Gluten free

I feel for you. I have a nut allergy and I find that many products now exclude dairy and use nut milk and nut oils instead.

On a recent trip to a NT property there was only one thingI could eat because they had moved to a totally plant based menu. Ironically it was the gluten free cake😬

I was diagnosed over 40 years ago and it was very refreshing to recently go the The Golden Cross pub in Coventry which had a gluten-free kitchen and catered for many other restricted diets. The fish & chips was amazing!

I'm coeliac too, and it drives me bonkers that manufacturers try to combine all dietary requirements/preferences in one product. I think it is probably cost driven but no fun when you have a medical condition being lumped together. I guess people who need (eg) lactose free, dairy free feel the same about being joined up with coeliac? Cutting out more from their diets than is medically necessary.

I so agree with you Romulo as a fellow coeliac of 30 years. It is not a life style choice and gluten free products are expensive.
I think rising costs of food and labour are a big problem. For example at Center Parcs no gluten free beef burgers, replaced by chicken breast. Rusk in burgers makes them cheaper to buy! Also no ice cream in the restaurants for coeliacs! I am continually having to check the contents of food items to make sure gluten is not in the ingredients as costs rise. Gluten free flight meal are often so restrictive not allowed butter as they try to accommodate other dietary options in one cost saving meal

I recently went to a very large 4 day horticultural show with lots and lots of food stalls. The only gluten free food there was ice cream, flapjack and cat food. I am fortunate to be able to tolerate gf flapjack, but many coeliacs can't. The cat food was beginning to look tempting by the end. 😂. Quite a lot of vegan/veggie stuff. I think manufacturers cater for current trends. Again probably cost driven.

My 16 month old grandson is gluten intolerant ( possibly Coeliac but they won’t test until over 2). We obviously make most of his food from scratch but I do worry that some of the things that you can buy not only have other food groups cut out but unhealthy additives, seed oils, added sugar etc included in them.

One of my daughter’s has been coeliac for many years now and is annoying that gluten free products are now vegan as well. Also most products cost a King’s ransom so is doubly annoying.
The bread is never great, though a tiger loaf by Warburton’s isn’t too bad, when she comes to us I use Toastie pockets to toast bread for her every time because it tastes better that way. Btw Toastie pockets are easy to use in the same toaster used for ordinary bread as long as you swipe off any crumbs on the top of the toaster.
I tend to bake her cakes using almond flour or cocoa, the flour they produce for coeliacs is awful.

1summer

My 16 month old grandson is gluten intolerant ( possibly Coeliac but they won’t test until over 2). We obviously make most of his food from scratch but I do worry that some of the things that you can buy not only have other food groups cut out but unhealthy additives, seed oils, added sugar etc included in them.

Interesting you say won't test until age 2. My cousin had from birth. Was fine on breast milk and baby rice, but as soon as rusk/porridge was introduced he became ill. He was diagnosed at 9 months. Although there is a family history, so maybe that made a difference.

I also get irritated when they try to combine the vegan/nut-free/coeliac teatime options.
Coeliac cakes are not the most exciting because of the "bathroom sponge" effect of the flour, so it's alway better to have butter, eggs and some nuts to improve the texture and flavour. Ground almonds in particular are so delicious!
I really love a citrussy polenta cake and for a few years I seemed to find them everywhere, but now it's usually something far less interesting or edible.
I rarely find a bread I like either, though I'm currently eating Warburtons GF rolls as they are thin enough to toast and are OK for sandwiches.
I quite like the BFree pitta breads and soft white wraps, my husband doesn't mind eating these though he's not keen on most GF breads. They're fairly expensive though.

I've also got a history of Coeliac disease all down my mother's side of the family - two of my cousins children have had it since birth and were quite seriously ill until they picked up the problem - and they've both been on strict diets since birth (now in their 30's).
After a test in the 1990's I was told by my GP that I'm "intolerant" myself, though a more recent test for Coeliac disease was negative. However I go on avoiding gluten because it always upsets my stomach.

I was looking for a GF ready meal for a visiting DD who needed to eat in a rush and go out - found just two in Tesco. In the event she didn't have time to eat either so they're still in the freezer.

It seems to be a case of adding time on to your shopping excursion and reading every label!

Some people are coeliac and lactose intolerant (she is) but are not vegan.
Eating out did become better but now pubs and restaurants seem to be catering more for vegans, the choice has become more limited again.

If it's of interest to some of you, Dove Farm now have a section on their web-site devoted to gluten-free with recipes and they look good.

cc

I've also got a history of Coeliac disease all down my mother's side of the family - two of my cousins children have had it since birth and were quite seriously ill until they picked up the problem - and they've both been on strict diets since birth (now in their 30's).
After a test in the 1990's I was told by my GP that I'm "intolerant" myself, though a more recent test for Coeliac disease was negative. However I go on avoiding gluten because it always upsets my stomach.

