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[Tomita]

I might have to start a gluten free diet, but I love gluten foods. Anyone on NeoGAF have a similar struggle, and if so how do you cope?

For example, all my experiences having gluten-free baking is disgusting and I can't live my life without no dessert. ):

Before you tell me TALK TO A DOCTOR, I'm literally going through that process. Got a blood test that was positive for celiac sprues, and just had a colonoscopy today to further investigate. But it's probably pretty safe to say I have celiac disease. It's super aggravating because I'm one of those people who rolls their eyes at the gluten free fad. You know, those people who insist they need to live gluten free when they don't even know what gluten is...or when you're reading labels at the grocery store and find a cup of yogurt declaring itself "gluten free!" Well, no shit, dairy product containing no wheat, of course you're gluten free. But I also know people who legitimately have issues with gluten, and I always felt for them. Though I have digestive issues, only 1% of the population has celiac disease, and no one in my family has any colon problems, so I never expected to have gluten intolerance. I won the shitty lottery ):

Spoiler

Pun intended.

So...

• Is it possible to have a cheat day or something so I can still enjoy bread, beer, and baked goods? Because giving up all three of those is really depressing. ): I can minimize, sure, but giving them up forever????? Also I don't want to be that friend who is difficult and has to insist on gluten free shit...or order shit food at the restaurant to avoid gluten.
  Spoiler

  Sorry if you're that person.
• I love rice, so finding meals that are gluten free isn't super hard...but still, does anyone have any recipe/website tips for people who would like to still enjoy their food despite it being gluten free? Are there any substitutes that don't taste like crap? My experience so far, from eating with gluten-free people, is "No."
• Bakers, how do you cope with a gluten free diet? Should I just give up and cry now because my life can no longer have muffins, cake, pie, or strudel??

Obviously I'll ask my doctor about more information, but my next appointment isn't for another month and I'd rather mentally prep myself for the inevitable. :/

 

[Roulette]

It's not the end of the world. Barilla make decent GF pasta these days. It's not perfect, but you can cook it without it becoming a gluggy mess.

There's meat, vegetables and fruit, of course. The whole GF craze makes restaurant eating much easier. The only annoying part is others eating stuff you can't in front of you, but I don't really care.

Just make sure to toast any GF bread you get. Otherwise it is literal filth.

I don't use recipe sites or anything, but re: cheat days, nope. If you are coeliac, you can't have gluten at all without consequences. At best, you're making your body react negatively (long term medical risks etc.). At worst, you'll feel sick in the guts potentially for days.

 

[SolarMystic]

Celiac disease runs in my family. Both my dad and my brother have it along with members of my extended family, I'm actually going through tests next week to see if I have it as my shit has been messed up for awhile now.

DO NOT HAVE A CHEAT DAY. Seriously. Don't. Not even a crumb. As your body naturally heals itself once you've gone gluten free, you will be doing damage and probably make yourself sick with even a small amount of gluten. Celiac disease is not something to mess with. You can cause serious damage to your digestive track and other areas by having a "cheat day".

Secondly, if you can bake or have someone close that can bake really well, gluten free desserts can be pretty fantastic. There is some pretty good gluten free ale, not too mention a lot of liquor is naturally gluten free.

Sadly, pizza will never be the same.

When you eat out, do not eat anything that can be cross contaminated with gluten. This will severely limit the amount of places you can eat, but restaurants are getting much better at this.

 

[sam12]

It's not that bad in this day and age. There are tons of glutenfree options at majority of restaurants, heck even a chain like Dominies has a gluten free crust pizza. It's a big and booming industry.

Almond flour, rice flour and coconut flour are some options if you want to bake

Udi's brand offers gluten free bread, not bad one IMO but toast it
Lots of pasta companies offer gluten free pastas made from corn or rice
Lots of almond flour baked goods or flourless cakes

Indian food and curries go really well with rice
Cherry hill pancake mix from gluten free aisle of your local grocery store like shop rite or stop n shop is amazing, really fluffy rice flour pancakes

Hit up Whole Foods or Trader Joe's if you can

Gluten free oats, quinoa, buckwheat are some grain options without gluten.

