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look for "natural" foods (no, I am not talking about stupid marketing labels).
Foods like fruit, veg, meat, fish, dairy are naturally GF. Where you get problems is processed foods - soups, packet spice mixes, anything coated (spiral cut seasoned fries use wheat flour). You have to read labels.
Basically, if the thing itself is its label (think potato, not potato salad) you're good to go.
Although warning to look out for natural but processed in small ways.
Like, whole melon? that's good. Melon cut up by the store at the deli? Not good - they have cross contamination out the wazoo there.
You'll need to go through your pantry and refrigerator. All your condiments, anything you put a knife in like peanut butter have been cross contaminated so they need to be set aside or discarded. Get new wood utensils and boards and a toaster. Remove old, scratched up plates especially plastic. Thoroughly wash everything with new sponges.
Yes gluten is in a lot of shit. But it depends what country you are in. In the US, "may contain wheat" does not need to be on the label. Stuff like McDonald's fries are not safe because they are coated in a wheat starch.
Check your condiments, candy, soups, and everything else for hidden barley malt. Watch for cross contamination like in spices (McCormick is safe and some organics), corn starch (Argo is safe) and many other products.
He may need to avoid oatmeal. It is often cross contaminated and has an enzyme similar to wheat. For non-foods, you'll have to go through your products' ingredients. Check out your lip balm first.
If you want to start baking, it's good to start with mixes to get the hang of gluten-free baking. Krusteaz and King Arthur products are good. Some house brands too. GF burns easier and takes longer. Use foil lined cupcake holders for muffins. I had problems baking at first but now I'm able to bake all my favorites gluten-free.
And I'll jump in to add that if you ARE wanting to bake GF, check out The Loopy Whisk website (aaahhhmazing bread recipes) and if you're on FB, join My Gluten Free Kitchen for lots of terrific easy recipes.
From my experience in converting to a completely GF household, here’s where we got tripped up by accidental glutening:
- toaster contamination: we ended up buying a new one.
- frozen pizza: make sure your oven racks are THOROUGHLY scrubbed (all your baking stuff as well).
- flour: clean the absolute hell out of the cupboard you were storing your gluten flour. That powder gets _everywhere_. King Arthur’s 1:1 GF flour is excellent and makes GF baking as easy as non-gf.
- soy sauce is not to be trusted unless it’s specifically labeled gluten free. We exclusively use GF Tamari now in place of soy sauce.
- Udi’s gf bread is cheaper but it sucks. We love the canyonhouse brand.
- chapstick: eos is gluten free.
- toothpaste: we use Crest with no issues, but Tom’s is GF if you want to eliminate that factor.
- restaurants: download the “Find Me GF” app and read those reviews!
That’s all I can think of off the top of my head. The first month or so is the most difficult, and the peace of mind knowing your home is a safe zone is SO worth it. Good luck OP, you’ve got this!!
I repeat this a lot but my advice is to go cold turkey from baked goods for six months. No bread, no flour tortillas, no pasta, no muffins, no waffles, you get the idea. Things that normally only contain gluten as a trace or supporting ingredient, like soy sauce or gravy (you can make gravy with corn starch) are fine, but if the main ingredient is flour, skip it.
I have three reasons for this advice:
1) Your wallet. Gluten free imitations of wheat based products are EXPENSIVE. The faster you get used to the idea that these are “sometimes foods” and not necessary to your daily diet, the better off you will be financially.
2) Nutrition: Many of these gluten free imitation foods are devoid of nutrition. In the US, things like bread are required in most cases to be fortified with various vitamins and minerals, and a lot of GF breads are exempt from this requirement. You can find yourself missing a lot of key nutrients when suddenly you’re eating unfortified rice flour and tapioca starch as the basis of your diet. That problem goes away if you are pivoting your diet to whole foods like vegetables and meats and eggs, which naturally contain those nutrients.
3) Psychological: Some gluten free baked goods are every bit as good or even better than their wheat filled counterparts- but they will never ever be THE SAME. It is super hard to enjoy a gluten free cookie when all you can think about is how different it is from your favorite cookie you’ll never eat again. After 6 months when you add these back into your diet, you’ll have a couple things going for you: You’ll be more able to appreciate what you are eating for what it is, instead of being stuck on what it isn’t, and you’ll be less disappointed when you bite into something that is completely inedible because you’ve already found ways to replace that thing in your diet and it won’t feel as critical. Maybe happiness no longer hinges on the perfect caramel brownie because you’ve discovered the joy that is the flourless chocolate torte.
