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Angel
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I'm wondering how you manage in your large families when one person has to be strictly gluten-free.
I was just talking to my OB about my gluten-sensitivity blood test results from a while back combined with some things I've noticed about my pregnancy queasiness and some problems with vitamin D absorption. Her recommendation: I go completely gluten-free for at least a month, with no cheats. I was 90% grain-free for a year, so it seems as if gluten-free should be easy... but I've never been "strict". If we were having a rough time and dinner slipped through the cracks, I would order and eat pizza. If I was at my inlaws', I would eat what my mother-in-law cooked... although I would try to minimize the grains and sugars. I'm not good at "strict", and I do try to plan three decent meals a day, but sometimes there are unforeseen events.
I'm not sure how "strict" is "strict" either, in the absence of an intestinal biopsy to confirm celiac disease. I suppose I will need to take Communion in the form of wine instead of the Host? I have to say, this seems like the biggest sacrifice, even though I know that He is completely present in both forms.
Anyway... just wondering how others manage it. How do you manage life with a large family and being on the go a lot? Is your entire household gluten-free, all the time? What about the times when you (if you are the primary cook and manager of the home) feel sick or yucky and somebody else has to take over food? What about when the little ones have been up all night, sick, and the house is a wreck, and cooking from scratch seems impossible? And what about the times when you know you have to be out and on the go a lot, but you can't have the ease of sandwiches you can slap together for everyone? And what do you do when you're supposed to eat at someone's house and they have no idea what "gluten-free" even means, and you know that mostly what they're going to have is bread?
These situations are the ones that trip me up.
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Angela
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JennGM
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We deal with wheat allergy, and since it's extremely important that there is no allergic reaction, my basic cooking has no wheat. We are generally gluten free, but I'm not strict about all ins and out of gluten.
I think that being grain free has might make it harder for you think gluten free. You can have corn. You can have rice. You can have other sometimes forbidden starches.
I call ahead or ask beforehand to see what is on the menu. We have a simple stand-by -- gluten free sandwich meats, gluten free pretzels or some kind of chips, some kind of fruit. That's our basic lunch. If you can tolerate eggs or dairy, then bring HB eggs and/or cheese and yogurt in a little lunch bag will make things easier for you. Have your kind of snacks you can nibble. I did this when I was diabetic and pregnant.
Potato chips may be starchy and greasy, but they are gluten free.  Break down and have some Doritos if you crave them, just no wheat!
What if you just said "wheat free"? Would that help the people? Or just say "I can't eat bread?"
I try to be wheat free, but I'm not strict gluten free as you mention (and I'm totally recovering from a week's binge at the beach). If I'm at a place that is only sandwiches or wraps, I take out the bread or tortilla and eat the innards.
I have hamburgers without the buns, and make that for dinner here all the time. Dh will buy buns for himself, but my two boys and I eat the meat plain. And that's our quick go-to meal at home.
If you're ordering pizza, do these places also have salads? We usually get grilled chicken breast for our son, and I'll get grilled chicken salad at our Italian place.
I really think remembering you can open up and have Tacos for dinner with corn tacos or rice noodles or rice or potatoes in all sorts of that you can fill up the family with starches without tempting yourself in the gluten department. Keep your kitchen gluten free, make your meal plans gluten free, and anything that has gluten should be just an add-in, not the main component of the dinner.
But in desperate times, there are gluten free crusts at different pizza places, and there's the Amy brand in the frozen food section that has a gluten free pizza.
This is important for you and your baby's health, so try to create a buffer zone around you, fill your pantry and carry a little food bag so you won't go hungry and have cravings and go off the wagon.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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JennGM
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Sorry, I shouldn't have answered, since I don't have a larger family. Ignore my long-winded advice.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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CrunchyMom
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Have you considered a stool test from Enterolab ? I've had friends who have had positive experiences with them. It might be a relatively painless way to rule out gluten sensitivity.
