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BANG FOR THE BITE
Although specialty foods can be harder to find, a little gluten-free gluttony with better-for-the-planet options is sa-wheat!
COCKTAIL FACT
A 2002 study found that kids with autism who ate gluten-free diets exhibited fewer symptoms.
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home › tip library › Gluten Free Food Diet
Wheat-free Biters: wanna bite a cracker?
The Bite
We hear ya. Healthy options for the 2 million Americans allergic to gluten (in wheat, rye or barley) have been cerealy slim. Until now. Many companies are going against the grain, offering gluten-free pastas, breads and sweets.The Benefits
- A healthier diet. Our gluten-free picks contain fewer additives and preservatives.
- Tastier bites. New options mean that just 'cuz you're "different" doesn't mean you have to settle for less in the taste department.
- A healthier earth, since many options are organic. A 22-year study found that organic corn and soy crops use 30% less fossil fuel energy than non-organic.
Personally Speaking
San Francisco team member Kay is really sensitive to wheat, so she checks labels and sticks with gluten-free faves from Pamela's Products.Wanna Try?
- Arrowhead Mills - big, fat list of its organic, gluten-free flours and mixes. Purchase here ($5-$7).
- 'Cause You're Special - bread, cake, pasta and pizza crust mixes without GMOs or artificial ingredients ($4-$7).
- Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice - organic crispy brown-rice cereal ($17/6).
- Mary's Gone Crackers - organic gourmet crackers ($5).
- Pamela's Products - scrumptious gluten-free confections (some organic), available online here (prices vary).
- New Grist Gluten-Free Beer - though not organic, this microbrewery was the first to make a certified organic beer under its own label ($7/6-pack).
- Gluten-Free Girl and Gluten-Free Goddess - tons of great recipes from Kay's fave gluten-free chefs-turned-bloggers.
May 16,2007
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Gluten is Good?
I don't know. I did this cleanse where I gave it up to see if my body preferred a gluten-free diet, and while I wasn't hungry, my nails all got horribly brittle and crumbled to pieces. But that might have been because I also gave up alcohol for those 10 long days. Next time I see my naturopath he is going to test me for food allergies. I really hope I am allergic to cheese...I would be rockstar thin.
Interested to know what you Biters think about the topic of wheat-free for health.
-Jen...off to drink a (gluten-free) beer...
Biter Comments...
I have been gluten free for 2 1/2 years. I really hate being on this diet. I can handle it at home with my rice cooker, Mary's Gone Crackers (if you buy them by the case at Amazon they are around $3.00 a box) and Pamela's Brownies/Pancake Mix, but out in the real world it is so challenging. Wheat and gluten are everywhere. When we drive to California from Seattle we have to plan our trip strategically just to hit the health food stores so that I don't starve on the 500 mile drive down. My big problem is that I never had any stomach issues. My only problem was being anemic. So when I stopped gluten, it wasn't like I felt any relief, just emotional sadness that my favorite foods were off limits. I think the hardest thing about this is the emotional attachment we have to food. That and the social angle. It's so hard to socialize when you have to spend 5 minutes talking to a waiter who doesn't have a clue about gluten. Or trying to explain to your host for a dinner of all the things you can't eat.
On a positive note, I have more iron and energy. But I did gain weight too which could either be from finally taking in nutrition after so many years or the huge amount of Pamela's Brownies I consumed during the first year. There is a fanatstic magazine called "Living Without" which has great receipes, inspiring stories and you definitely don't feel so alone after reading it.
I have a son who is a JV diabetic. Celiac disease and JV diabetes sometimes runs hand and hand. He has alot of digestion issues and we took him off of wheat and diary for awhile. I found a bulk shop online called Natural Grocers (http://www.naturalgrocers.com/)which sends you bulk packages of almond flour, garbanzo flour, etc. I found the health food store prices really expensive compared to the bulk prices. It is better to order more than what you can get in the grocery stores because you have to take shipping into account.