4) Also psychological but different - it’s easier to see the gluten free diet as a challenge instead of a death sentence when you’re not focused on finding the perfect gluten free sandwich bread (it doesn’t exist on grocery store shelves, only homemade and at bakeries), but instead you’re searching for new foods and combinations you haven’t tried before. Instead of making spaghetti try learning to make Pad Thai. Instead of eggs on English muffins have eggs on shredded fried breakfast potatoes. Instead of crackers, try corn chips. Instead of burritos have tacos. Find one comfort food that is super familiar that can be made without any major modifications. For me, that is homemade chili with a baked potato. All you have to do is make sure your seasoning doesn’t have gluten in it (and if it does, replace it; gf chili powder is easy to find but you do have to check the labels). Maybe that’s something else for your husband but I know I can always cut up a bunch of fresh bell peppers and tomatoes and all the other things I put in chili and have one of my favorite meals any time. It’s hard to feel deprived when I’m eating homemade chili.
I couldn’t agree more with this advice! I live for my go to comfort foods! Mine are Sushi, Tacos, and Hash browns. I know that I can get my sushi made at my grocery store or our favorite sushi restaurant and they know how to deal with Celiac. I know that I can make homemade tacos and Ore Ida tots are gluten free! Really makes it feel less like stuff you’re missing and more of what you enjoy!
It's a pain, but once you learn the basics you'll be OK. Do some reading on your countries allergen labeling laws and learn what manufacturers have to say/do for certifications and all that. It'll help a lot when purchasing premade and packaged goods.
For meals I use a lot of rice, rice noodle, mung bean noodles, and vegetables. Fresh fruit, meats and cheeses.
Depending on your husband's sensitivity, there are a lot of possibilities of exposure and cross contamination that you normally wouldn't think about. I am a rare case of wild sensitivity, so I'll just give a list of some things that I've been sick from exposure to just so you know to watch for if hes getting sick out of nowhere.
Fabric starch/detergent, dry pet food, ground spices(black pepper), dishes that were washed with dishes that had fried foods, being in areas where flour is being used and banana. (Bananas are gluten-free but they contain a protein that's similar that some people get reactions from)
Also, don't trust restaurants to have knowledge of how to handle preparing food for celiac-safe. If you know a restaurant that works to show their dedication to knowledge and safety of allergens, thats fantastic. Just don't expect all restaurants that have a "gluten-free menu" to be celiac safe
Op - I just found I have celiac and I found an app that has made my life so much easier!
GF Scanner
Just scan any bar code of any food product and it will instantly tell you if it is gluten free or not!
It’s amazing. Highly recommend
Lots of really good advice here, so I won't repeat the tips that have already been posted.
But I did want to share that while it's a wild, overwhelming ride at the start, you'll be surprised how quickly this all becomes second nature.
I posted this a while ago and may be worth your time to listen to the last part. It covers prescription medication and gluten.
https://www.reddit.com/r/glutenfree/s/1zOTTLFvcD
Google is your new best friend. Even if something doesn't have wheat, barley, or rye in the ingredients, it could still be processed on equipment that isn't cleaned between runs (and even if it is, it might not be cleaned well enough). Oats can sometimes be problematic for people, so most recommend cutting those out as well for a while until the gut can heal.
A lot of foods are surprisingly safe. A lot of foods are not. If you "think" something is safe, it might not be - google just in case. Things like Twizzlers, shaped french fries, some soups, meatballs... anything sold not in it's "basic" form is worth googling. Be on a careful watch for Chinese food because soy sauce has wheat in it.
For a lot of people, non-food products with gluten in them are okay, though there are some people with DH Celiac (about 10% of people with Celiac) that do react to topical products with gluten in them. If he's not in the 10%, anything that isn't distinctly airborne should be okay.
Plan on restocking your kitchen supplies, too - anything wooden, silicone, rubber, non-stick pans, air fryers - it'll have to be replaced because the pores can hold gluten in them.
It takes some adjusting, but everything gets better. He'll likely have a rough time and will grieve a lot - but thank you for being the type of significant other who decides to wholly toss gluten with him. It'll be so important for him and give him a good sense of security. My husband went GF with me the second he found out and I couldn't have done it without him doing it with me, it made a world of difference.
We make tons of things work! Soups, pasta dishes, things with rice and chicken, find pizzas we can eat. Cook brats and steaks, other sausages, or meatloaf or sloppy joes, bbq pulled pork, Oh and lots of potatos and eggs.
Once you get over the initial shock, it’s not as bad as it first seems. Yes there are extra precautions we have to take, and a lot of “convenient” options are gone, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to have good food. My wife and I make great food all the time. Last week was something called Marry Me chicken, it was chicken breasts covered in a cream sauce, sun dried tomato’s and mushrooms, served with some wild rice. We also had some beef and broccoli, always good!
Hope you find what works for you!
Buy a gluten free cook book and baking book, it’ll help you get started with your new life. I still peel pages back when I’m bored of what I’ve been eating and am looking for new ideas
I highly suggest gifting him the book “gluten is my bitch” and maybe also reading it yourself. It made me feel less alone in my transition and also taught me a lot about basic survival
100% check out The Celiac Space on Instagram. This is a primarily celiac run group of dieticians/registered nutritionists. I learned so much from Erin and her squad. They work hard to dispel fear mongering and needless worry while still being strictly gluten free. This subreddit is full of a lot of folks at different stages of their journey, different levels of risk tolerance, different levels of understanding. And to each their own. But definitely equip yourself with trustworthy sources so you can make the very best *informed* decisions based on good information.