Gram flour(chickpea) makes a savory crepe

 

[j_k_redtail]

No. Nononono cheat days. Be encouraged though: having a GF diet is a lot easier than it used to be.

 

[SolarMystic]

It's not that bad in this day and age. There are tons of glutenfree options at majority of restaurants, heck even a chain like Dominies has a gluten free crust pizza. It's a big and booming industry.

Almond flour, rice flour and coconut flour are some options if you want to bake

Udi's brand offers gluten free bread, not bad one IMO but toast it
Lots of pasta companies offer gluten free pastas made from corn or rice
Lots of almond flour baked goods or flourless cakes

Indian food and curries go really well with rice
Cherry hill pancake mix from gluten free aisle of your local grocery store like shop rite or stop n shop is amazing, really fluffy rice flour pancakes

Hit up Whole Foods or Trader Joe's if you can

Gluten free oats, quinoa, buckwheat are some grain options without gluten.

Gram flour(chickpea) makes a savory crepe

The problem with gluten free options at a lot of restaurants is that they make them in the same cooking spaces as they do everything else. If someone has celiac disease, they should not be eating a gluten free pizza that went through the same oven as all the other pizzas.

 

[nel e nel]

I hope you like tequila and wine.

Also, make sure to rinse gluten free pasta after you cook, but before serving. Otherwise it gets all gloopy.

 

[Tomita]

DO NOT HAVE A CHEAT DAY. Seriously. Don't. Not even a crumb. As your body naturally heals itself once you've gone gluten free, you will be doing damage and probably make yourself sick with even a small amount of gluten. Celiac disease is not something to mess with. You can cause serious damage to your digestive track and other areas by having a "cheat day".

Just want to say I obviously wouldn't do so if my doctor told me not to. I'm not going to actually take medical advice from GAF (lol), but I wanted to at least know what to expect.

A friend found out like four months ago she was also gluten intolerant, and she said she could have a cheat day, but... ¯\_(&#12484_/¯ Like I said, I'm gonna listen to my doctor at the end of the day. She's one of, probably the best gastro doctor in my state, so it'd be foolish not to.

Spoiler

And then I'll cry in front of bakery window displays.

Secondly, if you can bake or have someone close that can bake really well, gluten free desserts can be pretty fantastic. There is some pretty good gluten free ale, not too mention a lot of liquor is naturally gluten free.[/b]

I've heard bad things about gluten free ale, so...yay, hope. My mom would probably refuse to bake gluten free sadly...but at least I could.

Sadly, pizza will never be the same.

Why ):
Actually, gluten-free pizza was the one thing I had that wasn't terrible... but it was at some fancy non-chain place that I no longer live by. But still.

I hope you like tequila and wine.

Also, make sure to rinse gluten free pasta after you cook, but before serving. Otherwise it gets all gloopy.

Can't stand tequila. I like wine, but beer's, like, my go to. So, sadness.

All the gluten free pasta I've had so far is gross. I'm going to have to investigate some brands. At least I enjoy the naturally gluten-free Asian pastas, though that doesn't save Italian food.

 

[sazzy]

I have non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

I usually make maize or pearl millet flour flatbreads when I get a craving for bread. You should be able to get these at a well stocked local Indian store.

I've cut out baked goods and anything with added sugar entirely from my diet.

In addition, these three homemade foods have really helped my digestive system heal: sauerkraut, kefir and yogurt.

 

[sneakypete]

If you're craving pizza, check out Fat Head pizza dough.


I usually make a buffalo chicken or spinach and alfredo pizza every week or two using this dough. Really tasty and filling as its mostly made of cheese. I use garlic and onion powder along with some italian seasoning when mixing the dough. It's pretty versatile as well - made a pretty nice calzone last month and some pigs in blankets for the 4th of july.

 

[highrider]

Interestingly I work as a cook in an Italian restaurant and we had a substantial gluten free order tonight for a whole party. We did Marsala, Boulionase, and Saltimboca reductions minus the butter and flour and of course the pasta we use is brown rice based and dry as opposed to handmade. I tasted everything, we use a special corn starch substitute for giving the sauces some body, and of course the meats and sauces were the same. It's definitely not as satiating as handmade pasta and butter, but it's still pretty good.

