Help me write a gluten-free shopping list

After a month of increasing intestinal distress and no diagnosis despite 4 different doctors, I am going to eat gluten-free this week and see if that makes a difference. I wouldn't have thought that was so difficult, since I don't eat a lot of bread anyway, but I picked up my soy sauce to put in my omelet this morning and realized that the second ingredient was wheat! Yikes!

I am an ovo-lacto vegetarian, eat a lot of fresh veggies; I'm interested largely in sauces and seasonings, and maybe prepared soups & things like that which I could get at Whole Paycheck and which are gluten-free.

Thanks!!

Mon. May 5, 9:09am

I have a friend with Celiac's Disease (gluten allergy) and she says that grocery stores (most) have a hotline where you can call and find out if a product is gluten free. I'll check with her on brands because I know that there are certain foods she can eat by one brand but not with another. Also, most chain restaurants will have a gluten free menu, all you have to do is ask the waiter for it. Outback has one, I know for sure.

Monday, May 5, 2008, 9:14 AM

I think Pacific Coast Organic Tomato and butternut squash soups are gluten free. (They don't have any gluten containing ingredients listed) Knorr Simply broths don't have wheat as an ingredient. With the packaged broth, add some veggies and you have soup. (Fried onions to the beef broth makes great french onion soup)

Brown rice pasta should be easy to find at a health food store. Braggs Liquid Soy is wheat free. I think most Wizard Brand sauces are wheat free (and vegan). Hellman's Mayo is wheat free.

Check out:
glutenfree.com, elpeto.com, shopbydiet.com, glutino.com

Monday, May 5, 2008, 10:03 AM

I have a gluten intollerence and feel SO much better since I started eating gluten free. I tend to eat low carb, but keep up on my fruits and veggies. I do eat rice once in a while. I can tell you the weight is dropping off, my skin looks amazing, I no longer have stomach cramps all the time, my BMs are very normal and not fowl smelling, I don't have brain fog or headaches.

I love the gluten free isle in your grocery store, the pizza dough is good, Walmart clearly marks everything on their products gluten free. Their alfredo sauce is amazing, you can buy the gluten free noodles there, etc.

Also, trader joe's has lots of gluten free foods.

Monday, May 5, 2008, 10:40 AM

OP here -- thanks for the great suggestions!

I discovered that if you go to the Whole Foods website, and then find your local store, they provide a whole list of gluten-free foods that are carried in that particular store. How cool is that?

Monday, May 5, 2008, 5:58 PM

try tamari-it's soy sauce that is gluten free.

Monday, May 5, 2008, 9:29 PM

actually, tamari isn't always gluten free.

Monday, May 5, 2008, 11:30 PM

I don't personally eat gluten free but have a good friend who must. I have to say it was a terrific and eye-opening experience to learn to shop and cook with her in mind. I am much more mindful of how much gluten I eat over the course of the day and how many foods it's added to - really it's quite disconcerting for those us who thought we didn't eat much of it. A few personal faves are:

- brown rice flour makes the smoothest gravy ever. Yeah I know we're all dieting, but I had a gluten free thanksgiving and I needed some gravy - this rocked. I don't even want to use wheat flour for gravy anymore.

- Quinoa pasta is my absolute fave. Not only does it hold up well in cooking (brown rice pasta is good but clumps really easily and disintegrates at the merest hint of being in water too long), but it's really filling and doesn't cause the 'carb crash' associated with wheat pasta. Whole Foods carries this.

- Amy's organics makes some delish frozen dinners because hey - gluten-free gals need some convenience now and again as well. Love the brown rice bowl.

- my Cuisinart hand blender makes perfectly emulsified dressings. There's nothing I can buy in the store that beats what I can make on my own - no gluten or sugar needed. Just made a wicked batch of tzatziki sauce with it as well (which is good on grilled veggies).

- Canning is pretty easy. You can can your own pasta sauce and not need to worry about how it was processed and what ingredients were thrown in to satisfy someone's idea of texture/color/flavor.

A big shocker for me? Bullion cubes! Seriously?! yep - seriously. Also, that is quite cool about Whole Foods - never knew that.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008, 2:18 AM

OP here -- well, I went to WP last night, list in hand, but they didn't have everything in stock that was on the list. I'm still hoping to find some rice flour tortillas.

Thanks for all the great ideas!

Tuesday, May 6, 2008, 10:34 AM

Where I live we also have an Allergy Bakery that specializes in gluten free baking. Definitely worth checking into whether there is something like that in your city. There are lots of "ancient grains" like spelt and kamut that are made into flour and that can be tolerated by gluten allergies.

also, health food and whole food stores will probably have a lot more items for you than a regular supermarket.