We are all pretty much gluten free right now. We just give people ideas for what to make us, though, because our reactions are't severe, we aren't picky about the more hidden forms when we aren't home. I have considered having the testing done but haven't quite pulled the trigger myself.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
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[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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CrunchyMom
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On our recent road trip, we packed our own food for the road. We had popcorn, deli meats, veggies and dip, hard boiled eggs, trail mix, apples with peanutbutter, and gogo squeezes. I've also grilled a ton of chicken thighs early in the week for snacks and lunches.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
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Mary K
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Hi,
do any of the stores in your area sell GF products? They might cost more, but could save your sanity on busy/yucky days when from scratch is not happening.
My very good friend has celiac and will bring her own food to a party or simply not eat there.
Congratulations on your pregnancy!
God bless,.
Mary
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Erin
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Angela
I've found it easier to have everyone eat the same as much as possible, though as Jenn says gluten free is easier than grain free. Gluten free does allow more ease for those yuck pregnancy times. Packet of corn chips, salsa, cheese and beans makes a very quick, easy meal.
Regard eating with relatives, friends you do have to change to the mindset that it does make you sick, good advice to ring ahead and if not to go prepared for just you, one person is easy.
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Angel
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Thanks for all the advice.  (And, Jenn, of course you should have answered! Don't worry that you don't have as many kids to feed as I do.)
I think with my relatives (Andy's family and mine), it's more: "Here's another one of Angela's crazy ideas." My mil in particular does not change well - and by that, I mean, at all.  I don't want to offend her, and on the other hand, I don't want to get sick either, kwim? It does help that I have a doctor backing up my crazy idea this time, I guess.
Could you all give me an idea of what you keep on hand in pantry, freezer, etc in order to pull together emergency or packable meals? How many GF convenience items are you buying each week? My problem is 6 boys and a husband. If I'm planning on using something like corn chips or pretzels or some other snacky thing, then I have to hide them under lock and key or they're gone within a couple hours of bringing them home.
I do find you're right, though; gluten-free is definitely easier than totally grain-free, and while expensive, is not anywhere near as expensive as a completely grain-free diet for a family of 9. Gosh, I was buying so much meat until we added rice back in! And my kids were not pleased with almond flour bread so much. They would eat hamburgers without buns, but when it came to hot dogs without buns... well, they completely rebelled. I had children who refused to eat a single bite of hot dog unless it was encased in a bun, and then they would eat two... or even three. (And these were the little ones, not the teenager!)
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Angela
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JennGM
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| Posted: Oct 19 2012 at 4:35pm | IP Logged
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Hmmm, the hot dog, how about a safe corn dog concoction?
As far as MIL, I'm sorry to hear it. My MIL may think we're crazy but she is completely supportive. She is 84 and has changed her way of cooking to accommodate our son.
But now you have your doctor's orders, so that should be helpful.
I hear you on the chips and such. These have to be doled out and rationed, and usually treats.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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CrunchyMom
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Angel wrote:
| If I'm planning on using something like corn chips or pretzels or some other snacky thing, then I have to hide them under lock and key or they're gone within a couple hours of bringing them home. |
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I think it is hard to keep ANYTHING prepared without it getting eaten. My husband and 6 year old ate an entire pyrex of grilled chicken thighs while watching the debate Tuesday night. 
One good thing I've found to keep on hand for easy snacks is popcorn. No one is as likely to just eat it aimlessly because they'd have to actually pop it on the stovetop first.
Also, anything you can keep in the freezer are good. Frozen fruit can be an easy snack. Also, in difficult times, I've kept frozen prepared rice from Trader Joes to pull out for a quick meal.
I have also had good luck with the chicken I described above being kept in the freezer for an easy meal as well as frozen cooked ground beef. Frozen mixed veggies, peas, broccoli, and corn are nice to keep onhand for quick meals. I know it must be harder for you to have any leftovers to freeze with a crew that size!
Corn tortillas freeze, too. So, quesadillas can come together quickly.
Also, maybe your older kids could have one meal a piece that they can make from start to finish?
