Alternatives to breadI have decided to stop chasing the perfect loaf, cake, biscuit etc.

[Mia1057]

Most GF versions appear to have too many additions fat, sugar, gums, eggs so looking for low calorie healthy alternatives.

[Lynxcat]

This is the way I look at it Mia - I think that all of these additives definitely do nothing for our health - and I feel so much more alive since I've stopped eating them. There comes a point when it just doesn't seem worth the risk knowing that it is bound to have some kind of adverse effect. Our lives are so precious - I want to feel as well as possible every minute of every day. It took me quite a long time to realise how detrimental the ready made attractive offerings can have on our overall health. So - good for you - and I bet you will never go back to them when you see the difference of how well you feel by not eating them. x

[Mia1057]

I agree and really haven't bought anything for ages but keep baking in the hope but have decided its all too much. So apart from my buckwheat pancakes. I am going to keep it simple low fat, low sugar, natural and GF. So any ideas welcome

[Lynxcat in reply to Mia1057]

Hi Mia, I tend to make simple scones if I really feel the need for something bread-like. They are quick to do, do not need proving, always come out great - and I usually do them the old-fashioned way of placing all of the scone dough into a round on a large dinner plate and cut across with a sharp knife making an X across the dough. As they do not contain any sugar they can be used for both sweet and savory. I add dried fruit and a little sugar if I fancy a cake. I do on occasion make something more complex but only when I really feel like it and know that it stands a chance of being eaten!

I make my own museli using a base of flaked almonds to which I add ground flax seeds, sesame seeds (sometimes sunflower seeds), crumbled walnuts then either fresh fruit like blueberries or whatever dried fruits I may fancy - I pour on fresh whole organic milk and a dollop of full fat Greek yoghurt and on top I drizzle honey. It is extremely filling and keeps your tummy content for hours.

I'm not a low fat person - never have been - I find that low fat just doesn't suit me. I like full fat, animal fat, cream, butter, etc and this tends to keep me feeling full for much much longer. If I eat low fat foods - I just want to keep eating and I never really enjoy anything .... so I suppose I am a product of the 50's - I remember trying half-fat milk but it tasted like watered-down milk to me so I don't buy it any more... it must be the cave-woman in me! Lol!!

[mcroucher1 in reply to Lynxcat]

could I please have your recipe for scones. Whenever I've tried making gf ones they are awful!

[Lynxcat in reply to mcroucher1]

Hi .... I tend to use Dove's Gluten & Wheat Free White Self Raising Flour Blend as this appears to produce the same results as using ordinary Self-Raising (Wheat) flour - and therefore any recipe from a standard cook book works well with it. (Jerry, below - has quite a lot of experience with baking and mixing the various none-gluten flours and so will have a lot of knowledge on how to go about making most things that require baking. Perhaps he could kindly add his gluten free baking site for those who are interested in finding more recipes that are tried and tested and therefore are guaranteed to work.)

Here's my basic recipe:

6oz of the above flour (approx .... I never measure - it always works out fine)

2 medium eggs

scoop of salted butter (approx 1-2 oz but I also never measure butter and it always works out fine)

1 heaped teaspoon of gluten free baking powder

1 small pinch of salt

splash of milk - just enough to get a stiff dough

Place all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl or large jug.

I use a table knife to beat them altogether.

Make the dough into a round on a lightly gf floured board.

Lightly butter a dinner plate then pat a teaspoon of gf flour over it.

Place the dough round into the middle of the plate - slightly squash it then score it with a knife with a criss-cross. You can if preferred cut with rounds or make into individual squares with a sharp knife.

The oven needs to be pre-warmed - and the scones do best in a hot oven and on a high shelf - so pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 8 which is about 230°C (450°F) for 10 to 15 minutes - may be slightly longer as it is all dependend upon the type of oven - they should be lovely and brown and well risen when ready. Take out of oven and allow to cool on a wire rack if you have one - if not - remove the bottom shelf from the oven prior to baking/or the wire off the grill pan and use that - it works very well as a stand-by cooling aid.

