Wheat and gluten free diets!!

Fuzz

Fuzz

Fuzz

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What do you lot eat??
My new GF is wheat and gluten intolerant and she's asked me if I could make her a packed lunch today (she's at the livery yard working with her horses, so can't really be a sit down meal with knives and forks!)
I've been down the supermarket on a previous occasion and was directed to the "free from" section, luckily I only required nibbles then as she was coming round to watch a film. Macaroons, popcorn and mixed nuts were about the only things there!! 2 shelves of a whole supermarket!! :(
So. Where do I start!! :eek:
 
Fuzz said:
What do you lot eat??
My new GF is wheat and gluten intolerant and she's asked me if I could make her a packed lunch today (she's at the livery yard working with her horses, so can't really be a sit down meal with knives and forks!)
I've been down the supermarket on a previous occasion and was directed to the "free from" section, luckily I only required nibbles then as she was coming round to watch a film. Macaroons, popcorn and mixed nuts were about the only things there!! 2 shelves of a whole supermarket!! :(
So. Where do I start!! :eek:
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Is she Coeliac or just intolerant? If Coeliac it's worth checking out one of the websites to get yourself up to speed as even trace amounts of gluten will cause a problem (eg cross contamination)

A packed lunch isn't too difficult. All the supermarkets now sell Gluten free bread and as long as you carefully check the ingredients/allergens list for anthing you put inside you'll be fine. Again if she is a Coeliac though you need to consider cross contamination - eg is the butter you are using contaminated with breadcrumbs?

For snacks you don't necessarily need to visit the free from section. There are plenty of normal products that are ok, but you always have to check the packaging. For example some of the flavours of Doritos are ok, others not. Its not to hard to find a dip to go with them either that is gluten free too.

The good news when it comes to takeaways is that most indian food is ok as they use gram flour (made from chickpeas) in the sauces. (Do check with the individial restaurant though). Just avoid the obviously bad stuff like Samosas or Naan!
The bad news is that Pizzas, Chinese etc are all off the menu. Chinese food is a problem as Soy Sauce generally has wheat flour in it and they use it in everything. Funnily enough McDonalds are actually ok if you request the burger without the bun (an aquired taste!) as their burgers are truly 100% beef and their chips are cooked seperately and not coated. Burger King on the other hand she couldn't even eat the chips.
Depending on where you live though there are now quite a few restaurants that are starting to do Gluten free Pizzas. Even many of the chain italian restaurants at least offer Gluten Free pasta.

Cooking meals yourself makes things easier though. For example, Chinese is actually one of the best options as you can buy gluten free soy sauce in the supermarket. With other meals wheat flour can often be substituted with cornflour/potato flour etc but it doesn't always quite come out the same!
 
My girlfriend is a coeliac and I've not really had a problem cooking for her, making her packed lunches (far easier than eating out tbh), or even finding a nice restaurant to eat out at (so long as you do some research first).

My local Sainsbury's have a decent "Free From" section, but nothing beats baking your own bread (with a breadmaker of course, and a pre-mix gluten free mix), however don't forget to look at the actual bread aisle too, as more often than not the "Warburton's" GF bread is mixed in with the normal stuff (looks similarly packaged too).
 
I'm not sure if she's a coeliac or not. I know she had one skewer full of chicken "satay" the other week and her guts exploded an hour or so later. :o
I guess I best get my ass down a different supermarket then! (My local is a Morrisons and its huge)
This is going to be quite a steep learning curve!! :o
 
Fuzz said:
This is going to be quite a steep learning curve!! :o
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It can be to begin with, but it soon becomes second nature, and I can usually pre-empt if a food (mainly pre-packaged meals etc) will contain wheat/gluten/barley.

Back to eating out, most (decent, or well known) places will have either a nutritional information book or an allergens book, so you can look in depth at the ingredients of a meal that might sound safe at first on the menu ;)
 
Oh I've been told. :o "Don't go getting me anything fancy" Salad crisps and chocolate bar.. :(

She didn't say anything about no Champagne :D
 
Go buy some "Genius" bread from sainsburys or Tescos. Its gluten free and unlike most of the other Gluten Free breads actually tastes like bread!
 
Fuzz said:
Don't take offence, I didn't. This is GD after all :D
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Unfortunately it's a common attitude you'll face with a GF/Wife who has coeliacs and it soon becomes tiresome!

Many people you meet seem to have the opinion that it's just a faddy diet or just them being akward or fussy and are complete ignorant to the long term consequences if a Coeliac doesn't eat gluten free.

I wasn't offended - Rolleyes just about covered it :)
 
Ask her what she'd like to eat for her lunches? It's her diet, and I would have thought she would be happy to tell you what sorts of things she can eat. Alternatively, look online for ideas, maybe forums, or recipes?

You can't be expected to just know.
 
Genius Multiseed is by far the best Gluten free 'Bread' press make loaf. I still doesn't quit have the consistency of normal bread but it does have a good taste so makes passable sarnies.
 
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