Can someone explain Gluten Allergy to me please?

[ash6605]

I work in care and have a new client who must have a Gluten free diet.The client has dementia so is unable to give me the information I need and her carer is fairly unhelpful.
I am unsure of what to feed her,Up until now I have managed to get by through checking labels for gluten free products such as bread,milk,margarine etc but I feel like she is so restricted to what she can have and maybe there are things I can give her that I havn't been IYKWIM Any knowledge of gluten allergies would be a huge help as I know nothing!

Do you prepare all her food for her? She can have meat, fish, poultry, vegetables, fruit, rice, potatoes. You can buy gluten free pasta. (tesco own brand is the best imo). You can buy gluten free cereal - whole earth cornflakes, doves farm cornflakes, mesa sunrise cereal. Corn thins or most rice cakes.

She can't eat wheat, barley, rye or oats, so check the ingredients label for these as well as the allergy box which most products have.

HTH - is there anything specific you would like to make her?

Thanks that is very helpful.No I don't prepare her meals,it comes in from an outside caterer(I work in a Day Centre)We do prepare the drinks and do toast/teacakes/biscuits late morning then late afternoon a small sandwich and cake with a cup of tea but the actual lunch is delivered to us.It nearly always consists of potatoes-usually mash so I worry about the marg and milk they use,vegetables-which are sometimes tinned so I worry about the additives it may have in,and meat cooked in gravy or a pie of some sort.Dessert is usually a crumble,milk pudding or pastry dish. we are never sent an alternative so if anyone doesn't fancy the lunch we offer a sandwich or ready made meal.
So if you can help me think of something I can have in for her lunch in particular that would be great,snacks aren't too much of a problem as we have bought in a few gluten free cakes and biscuits.and are tinned stuff okay-fruit and veg? TIA

Gravy would be the one that sends me warning bells (well along with crumble and pastry) as both contain flour. You can get gluten free gravy.

Terrible that they don't send an alternative. Mind you ds3 was in hospital and couldn't get a gluten free meal as they needed 3 days notice

Be careful with things that contain flour (sausages for example often contain rusk, although some people are OK with small amounts). Rice flour is fine. Best to steer clear of others. If it doesn't contain flour it's usually OK.

Tinned fruit and vegetables would be fine. Meat cooked in a gravy is a bit dodgy, it depends what has been added. Gluten free bread needs to be toasted or at least 'refreshed' in the oven or microwave first - it will say on the packaging. It shouldn't be toasted in a toaster used for ordinary bread though. The margarine and the milk in the mash should be fine but if it has gravy on the same plate that could make it unsafe to eat. Yogurt and fruit for pudding? Some of the flavoured ones do have gluten, but again it will say on the packaging. Rice pudding made with milk and sugar. Cheese is fine, maybe with corn thins or rice cakes instead of bread. Plain canned tuna or other fish is fine and a good standby. Jacket potato is perfect with baked beans (heinz are gluten free) and/ or cheese.

Jam, peanut butter, mashed banana are good sweet fillings. Any pots of jam, butter etc used should really be kept seperate as knives used to spread ordinary bread will contaminate them.

Can you have a word with the caterer? They are being paid to provide a service and this lady is not just being fussy - she really can't eat what they are providing.

You sound lovely to be caring enough to try to help

What a star ytou are for making the effort - it's ridiculous that the outside catering company won't!

My Mum has to have a gluten free diet and it is an absolute nightmare! You have to be so careful of cross contamination - ie crumbs or even dust from other fods etc, using a knife to cut a 'normal' sandwich then using it on theirs etc.

Be careful of things like packets of sliced ham and other processed foods as most of these have gluten in .

If you have anything specific, I can ask my Mum to look in her book - it gives a specific list of brands and ingredients which are safe to use... very handy as buying specific gluten free foods can get very expensive. Please feel free to give me a shout

I honestly didn't realise how careful you had to be with this allergy,I am that you need to use seperate knives and toasters etc.
You have all been very helpful thanks,if you have any specific brands that would be great,I will print out this thread and take it into work to help other staff.