You can vary it by adding one heaped tablespoon of sugar - more if you prefer very sweet - and whichever dried fruit is your favourite - you will find a teacupful of fruit makes it nice and moist - if you are able soak the fruit (for about half-an-hour before adding to the dry ingredients) using a teaspoon of nut oil and two teaspoons of fresh, but cold tea. Toss the fruit a few times so that it begins to plump out a little before you include it into the mixture. You will find that this will also bake well in a loaf tin for a cake version - but if choosing to do this turn the oven down to Gas Mark 6 which is about 200°C (400°F) for around 45 minutes - check by placing a skewer into the centre when it looks ready - if the skewer comes out clean then it is fully cooked.

[Hidden]

I'd just like to add one comment for those who are looking for low calorie options and that's avoid foods with HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) they put this in foods like low calorie baked beans which might seem a healthy option but HFCS slows our metabolism stops us feeling full so we still feel hungry and is a major cause of obesity. In fact they add it to low fat foods like yoghurt so be warned.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Yes, it is thought to be responsible for insulin resistance and a number of other health problems as well. It's a big issue in the US, where manufacturers are taking it out of products used by/aimed at children.

There are some interesting relatively balanced arguments here (below) to suggest that all sugars are equally destructive to health (or at least that HFCS is being scapegoated), but as it uses the FDA ruling as a lynchpin, I don't know how trustworthy I find it!

slate.com/articles/health_a...

I can accept that HFCS is a kind of red herring in that a lot of people want to believe that a healthy junk food lifestyle is possible if only certain ingredients (e.g. HFCS, trans fats) were removed, so they can carry on as normal and pat themselves on the back for being "healthier". No matter what you believe about HFCS specifically, it seems incontrovertible that it is at least as bad as sugar and a kind of horrifying Franken-ingredient.

[Lynxcat in reply to Hidden]

Hi Jerry - just in case you haven't read the above. I hope that you don't mind but I have asked you in it to place your site link here so that everyone can see some more gluten free (tried and tested) recipes. Thank you - from us all!

[Hidden in reply to Lynxcat]

Hi Lynxcat, I read your scone recipe with interest and here's a cheese scone recipe adapted from Mary berry's cook book:

withoutgluten.co.uk/recipes...

There's other scone recipes on there but these are a round just like yours

and could have dried fruit added instead.

withoutgluten.co.uk/

I made my self a Banana cake last night as I've been losing weight with this fasting mallarky and I had some ripe banana's. So thanks for your interest.

[Lynxcat in reply to Hidden]

I know what you mean about the bananas Jerry ... I perhaps buy more than I should at the best of times!

Could I be a pain and ask you where do you get the tapioca flour from? I've seen potato starch on occasion - but never tapioca starch flour. It's a bit limiting in our area - we can get gram flour for next to nothing - giant bags are in Morrisons, smaller bags in Sainsburys and almost sack size in Tescos ..rice flour is everywhere, except Aldi and Lidl - where the only flour appears to be wheat. Ground almonds are fairly easy to source and desiccated coconut - I know that coconut flour and coconut sugar are fairly easy to get hold of online and appear to have more minerals and vitamins than any other - but I do confess I haven't sent for any yet - it is tempting though!

[Penel in reply to Lynxcat]

Coconut flour is definitely worth trying. My son used some coconut flour and oil from H & B to make chocolate cookies (the recipe is on the back of the flour packet) and substituted xylotol for sugar. They were delicious. Our Tescos has the coconut flour in stock. I find tapioca flour in my Asian supermarket..

[Lynxcat in reply to Penel]

Thanks for this Penel. I sometimes feel I live in the back woods - if you see what I mean. We do not have an Asian supermarket. Whereabouts in Tesco did you find the coconut flour? I will take a look next week to see if they stock it in ours. I've not seen any in H & B but will ask them as well. Daft question really, but does coconut flour taste of coconut? I'm assuming yes but thought I'd ask in case it is perhaps a little more subtle in flavour.

[Penel in reply to Lynxcat]

It was in the cooking section, Sainsburys also have it. This is what it looks like tesco.com/direct/organic-gl...

I wasn't really aware of a coconut taste but taste is very subjective, so I'm not sure about that.