I've also started baking a TON of potatoes at once, and then chopping them and putting them into freezer bags (easier after they've been in the fridge overnight). One whack with the meat hammer, and they come apart, and they make nice homefries in coconut oil with a lid. Sometimes, in a pinch, we just have browned meat over home fries with a side of frozen peas. Seems odd, but every likes it, really.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
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CrunchyMom
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Angel wrote:
when it came to hot dogs without buns... well, they completely rebelled. I had children who refused to eat a single bite of hot dog unless it was encased in a bun, and then they would eat two... or even three. (And these were the little ones, not the teenager!)
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Wow! We sometimes wrap them in provolone. Also, our newest way is chopping the up and adding chopped onions.
I also have found that canned chili in place of baked beans makes yummy beanie-weanies. We add chopped onion and shredded cheese, and it is like a chili cheese dog. Another quick meal. Not sure, but I think Trader Joes chili is strictly gluten free.
One night, I had some leftover homemade chili, and I stopped by Wendy's and bought several packs of fries, and then I made them into chili cheese fries in the oven. We happen to have a Wendys nearby, and I'm told that unlike McDonald's, their fries are gluten free. If it is gluten free, I suppose you could buy their chili, too.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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JennGM
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My mom's quick dinner used to be hot dogs cooked in chili. She used the microwave for the quickest meals.
Trader Joes has some frozen tater tots and fries that are safe for us, so I keep some on hand for those quick or dead-tired nights. (Problem is the baking in the oven takes longer than I wish. We like them a bit crispy.) Either broiled hamburgers or gluten Free Polish Kielbasa.
The other really quickie side is frozen rice. I admit to using a microwave. The rice at TJs isn't from the regions that has arsenic. Probably with your family you'd need two boxes, but it's a lifesaver when I don't have time to boil rice.
And then for my quick dinner I add raw carrots, applesauce, and/or baked beans.
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CrunchyMom
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Angela, have you seen this?
I thought of this, having seen it some time ago, but had a hard time finding it again. I thought it might be worth looking into for you as a sort of hybrid between traditional foods and paleo.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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StephanieA
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I have 9 kids and have horrible hives partly due to an autoimmune disease. Gluten is about 50% of the problem....the other 50%, I'm still figuring out for over a year. It is VERY disheartening. I have tried getting off corn - which helps, and diary, eggs, and chocolate - which might help. I am just not sure. I still have hives that just can't be accounted for when I am on a very strict diet. It gets too frustrating to keep on the diet for months on end (without the any traces of corn, eggs, or diary). But I am strict about the gluten. That part is clear. Then throw in those goitrogenic foods which I am suppose to clear out of my diet and it really gets frustrating. So I have added some of those back..but there are days when I know I shouldn't have. Sigh.
That said, I somewhat cook two meals. I can't do a gluten-free diet for 11 people. It is too radical for us...and too expensive. I have 3 boys in college and 3 teenage girls that eat quite a lot. That said, our meals have changed. Less desserts and less starch overall.(If I don't cook it, it usually doesn't get cooked unless it is cookies, etc.)
Let's say, I cook spagetti. They get the regular wheat noodles and I cook rice noodles separately and make myself a plate. Let's say they have pizza. I have a salad with salmon from a can. They have fried chicken...I keep a piece of chicken and cook it plain for me and add a sauce of some kind that is gluten-free.
I have my "treat" drawer where I put fun fruits like pomegranates (.69 cents at Aldi's this week :)
That's off-limits to the rest of the family unless permission is granted. So when they have a gluten dessert, I have my fun fruit. My son's birthday is today, so we will have a cake, etc. this weekend. So I have a box of gluten-free brownies downstairs that I will fix. Yes, it cost $4, but I get tired of not "joining in" the fun many times. So this is my treat to myself. The gluten-free leftovers are quickly eaten by the rest of the clan.
Going out....I just left for 2 days with my dh and the younger 5 kids. We were at a hotel for 2 days with a breakfast buffet. That was tough...because I am suppose to be off eggs too. Well, I ate the eggs and had grits the second day....and got some bad hives. But I stayed away from the gluten. Goodbye pancakes, cereal, pastries, biscuits and gravy. I just have to psyche myself because I love to try different foods. It is much more fun to me than shopping for shoes or whatever.