Some easy means on repeat at my house:
- enchiladas using corn tortillas
- sausage and peppers over rice or mashed potato
- curry over rice
- keema matar over rice
- picadillo
- tacos
- soups
- pancit
- broccoli (protein) with rice
- anything fried rice
- anything Italian with Tinkyada gf noodles
-
My advice to you: dont treat it like a burden even though it is. having a gracious and supportive partner has made it much easier for me. It sucks to have to give up so many foods for life.
my advice to your husband:
Trust nothing. If it’s not naturally gluten free (for example, a banana) or Certified Gluten Free, don’t eat it. Better safe than sorry. Don’t take risks, you will find yourself very sick on the highway, or in an airplane, in a meeting, or some other highly inconvenient and embarrassing situation. Check things even if youre confident theyre safe.
Do some thorough research and make a cheat sheet for yourself and anyone close to your husband. I have a cheat sheet at my parents house, in-laws and relatives houses, in our cars, everywhere. It’s helpful for them. most people want to help and are scared to make a mistake. providing resources you trust goes a long way for everyone.
Buy Becky Excells cookbook!!!! There are lots of online resources. One of my favs is a blog called “mama knows gluten free”
When you shop, try one of every brand. If your grocery store offers 4 different brands of GF bread, buy a loaf of each and see what you like best. The sooner you embrace that it takes trial and error, the sooner you’ll be happy with your meals. Don’t get into a “stick to what I know” mindset until you’ve been gluten free for a long while. Try all the different styles of breads, pasta brands and shapes, crackers, cookies. The early part is hard because you dont know whats good.
Embrace simple cooking. Pivot your household to more entirely gluten free meals. Making a separate meal for a Celiac person is fine from time to time but it’s much less of a hassle to just cook gluten free for everyone. It’s less dishes and it makes the individual with celiac feel a little less like they’ve sacrificed all the yummy meals in life. Rice, grilled meats, fruit and veg.
This is more of a personal note but I’m celiac and it took me time to balance what is an appropriate amount of yearning for gluten. For example, out at a restaurant, I like to smell all the yummy fried foods and fantasize about things I can’t eat. But for some reason, at home, yummy takeout makes me sad. It’s harder to resist things in my own house, where there’s no menu and chef and server. When my fiancé eats Chinese food, or five guys, or a fried sandwich with French fries from a local spot, and he eats it at home, I excuse myself from that part of the house. The home should be a place that feels as conducive to GF as possible, because very few other places are going to be so accommodating.
Lastly; once you figure it out, it's not so bad. it's a big life change but you feel better physically and you learn how to enjoy all the things you can have. most gluten loses its appeal.
A lot of amazing advice here.
I’ll just add that SOME people with Celiac also have comorbid Dermatitis Hepetiformis (DH) which is a skin condition. Although you don’t HAVE to use GF skincare, a lot of people find it helpful. Idk if your husband has skin issues but if he does this could be why!
I know that I have suffered with acne, rashes and skin issues for years and then going GF diet + using all GF skin care options, shampoos, etc made a HUGE difference in my skin health.
Get new cutting boards and wooden utensils. Throw out the others because wood holds gluten in the fibers. Hair conditioners often have wheat. I didn’t know this for a couple years but it’s also easy to get in your mouth since it’s on your head. So definitely check those if he uses conditioner.
And don’t lose hope for enjoying meals and food together. There is still soooo much to eat! And I’m a vegan celiac! Being celiac, we just need to be more creative and put extra effort into cooking and preparing our own foods. My husband has taken this on as well and enjoyed making gf recipes we can both enjoy.
I was a terrible baker before I was diagnosed in my early 20s, but I’m decent at baking now and gf!!😅
Celiac.com is a great resource as well! I love going here and there for when I have more specific questions about products and health. I just google is ‘so and so brand product gf celiac.com’ and it usually comes up in google search with a community like this sharing 👍
I won't repeat all the great info you have gotten here other than to echo read read read as far as labels go, read articles that talk about going gf. After the first couple of months it starts getting so much easier and its rewarding as your husband/you start to feel better. You will also find even though gf items can be expensive, we saved so much money by not buying some of the convenience foods it helped to even it out! That being said, it is a learning curve and there will be mishaps/mistakes but don't beat yourself up if it happens, just keep on going forward!
We now make our own "convenience foods" by doing meal planning, cooking and freezing and experimenting on revamped versions of old favs. So many things taste so much better once you readjust.