[Lynxcat in reply to Penel]

Thank's very much Penel for this link - I have read about Tiana before on their website when a friend sent me the link to them. Just in case you haven't seen it, it shows the various range of coconut products and informaiton about them. It would be nice to think that you can pick them up at the supermarket rather than send for them.

tiana-coconut.com/

[Hidden in reply to Lynxcat]

Hi Lynxcat, I buy my tapioca starch from oriental food shops. I live within walking distance of the vibrant Gloucester rd in Bristol and can buy Tapioca starch from a Vietnamese supermarket and a Chinese food shop. They use it to make a batter and it is often labelled ''Bot nang''

vinhthuan.com.vn/index.php?...

I believe that you can get it on prescription and some Asian shops sell Gari which's coarse tapioca starch but you want to leave your mix to stand or it is crunchy, But it is ideal for bread making.

Oriental shops are amazing for coeliac as the range of rice papers and noodles made with rice and tapioca is far greater than in the free from section.

For mail order:

shop.waiyeehong.com/food-in...

It's 80p for 500g I pay around £1.25 locally.

[sassyl in reply to Hidden]

It's working then Jerry? Me too! 4lb so far, not bad in two weeks.

[Hidden in reply to sassyl]

Well done Sassyl, and good for you I have also lost around 2Kg (4lb) in 2 weeks. I've been trying the Intermittent fasting and going without food for 14/16 hours and the first thing that I noticed was I stopped feeling so hungry, or as often. Apparently it resets our hunger clock.

I was quite happy with my weight and was interested to see if I felt any differences as I am interested in the long term effects of the body repairing itself.

[Mia1057]

Thanks Jerry and Lynxcat

[Apricot]

Given I am trying very hard to be a good girl and NOT bake....I can and do (without anyone spliting on me to the diabetic Mafiosa!)..I can make just about anything cake/flan gluten free that you want...pastry..Victoria Sandwich, choux buns..

Its Bank Holiday..so a treat is in order....having trouble deciding which....

Dont buy shop stuff...like others I much prefer to know whats in mine...

Years ago..when I was first dabbling in Gluten free...I was speaking at a Womens Institute event...their ladies know a lot about baking...so I made a gluten free Victoria Sandwich..and a standard (wheated) one...and we played at "Stork Challenge"...(those of you that remember this..smile..and those that cant...ask your Mum...).

The idea was to identify which was which....and their ladies couldnt tell. The cake passed!!

Thats how good I want goodies to be...so that you cant tell...and you would be happy to serve gluten free cakes etc...to your Mum.....(Yes I would serve food to my Mum...)

For the sake of my honesty...some of you might be aware that I am a dedicated Gluten free cook...and also just happen to be head of Wellfoods of Barnsley.

On here..I am myself...and will answer questions and queries as required...

With best wishes on this Friday....

Apricot

[Hidden in reply to Apricot]

Apricot, I couldn't agree more. Since I started cooking all my own food from scratch (a few years before I became gf), virtually nothing shop-bought appeals. I can get a fresh homemade (gf) genoise on the table in less than 30 mins; why would I go out and buy one?

I hope that doesn't sound smug. I'm fully aware that time at home is something I have in spades, and when I was working, convenience foods were a much bigger part of my diet.

But making your own food changes your tastes so much that I don't think I could go back to eating that way. Last time I visited my mum's local bakery (pre-gf), I was really looking forward to eating the foods I used to like, and there wasn't a single item I enjoyed. Nothing was made with butter or real flavourings and it all just tasted of Trex and chemicals. It was a bit sad (nostalgia and all that) but now I'm just not tempted by all that stuff, so it was also an extremely useful experience.

[Lynxcat in reply to Apricot]

I too, always aim for any baking to not taste specifically 'gluten free' ... everything that I bake has to be eaten by all my family ... so has to pass the bake test. I always use free range eggs and salted butter to which I usually add just a small pinch of salt. There's something about the addition of a tiny pinch of salt that enhances the flavour of anything baked - not sure why. Lol! I used to work with a young lady who always insisted in adding it to her coffee ... I can't say that the idea of doing so appealed to me - but I haven't tried it so - who knows?

Query on Wellfoods - I have heard one or two people mention them and in a good way, but I've never seen them for sale in the shops. Are they just in the Yorkshire/Lancashire areas? (Apologies for the side-tracking, Apricot!)

[Hidden in reply to Lynxcat]

Salt in coffee. I was told whilst on holiday this year when I was complaining that coffee shop coffee always seems to taste bitter that if I added a pinch of salt then the bitterness would disappear. It works! I was amazed..don't know why it works but it does. I now steal those little sachets of salt so that I always have some in my handbag.

