• Heather said:

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  I would highly suggest getting

  Cecelias Marketplace Gluten-Free Grocery Shopping Guide

  It has been one of the best things I have found since becoming gluten-free 4 years ago. So many products (vitamins, pills, broth, teas, sauces) have gluten in them, but they do not declare it. I bought this manual and it was so helpful to read about products/brands that I can be confident are gluten free. I also started calling companies to ask them if I wasnt sure. I was surprised at how many had gluten but they didnt put anything on the label that made it clear.  It was helpful and also often led to me getting coupons for their products which was nice. Celiac.com is another awesome resource. Often people put on there if they know if something is gluten-free or not.
  

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Thankyou for posting that it was very helpful !!

By Ruby on 10/6/2009

i don't have Celiac Siease but have found that reducing gluten in my diet and eating smaller portions makes me feel better.  I think this advice is good for a lot of people.
I've strted eating Glutino frozen means (available at Whole Foods) and they are delicious!

By Joanna on 10/6/2009

I have celiac disease, and over the past two years can definitely help newly diagnosed people by saying DO NOT fall for the sugar/carb alternatives. They aren't good for you, anyway, and usually have an aftertaste. Pamela's is the best I know of the group, and her boxed cookies are great (almost too good), but again, who needs to eat bad carbs, even if they are gluten-free. Gillian's Pasta is by far the best for rice-based pasta. I won't buy any other brand. They also make pizza dough that comes frozen. Excellent. Bob's Red Mill makes the best cornbread mix. The hot cereals - rice based - are excellent. In my opinion Glutino is way too expensive. $7.50 for breadsticks? But Blue Diamond has come out with a nut-based cracker that's fantastic, usually about $2.50 or under, sometimes in the regular cracker section. Mary's Gone Crackers broke a filling I had. They're just too "hard," but taste good. The key to not spending everything on gluten-free food is to eat gluten-free and not substitute too much. You don't need to order gluten-free meals, either. Just order the meat, veggies and a potato and/or salad (with no croutons). Restaurants charge more for gluten-free meals, and I doubt they have separate prep stations. Even a little wheat can put me in bed for two days of stomach cramps. Watch out for soy sauce! The cheapest one, made by La Choy,  has no wheat. Hope this helps. Join as many Celiac support sites as you can. They offer more than grocery stores, plus opinions. I like Living Without magazine and Gluten-Freeda, and both will send you newsletters with new recipes, products, etc.
One last thing. There is no tasty bread for us. Stick with crackers. English muffins and bagels are a thing of the past. If anyone knows of a "real" tasting gluten-free bagel, please post it!
Patty

By Patricia on 10/28/2009

• Jessica said:

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  Does anyone have a suggestion as to weekly meal plans for a GF diet?  Im new to being gluten free...

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Hi,I like the Asian noodles.They're called glass noodles,or beand threads,and rice noodles.It's something quick to cook,during those times when you are feeling not like cooking a lot and need something quick.Basically you just boil water dump them in let them cook for about 3-5 min,let them sit,strain the water off and add some Gluten free soy sauce for flavor.Flavored Rice cakes are a god send,I like the Chocolate the most.I put gobbs of Cheesecake flavored creme cheese on them,and go to town. Also mozzerella,or any type of cheese sticks will come in handy,and are good for you. Hope this gives you a few ideas,you can add chopped meats and veggies to the noodles,and switch uo the toppings for the rice cakes.

By Andalisa on 10/28/2009

Thank you so much for all the great info! My niece also has this. She is so thin- I wonder if there is anything she can EAT! I will pass this info on to her! And, your right- everything seems so expensive! Thanks again!

By Kyla on 10/31/2009

I have been gluten free for about 6 years, long before it was easy to recognize products in the stores.  The best advice i recieved was "quit trying to substitute!  Make new favorites!"  Access resources on the net.  also, ask restaraunts for GF menus, most of the better restaraunts have them.

By Debbie on 11/3/2009

• Julie said:

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  not to worry! times are a changing as more folks are diagnosed as gluten intolerant (1 in 133 estimated...many just dont know whats causing their allergies, skin rash/reactions and/or stomach upset)and more packaged products are gluten-free! even general mills has labeled some desserts and cereals as GFree! that is main stream! thank you for that GM. toughest things to get that are gluten free and taste like they arent are cookies and other baked goods....its a texture thing. you will spend a lot of $$ trying things that people say are good, but that is just because thats all they have to eat!!! dont settle. keep bugging companies to improve what they offer.  my favorite finds are white rice/potato penne pasta, corn spaghetti pasta and bards beer....and remember, many things are just naturally gluten free....fruits, vegetables and nuts....stuff we should eat more of anyway!  

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Whole Foods has a whole line of bread , cakes and cookies that are gluten free. Pricey though. On the other hand, the best brownies I've ever eaten is from a gluten free mix from TArader Joe's.  Not expensive at all! Yum. Both stores sell a version of gluten free bread. Because of the price and the texture, I prefer Trader Joes.  Both these markets have web sites which list all their gluten free products

By Joan on 11/10/2009

How do you manage gluten-free during the holidays w/ big family holiday meals and parties?  This gluten-free stuff takes some planning ahead, doesn't it?Connie 

By Connie on Tuesday

I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease over 8 years ago (it only took 22 years to figure it out!)  If you are newly diagnosed it is easy to drop quite a bit of money on prepared foods, new flours and cookbooks.  My suggestion is to start easy.  Go out and buy Pamela's Pancake and Baking mix & Pamela's Bread mix for  immediate use.  There are plenty of easy recipes right on the package (as well as the website) and her mixes never disappoint.  Next purchase Easy Gluten Free Baking by Elizabeth Barbone as well as the newly updated Gluten Free baking Classics by Annalise Roberts.  Both books are excellent and will give you a good base for learning about baking gluten free -breads, pizza crusts,desserts and more!  All of these items from Pamelas down to the cookbooks can be purchased on Amazon much more cheaply than any other method.  Then as you adjust, hit some great blogs such as I am gluten free, the Gluten free goddess, gluten free gobsmacked etc.  Buy a few more great GF cookbooks that are out there-I can't wait to get the Gluten Free Italian Cookbook by Mary Capone.  There are so many wonderful resources out there today to make adhering to a Gluten Free diet a little easier. I hope my post proves helpful to you!  Good Luck!

By Cynthia on Tuesday