 

[Spoiled Milk]

If you're already gluten allergic there's no way you can go cheat day. It depends on the severity of your reactions but likely if they're as bad as they are you won't want any gluten around at all.

 

[DJ_Lae]

My cousin is celiac and he too hates the fad gluten free diets in terms of how people view him. However, it has the side benefit of it being a lot easier to find gluten-free products now.

Don't cheat, though. Ever. You'll regret it.

As far as pastas go, the corn-based ones are decent. Others overcook very easily, so be careful when cooking. Gluten-free bread is bad, but less bad when toasted. Chips and crackers are widely available in good gluten-free variants.

Baking is hit or miss but if you do it yourself I've had best luck with quinoa flour cupcakes, oddly enough. There will be more misses than hits here simply because without the structure that gluten provides you end up with baked stuff that's largely dense, mealy, and crumbly, or often all three. I haven't had as much as my cousin, obviously, but generally they do best when they aren't trying to recreate wheat.

Pizza is okay but you'll basically be stuck with thin crust.

And again, if it turns out you are celiac, don't cheat. Your bowels will be easily angered.

 

[Tomita]

If you're craving pizza, check out Fat Head pizza dough.


I usually make a buffalo chicken or spinach and alfredo pizza every week or two using this dough. Really tasty and filling as its mostly made of cheese. I use garlic and onion powder along with some italian seasoning when mixing the dough. It's pretty versatile as well - made a pretty nice calzone last month and some pigs in blankets for the 4th of july.

Okay, that looks freaking awesome. Thanks!

 

[Metroxed]

Hello, fellow celiac here.

"Can I have a cheat day?"

I'd advise not to, but it really depends on your degree of intolerance. For instance, there is people who get really sick at the slightest cross-contamination (fever, vomiting, etc), while other people can resist gluten better (while still being celiac).

I was diagnosed with the disease three or so years ago, and at first I had a cheat meal (not an entire day but just a single meal) every month or so. Nothing would happen to me, perhaps I would feel a bit "funny" after, but I was okay. However as time progressed and the less gluten I ate I found my body became less tolerant to it.

 

[Fuchsdh]

Honestly my recommendation from my one or two friends who have celiac disease is that you're better off just sticking to naturally gluten-free stuff rather than trying to find all the substitutes. Honestly given how much starchy stuff we tend to eat as modern humans it's probably not a bad idea for all of us, gluten-intolerant or not. Also, it tends to be a lot more expensive.

Trying to bake gluten-free foods for people and have them taste good is a bizarre challenge given how trivial it is to bake anything else. I've basically given up and just focused on desserts that don't have anything I need to worry about substituting. Flourless cakes, freezer cakes, fruit-based stuff.

(And if they're dairy-free and gluten-free, I just give up entirely.)

 

[Matrix XII]

My wife is celiac. No it's not advisable to have a cheat day as you will get sick and you won't want to again. It's a complete lifestyle change and it will be extremely hard at first. When you start feeling better after going GF it will get easier.

Be prepared to spend a lot more money for GF products. Get to know your regular grocery store and shop those GF products. Corn and rice based foods are usually your friend. Making GF bread is very difficult so we just buy it (expensive though sadly). You will have to find different risers for baking like Xanthan Gum. Luckily these days there is a lot more GF products available than there were 10 years ago, so it's actually a good time to find this out compared to then.

When you are out at a restaurant or someone else's house, you must ask questions about the food that was prepared. Do not think, "oh it's probably GF, it'll be ok." The reality is, most people don't think abut food allergies and then if you accidentally have some gluten, you will get sick. You will not want to have a gluten reaction when you are out. You're basically done for the night.

The first year will be very hard on you and you will get down about it. This is normal. After some time, you will fall into a routine and it will become somewhat easier. Since your body will no longer have any gluten issues your health will improve and that'll help you to think it's worth going through.

As for alcohol, most wines are ok. Some whiskey and gin will be ok too. There are GF beer available and they are extremely expensive. Sometimes if my wife wants a treat I'll buy her some GF beer.