If you are having trouble finding what you need, try contacting a local dietician to see where they recommend their celiac patients shop.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008, 11:24 AM

Actually 11:30, "Tamari" is wheat/gluten free. People often confuse Shoya Tamari with real Tamari, and Shoya Tamari is fermented with wheat. You have to scrutinize labels to make sure you are buying tamari. Shoya tamari will list wheat in the ingredients and usuallyincludes the word tamari somewhere on the label (this is a US thing). True Tamari does NOT contain wheat, and is not fermented with wheat.

Not trying to start an argument. My nephew has been on a gluten-free diet for about a decade so I had to learn the difference between the two quickly. Stay away from Shoya and you're good.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008, 10:21 PM

While traditionally, tamari may not have wheat, in North America where they tend to add wheat or corn to everything, tamari is not guaranteed to be wheat or gluten free by virtue of the label tamari. And they're not labelled as "shoya tamari". So a blanket statement of "tamari is wheat free", isn't accurate.

http://www.presidentschoice.ca/FoodAndRecipes/GreatFood/ProductDetails.aspx/id/9343/name/PCMemoriesofKobeTamariGarlicSauce/catid/195
http://www.bestrecipes.com.au/glossary/Tamari-L219.html
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=110
http://www.avogel.ca/en/product-finder/health_food/natur_tamari.php

Tuesday, May 6, 2008, 11:08 PM

Welcome to the Gluten free world! I can not digest gluten or dairy and although it is a challenge I feel great since I gave up the gluten and dairy. My stomach is healthy and I no longer live with the horrible side effects that I once had from G&D.

There are many products out there that you can eat. And yes WF has some great products but it does get pricy eating this way. There are many receipe books at the library and good stuff online that you can make and/or bake yourself.

Good luck to you!

Tuesday, May 6, 2008, 11:37 PM

gluten-free can be done, i promise!

check out my website...
ive been GF and DF for 3 years and its gotten easier and easier!

http://thought4food.wordpress.com/category/recommendations/

Link

Tuesday, September 29, 2009, 1:41 AM

great blog!

-PT

Tuesday, September 29, 2009, 6:19 AM

Hi OP.

I've posted this in other blogs, but my daughter and I have over 40 food allergies a piece. Not a single doctor (15 total) or allergies (2) or ENT (1 plus 1 surgery) discovered what was wrong with my daughter.

It was an osteopath who diagnosed her on her first, FREE visit. We did a blood test and found out gluten was one of them.

She now takes 2 homeopathic supplements each day and is able to eat gluten 2 to 3 times per week without the constant stomach and digestion issues.

I'd be happy to talk to you about it if you'd like.

Fab.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009, 10:28 AM

btw: if you have a walmart close to you, most of the GREAT VALUE brands of soy sauce and speghetti sauce and alfredo sauce are gluten free.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009, 10:29 AM

Everything on the left side of this list is gluten free:

http://blog.peertrainer.com/tip_of_the_day/2011/02/the-peertrainer-cheat-system.html

-PEERtrainer

Tuesday, March 8, 2011, 1:07 PM

soy sauce is almost always wheat based. It must say gluten free specifically for it to be different.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011, 11:13 AM

Related Content: How To Lose Weight- The Basics Weight Watchers Points System The Fat Smash Diet The Eat To Live Diet The Beck Diet Solution How To Get The Motivation To Lose Weight		How To Be Successful Using PEERtrainer How To Burn Fat Online Weight Loss Support- How It Works Does Green Tea Help You Lose Weight? Tips On Using PEERtrainer Visit The PEERtrainer Community Diet and Fitness Resources
Fitness Weight Watchers Meetings Learning To Inspire Others: You Already Are Writing Down Your Daily Workouts Spending Money On A Personal Trainer? How I Became A Marathon Runner		Preventive Health How To Prevent Injuries During Your Workout Flu Season: Should You Take The Flu Shot? Are You Really Ready To Start PEERtrainer? Super Foods That Can Boost Your Energy Reversing Disease Through Nutrition
New Diet and Fitness Articles: Weight Watchers Points Plus How To Adjust Your Body To Exercise New: Weight Watchers Momentum Program New: PEERtrainer Blog Archive Review Of The New Weight Watchers Momentum Program		Weight Loss Motivation by Joshua Wayne: Why Simple Goal Setting Is Not Enough How To Delay Short Term Gratification How To Stay Motivated How To Exercise With A Busy Schedule
Real World Nutrition and Fitness Questions Can Weight Lifting Help You Lose Weight? Are Protein Drinks Safe? Nutrition As Medicine?		Everyday Weight Loss Tips How To Eat Healthy At A Party How To Eat Out And Still Lose Weight The Three Bite Rule Tips On How To Stop A Binge