Gluten free diet - is it really that bad?

[cauliflowercheese14]

Hoping for some positivity here. I'm likely to be advised to go on a gluten free diet for the rest of my life. I've been upset, then done some research and just had a browse round Asda. I have a generally healthy diet, I cook from scratch most of the time and don't have a sweet tooth. Am I being madly optimistic to think that this is not going to be too bad? An average day would seem to only involve me replacing the odd slice of toast, crackers or pasta. I see I can buy gf pitta, naan and garlic bread all of which I probably have once a week or so.
Additionally we're a family of four and would it be unreasonable of me to cook gf for everyone? I suspect the kids may have some mild issues anyway.
Any experiences / advice gratefully received!

stillstanding there is a g/f brand of Worcester sauce called Tiger. Some bigger branches of Asda do it, I think I got mine from a health food shop.

No, I'm wrong sorry. Tiger is the soy sauce. Biona is the Worcester sauce brand.

Thank you for all the tips! I find it's little things I need to solve and then I can just carry on.
I'm also interested to hear that you can just bake as normal with gluten free flour. Can you thicken sauces with it? I make a mean beef and ale stew which I used to thicken with an unhealthy roux of flour and butter. Can I substitute gf flour? I have been thickening with arrowroot but it doesn't give the unhealthy richness.
And what about gravy? My gravy is dismal these days.

Stillstanding - you can use the flour to thicken as normal. But you'll have to find a GF ale to use in your stew. It isn't easy to find a dark gf beer

I do think it's become much easier in the last 12 months- there seems to have been an explosion in GF foods in mainstream shops.

Gravy- I use cornflour (mix to a paste in water before adding to a hot stew) or sometimes gluten free flour (which is mainly potato and rice). Cornflour does give a slightly different texture to the gravy but is acceptable as it is for white sauces if you eat dairy.

Cakes- I use a normal Victoria sandwich recipe, but use 1/3 ground almonds to 2/3 gluten free flour, or even sometimes 50-50. I also add 1/4 tsp xanthan gum. The only thing that is a bit disappointing is scones- they don't rise so much- but I also add a beaten egg which helps.

if you are going away, maybe think about taking oat cakes if you can eat oats? They have saved my bacon in many a hotel or cafe. They are packaged in 5s so I often slip a pkt in my bag. In a hotel I eat them with eggs at breakfast. Or I take my own Genius bread and ask them to toast it.

If I am out and wonder if there will be anything I can eat (I also can't eat onions, garlic or spices) I take a small container of nuts and some dried fruit as a standby.

For travelling bananas are your friend.
And packed lunches. Cold omelette is lovely ...

It's eating out in cafes I find a bit grim.

The other day we went to the garden centre and popped into the cafe.

It has the most amazing looking cakes. Lots of them all say there. DH picked a chocolate cake and DS has some strawberry mousse type thing. But there wasn't one GF cake to be had or GF anything in fact. I just sat there drinking my tea feeling sorry for myself

I discovered savoury cornbread as a nice cold filling snack lunch. It tastes better than gluten free bread.

The recipes always say cornmeal but I just use polenta to make it with and bung chopped peppers, onion, garlic and a touch of chilli in to spice it up a bit.

That reminds me, I make a very nice lemon polenta cake as well if I am going to a house as a guest for dinner that always transports easily and normal people like it too.

More excellent tips thanks.

I am wary of the dining out problem, I don't live in a big place so not many chains. We are having a day out on Saturday so I think I'll take something from home for me.

I'm not at all bothered by not being able to have cake but I think putting a Naked bar in my bag might be a good idea.

Lunch was veg, hummus and oatcakes today. Totally normal for me so not feeling sorry for myself. This thread has really helped in terms of peer support. I was despairing a few days ago and now I feel ok about it all. There's far worse things people have to cope with.

This reinforced a lot of the things people have recommended:

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/may/14/growth-gluten-free-10-best-products

We have had some great successes dining out, sometimes in the most unlikely places. On the other hand, a big chain has a branch in our market town. My son could only eat sea bass or steak, and just sorbet for pudding. It was fine, he likes these things, but it wasn't that much choice.

On the other hand, a small restaurant in York offered a fantastic, really original and tasty menu. It was called Filmore and Union.

Just to add that if you have young DCs or want to have things in crumbs like fish fingers, chicken nuggets etc, you can easily make your own breadcrumbs from gluten free bread (ie genius) and freeze them in small amounts. You can add a few herbs etc to the crumbs and it makes a topping for fish fillets etc.

I also make a fruit crumble which is totally free of anything- it's my own recipe and is porridge oats mixed with butter ( or dairy free spreads) like a crumble recipe, in the food processor, but then I mix in a selection of nuts - put in the food processor so they are ground up- walnuts, almonds, cashews - and a bit of sugar. It's reasonably healthy if you keep the sugar content low but tastes great!