Tests for coeliac are tricky, our daughter had several that were negative before getting a positive. I think if you are having a gluten free diet your test will show up negative but if you eat foods with gluten in them for a short time it will show up positive. I believe they are looking for an autoimmune response. Or at least that’s what my daughter was told once.

1summer

My 16 month old grandson is gluten intolerant ( possibly Coeliac but they won’t test until over 2). We obviously make most of his food from scratch but I do worry that some of the things that you can buy not only have other food groups cut out but unhealthy additives, seed oils, added sugar etc included in them.

I'm so glad there is more awareness now, lsummer, and they can test age 2. Looking back, my DD was coeliac from birth but no-one realised.

Babs03

cc

I've also got a history of Coeliac disease all down my mother's side of the family - two of my cousins children have had it since birth and were quite seriously ill until they picked up the problem - and they've both been on strict diets since birth (now in their 30's).
After a test in the 1990's I was told by my GP that I'm "intolerant" myself, though a more recent test for Coeliac disease was negative. However I go on avoiding gluten because it always upsets my stomach.

Tests for coeliac are tricky, our daughter had several that were negative before getting a positive. I think if you are having a gluten free diet your test will show up negative but if you eat foods with gluten in them for a short time it will show up positive. I believe they are looking for an autoimmune response. Or at least that’s what my daughter was told once.

Yes, this is correct.

lsummer's DGS will have to eat gluten products for a few weeks before being tested, unfortunately.

Rosies21

1summer

My 16 month old grandson is gluten intolerant ( possibly Coeliac but they won’t test until over 2). We obviously make most of his food from scratch but I do worry that some of the things that you can buy not only have other food groups cut out but unhealthy additives, seed oils, added sugar etc included in them.

Interesting you say won't test until age 2. My cousin had from birth. Was fine on breast milk and baby rice, but as soon as rusk/porridge was introduced he became ill. He was diagnosed at 9 months. Although there is a family history, so maybe that made a difference.

DD was ill with breastmilk, OK as soon as she went on to formula. I was in despair, thinking she was constantly hungry but it was colic.

My DD2 has recently been diagnosed with Coeliac disease and now others in the family will be tested. Without a test I have been gf for years and gave to work out what to do.
I am very cross with the NT and John Lewis who only sell minute gf cakes in wrappings. I understand why really but how I wish they had one proper cake to eat as they used to. Vegan seems to reign.

Gluten free used to be fashionable but then it moved on to vegan and now it seems to be 'protein rich'.

My worst experience of a rotten meal was the gluten free offering on flights to Australia... yes the concoction was also dairy/milk and meat free! I knew better on return flight and came prepared. This time it was a different airline and I had a freshly cooked meal brought from first class.

Vintagegirl

Gluten free used to be fashionable but then it moved on to vegan and now it seems to be 'protein rich'.

My worst experience of a rotten meal was the gluten free offering on flights to Australia... yes the concoction was also dairy/milk and meat free! I knew better on return flight and came prepared. This time it was a different airline and I had a freshly cooked meal brought from first class.

At least you got food. DD got nothing as they 'forgot' to order her meals. 11 hours with nothing, luckily she had a prepared salad which the crew refused to put in the fridge.

This time it was a different airline and I had a freshly cooked meal brought from first class
Funny you should say that - they suddenly found one after 11 hours from First Class.

Yes I got the first class meal as they had not taken notice of the gluten free note on the ticket.

The other silly experience was being offered a meal with gluten when recovering from gastroscope procedure.

When another scope was proposed years later, I was told I would have to take gluten for 6 weeks prior and that meant 12 slices of bread a day. I refused... "first do no harm".

One of my allergies is apple. The amount of things that has apple in is horrendous. Even mulligatawny soup has apple puree in.

DH is coeliac and has stage 4 bowel cancer. DGD is coeliac and veggie so quite limited - she is now old enough to monitor herself foodwise thank goodness.

Allira

Babs03

cc

I've also got a history of Coeliac disease all down my mother's side of the family - two of my cousins children have had it since birth and were quite seriously ill until they picked up the problem - and they've both been on strict diets since birth (now in their 30's).
After a test in the 1990's I was told by my GP that I'm "intolerant" myself, though a more recent test for Coeliac disease was negative. However I go on avoiding gluten because it always upsets my stomach.

Tests for coeliac are tricky, our daughter had several that were negative before getting a positive. I think if you are having a gluten free diet your test will show up negative but if you eat foods with gluten in them for a short time it will show up positive. I believe they are looking for an autoimmune response. Or at least that’s what my daughter was told once.

Yes, this is correct.

lsummer's DGS will have to eat gluten products for a few weeks before being tested, unfortunately.

Yes @Allira, that’s a problem as when they test for coeliac he will have to be in hospital as the last time he had gluten and oats (porridge for the first time and toast) at 9 months he had an anaphylactic reaction. The consultant says this could have been the oats. But they want him in hospital when they introduce gluten before a coeliac test.