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Gluten free/Celiac's Disease

Gluten free/Celiac's Disease

Started by Kate Harvey on June 9, 2011

5 Comments

Kate Harvey said #1 Jun 9, 2011 at 6:56pm

Hi, I have Celiac's Disease (I can't have wheat, rye, barley, spelt, etc.) and I have been trying to go vegan for a couple of months but I'm really struggling. Lots of meat alternatives are made with wheat, as are many fermented things. I'm dealing with a few issues, maybe you can help me.

1)Cheese cravings like WHOA. And yet I find the idea of cheese alternatives kinda...yucky. What can I eat instead?

2)Grains? Does brown rice pasta count as superhero food? What about brown rice bread or couscous?

3)Are there any gluten free meat alternatives out there besides plain tempeh? And how the heck can I cook tempeh anyway?

4)What can I make ahead of time so prevent those starving-poor-judgement moments? I need stuff I can eat behind the wheel sometimes. I'm a single mom of 2 kids, ages 7yrs and 5mos.

5)My kid can't have dairy, but she is IN LOVE with meat. How can I make this more appealing to her? Did I mention she sort of hates beans...

6)Gluten free stuff needs to be held together with eggs. Are there baked goods I should try making or buying that are vegan?

Sorry for the long post, thanks in advance <3

Smurfy said #2 Jun 9, 2011 at 10:00pm

1) Have you tried Daiya cheese substitute? It's gluten free and I love it. I also find that hummus or avocado can spruce up dishes that usually have cheese by adding a little good fat.

2) I know that brown rice itself is superhero. I think Mochi is superhero too. I'm not sure about the bread or pasta. You should look into quinoa pasta too. It's gluten free.

3) I've heard good things about using jackfruit in the place of meat, even though I haven't tried it myself. I'm more a tofu and beans kinda gal. Mushrooms are also great for adding a meaty feel to dishes.

4) Trail mix is good to snack on. Kale chips also rule (though you have to make them in the dehydrator to have them keep a while). Baby carrots or other various veggies with hummus is a good snack as well.

5) Kids will be kids. You can't really make them like something. But you can sneak good stuff into their food, like making black bean brownies or bean based sauces. The blog I eat trees has some great ideas for kids here: http://ieattrees.com/healthy-and-budget-friendly-vegan-snacks-for-kids/

6) Ground up flax seeds and apple sauce can both be substituted for eggs in baked goods. You may want to get the Babycakes cookbook. I think most, if not all, of the recipes are gluten free and everything they make is super healthy and vegan.

sassypants said #3 Jun 26, 2011 at 3:00pm

I use daiya cheese and tofutti products - they are gluten free and vegan. I eat too much, honestly, but I'm still in early stages of living without dairy and for now a substitute is better than cheating.

Ener G has gluten, dairy and egg free bread (and other products).

I use corn tortillas for quick snacks and meals - a slice of cheddar tofutti melted between 2 tortillas is a quick and filling snack. I've made elaborate breakfast quesadillas too... hashbrowns, cheese, avocado, etc.

Kind bars for emergency snacks are great and easy to stash in your purse/backpack, although they are high in calories.

For your child, you could try mixing in non-meats with meats. For example, use 1/2 chicken sausage and 1/2 veggie sausage for pasta with marinara sauce. The texture is very similiar. Same approach for taco meat (1/2 ground beef, 1/2 veggie crumble).

Hope this helps!

Tarah K said #4 Jun 27, 2011 at 10:56am

Hi Kate,

I've been gluten free basically my whole life..not due to celiac's disease but as a horrible sensitivity to it, it attacks my nervous system.

To try to help with you questions...

1) I use Daiya cheese, it fulfills my craving and is gluten free.

2)In Alicia's book she states that you can have whole grain pastas not a lot, but a few times a week. Brown rice pasta or buckwheat pasta are great.

3) Tofu can be cooked like you would have meat , its soaks up the sauces really nicely. I also eat veggie burgers..there are a few different kinds at lablaws&superstores..etc that have non gluten in them.

4) Making your own trail mix of different nuts and seeds and dried fruit is great for behind the wheel or on the go snacking.

6)try making them! there are egg replacers that work just as well when baking.

i hope some of that helped a little.

bluepie said #5 Jul 28, 2011 at 11:39am

hello all- OK..I have no idea yet if I have a gluten problem..have an appt soon to get tested....however I have been feeling bloated for quite a while and yesterday decided to stop the whole wheat bread and i feel much better! I also love beer but that didn't seem to bother me- I had one yesterday..So- actually my question is about the Gardien frozen soy meals..I love love them! Just read the label..they have wheat! Does anyone know of another product like this with no wheat? Also love the morningstar veggie burgers..also wheat gluten. Any alternative veg burgers that taste good? thanks so much for any help.

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