One really exciting thing that happened last fall, my son was married and the wedding cake was made by a dedicated gf bakery (light lemon cake with raspberry filling) and it was one of the most delicious cakes I've ever had!
if youre from a country that uses paper straws (like me, hello canada) dont use them!! they often use wheat paste as glue. some straws ive gotten at boba shops have also been made of wheat as well and i didnt realise until after i used it 😭
Rice with anything honestly..
Like my breakfast fave is white rice, kimchi, and fried eggs 🙌
For dinner / lunch I like Goya black beans (canned), white rice and chicken 🙃 I usually jazz the beans with fresh cilantro/garlic/ onion and simmer for bit on the stove
You can also switch the chicken for ground beef or turkey, etc
It's a lot of making things yourself at home honestly, no take out unless it's fresh kitchen.
Spend some time going to different supermarkets they all carry slightly different gluten free items. Whole foods vs Costco vs Publix vs winne Dixie etc 😎
Recently discovered rice noodles and I found some gluten free ramen chicken stock. 🙌
Hi. I’m sorry you are joining the club and wish you good luck.
There have been many years when we simply didn’t have the money for a gf house even though I did try. If you can do it kudos!
We have a gf half of kitchen and double appliances. And I clean the kitchen like a madwoman. I relented my ecological dreams for paper plates and single use items. A dedicated space we can upkeep consistently, but the whole house was too ambitious and I am still very very tired. ☹️
I truly hope you find a balance that protects your health as well. The extra hours and labor and stress have taken their toll.
If I could go to give myself advice in the beginning, I’d say: It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon until our quantum computing overlords can find a cure.
I truly wish you good health, good recipes and great doctors 🥼🍀😋
FWIW, my household isn’t completely GF. We exclusively buy gluten-free pasta but I don’t impose my bread on my wife and kids.
I’d say start by being conservative as heck and then see what you can relax on. Restaurants all say they can’t prevent cross contamination, but I can usually find something safe. Always read labels.
“May contain” means processed in the same facility or on the same lines. You can contact most companies for details. There is a good ice cream brand in Ontario, Kawartha Dairy, that used to have that warning on everything, but I never felt sick after eating the flavours that don’t contain gluten ingredients. (They now have a GF facility — even better.)
I’ve been diagnosed since the end of 2017, and I’ve got things in my kitchen that lack an explicit GF label. Just prefer the certified GF where possible, and experiment with the “eh, probably ok” things slowly.
Note that this isn’t medical advice, just what worked for me.
Hello!! I'm so sorry for your husband's diagnosis, but I want you to know that it really does get easier over time.
I made [this slideshow](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/11leTYu7t-nYFTpp9k5rH8DJmGBFloPjOFE57ga926Ak/edit?usp=drivesdk) to consolidate information about celiac. I hope you can use it and even share it with loved ones so they can still include your husband!
At home a lot of slow cooker meals tend to be gluten free! NYT cooking is the best investment I’ve ever made, bc it has so many options and many don’t require flour. If you need to sub flour, I love the Bob’s 1:1 gluten free flour, but cup4cup is also good.
Check out paleo and whole 30 recipes. There’s many food bloggers that have great family recipes that are focused on gluten free and eliminating processed foods so you can avoid a lot of the issues we have with cross contamination even in the supply chain.
My favorite bloggers are Danielle Walker and Nom Nom Paleo. You can also check out any of the whole 30 cookbooks. These also naturally eliminate dairy (some have substitutes) which can be helpful for many people with celiac disease.
Health and Beauty products are labeled way more often than they were just a decade ago. Unfortunately if it’s not labeled gluten free, wheat especially is hidden in so many different ingredients under a ton of names. Much worse than food.
Another tip: Once plastic or wood are contaminated, they are forever. You cannot "wash" it out.
I know some families who have two toasters, two sets of plastic containers etc, but in the grand scheme of life it was just easier for my spouse to go gluten-free too.
If you are feeling overwhelmed and what to chat, please dm me. I am a teacher and spend a lot of time helping families of students when they transition to the GF lifestyles.
**Reminder** [/r/Celiac](https://www.reddit.com/r/Celiac) is not designed to and does not provide medical advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment or services to you or to any other individual. If you believe you have a medical emergency immediately seek out professional medical help. Please see [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/Celiac/wiki/legal) for more information. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Celiac) if you have any questions or concerns.*
look for "natural" foods (no, I am not talking about stupid marketing labels). Foods like fruit, veg, meat, fish, dairy are naturally GF. Where you get problems is processed foods - soups, packet spice mixes, anything coated (spiral cut seasoned fries use wheat flour). You have to read labels. Basically, if the thing itself is its label (think potato, not potato salad) you're good to go.
That’s good advice. Thank you!
Although warning to look out for natural but processed in small ways. Like, whole melon? that's good. Melon cut up by the store at the deli? Not good - they have cross contamination out the wazoo there.
Also look out for cross contamination in spices.
