Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Recently found out I'm intolerant to gluten

13 replies

Whiskyfromsmallglasses · 05/06/2025 17:58

As title says! I need ANY words of advice/wisdom on the matter. I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing and seems like there is a minefield of information out there. It's very early days but I'm feeling completely overwhelmed by the extent of how much I'm going to have to change my life! I feel I have a few questions but I feel some of them are stupid and probably have a very obvious answer 🫣

OP posts:
awaynboilyurheid · 05/06/2025 18:13

A wise man told me focus on what you CAN have , but yes it can be tricky at first but lots of good info Becky Excel is good.
Promise grain bread is one of the nicest ones around and you do get used to reading labels!
Tricky bit for me is if we are out somewhere and a friend says will we just have a wander look for something to eat? … eh no I’ve researched restaurants before we came here and know where I can go for a gf meal! That and ensuring you always have gf snacks with you especially when travelling , airports are the worst!

YogaLite · 05/06/2025 18:18

Lots of gf products around, forget bread, just eat more of what u would have with wheaty stuff. Takes a while (months at best) to start healing.

awaynboilyurheid · 05/06/2025 18:19

Just ask your questions , they’ll be loads on here to help, least things are better now I was speaking to a lady who was quite elderly who told me what it was like years ago, sounded really awful like a special cake once a year kind of thing!

Whiskyfromsmallglasses · 12/06/2025 08:16

Sorry I asked this and everything kicked off at home with my 89 year old dad and he's been in hospital since. This is a big learning curve. I honestly didn't realise that there is gluten in everything! One of my questions was I'm guessing takeaways are now out of the question? I don't eat them off but when I do I like a curry. Not a huge fan of Chinese/pizza anyway.

OP posts:
Breathmiller · 12/06/2025 08:55

@Whiskyfromsmallglasses sorry to hear that you have found out you can't eat gluten , it can be a bit of a pain in the arse but as much as it can seem overwhelming to begin with you do get used to it. (Also sorry to hear about your dad ).

You do get used to reading labels and deciphering what is okay from a point of making you ill and what is worth it taste wise.

I also like Promise bread (the multi grain) but I know from a thread on here that not everyone does so its personal taste. There are other good bread product options too. I like the schar frozen rolls (just defrosted naturally - not oven baked or microwaved), wharburtons crumpets and English Muffins. Be Free oven bake baguettes. White Rabbit pizzas. Tesco ginger biscuits. Square brioche rolls (wharbutons maybe?) for burgers etc as they don't fall apart. Old El paso small tortillas. You'll find the things you like.

I prefer to bake my own cakes and biscuits as the shop bought ones can be hit or miss (I'm also lactose intolerant though so maybe some that have dairy in are better).

Doves Gf flour is good. Self raising for cakes, plain for pastry. It can take time to learn how to bake and cook with gf flour as it doesn't work in the same way. Home made chappatis/flatbreads are easy.

Oh! And pasta. There is a relatively new (to me anyway) make out in the shops. Italian in a white-ish packet. I can't remember the name. They do spaghetti and rigatoni as well as the oblivatory penne that you will get at restuarants. If I can't get that make, then my go to is Tesco Gf pasta - penne, macaroni, spirals - not the spaghetti so much as it collapse. The gf (and vegan) filled pasta from Tesco Wicked range is delicious.

Keep an eye out for 'hidden' gluten in ingredients. No malt or barley. Frozen chips when you eat out - ask them if they have a wheat coating. Or if they are cooked in the same oil as wheat food - you may be okay with this, you may not. I believe some rinds on cheese can have wheat. Crisps, ready meals, sweets, desserts, burgers, sausages etc, things you wouldn't think might have gluten may have it in to bulk up so read everything, even if it seems obvious it won't.

Some people (like me) enjoy the products that mimic gluteny/wheaty products but be aware that they are often much more calorie laden (I'm looking at you M&S iced buns! ) and/or much more UPF so I try to keep them to a minimum. But sometimes I just want a bit of toast! Some people avoid them as much as possible either because of the ingredients or taste. You might find that they taste awful to begin with but you get used to them a bit more or that you end up relying on them less and less.

Having said that they aren't always the best alternatives, things are a million times better than they were 20 years ago. And I would have hated to have had to do it even further back than that as the choices were dire.