Just know this is not the end of the world. You can do this with discipline and determination. Wishing you the best of luck!

 

[m_shortpants]

Celiac here.

Do not have a cheat day. Ever.

My advice - GF substitute food like gf bread pasta etc can be great at the beginning but it just doesn't taste the same. You're going to want to use naturally GF ingredients IMO. Rice, quinoa, corn, potatoes etc. Every now and then you'll find good dedicated bakeries or brands that have good GF food, but eventually I just got sick of it so I just cook food that doesn't need a substitute. There's plenty of great ingredients and recipes out there.

Also, don't eat out at the beginning. People don't always take GF seriously anymore due to fad dieters and no matter what you say contamination is a huge risk. Until you get your system under control stick to home cooked food in my opinion. Of course the Udis branded GF ready meals will be fine too, but shared surfaces,utensils etc can be a risk if you aren't in control.

Hope you feel better. I know it was really tough to go GF after being diagnosed, but getting my health and life back was worth it. You'll get there.

 

[Used-ID]

I'm 40 and was told by my doc that I have Celiac disease, followed a few weeks later with a diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis when I was 35. Talk about a shitty month.

But there is good news, not everything tastes like ass anymore. I literally just got done eating speghetti I cooked a few days ago. Barrila and Rizoni (I think - it's in a yellow box) are about the only 2 noodle makers you want to deal with.

My wife makes a awesome carrot cake for me every now and then. I'll try to get the recipe.

Main thing is don't cheat.

I miss flour tortillas and deep dish pizza the most myself...

 

[Fast Forward]

No, but becoming a secret vegetarian recently in the last 2-3 months, personally, my approach has been to avoid meat all together, rather than go for secondary substitutes, like Veggie Burgers. That's only way I can remotely relate. Same when I gave up Soda as apart of my daily diet in my early 20s. Diet Soda does not work as a substitute. Best to go cold turkey, or find new foods/drinks if you ask me when switching to any new kind of diet.

 

[Jugendstil]

Bumping this thread because I started a restricted diet recently due to extreme IBS and GI issues, and wanted to see if there was any discussion of GF diets here on NeoGAF. It's tough but I've been amazed by the results and how much better I feel.

If you find the right diet to combat your symptoms from Celiac, you're probably going to feel a lot better on a day to day basis. Cheat days sound okay in theory, but you're really making yourself feel sick for no good reason. I love baking and baked goods, but I finally realized I don't want to eat things that make me feel like garbage. It's not worth it.

Another benefit is you'll probably lose weight too. I didn't realize how bloated I was until I changed my diet and my physical transformation in a relatively short amount of time has been really gratifying. It might be shallow but it's a big motivation to stick with it.

It seems overwhelming at first, but if you learn what your body is sensitive to and stick to it, I guarantee you'll be happy with the results.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Barrila and Rizoni (I think - it's in a yellow box) are about the only 2 noodle makers you want to deal with.

Tinkyada makes really good pasta too!

I miss flour tortillas and deep dish pizza the most myself...

Have you tried Mission's gluten free flour tortillas? They're pretty darn good, and the best large gf "wrap" style tortilla/wraps that I've come across. The only thing is that you have to heat them first, preferably in a skillet, otherwise they'll fall apart super fast.

Also, you can make a pretty decent deep dish pizza using

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001ACMCNA/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[Risible]

No, but becoming a secret vegetarian recently in the last 2-3 months, personally, my approach has been to avoid meat all together, rather than go for secondary substitutes, like Veggie Burgers. That's only way I can remotely relate. Same when I gave up Soda as apart of my daily diet in my early 20s. Diet Soda does not work as a substitute. Best to go cold turkey, or find new foods/drinks if you ask me when switching to any new kind of diet.

This is silly. There are tons of amazing GF choices available now. My mother and step father actually prefer the GF bread I use (Udi's Whole Grain) over typical GF choices. The big pasta makers now sell cheap and good pastas.