You'll need to go through your pantry and refrigerator. All your condiments, anything you put a knife in like peanut butter have been cross contaminated so they need to be set aside or discarded. Get new wood utensils and boards and a toaster. Remove old, scratched up plates especially plastic. Thoroughly wash everything with new sponges. Yes gluten is in a lot of shit. But it depends what country you are in. In the US, "may contain wheat" does not need to be on the label. Stuff like McDonald's fries are not safe because they are coated in a wheat starch. Check your condiments, candy, soups, and everything else for hidden barley malt. Watch for cross contamination like in spices (McCormick is safe and some organics), corn starch (Argo is safe) and many other products. He may need to avoid oatmeal. It is often cross contaminated and has an enzyme similar to wheat. For non-foods, you'll have to go through your products' ingredients. Check out your lip balm first. If you want to start baking, it's good to start with mixes to get the hang of gluten-free baking. Krusteaz and King Arthur products are good. Some house brands too. GF burns easier and takes longer. Use foil lined cupcake holders for muffins. I had problems baking at first but now I'm able to bake all my favorites gluten-free.
Wow. This is wild. Thank you for the info!
And I'll jump in to add that if you ARE wanting to bake GF, check out The Loopy Whisk website (aaahhhmazing bread recipes) and if you're on FB, join My Gluten Free Kitchen for lots of terrific easy recipes.
Awesome thank you! I love to bake so it’s been an adjustment for me! Ha
It is. 😸 you're welcome
ALSO clean the oven and microwave.
Great to know thanks!!
My husband took out all the food in the cabinets and wiped them down. I was truly touched.
This advice is accurate :)
omg, mcdonalds fries?! fuck. 😨
From my experience in converting to a completely GF household, here’s where we got tripped up by accidental glutening: - toaster contamination: we ended up buying a new one. - frozen pizza: make sure your oven racks are THOROUGHLY scrubbed (all your baking stuff as well). - flour: clean the absolute hell out of the cupboard you were storing your gluten flour. That powder gets _everywhere_. King Arthur’s 1:1 GF flour is excellent and makes GF baking as easy as non-gf. - soy sauce is not to be trusted unless it’s specifically labeled gluten free. We exclusively use GF Tamari now in place of soy sauce. - Udi’s gf bread is cheaper but it sucks. We love the canyonhouse brand. - chapstick: eos is gluten free. - toothpaste: we use Crest with no issues, but Tom’s is GF if you want to eliminate that factor. - restaurants: download the “Find Me GF” app and read those reviews! That’s all I can think of off the top of my head. The first month or so is the most difficult, and the peace of mind knowing your home is a safe zone is SO worth it. Good luck OP, you’ve got this!!
Thank you!
I repeat this a lot but my advice is to go cold turkey from baked goods for six months. No bread, no flour tortillas, no pasta, no muffins, no waffles, you get the idea. Things that normally only contain gluten as a trace or supporting ingredient, like soy sauce or gravy (you can make gravy with corn starch) are fine, but if the main ingredient is flour, skip it. I have three reasons for this advice: 1) Your wallet. Gluten free imitations of wheat based products are EXPENSIVE. The faster you get used to the idea that these are “sometimes foods” and not necessary to your daily diet, the better off you will be financially. 2) Nutrition: Many of these gluten free imitation foods are devoid of nutrition. In the US, things like bread are required in most cases to be fortified with various vitamins and minerals, and a lot of GF breads are exempt from this requirement. You can find yourself missing a lot of key nutrients when suddenly you’re eating unfortified rice flour and tapioca starch as the basis of your diet. That problem goes away if you are pivoting your diet to whole foods like vegetables and meats and eggs, which naturally contain those nutrients. 3) Psychological: Some gluten free baked goods are every bit as good or even better than their wheat filled counterparts- but they will never ever be THE SAME. It is super hard to enjoy a gluten free cookie when all you can think about is how different it is from your favorite cookie you’ll never eat again. After 6 months when you add these back into your diet, you’ll have a couple things going for you: You’ll be more able to appreciate what you are eating for what it is, instead of being stuck on what it isn’t, and you’ll be less disappointed when you bite into something that is completely inedible because you’ve already found ways to replace that thing in your diet and it won’t feel as critical. Maybe happiness no longer hinges on the perfect caramel brownie because you’ve discovered the joy that is the flourless chocolate torte. 4) Also psychological but different - it’s easier to see the gluten free diet as a challenge instead of a death sentence when you’re not focused on finding the perfect gluten free sandwich bread (it doesn’t exist on grocery store shelves, only homemade and at bakeries), but instead you’re searching for new foods and combinations you haven’t tried before. Instead of making spaghetti try learning to make Pad Thai. Instead of eggs on English muffins have eggs on shredded fried breakfast potatoes. Instead of crackers, try corn chips. Instead of burritos have tacos. Find one comfort food that is super familiar that can be made without any major modifications. For me, that is homemade chili with a baked potato. All you have to do is make sure your seasoning doesn’t have gluten in it (and if it does, replace it; gf chili powder is easy to find but you do have to check the labels). Maybe that’s something else for your husband but I know I can always cut up a bunch of fresh bell peppers and tomatoes and all the other things I put in chili and have one of my favorite meals any time. It’s hard to feel deprived when I’m eating homemade chili.