The only down side is humans are measuring the quanities so they may be off slighty. This is explained on the site. They also have store locations but not near me.
Can you imagine finding low or no sugar diary free, wheaten free products???
Selena-have you tried making bread with garbanzo/fava flour? Can you tolerate sprouted wheat bread which is Ezekiel bread. Some people who are wheat sensitive can handle the sprouted wheat. Anna Hackman www.green-talk.com
My sister has lived in Scotland for 23 years and several years ago was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. She has suffered horribly, to the point that she thought she had stomach cancer, until she was finally diagnosed correctly. She, too, HATES the gluten-free diet; she was a true "foodie" and loved her groceries, but now she feels so much better, has energy and is no longer anemic. In Britain, especially in Ireland, Celiac (aka Sprue) is fairly common, so she doesn't have a lot of trouble finding restaurants that will accomodate her diet. She recommends foods from "Orgran", an outfit from Australia, and "The Cravings Place", which sells lots of mixes that taste really good and are easy to make. Hope that helps!
After being gluten-free for 3 years, I can say that hands-down the best rice-pasta is Tinkyada (http://www.tinkyada.com/). It's also kosher... and can be found at whole foods and many health-food stores.
If you're just sensitive to gluten, not allergic, then spelt is also a great alternative, which has significantly less gluten in it and can be substituted easily for wheat in many recipes.
Also, I'd like to note that I love being gluten-free. I am so much healthier, and lost about 20 lbs in the first 60 months of being on it (in addition to other dietary changes...).
I find that the main things I miss are textures, not specific foods. So, if you can find new gluten-free recipes for regulars like muffins, cakes, pizza crust, etc that are comparable (which is possible! I've found a combination of fine-ground rice flour and tapioca to be pretty good--the magazine Living Without can be a big help) then it shouldn't be too bad.
Instead of trying to substitute those items that have gluten in them - why not just avoid those kinds of foods altogether??? There are so many other foods that are better for you anyway. Try going without preprocessed foods as much as possible. You will be happy that you did. I've been doing it for more then 30 years and I have no health or weight issues at the age of 60.
Hi all, I am from australia and have also experienced my fair share of food intolerances and other health problems. I recently stumbled over an exceptionally unique organic probiotic and in the process began to learn the real reason for food sensitivities. The company website sells this product and has a lot of information available. I take it religously and it has been highly sucessful. Not only with me but with so many others. I was so impressed I became a representative and have since been educating myself further on the topic of bacterial imbalances. Feel free to contact me directly about
In-Liven at kateskitt@hotmail.com or via my link www.loveorganicenergy.mionegroup.com
Good luck :)
Yummmmy--Mary's Gone Crackers - I even wrote them & told the how amazing theywere. And I'm not gluten sensitive at all!!!!!! You owe it to yourself to seek out these yummy cracker snacker dippers!!!!!
I did a no dairy, no wheat and no cane sugar diet for six months because of health problems, and I felt fantastic. Yes it was difficult at times, took a lot of planning ahead, and was more expensive than the average diet. But once you start learning about food allergies/sensitivites and how our bodies react to foods like wheat that are much too prevalent in the average American diet, it will change the way you want to treat your body. It was a great learning experience and I actually still eat a lot of the dairy-, wheat- and cane sugar-free foods I was eating then. The more variety in your diet, the happier your body will be.
I have been gluten free since December (Celiac). I don't care for the "fake" things - gluten free bread etc. But... I have discovered there is a great big culinary world out there just waiting for you to take a bite! There is an amazing amount of food out there if you just take a little look. Yes, it is hard to eat out on the road, but honestly most of that stuff is bad for you, and the planet, anyway. I travel around with almonds, cranberries, raisins and the like just in case.
You do need to try the line of crackers by Blue Diamond (the nut folks). I have to beat my husband off them or there are none for me! Even our teenage house guests dig them.