 

[Electric Eye]

I have never felt better than when I stopped eating glutten/carbs and all milk products. I always thought it was all bs diet fads but now regret not doing it sooner. Do I miss it? Fuck yeah but I don't miss feeling like bloated gassy shit even more.

 

[Somnid]

I have no problem with gluten but my wife does so we keep strict GF usually leaning harder into Paleo. My tips:

1) Don't cheat. You can feel bad for days afterward.
2) Gluten-free substitute bread is usually awful, just stop eating bread.
3) If you still want something bread-like eat naturally developed gluten free variants like Pao de Queijo, Injera [unfortunately many cheaper versions contain wheat or barely], Dosa etc.
4) Indian (sans Naan), Thai, Vietnamese and Ethiopian foods are not traditionally gluten containing so they are your best bets.
5) Any burger place can usually give you the burger without the bun if you need something
6) Shared friers are not usually a good idea but it depends on sensitivity, if you want to be sure you don't get IBS don't do it.
7) Always ask at restaurants. Sometimes they can offer things not on the menu, sometimes things that have no business having wheat do (and if it does it's often a sign the restaurant sucks and is using something packaged).
8) The best GF/Paleo frozen pizza is Capello's
9) The best GF/Paleo flour is Casava
10) Udi's is trash and it's what most GF buns and Pizza crusts you'll get at restaurants is.

 

[kirblar]

Bumping this thread because I started a restricted diet recently due to extreme IBS and GI issues, and wanted to see if there was any discussion of GF diets here on NeoGAF. It's tough but I've been amazed by the results and how much better I feel.

If you find the right diet to combat your symptoms from Celiac, you're probably going to feel a lot better on a day to day basis. Cheat days sound okay in theory, but you're really making yourself feel sick for no good reason. I love baking and baked goods, but I finally realized I don't want to eat things that make me feel like garbage. It's not worth it.

Another benefit is you'll probably lose weight too. I didn't realize how bloated I was until I changed my diet and my physical transformation in a relatively short amount of time has been really gratifying. It might be shallow but it's a big motivation to stick with it.

It seems overwhelming at first, but if you learn what your body is sensitive to and stick to it, I guarantee you'll be happy with the results.

GF diets helped me a lot, but I still had issues. (and was testing negative on Celiac tests.) What finally helped me was taking supplemental HCL/Pepsin. Food would stick in my stomach way longer than it should, especially milk products, and with the supplementation I was finally able to eat most foods with far fewer bloating/energy issues.

 

[curiouscharles]

gluten-free has gotten pretty amazing.

i went gluten-free while studying in London, as i was having a hard time with the new pollen and all the pollution [i come from Victoria, Canada...].

even the "free from" section had amazing bread in the grocery stores, but i mostly just ate tortilla chips.

it's really not so bad OP, heck i'm doing it again now as it's good for the immune system / auto-immune response.

 

[oreomunsta]

My wife has celiac, OP, so believe me when I say Do Not Have A Cheat Day.

Your reaction to gluten will get worse the longer you are in your diet, and it isn't pretty.

There are lots of gluten free options that are out there that make the diet easy. However, if you want good gluten free baking, you'll probably have to make it yourself.

I wouldn't be surprised if your tastes change as you go on the diet. My wife no longer craves breads and cakes, so she gets her sweet tooth satisfied through other things she now likes more

 

[Drkirby]

If you do have celiac, your doctor should be able to give good dietary recommendations. Follow their advice after you are finish getting you diagnosis.

 

[hateradio]

Have you tried Mission's gluten free flour tortillas? They're pretty darn good, and the best large gf "wrap" style tortilla/wraps that I've come across. The only thing is that you have to heat them first, preferably in a skillet, otherwise they'll fall apart super fast.

Never understood Americans not heating tortillas.

Comal, get into it.

 

[Metroxed]

Hello man, gaffer with celiac disease here.

So...