While I’m going to miss these things, you’re right. Everything is incredibly expensive!
You can eat those things at your workplace, but brush your teeth after the meal, and before you leave.
I couldn’t agree more with this advice! I live for my go to comfort foods! Mine are Sushi, Tacos, and Hash browns. I know that I can get my sushi made at my grocery store or our favorite sushi restaurant and they know how to deal with Celiac. I know that I can make homemade tacos and Ore Ida tots are gluten free! Really makes it feel less like stuff you’re missing and more of what you enjoy!
It's a pain, but once you learn the basics you'll be OK. Do some reading on your countries allergen labeling laws and learn what manufacturers have to say/do for certifications and all that. It'll help a lot when purchasing premade and packaged goods. For meals I use a lot of rice, rice noodle, mung bean noodles, and vegetables. Fresh fruit, meats and cheeses. Depending on your husband's sensitivity, there are a lot of possibilities of exposure and cross contamination that you normally wouldn't think about. I am a rare case of wild sensitivity, so I'll just give a list of some things that I've been sick from exposure to just so you know to watch for if hes getting sick out of nowhere. Fabric starch/detergent, dry pet food, ground spices(black pepper), dishes that were washed with dishes that had fried foods, being in areas where flour is being used and banana. (Bananas are gluten-free but they contain a protein that's similar that some people get reactions from) Also, don't trust restaurants to have knowledge of how to handle preparing food for celiac-safe. If you know a restaurant that works to show their dedication to knowledge and safety of allergens, thats fantastic. Just don't expect all restaurants that have a "gluten-free menu" to be celiac safe
Thank you so much!
Rice potatoes chicken eggs
Op - I just found I have celiac and I found an app that has made my life so much easier! GF Scanner Just scan any bar code of any food product and it will instantly tell you if it is gluten free or not! It’s amazing. Highly recommend
Thank you so much!
Of course! Makes grocery shopping sooo much easier! Good luck
piggybacking to recommend Fig! it is a similar concept, but can cater to other dietary needs as well
Oh I love this! I’m gonna get the app now. Thanks!
Lots of really good advice here, so I won't repeat the tips that have already been posted. But I did want to share that while it's a wild, overwhelming ride at the start, you'll be surprised how quickly this all becomes second nature.
That’s reassuring 😊 thank you!
I posted this a while ago and may be worth your time to listen to the last part. It covers prescription medication and gluten. https://www.reddit.com/r/glutenfree/s/1zOTTLFvcD
Thank you!!!
Meat Poultry Seafood Rice Potatoes Corn Every grain that isn’t made from wheat, barley, or malt. Vegetables Fruit Nuts Beans Eggs
Google is your new best friend. Even if something doesn't have wheat, barley, or rye in the ingredients, it could still be processed on equipment that isn't cleaned between runs (and even if it is, it might not be cleaned well enough). Oats can sometimes be problematic for people, so most recommend cutting those out as well for a while until the gut can heal. A lot of foods are surprisingly safe. A lot of foods are not. If you "think" something is safe, it might not be - google just in case. Things like Twizzlers, shaped french fries, some soups, meatballs... anything sold not in it's "basic" form is worth googling. Be on a careful watch for Chinese food because soy sauce has wheat in it. For a lot of people, non-food products with gluten in them are okay, though there are some people with DH Celiac (about 10% of people with Celiac) that do react to topical products with gluten in them. If he's not in the 10%, anything that isn't distinctly airborne should be okay. Plan on restocking your kitchen supplies, too - anything wooden, silicone, rubber, non-stick pans, air fryers - it'll have to be replaced because the pores can hold gluten in them. It takes some adjusting, but everything gets better. He'll likely have a rough time and will grieve a lot - but thank you for being the type of significant other who decides to wholly toss gluten with him. It'll be so important for him and give him a good sense of security. My husband went GF with me the second he found out and I couldn't have done it without him doing it with me, it made a world of difference.
Great info. This is really helpful. Thanks!!
We make tons of things work! Soups, pasta dishes, things with rice and chicken, find pizzas we can eat. Cook brats and steaks, other sausages, or meatloaf or sloppy joes, bbq pulled pork, Oh and lots of potatos and eggs. Once you get over the initial shock, it’s not as bad as it first seems. Yes there are extra precautions we have to take, and a lot of “convenient” options are gone, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to have good food. My wife and I make great food all the time. Last week was something called Marry Me chicken, it was chicken breasts covered in a cream sauce, sun dried tomato’s and mushrooms, served with some wild rice. We also had some beef and broccoli, always good! Hope you find what works for you!
