking them and letting them cool and adding chopped fresh veggie, baby cooked shrimp and a sauce of chopped tomatoes(my own stewed tomatoes) with Italian dressing(pretty much half and half)(bottled or your own home made) and a light sprinkle of shaved parmigiana cheese. Served cold this summer but I'd bet warmed up and the veggies lightly cooked it would be a nice entree.
I've made thicker home made corn tortillas and put our pizza stuff on and baked them and they were okay(I am a bread lover ) the family loved them.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Well, it seems that more and more people are figuring out they are gluten intolerant. Yes, I had ( still take b12 supps) b12 deficiency, GERD, IBS symptoms. I don't do bread. I have a low carb diet, so I never really ate alot of bread, and I have never had the desire to replace it. I have dabbled in GF breads for my firend, but I don't know how they turned out.

For pasta, at our bulk food store, they have a great GF food selection. I buy brown rice pasta for the family. We don't eat it much but I do keep it in the house(becasue occsionally I will want some too). Other than that, GF has been easy for me. Read labels, and nowadays alot of restaurants have GF menus. I am going to dabble in GF baking this winter, as I do think there is a market for it. I'll report back as to my findings.

 

[yourbadd]

Thanks everyone!! I will be headed to the grocery store this afternoon and will begin the journey. I love me some bread so it's gonna be a struggle if I can't find a good recipe for GF bread. The kids were also asking for cinnamon rolls so I need to research a few recipes before I hit the store.

I think I'll stop by the library too and see what they have in the way of GF cookbooks.

Thanks for the suggestion of Mexican dishes....we can certainly handle that!! Our favorite restaurant is a family owned Mexican place.

 

[yourbadd]

Seeing a ton of recipes call for xanthan or guar gum both with mixed reviews. Anyone have a preference or experience using these??

Is this something available at the grocery store??

 

[Wifezilla]

i use coconut flour and almond flour. Not often, but every once in a while you just need some hot pancakes or cranberry bread . Elaina's Pantry is a website with some great recipes, just watch out for the agave nectar. She used to use it a lot in her old recipes. That stuff is total garbage...worse than hfcs. Just use honey instead.

 

[Farmfresh]

Seeing a ton of recipes call for xanthan or guar gum both with mixed reviews. Anyone have a preference or experience using these??

Is this something available at the grocery store??

Both are available at the health food store and our local HyVee carries them as well.

Just a warning. I am a GREAT baker of gluten breads. (not trying to brag, but I was) I used to supply my hot rolls and cinnamon rolls for our church dinners and all of the dinners at my kids private school when they were little. A small pan of my cinnamon rolls once brought $50 at a charity auction. Bragging over.

I can NOT make a decent loaf of GF bread from scratch. I just can't.

I - Mrs. Hot Shot Baker woman - ALWAYS use bread mixes and my bread machine ($5 new at the thrift store).

I am further frustrated because I have discovered even HANDLING wheat flour gives me a sore throat and wheezing, but my D1 and I are not just gluten intolerant we are wheat allergic (which is a different beast).

GF dough is like sticky pancake batter. It is hard to even mix unless it is thick. You just can't touch it. When I make pizza crusts (from a Bob's Red Mill Mix that I doctor up) I lay down a layer of lightly greased parchment paper, then a glob of dough, then more parchment. I shape the dough by squeezing it around between the layers of paper and then pre-bake it paper still on. It TASTES great!

I just want you to know what you are up against baking your own items, before you buy lots of very pricy ingredients. Start simple. Use those mixes as a base. (Most of the pre-made breads are awful in my opinion.) If you want extra lift I have found an extra farm egg does wonders. Invest (mine remember was $5) in a bread machine. In my opinion they are gold for a GF diet, since you can use them to mix those sticky batters.

Remember ... we are out here, have experience and are always glad to help.

 

[Farmfresh]

i use coconut flour and almond flour. Not often, but every once in a while you just need some hot pancakes or cranberry bread . Elaina's Pantry is a website with some great recipes, just watch out for the agave nectar. She used to use it a lot in her old recipes. That stuff is total garbage...worse than hfcs. Just use honey instead.

I agree with this! You can make your own almond flour pretty easy. Ground almonds works great as replacement for graham crackers in recipes, like for the crust of a cheese cake.

I also use corn flour, like they make tortillas from, and rice flour a lot.

I like the flavor the corn flour (masa) gives when I use it as a dredge on fried foods or in batters and tempura. Buy a big box of cornstarch ... I use it a lot. Sorghum flour and Tapioca flours both work well for sweet items. Also buckwheat, which IS GF is a good substitute for rye which has gluten.