Gluten free diet ideas

[Zosiak]

Hi I have hashimotos and wondering about going gluten free? is it affordable to do and is it worth cooking from scratch as I am not a good cook and I only eat 2 meals a day because I get very bad constipation in the morning thank you

[wowserclo]

It's so much easier than it sounds! There's so many other options. Give it a go and after a couple weeks you will start to find other things you can eat and make. It makes you think about food differently and make more effort! Little things like stir fries are good cos you can still have them just have rice noodles instead of egg noodles. It's definitely easier if you are a meat eater I think than if you were vegetarian. The only thing that's a little annoying is some things have gluten in that you would never think did!

[wowserclo]

Ps I'm at 5/6 weeks and starting to feel a difference. My gut feels so much better already

[Zosiak in reply to wowserclo]

Wow that's really good news well done and thanks for the replies

[Fruitandnutcase]

I would definitely give it a try. I started it over two years ago, I was cooking for people who were Coeliac at events I catered for then I decided I'd give it a go to see if I could reduce my thyroid antibodies - I did! Now I would never go back to eating gluten.

It's not complicated, all youhave to do is check labels to make sure gluten hasn't been sneaked in anywhere unexpected - like in some of those little tubs of nuts you get in M&S! Not where you would expect. I joined Coeliac UK to get their 'bible' of all gluten free foods and ingredients, you get access to their website and a magazine so it's worth it to begin with.

There are loads of recipe books around I like the NOSH series but look around there are loads and there are also tons of recipes online. If you want to eat bread - I don't because it spikes my blood sugar - then Schar is probably the best, it's not cheap though so freeze it if you aren't likely to eat it all at once. Good luck with it all, I'm sure you won't regret it.

[Zosiak in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Thanks I will give it a try

[Sjwsange in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Hi fruitandnutcase, what would your advice be on sourdough bread? Thanksx

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Sjwsange]

I was seriously disappointed when I finally discovered sourdough in Waitrose - I thought Christmas had come early. Alas even though I knew it was really light in my hand I was still expecting it to be like normal sourdough, even when I cut a nice thick slice and realised it was not likesourdough I still expected it to taste ok - alas, it was such a disappointment so, all I can say is that if it doesn't have the weight of sourdough, leave it on the shelf.

As I type this I'm wondering if you have read that some people who are gluten free eat sourdough with no nasty effects, if that's what you mean then I'm afraid I haven't tried. I'd say good quality solid wholemeal and granary bread and nice fluffy fruit scones are the things I miss most about being gluten free.

[NatChap]

You may find that your constipation isn't so much of a problem if you cut out gluten! I've been gluten free for about a year now and although I found giving up fresh bread difficult, other than that it's been easy. Just remember that all fruit, eggs, veg and meat are gluten free so that's a good start.

The supermarkets have good ranges of gluten free products if you aren't into baking etc.. Tesco have a really good range including pasta and baked goods. Sainsburys do a really nice bread in their freshly baked section (white and seeded), it's pricey at £2.50 but it's by far the best I've tried and is the closest to regular fresh bread. Obviously rice is gluten free anyway as are things liked baked potatoes, both of which are cheap. Check labels on tins and packets of things like beans and soups but most will be free from gluten (even though they don't advertise the fact).

It can be as easy or as complicated as you want to make it really. There are lots of GF cookbooks with recipes that require specialist flours and ingredients but you don't have to go to those lengths unless you enjoy it.

Oh and magnesium citrate is great for constipation by the way x

[Zosiak in reply to NatChap]

Ok thanks I have a magnesium spray that I use before I go to bed because I was under the impression it helps with sleep and it is magnesium chloride but because I spray it on my skin does that mean it will bypass my gut?

[NatChap in reply to Zosiak]

Not sure to be honest but magnesium citrate is what I take for constipation.

[Josiesmum]

I recommend doing stir fries, or a big vegetable stew and make it last several days (you can turn it into a curry by adding a few spices), or a bolognese sauce with lots of veg (you can turn it into a chilli by adding kidney beans and chilli). All these are simple one pot recipes which are very nutritious and gluten free, and can last a few days if you don't have much time for cooking. Chicken pieces roasted in the oven with chopped veg, olive oil, garlic and herbs also yummy. Include a root vegetable to make all these dishes more filling.

Soups are also easy, usually you just fry onion and garlic, add chopped vegetable (e.g. Broccoli, peas, carrots), water and a stock cube. Blend for a smooth and creamy soup. I'm not much of a cook so please be assured these are super easy.

[Hidden]

I have Coeliac Disease, diagnosed over 40 years ago so well versed in gluten free. I also have Hashimotos diagnosed a few years ago, though I found out it was hashimotos myself.

It seems most people have given good advice already. I can only agree with everything said so far. Try not to use commercially produced gluten free stuff like cakes, biscuits etc as they are so full of sugar and other additives. Best to try and keep to fresh apart from tins of fish, tomatoes etc. Avoid the 'free from' counter if you can. But if you buy anything in a a packet or jar or can, always check the ingredients each time. Sometimes a company will change a recipe and not necessarily put a banner on the product to notify the public. If the product has 'starch' in the ingredients, it has to state where the starch is from, so it might say 'derived from wheat, corn and so on.

Many companies produce items which are actually gluten free but they won't necessarily state this on the product.

Good idea as said to join Coeliac UK, or even explore the website for more information.

If I can help with anything else, feel free to ping questions

[ELLSBELLS]

Lots of gluten free recipes on Pints rest and also Fodmap for those following that diet.

[Music1]

Zoskia you sound like me lol. It has taken me a long while. I will tend to eat chicken or a meat with vegetables and salad. Rice is fine too. Marks & Spencer do some very good GF food, and I would say there is a lot more choice out there from supermarkets these days. It will probably take some shopping around, until you know what you like and how you can build it into a meal. I agree with wowserclo - some very good ideas. I personally think it's 'worth it' as I have Hashimotos and find it difficult to use the bathroom some weeks. I think going GF has worked. Also, soups would be fine. Not necessarily exciting maybe but 'safe'. You can't go wrong with veg and salad. Best wishes. x