[Lynxcat in reply to Hidden]

Phew! Thanks for telling me this Jill. That is certainly useful to know - I often end up pouring sachet after sachet of sugar into them and they still manage to taste bitter. I wouldn't mind but I never have sugar in either tea or coffee at home! It doesn't help after reading somewhere that sugar impairs the memory and I've noticed on one or two website reports that more and more people are recommending coeliacs steer clear of all sugars ... so I will definiately be trying the salt next time ... don't want to take away my memory! Lol! x

[Hidden in reply to Lynxcat]

Hi, the adding of soooooooo much sugar to coffee is exactly what I used to do. I only drink filter coffee at home and mine never tastes bitter but bought coffee....I am now in danger of becoming a coffee shop addict but do worry that I may be had up for stealing salt sachets lol Does chocolate impair the memory (no, don't answer....there aren't many treats allowed coeliacs these days lol)

[Apricot]

Apologies to Admin (who have been kindness itself (blush now)

Wellfoods operates two brands. Antoinette Savill series...thats in Waitrose...down the bread aisle...where it was placed back in 2002..(to make us feel normal, what ever that is)..and the Wellfoods range for the NHS.

Both ranges...are the same...just the colour/style of pack is different.

Always to same standards..same g/f status, both gluten wheat and dairy free, and no codex.

Wellfoods does appear at various Gluten free food fairs throughout England. Its rare I venture into Scotland or Wales...so you could see me at Leicester, Solihull. Peterborough, Cumbria, Wilts ...and of course in pursuit of the Gluten free pork pies....at the Allergy Show In Liverpool. (I am expecting to meet Scousekitty....)

If you need specific advise....email me...or use here...

Apricot

[Mia1057 in reply to Apricot]

Hi Apricot thanks for this, ideally I am looking for tasty goods with the same fat, sugar and calorie count as non gf as I have to stick to no more than 1500 calories and no more than 10g of fat a day and I was having a sandwich but it wasn't very filling and it was 117 cals per slice of genius bread and 5.5g of fat so my tuna and cucumber sandwich ended up being a whopping 11.7g of fat and 330 calories including the tuna but with no butter or anything else

[Penel in reply to Mia1057]

One of the problems with very low fat diets is that you can end up feeling hungry all the time, and they may not help you keep the weight off. Fat is also very important to keep us healthy - many vitamins are fat soluble.

This summary of experiments from America compares some different diets, I hope it might be helpful

scientificamerican.com/arti...

[Lynxcat in reply to Apricot]

Thank you so much, Apricot!

[Mia1057]

This is a diet because of my kidney disease not to lose weight

[Lynxcat in reply to Mia1057]

Oh Mia, It must be a real struggle trying to combine eating for both coeliac and kidney disease. Are you having to sort the whole thing out for yourself or have you a dedicated dietician to help you sort through at least some of the problems? x

[Mia1057]

No I have a good dietician but even she is having problems with GF bread etc. that is why I thought I would see if anyone had some good low fat alternatives.

[Penel]

Sorry to hear about the kidney disease Mia, that's a tough one to cope with. Glad to hear you have help from your dietician.

From time to time I make my own gf bread because I cannot eat yeast or xanthan gum, and I can control what fat goes in it. But it's not really a sandwich type bread!

Quinoa makes a good altenative to rice or as a breakfast porridge, if you haven't tried it. livestrong.com/quinoa-calor...

Have you tried cornbread or corn tortillas? This site has been recommended for tortillas by several people.

coolchile.co.uk/

Good luck Mia.

.

[Mia1057]

Thanks Penel I will check out the corn tortillas the quinoa is a no no for me as it is too high in protein unfortunately.

[jan44]

Hi Mia

Just had a rummage in my freezer and checked the packaging for Roberts 'yes you can bread'

no codex and less calories and fat than genius

robertsbakery.co.uk/2012/06...

I don't know whether this would be any good for you I bought this at the co-op and have seen it in tesco.

Also just checked the ingredients list for juvela gluten free crispbreads which I have on prescription sometimes, each has 51 calories and 0.4g of fat I sometimes have these with a tuna salad at lunchtime.

Hope this helps

Jan

[Mia1057]

Thanks Jan these sound great