What can I eat? Help for the newly diagnosed celiac
I guess if I'm going to start a Celiac Blog, I should give some words of advice to those who are newly diagnosed. First of all: DON'T PANIC. It isn't as overwhelming as it might seem, and there is delicious food to eat, even without gluten.
A bit more about me. Not only am I gluten free, but there are other foods that I don't tolerate either. Dairy is a big one. I'm not lactose intolerant, I am dairy intolerant. I'm not exactly sure what it is about dairy that I can't eat, I just know that it makes me very sick, almost as sick as gluten makes me. So, I avoid dairy at all costs. I'm also oat intolerant. Oats are not a gluten containing grain, but they are often grown as a rotational crop with wheat, rye or barley, and as those other grains might sprout up in a field, when they are harvested, it is very difficult to tell the difference between and oat groat and the other grains. This is the main reason why those with celiac disease need to make sure that if they are eating oats, they are eating PURE oats. These oats are grown in fields that only grow oats, and have no chance of contamination in the grains, in the harvest and in the milling. However, there is a large percentage (some estimate up to 30%) of celiacs who do not tolerate pure uncontaminated oats either. I'm one of them. Quinoa is another grain that does not do well with me... so while you read my journey, and my suggestions, keep in mind that there might be other things you can eat that I never talk about.
Whole natural foods, not including grains are naturally gluten free. This is where I started. I simply eliminated the grains food group for a while, and ate mostly fruit, vegetables and meat. So I started with basic meat and potato meals like roast chicken with potatoes and vegetables, grilled fish with asparagus and baked potato, pork tenderloin with roasted sweet potatoes and carrots. The options are endless, nutritious and normal. There are no expensive replacements of gluten foods. There are no crazy processed mock foods either. Just pure, whole, wholesome food.
While the theory behind that was easy for me, actual meal making was a challenge. Breakfast was probably the biggest challenge. What do you eat for breakfast when you're used to eating cereal, toast, muffins or bagels? We tend to eat a lot of eggs, avocado, berries, smoked salmon. A typical breakfast could be an egg with half an avocado, or half an avocado and a cup of sliced strawberries. As time goes on and your body heals, you will be able to add gluten free toast, bagels, muffins, or cereal, but the real nutrition will come from these amazing super breakfast foods that are again whole, real, unprocessed.
Lunch can be the easiest meal too. It can be a repeat of breakfast (or variation thereof), because breakfast was delicious, right? or leftovers from the night before. If you are working and need to bring lunch with you, plan ahead and cook an extra dinner portion. Finding safe gluten free food near your workplace can be a challenge. I consider every time I eat out to be a risk. And some days, I'm not so risky.
If there's one thing that will make your transition to gluten free living easier, it is your desire and ability to cook from scratch. I hope that the recipes I present are easy to follow and that you will have success with them. If you are having difficulty, please message me and let me know how I can help you better. I spend time watching cooking shows on TV, not for their recipes, but for their techniques and ideas.
Next post: Cross Contamination: What it means and how to avoid it.
