Anyone else here gluten free? What do you eat?

[innerkitten]

I don''t eat gluten and I''m really bored with my meals. According to my doctor it''s an intolerance not a true allergy because we did a blood test. There are a few other foods that kind of bug me so I keep them to a minimum like eggs and fish. Anyway I need some new ideas for meals. I find I''m skipping meals sometimes because I don''t have much around the house, which is bad because I''m already to thin. I need some ideas. And I really want to gain some weight. I hate being thin.

I long to eat out more too.

 

[annadragon]

I guess this really depends on the types of foods you want to eat and if there is a gluten-free version available.
While it is not geared specifically toward gluten-free foods, but an eating style that does not include gluten foods this might be a good resource for you:
since I can''t link blogs you''ll have to google it: Mark''s Daily Apple
There is a section on the forums which people post recipes or links to recipes that you might be interested in. Sometimes Mark will post recipes and he''s recently put out a cookbook.
I''m also gluten intolerant with some intolerance toward dairy and really don''t care to get tested cause I can change my diet pretty easily.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

IK, I''ve got Celiacs, which is a gluten intolerance and do my best to stick to a GF diet. I''m not perfect and I definitely fall off the wagon now and then but for the most part I stick with it. Usually the times I fall off the wagon are when I''m bored like you are, in need of convenience food and/or traveling.

Progresso chicken and beef broth are GF. I make a lot of soups with these and freeze them for quick use. Amy''s organics also makes some GF canned varieties that are pretty good.

Food For Life makes brown rice tortillas that I keep in the fridge for quick burritos and sandwich wraps. They''re OK, not great, but they do the job when you need something quick.

Amy''s Organics makes GF frozen meals that are great, I love the enchilada meal with fritos added in (not dietetic, I know but you said you need to gain weight!).

Every week I make a batch of brown rice and batch of quinoa and keep in the fridge for quick side dishes or lunch. Cooking both of these in chicken or beef stock adds a lot of flavor.

I discovered a FANTASTIC line of pasta I wish I could remember the name but I can''t. I''ll look tonight at home and get back to you.

I love the betty crocker GF chocolate chip cookie mix and make a batch every weekend to have during the week.

General Mills now has GF chex varieties, I make chex mix a lot with mixed nuts and chex cereal.

I make a veggie lasagna that''s great and filling. I use thinly sliced zucchini instead of pasta sheets and it works just as well. Use full fat cheese and it will help with your calories.

I love the Lunberg Farms brown rice cakes and often use them as a place holder for bread at breakfast and lunch. Make open faced sandwiches or treat them like a bagel and spread on PB or cream cheese and honey.

Hmm....trying to think of other things....

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Also, lots of restaurants are getting on the GF bandwagon. There''s a small chain of nice restaurants in the Boston area called Burton''s that has a dedicated GF kitchen. It''s currently my favorite restaurant.

Uno''s has a GF menu
Outback Steakhouse has a GF menu
I heard Bertucci''s does too now
You can eat out at sushi places if you bring your own soy sauce
You can eat at Italian places if you avoid the pasta and breaded dishes.
Steakhouses are always a good choice as well

 

[lightningbug]

Innerkitten, I''m not gluten free, but I read the really fun blog of a woman who is. She lives on an island off the coast of Washington State, has written a cookbook, and is married to a professional chef. I don''t think I can post blog links here, but if you Google it her name is Shauna James Ahern, and her blog is called Gluten Free Girl and the Chef. I don''t know how her food tastes, but her website is lovely. Good luck and have fun!

 

[tsavvy]

I avoid gluten due to joint and skin issues. I''m not a recipe person - typically I read about 5+ recipes for whatever I feel like making then come up with my own version of it. There is much to be said on gluten-free topic, so I''ve just given you some general eating ideas below.

Favorite snacks/cookies: Pamela''s Products dark chocolate chocolate chunk cookies - very very good. Chocolate dipped almond horns from Trader Joes - if you like almonds, these are fabulous. I''ve also developed an appreciation for macaroons. We also snack on a lot of tortilla or corn chips with salsa, guacamole, hummus, or artichoke/cheese dip.

Baking: Cupcakes, cookies, and pancakes with a mixture of oat and rice flours, plus xanthan gum to help rise. I also use coconut flour from time to time. I have found that it takes a fair amount of trial and error to cook without wheat flour. In my experience, recipes that call for mainly rice flour result in baked goods having the consistency of a hockey puck. I usually substitute at least 50% oat flour. A lot of oats are processed on machines that process gluten foods, so you do have to be careful about your oats.

Pastas: There are lot of corn and rice based pastas that are gluten free. I use these to make spaghetti, lasagne, and my favorite pesto/sausage pasta salad. The rice pasta really absorbs flavors from the water you use to boil it, so I tend to make any rice pastas with bottled water.

Paella: Paella is now a staple at our house. Rice plus seafood, fish, and/or chicken sausage with peas, carrots, onions, spinach, zucchini, red peppers, and whatever else I have on hand.

Rice: Instead of having bread with meals, we typically have rice. My rice intake has more than quadrupled since going gluten-free. I do try to stick to brown rice, but love Mahatma yellow rice. A lot of our meals are lamb, brisket, or fish with rice and a vege on the side.

Pizza: There are a lot of gluten-free frozen pizza crusts out there. Whole Foods has some great ones and there are a few companies that make GF "pizza" crusts that are more like a flatbread. Some of them are good, some are gross. A local pizza place (Steve''s Pizza chain in the Sacramento area) offers gluten-free crusts. Yum!!!!

Indian and mexican foods both have a lot of gluten free options, so DH and I tend to eat out at more of these places than we used to. Sushi is also a good gluten-free snack, but be aware that most soy sauce has wheat.

Lately I''ve been on a soft-boiled egg and toast kick using gluten-free bread. I also make almond butter and jelly sandwiches with GF bread. GF bread is a lot more dense than regular bread, so usually an open-faced sandwich is better than a full sandwich.

There is a great gluten-free store in downtown Sacramento - check and see if there is one in your area.

Sorry for the length of this post -- this is after I edited it down

 

[mary poppins]

Legal Seafood restaurant has a gluten free menu.