The free from section of supermarkets will be your friend and you will get ridiculously excited when you go somewhere and they have something new to you on the menu or shelf that you haven't been able to find for years.

Good luck. There are a good few threads over the years on this if you search them up.

Poonu · 12/06/2025 09:08

It's taken me a year but I prefer it more. If you're near a Waitrose or Sainsbury's I prefer their pastas (own brand) as they have less additives. Tacos, rice eat freely. I love toast and I really like promise sourdough sliced. Schar bread is nice. Eating out Wagamama, Thai is nice. Restaurants are pretty good if you let them know. Asda have a fantastic range especially if you have a sweet tooth. It's a mindset change. Good luck.

Breathmiller · 12/06/2025 09:25

The pasta I mentioned is called Rummo. I just looked it up. You can get it in Tesco and Sainsburies.

Defiantlynot41 · 12/06/2025 09:54

All the veggie dishes and sides and all the tandoori dishes and most curries are GF at my local Indian. Plus rice etc obviously. Thai/Chinese can be naturally GF, just watch out for soy sauce - our local Giggling Squid and Chinese restaurant will make separate GF food and it’s really good. Most pizza places have a GF alternative these days- whether they are worth eating is a different question!
the things to look out for are BROW - barley, rye, oats and wheat. You may tolerate GF oats - some do some don’t but usual advice is to avoid until your gut heals.

lots of food is naturally GF - rice and rice noodles, potatoes, veggies, meat & fish, and in general (sadly) better quality stuff like ice cream/gelato is less likely to contain gluten

LoveSandbanks · 12/06/2025 09:57

An Indian is probably one of the safest takeaways. I’ve found them very clued up on which dishes are “safe”. I have a non-coeliac gluten allergy so a bit of cross contamination and I’m covered in hives so I’m very careful.

Gluten free bread is rarely worth the price or calories, jacket potatoes are a great carb source. Beware ice cream, a lot has barley and oats are gluten free but contaminated at harvest ( same machines used to thresh the wheat) so gluten free oats may be a necessary expense. Soy sauce is not your friend but tamari is.

my kids are expert label readers, I swear they sometimes buy ice cream I can’t eat as it’s the only way I won’t “borrow” it 🤣

BearPear · 12/06/2025 09:57

My daughter was diagnosed coeliac over 25 years ago, things are so much better these days! I know you said that it’s an intolerance so not full blown coeliac but consider looking at the coeliac society, they were a lifeline for us when she was first diagnosed.

ElsaMars · 12/06/2025 10:05

If you plan to find out if you are coeliac, don't eliminate Gluten entirely yet. The test currently only works if you're still eating it.

I'm not coeliac but can't tolerate certain things at all, i.e complete agony, stomach pain. However, having stopped entirely 4 years ago, then reintroduced a bit before my coeliac test last year, I've found I can tolerate some things, e.g the odd piece of 'normal' cake or a biscuit. If this is the case for you too, be prepared that people totally won't understand that and will wonder why you can't just eat pizza (oh God, I wish)

Also, some things you think should be fine may not, e.g, I had some ice cream on holiday and was really suffering afterwards, turns out some has a lot of flour in!

All bread is terrible in my opinion unfortunately but GF frozen garlic bread is great and tastes completely 'real'.

Whiskyfromsmallglasses · 12/06/2025 12:58

Thank you for all these detailed responses it's really helping. I've made a note of some of the products. I seem to be able to eat small amounts of gluten from time to time but not everyday. A colleague brought in mini cupcakes (they were tiny) I gave in and had one and I was fine. However had a slice of white bread the other day and boy did I suffer! I've found some products really good. Bread one I'm struggling to find a decent one and I've got gluten free pasta. It tasted fine but tbh was very slimy once cooked. Guess it's just trial and error

OP posts:
lovemycbf · 12/06/2025 13:40

you need to try wheat free bakery Scotland,they post out and it’s the most lovely gluten free bread and cakes.
lots of things are naturally gluten free rice,jacket potatoes,meat,salad
I batch cook and portion and freeze for convenience and there’s always a gluten free alternative when cooking like pasta or flour

New posts on this thread. Refresh page