help with coeliac disease

[Pacific]

Help! I need to educate myself quickly about coeliac disease.

There will be a new friend spending time in my house and I will need to feed this (young) person quite frequently. I prefer to cook home made meals but also occasionally use prepared stuff and shortcuts. e.g.I make a lot of soup and have just discovered stock cubes are a no-no!

This person has really severe coeliac so I have to be very vigilant and I am so ignorant about it.

What do I need to watch out for on ingredients lists? Are there sneaky pitfalls to watch out for? Any suggestions for suitable teenage food are welcome.

Going out for the day but I will check in later. Thank you for any help.

[BreatheDeep]

Some stock cubes are ok, you just have to be careful. We use kallo ones and I think they are all gluten free.

Basically you need to look for gluten containing ingredients. A lot of manufacturers now add a note to state if it's gluten free. Otherwise look for wheat, oats, barley. If you're unsure and it doesn't state gluten free, avoid it.

You can get gluten free oats but again be careful. Some people still react to them if they are particularly sensitive.

There are gluten free options for pasta and bread but they don't taste all that great so it depends on whether your guest likes them. They are found in the free from sections that most supermarkets have.

Anything you particularly want to know?

[BearPear]

My DD was diagnosed at age 3, she's 22 now so we have some experience! I have to say that it's so much easier these days compared to 20 years ago - if there are any allergens in a product it has to be listed in the ingredients. Avoid wheat, rye & barley. My DD has only been allowed oats in the last 5 years or so. If you're a novice I think the "free from" section in supermarkets is a good place to start - I find Tesco to have a good selection. As mentioned above, the Kallo cubes are GF.

[IamHappy1976]

Perhaps find out what he/she likes to eat and then take it from there? I make bolognese bake with home made ragu and topped with sliced tinned potatoes, baked in the oven with grated cheese on top to avoid g/f spaghetti which can get a bit sticky when cooked. It's gluten free but still an easy meal to prepare and we all like it!
Gluten free burgers (from butchers or supermarket best) using baked portobello mushrooms instead of burger buns and home made wedges is popular. Fish with a sauce made from chives, cheese and creme fraiche with broccoli and mash is a favourite. A lot of (processed) gluten free food is revolving!

[IamHappy1976]

*revolting, even!

[SpeckledyBanana]

Allergens need to be listed in the ingredients on the label now.

I'm not GF but a relative is, and I have to say that when I cater for her I don't use GF products as they don't taste good - instead I make sure she can have a whole meal without gluten. For example, on a buffet I make sure there are alternatives to bread, like a nice potato salad.

Except for cakes - Ikea do a perfectly acceptable GF cheesecake, and a few others (can't think of names just now), so I buy those for pudding for everyone.

[DuckWaddle]

Food wise- so much is naturally gluten free so that's the safety thing- rice, potatoes, meat, fish, veges etc. Doves flour (gf) is a great substitute for normal flour.
Check everything I'm afraid as gluten hides in lots of things- barley malt is found in lots of things you would expect.
Contamination- big problem in kitchens. They can't toast things in your toaster, you need to ensure you don't use marg etc and then use it for gf (if crumbs get in it).
You really need a sepeate colander and wooden spoons.
It's hard at first if you're not used it it. Be warned your guest may not eat oats and many of the freefrom items such as biscuits can contain them.

[DuckWaddle]

Sorry so many typos- I meant wouldn't expect re barley malt!

[galaxygirl45]

If they are particularly senstitive, you may find they need to have their own tub of butter/spread to avoid contamination, and toaster bags for doing their own toast in. Kallo stock cubes are fine, Doves farm organic pasta is very good as are their flours. I find it easy cooking for my DGD as long as you have the right basics in, and most is easy if you're cooking it yourself. The ready made stuff can be vile tbh. I only buy crumpets and bread.

[ninja]

My mum makes pancakes with half tapioca and half rice flour and they are delicious!

Loads of GF chocolate brownie recipes out there :)

Oats are often processed in the same factories as wheat which is why they can be a problem and even if the are GF they can trick the body into eliciting the same symptoms do better avoided.

Watch out for chips - often coated. Chinese a nightmare.

[IamHappy1976]

You can buy "daim" cake in the freezer section of my local supermarket. Sort of almond cake thing. Very nice served with some Greek yoghurt. Puddings can be a mine field. Eton mess is my go to pudding, although I am now rather good at given free cake :-)

[PinkSwimGoggles]

coeliac.uk has a list of supermarket staples that are gluten free - and known pit falls.

agree to separating ingredients/cutlery as the tiniest amount of gluten (think a teaspoon of flour spread throughout the house) can have devastating effects.

[BreatheDeep]

Oh and M&S do good gluten free cakes too if you need those. Actually a lot of M&S food is gluten-free. They have tried to remove it where it's unnecessary - sausages and such like. But always check!

[originalmavis]

Check everything - even things you know can't possibly contain gluten (you never know where the buggers sneak it in!).

[IamHappy1976]

Yes to DeepBreathe! Marks and Spencer don't have a dedicated free from section, but their g/f products are well labeled and often don't cost more than their non gluten free counterparts. The g/f fishcakes and crisp bakes are good and freezable!

[IamHappy1976]

Just thought, if you do want to buy free from ingredients/products, do it soon! As the Christmas stock hits the shops, free from disappears until mid January! I'm stocked up after last year when I could not buy g/f self raising flour for love nor money.

[Pacific]

Gosh. This is so helpful. Thank you all. I didn't think about separate utensils, I will make a special cupboard with stuff in it to avoid cross contamination.

You have given me lots of good ideas. Kallo cubes from now on or meat stock only. I have an M+S foodhall close by so I will scour their stuff too. I like the idea of substituting tinned pots for pasta...that's a good idea.

What about sneaky ingredients. I was told 'maltodextrin' was a no no and I don't even know what it is! I need to find out about additives and thickeners etc.

Good idea about the website too. I will search there for more information.

Thank you all. I will probably have more questions as time goes on.

[Pacific]

Also meant to ask. The 'Doves' range that a couple of you have mentioned, where can you get that? I don't think I have ever noticed it before.

Sweeties, chocolate and crisps; what is OK and are there any to avoid? ( So I can give them something to munch while watching telly)

[DuckWaddle]

You'll find the flour in the freefrom section in most supermarkets.
Snacks often have hidden gluten! Some crisps caveat by saying can't guarantee it isn't gf I.e walkers, some have gluten in the ingredients. The same with chocolate. You will find ones that don't have gluten though and don't say they may be contaminated. I'm afraid you'll need to read the ingredients list closely. It's really nice that you're taking it so seriously though

[SpeckledyBanana]

Walkers ready salted are ok, I thought? Potatoes, oil, salt.

[Pacific]

Thank you Duck. i am taking it very seriously because i know this person is quite severely affected. i also want to educate myself to be able to deal with it and not embarrass the person by asking "can you eat this?" or "can you eat that?" constantly. I just want the person to feel welcome and comfortable and safe.

[DuckWaddle]

That's really good of you to consider it so thoroughly.
Peck- I thought they carried the usual thing of not guaranteeing they were gf in the wording? I haven't looked for a while so may be wrong as I steer clear now

[DuckWaddle]

Just checked and walkers wont guarantee any of their crisps as gf and use the usual caveat

[Pacific]

Hmm. Crisps are probably out then. Will look for GF sweeties and maybe make up little fruit/raw veg platters then.

[user1476719758]

I think gluten is in a lot of stuff you might not realise too like past sauce? (You can get gluten free of most things In all the supermarkets).

[Pacific]

Is popcorn GF? If I make it myself from kernels?