I was a professional pastry chef when I discovered I had celiac. I have now been gluten-free for 3 years and have never felt better. Although my career path has changed slightly, my passion for food has increased. Instead of viewing the change as an inconvenience, I try to think of it as a treasure hunt and more reason to talk food. I am finding more and more restaurants that understand celiac and are even offering gluten-free pasta.
A few things I have learned. I try to bring wheat-free soy sauce with me when I go out to any asian restaurant. Oatmeal cookies don't need flour you can substitute the same amount of flour with more oats and they have that same great chewy texture. I never leave the house without a piece of fruit and a water bottle, this way I know I won't go hungry wherever I end up. When going out with friends I always have asubstantial snack before i leave the house. This way, I know I have some food in me (just in case), I will spend less money at the restaurant and I won't feel the need to eat all of my hosts sides and salads. Good Luck!
I avoid wheat because of my endometriosis. In some women, wheat and/or dairy have been linked to endo, and I've found that avoiding the wheat definitely helps. There are some great products on the market for the occasional splurge. I just wish there were more "individually portioned" things. Yes, it means more packaging, but less waste, because I'm not buying one huge thing of cookies just to have one.
It does mean planning ahead, and having something you can use as an emaergency supply.
I miss the fact that a lot of gluten-free things are not whole grain. And the two things I really miss:
ravioli and being able to get a slice of cheesecake. Why can't people make cheesecake without the crust? (I live alone, so don't really want to make a whole batch for one person) I did find a refrigerated gnocchi that is gluten-free at Whole foods! I beleive its Nuevo brand.
The book I read on endo and nutrition claimed that they added an extra gene or something to wheat in the mid-seventies, and that is why we are having problems. I suspect that wheat may have been overbred (no pun intended!) and lost some of its nutritive qualities.
I do find that if you are careful about explaining to waiters, most are willing to go back and forth with the kitchen. Just try to go at a less busy time of day, and leave a good tip!
It's not lack of gluten (or alcohol) that would make your nails brittle - it's lack of PROTEIN.
i tried gluten-free, a number of years back, prior to being diagnosed with crohn's. i highly recc toasting any gluten-free bread, i found the texture was just too different from wheat bread when not toasted. also, there is a local bakery (well, local to where i live!) that is great. their name is kinnikinnick, and their website is www.kinnikinnick.com, although i checked it before writing this and it seems to be under development. but it's worth a look, i think they deliver across canada and the u.s. they are in edmonton, alberta, canada, for those who may be nearby, and they carry alot of their own stuff as well as other products like tinkyada mentioned above, and various raw ingredients like rice flour, etc. also, hubbie went along for the ride while i experimented, and his biggest complaint was that everything was so digestible, that he was always hungry within a few hours of eating a meal. so he needed to eat more, or be prepared to have another meal/snack a few hours later.
I just wanted to let anyone in on a gluten free company out of Cali. I have tried some of their waffles and they truly are amazing! Their name is AZNA Gluten Free and you can find them at aznaglutenfree.com. I would highly recommend this product!
I try to avoid specialty "gluten free" products (such as baking items) whenever possible just due to my budget. That stuff is expensive ($5.00 for a loaf of not-very-tasty bread!) and I have celiac disease so I can't mess around with the diet. I wrap sandwich "guts" in lettuce leaves for stomach-friendly sandwiches, etc. You have to be creative, but it's so much cheaper. Though sometimes you just want baked goods! Then I splurge on crackers, etc.
In regards to what Heidi Engel said about endo, wheat does not cause endometriosis. Endometriosis is so complex and has been around long before the age of the wheat additives and bulk food engeneering. Endometriosis is a very challenging and life threaetening thing and I got mine at 18, which is extrememly uncommon. Instead of thinking about spreading the false news about, "wheat CAUSES anything', we need to examine the CORRELATION between wheat and endo. Wheat is not an enemy, our genetic make-up is to blame...
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Posted by: bajskorv | May 16, 2007 at 05:02 AM