Coeliac Disease - anyone else got it, tips and recipes please

[SecondhandRose]

My friend has been diagnosed as Coeliac, her computer is down at the moment so I said I would post this for her.

She needs to some with hints, tips and ideas for what she can eat please.

Theres a large thread about coeliacs on the allergy thread, will bump it for you.

Hi,
I've got Coeliac disease and the basics re: food are yes to fruit, veg, potatoes, meat, (although you have to check sausages and burgers very carefully as lots have flour or breadcrumbs in as a filler) dairy and rice. No to pasta, bread, pizza, biscuits, fishfingers, cakes, beer (!), anything with wheat in basically. There are lots of things around the edges that are questionable - the big one is oats, which different groups of people say yes/no - I avoid them just to be on the safe side. Takeaways and eating out can be tricky - you need to check either in advance or while ordering - I'm getting a mixed response when I'm out, to staff who think I'm just being awkward to those who are really helpful. If she's got a La Tasca (Tapas restaurant chain) nearby they're brilliant - have gluten free all marked on the menus. Lots of sweets have wheat flour in - licorice for example and chocolates with fillings in.

Tell your friend to join the Coeliac Society as soon as her computer's up - she can self refer, it's free and they send you a brilliant handbook (the bible!) which lists everything that's gluten free - breaks it down by food product and by supermarket. In the meantime if you want me to look anything up for her I'd be happy to!

Thank you. I will print this off. She has been told she can't see the dietician until April can you believe.

I can definitely believe it - I didn't even get to see one, which I was a bit outraged at, but there you go. It can be quite depressing when you're first diagnosed - in fact there's a link between Coeliac and depression - I think because although there's still a lot of food that's OK, the enormity of never being able to eat certain things is quite overwhelming. I find it difficult when I think "I can never have...", (I have been known to be found crying in Tescos...)so I try to concentrate on what I can have!

Pizza Express are good, I have a friend who is gluten, wheat and gluten intolerant and she provided a gluten free base, they put loads of topping on it and didn't charge her anything.
An ex of mine had coeliac disease. It's worth looking a for a speciality butchers, we had one in sheffield and we gave him some gluten free flour and he made some sausages with it. They were lovely!
Have to admit, the range of available food is better now than it was 10 years agon when i was with ex. Used to be had to go to specialist shops now most supermarkets have gluten free food and proper labelling.

Sorry my friend is gluten, wheat and DAIRY intolerant I meant!!