• Is it possible to have a cheat day or something so I can still enjoy bread, beer, and baked goods? Because giving up all three of those is really depressing. ): I can minimize, sure, but giving them up forever????? Also I don't want to be that friend who is difficult and has to insist on gluten free shit...or order shit food at the restaurant to avoid gluten.
  Spoiler

  Sorry if you're that person.
• I love rice, so finding meals that are gluten free isn't super hard...but still, does anyone have any recipe/website tips for people who would like to still enjoy their food despite it being gluten free? Are there any substitutes that don't taste like crap? My experience so far, from eating with gluten-free people, is "No."
• Bakers, how do you cope with a gluten free diet? Should I just give up and cry now because my life can no longer have muffins, cake, pie, or strudel??

Obviously I'll ask my doctor about more information, but my next appointment isn't for another month and I'd rather mentally prep myself for the inevitable. :/

Well, your questions cannot be answered until we know whether or not you have actual Cealiac's disease or just some form of gluten allergy/intolerance.

If it's the former then... sorry, but no cheat days are allowed. Or at least they're highly unadvisable. I used to have them (like once a month) at the beginning of my diet as my reactions to gluten are rather mild, but the more time I spent in my general gluten-free diet, I found that my reaction to having gluten was more severe, as my system was apparently not used to processing gluten anymore.

 

[Fantastapotamus]

Toast the bread.
It masquerades the aweful, aweful taste.

 

[captive]

I might have to start a gluten free diet, but I love gluten foods. Anyone on NeoGAF have a similar struggle, and if so how do you cope?

For example, all my experiences having gluten-free baking is disgusting and I can't live my life without no dessert. ):

Before you tell me TALK TO A DOCTOR, I'm literally going through that process. Got a blood test that was positive for celiac sprues, and just had a colonoscopy today to further investigate. But it's probably pretty safe to say I have celiac disease. It's super aggravating because I'm one of those people who rolls their eyes at the gluten free fad. You know, those people who insist they need to live gluten free when they don't even know what gluten is...or when you're reading labels at the grocery store and find a cup of yogurt declaring itself "gluten free!" Well, no shit, dairy product containing no wheat, of course you're gluten free. But I also know people who legitimately have issues with gluten, and I always felt for them. Though I have digestive issues, only 1% of the population has celiac disease, and no one in my family has any colon problems, so I never expected to have gluten intolerance. I won the shitty lottery ):

Spoiler

Pun intended.

So...

• Is it possible to have a cheat day or something so I can still enjoy bread, beer, and baked goods? Because giving up all three of those is really depressing. ): I can minimize, sure, but giving them up forever????? Also I don't want to be that friend who is difficult and has to insist on gluten free shit...or order shit food at the restaurant to avoid gluten.
  Spoiler

  Sorry if you're that person.
• I love rice, so finding meals that are gluten free isn't super hard...but still, does anyone have any recipe/website tips for people who would like to still enjoy their food despite it being gluten free? Are there any substitutes that don't taste like crap? My experience so far, from eating with gluten-free people, is "No."
• Bakers, how do you cope with a gluten free diet? Should I just give up and cry now because my life can no longer have muffins, cake, pie, or strudel??

Obviously I'll ask my doctor about more information, but my next appointment isn't for another month and I'd rather mentally prep myself for the inevitable. :/

sorry to hear that bro. Congratulations on being in the 1%! i guess...

i, like you, also can't stand people that go gluten free cause its supposed to be healthier. You, on the other hand have a legitimate reason.


I dont know anyone that has legit Cealiac's however I do have a few gluten free recommendations.

King Arthur all purpose flour, use the pancake recipe on the box, its amazing. My wife and I make pancakes with these simply cause they taste better.

If you like corn bread, and I would question anyone's sanity if they didnt, this is a great recipe. http://www.thelittlekitchen.net/the-best-homemade-cornbread-recipe/
make it with the same king arthur box instead of flour, you can also get gluten free cornmeal. Super delicious. I usually double the recipe and make it in a bread pan.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Never understood Americans not heating tortillas.

Sometimes you just want a nice cold ranch blt wrap you know

5) Any burger place can usually give you the burger without the bun if you need something

Sometimes they'll toast buns on the same griddle that they cook the burgers on though, so cross contamination is still a possibility/probability.

Honestly, gluten free is a piece of cake when you're cooking for yourself at home. But eating out / traveling to another country is a crapshoot at best and a fucking nightmare at worst.