Going wheat-free: What substitutes?

[erebus]

Can't go completely wheat free, at least not all at once!.... but what would you use instead?

Rye bread? Any others?

What biscuits and cakes can I have?

What 'pasta' or substitute?

This is in an effort to see if I can reduce DS2's eczema and to eat 'more healthily' as a family.

Any thoughts welcome!

I've heard good things about genius bread.

I've only ever used sainsburys free from lasagne sheets and orgran pasta and they are pretty good.

I think those macaroon things are wheat free.

my advice would be, it is bloody hard and equally as expensive to be wheat free. I have been wheat free for 3 years now adn still find it difficult. It is however the best thing i have ever done.

Most supermarkets do a small range of wheat free food (in the free from isle). I personally get alot of my stuff from goodness direct which is fab. I do an order about once every 6 weeks adn can not fault the service or food.

Rye bread is an aquired taste, warburtons do a nice gluten free bread but i find the best one to be genius bread (about £2.80 a loaf in tesco).

health food shops are also good for geting wheat free stuff.

When you first start out look very closely at the labels as it is amazing what they put wheat in, yoghurts for example. Once you have learnt the basics it will get easier.

good luck.

Most supermarkets do rice pasta which is fine. If you have time make flapjack, some but not all bought flapjack is wheat free. There are also many cereal bars that are wheat free. Lots of cereals. ie porridge (obviously) rice crispies, some granola etc. lots of rice cakes (there are some thin rice and corn ones that are yummy)about that are good with different spreads etc. My advice would be to get out of the habbit of thinking biscuits and bread. Most gluten free bread/ biscuits are full of sugars.
Agree with Morethan look at labels. Don't forget sausages and burgers have rusk in too. You can easily get G free sausage. I make my own burgers using oats.

DH and i are totally wheat free (for exhaustion, temper, weight and constip. symptoms) (I don't eat tomatoes,oranges and potatoes and have cured my eczema)...

As minam. says you have to read the labels on everything or make yr own. I bake with Kamut,spelt and rice flour. health food shops are brill for good varieties.

I am wheat free too and it has really helped with the state of my skin and guts. Oat cakes are a good substitute for bready things - I have them with cheese or jam. Agree that genius bread is very good but also very expensive. Not so keen on the rice pasta as I find it can get a bit too claggy for my liking. Obviously rice is good but would try to have brown basmati if you can. Sainsburys do this. As has been mentioned I would also try to make things from scratch as much as possible as wheat appears in the most unlikely of places. Instead of buying pre-prepared yoghurts we buy big tubs of greek style yoghurt and add our own flavourings like honey, jam, maple syrup etc. Much tastier and so much better for you.

Thanks to all so far!

More input always welcome!

Know what you mean about the rice pasta, but if you have not got the experience to compare I think you can get away with it. Also, I use Gram flour for thickening gravie, stews etc and making batter. ( no good for Yorkshires though- the most missed thing)

Dove farm wheat and gluten free flours are good for baking, you can still get really good results for cakes with these and most people can't tell the difference. I get mine from waitrose.
You can get wheat free fish fingers from youngs if you want something to keep in the freezer.
Oats are one of my staples, I make granola, flapjacks, oatcakes and oatmeal cookies so no wheat needed. Cheap to do aswell.
Most things can be picked up in supermarkets but I usually buy in bulk via planet organic as if you spend over 30 pounds delivery is free.

I also find the rice pasta far too sticky-rice noodles are good for oriental type meals. Sainsburys do a good corn pasta.

If you buy oatcakes in a packet check the ingredients as some still contain wheat. All the nairns stuff is really good and doesn;t though.

Try going wheat free for a while and see if it helps your son, my best friend suffered badly until her twenties and found cutting out dairy was the only thing that helped her
Good luck

Like tinydiamond we also love ryvitas and rice cakes both are cheap and give the crunch you may miss they can be 'crunched up' in the lowest setting of yr. toaster. We just bought a new one with a special rack on the top for that!

minimammoth - wheat free yorkshires : 90g cornflour, 4 eggs, milk to double cream consistancy

Whisk up ( no need to stand) cook as normal YP's, about 220 for 20 mins. Noone will be able to tell these aren't made with flour.

We also have them cold for supper with jam in.

I would caution against removing a staple like wheat from anyone's diet unilaterally without some kind of referral to a dietician or a GP. Refined starch such as white flour doesn't bring many dietary benefits beyond 'energy' but wholegrain wheat contains many important vitamins, minerals and also fibre, of course. As a former eczema sufferer, I found that a switch to a more 'diabetic' style Low GI diet and away from heavily processed foods to more wholefoods was very effective.

Yes, cogito I agree that it wouldn't be wise to go cold turkey on a food group without ensuring substitution is happening elsewhere in a diet! It's why I baulk at vegetarianism: it requires research and time!

What about purchasing better quality wheat direct from the mills? You say you want health but you have to be very careful eliminating anything from your diet.

There is nothing wrong with wheat, it the way its over processed and over consumed. Wheat products used to be the only healthy foods when made from scratch (people were slimmer and healthier). Whats wrong with making your own bread using the best ingredients - nothing unhealthy about that.

There was an extremely interesting article in the press/media recently stating that most intolerances dont exist.

Why put yourself through this hell???