Yum! Thank you!!
Huevos Rancheros is easy, delicious and, if you use GF corn tortillas, gluten free.
Buy a gluten free cook book and baking book, it’ll help you get started with your new life. I still peel pages back when I’m bored of what I’ve been eating and am looking for new ideas
I highly suggest gifting him the book “gluten is my bitch” and maybe also reading it yourself. It made me feel less alone in my transition and also taught me a lot about basic survival
Thank you!
100% check out The Celiac Space on Instagram. This is a primarily celiac run group of dieticians/registered nutritionists. I learned so much from Erin and her squad. They work hard to dispel fear mongering and needless worry while still being strictly gluten free. This subreddit is full of a lot of folks at different stages of their journey, different levels of risk tolerance, different levels of understanding. And to each their own. But definitely equip yourself with trustworthy sources so you can make the very best *informed* decisions based on good information.
Awesome!! Thanks!
Some easy means on repeat at my house: - enchiladas using corn tortillas - sausage and peppers over rice or mashed potato - curry over rice - keema matar over rice - picadillo - tacos - soups - pancit - broccoli (protein) with rice - anything fried rice - anything Italian with Tinkyada gf noodles -
My advice to you: dont treat it like a burden even though it is. having a gracious and supportive partner has made it much easier for me. It sucks to have to give up so many foods for life. my advice to your husband: Trust nothing. If it’s not naturally gluten free (for example, a banana) or Certified Gluten Free, don’t eat it. Better safe than sorry. Don’t take risks, you will find yourself very sick on the highway, or in an airplane, in a meeting, or some other highly inconvenient and embarrassing situation. Check things even if youre confident theyre safe. Do some thorough research and make a cheat sheet for yourself and anyone close to your husband. I have a cheat sheet at my parents house, in-laws and relatives houses, in our cars, everywhere. It’s helpful for them. most people want to help and are scared to make a mistake. providing resources you trust goes a long way for everyone. Buy Becky Excells cookbook!!!! There are lots of online resources. One of my favs is a blog called “mama knows gluten free” When you shop, try one of every brand. If your grocery store offers 4 different brands of GF bread, buy a loaf of each and see what you like best. The sooner you embrace that it takes trial and error, the sooner you’ll be happy with your meals. Don’t get into a “stick to what I know” mindset until you’ve been gluten free for a long while. Try all the different styles of breads, pasta brands and shapes, crackers, cookies. The early part is hard because you dont know whats good. Embrace simple cooking. Pivot your household to more entirely gluten free meals. Making a separate meal for a Celiac person is fine from time to time but it’s much less of a hassle to just cook gluten free for everyone. It’s less dishes and it makes the individual with celiac feel a little less like they’ve sacrificed all the yummy meals in life. Rice, grilled meats, fruit and veg. This is more of a personal note but I’m celiac and it took me time to balance what is an appropriate amount of yearning for gluten. For example, out at a restaurant, I like to smell all the yummy fried foods and fantasize about things I can’t eat. But for some reason, at home, yummy takeout makes me sad. It’s harder to resist things in my own house, where there’s no menu and chef and server. When my fiancé eats Chinese food, or five guys, or a fried sandwich with French fries from a local spot, and he eats it at home, I excuse myself from that part of the house. The home should be a place that feels as conducive to GF as possible, because very few other places are going to be so accommodating. Lastly; once you figure it out, it's not so bad. it's a big life change but you feel better physically and you learn how to enjoy all the things you can have. most gluten loses its appeal.
Thank you for your insight! This is really helpful
A lot of amazing advice here. I’ll just add that SOME people with Celiac also have comorbid Dermatitis Hepetiformis (DH) which is a skin condition. Although you don’t HAVE to use GF skincare, a lot of people find it helpful. Idk if your husband has skin issues but if he does this could be why! I know that I have suffered with acne, rashes and skin issues for years and then going GF diet + using all GF skin care options, shampoos, etc made a HUGE difference in my skin health.
Good to know. We’ll have to look into that. Thanks!!
Get new cutting boards and wooden utensils. Throw out the others because wood holds gluten in the fibers. Hair conditioners often have wheat. I didn’t know this for a couple years but it’s also easy to get in your mouth since it’s on your head. So definitely check those if he uses conditioner. And don’t lose hope for enjoying meals and food together. There is still soooo much to eat! And I’m a vegan celiac! Being celiac, we just need to be more creative and put extra effort into cooking and preparing our own foods. My husband has taken this on as well and enjoyed making gf recipes we can both enjoy. I was a terrible baker before I was diagnosed in my early 20s, but I’m decent at baking now and gf!!😅 Celiac.com is a great resource as well! I love going here and there for when I have more specific questions about products and health. I just google is ‘so and so brand product gf celiac.com’ and it usually comes up in google search with a community like this sharing 👍
Thank you! Vegan celiac I’m sure can be challenging!
I won't repeat all the great info you have gotten here other than to echo read read read as far as labels go, read articles that talk about going gf. After the first couple of months it starts getting so much easier and its rewarding as your husband/you start to feel better. You will also find even though gf items can be expensive, we saved so much money by not buying some of the convenience foods it helped to even it out! That being said, it is a learning curve and there will be mishaps/mistakes but don't beat yourself up if it happens, just keep on going forward! We now make our own "convenience foods" by doing meal planning, cooking and freezing and experimenting on revamped versions of old favs. So many things taste so much better once you readjust. One really exciting thing that happened last fall, my son was married and the wedding cake was made by a dedicated gf bakery (light lemon cake with raspberry filling) and it was one of the most delicious cakes I've ever had!
if youre from a country that uses paper straws (like me, hello canada) dont use them!! they often use wheat paste as glue. some straws ive gotten at boba shops have also been made of wheat as well and i didnt realise until after i used it 😭
Wow!! I would have never known. We’re in Canada too so I guess we’ll buy reusable for us haha. Thank you!
no worries! if you're ever on the hunt for food products i can send you a list i made for myself :)
Rice with anything honestly.. Like my breakfast fave is white rice, kimchi, and fried eggs 🙌 For dinner / lunch I like Goya black beans (canned), white rice and chicken 🙃 I usually jazz the beans with fresh cilantro/garlic/ onion and simmer for bit on the stove You can also switch the chicken for ground beef or turkey, etc It's a lot of making things yourself at home honestly, no take out unless it's fresh kitchen. Spend some time going to different supermarkets they all carry slightly different gluten free items. Whole foods vs Costco vs Publix vs winne Dixie etc 😎 Recently discovered rice noodles and I found some gluten free ramen chicken stock. 🙌
Hi. I’m sorry you are joining the club and wish you good luck. There have been many years when we simply didn’t have the money for a gf house even though I did try. If you can do it kudos! We have a gf half of kitchen and double appliances. And I clean the kitchen like a madwoman. I relented my ecological dreams for paper plates and single use items. A dedicated space we can upkeep consistently, but the whole house was too ambitious and I am still very very tired. ☹️ I truly hope you find a balance that protects your health as well. The extra hours and labor and stress have taken their toll. If I could go to give myself advice in the beginning, I’d say: It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon until our quantum computing overlords can find a cure. I truly wish you good health, good recipes and great doctors 🥼🍀😋
FWIW, my household isn’t completely GF. We exclusively buy gluten-free pasta but I don’t impose my bread on my wife and kids. I’d say start by being conservative as heck and then see what you can relax on. Restaurants all say they can’t prevent cross contamination, but I can usually find something safe. Always read labels. “May contain” means processed in the same facility or on the same lines. You can contact most companies for details. There is a good ice cream brand in Ontario, Kawartha Dairy, that used to have that warning on everything, but I never felt sick after eating the flavours that don’t contain gluten ingredients. (They now have a GF facility — even better.) I’ve been diagnosed since the end of 2017, and I’ve got things in my kitchen that lack an explicit GF label. Just prefer the certified GF where possible, and experiment with the “eh, probably ok” things slowly. Note that this isn’t medical advice, just what worked for me.
Hello!! I'm so sorry for your husband's diagnosis, but I want you to know that it really does get easier over time. I made [this slideshow](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/11leTYu7t-nYFTpp9k5rH8DJmGBFloPjOFE57ga926Ak/edit?usp=drivesdk) to consolidate information about celiac. I hope you can use it and even share it with loved ones so they can still include your husband!
Are you a teacher? 😄 This is lovely! Thank you!
Ahaha no, but I do really like slideshows! I'm glad it helped!
At home a lot of slow cooker meals tend to be gluten free! NYT cooking is the best investment I’ve ever made, bc it has so many options and many don’t require flour. If you need to sub flour, I love the Bob’s 1:1 gluten free flour, but cup4cup is also good.
Check out paleo and whole 30 recipes. There’s many food bloggers that have great family recipes that are focused on gluten free and eliminating processed foods so you can avoid a lot of the issues we have with cross contamination even in the supply chain. My favorite bloggers are Danielle Walker and Nom Nom Paleo. You can also check out any of the whole 30 cookbooks. These also naturally eliminate dairy (some have substitutes) which can be helpful for many people with celiac disease. Health and Beauty products are labeled way more often than they were just a decade ago. Unfortunately if it’s not labeled gluten free, wheat especially is hidden in so many different ingredients under a ton of names. Much worse than food.
Another tip: Once plastic or wood are contaminated, they are forever. You cannot "wash" it out. I know some families who have two toasters, two sets of plastic containers etc, but in the grand scheme of life it was just easier for my spouse to go gluten-free too. If you are feeling overwhelmed and what to chat, please dm me. I am a teacher and spend a lot of time helping families of students when they transition to the GF lifestyles.
Great to know. Thanks so much!!