If you kids are younger and don't eat a lot, you might all go gluten-free. But I would melt mentally and physically right now if I had to do that with all 9 kids and all 3 meals. I also do buy frozen burritos, etc. for them on those "bad" days, and I keep canned salmon and try to keep chicken on hand at all times for me for a quick meal of some kind. Also, I can't have peanuts, so I have switched to sunflower seed butter on gluten-free bread. Not too bad!
Blessings,
Stephanie
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Angel
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| Posted: Oct 25 2012 at 8:17am | IP Logged
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CrunchyMom wrote:
Angela, have you seen this?
I thought of this, having seen it some time ago, but had a hard time finding it again. I thought it might be worth looking into for you as a sort of hybrid between traditional foods and paleo. |
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Yes, I read their book back in February or March, and it made a lot of sense... well, except for the "only eat white rice" thing. I can't figure out how all those traditional cultures ate refined white rice before the advent of industrialization. But whatever. The rest of it sounded like a pretty decent way to eat, and I have to say that their recommendation of using rice noodles for quick dinners is something I have really been using. They cook much, much faster than regular rice. My little boys weren't keen on the white rice noodles (too slippery, I think) but they liked the brown rice noodles better.
I should say, though, for anybody who's perusing the site or who decides to read the book, that I completely ignore their fasting guidelines, and I feel better when I eat the upper range of their carb guidelines (not given in their graphic). A pregnant/nursing mother thing, I think. (We also do eat other grains sometimes, but most often -- rice, sweet potatoes, and white potatoes.)
Doing better with the meal planning and eating at home this week. I did buy some gluten-free convenience food at the store which has helped a bit. The Blue Diamond Almond Nut Thins crackers were on sale, and I have to say, those are pretty good with cream cheese. I know buying them has to be way more expensive than my making them, but I was really hungry yesterday afternoon! And I bought an Amy's gluten-free frozen pizza. As of right now I don't know whether or not my kids should completely avoid gluten, so this will allow me to have a gluten-free pizza and the kids to eat regular pizza.
Of course, if it turns out that the kids really need to be completely gluten-free, too -- and I suspect that a couple of mine might -- then that option is completely out.
I think maybe I need to start looking for more opportunities to freeze homemade emergency food.
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Angela
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CrunchyMom
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I haven't read the book, so forgive me if this is in it, but I think that, from what I've read elsewhere, the theory behind the white rice is that traditional cultures had something in-between. The brown rice was not polished to the extent it is today, but neither was it completely whole. Some say that you can sift your brown rice (or something, I can't remember exactly what it was except that it sounded like a lot of work) in order to get rice that is traditional, but many find it easier to just use the white rice, which doesn't have whatever it was that is indigestible that the traditional process got rid of.
I think that it is still being determined just how traditional societies used and treated rice before industrialization. 
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
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[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Angel
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StephanieA wrote:
I have my "treat" drawer where I put fun fruits like pomegranates (.69 cents at Aldi's this week :)
That's off-limits to the rest of the family unless permission is granted. So when they have a gluten dessert, I have my fun fruit. My son's birthday is today, so we will have a cake, etc. this weekend. So I have a box of gluten-free brownies downstairs that I will fix. Yes, it cost $4, but I get tired of not "joining in" the fun many times. So this is my treat to myself. The gluten-free leftovers are quickly eaten by the rest of the clan.
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Yes, I think this is also where I run into problems. Everybody else is having something good and I'm hungry, too, or feeling left out of the fun or whatever. So I eat something I know is going to make me feel bad in the hopes that only a little bit won't hurt. My older kids are great and will try to make treats everyone can eat because they don't want to leave me out. But if we are invited out of the house... that's when I run into problems.
Like you, though, I love to try new foods! My problem is that my kids don't so much. Unless, of course, it happens to be some weird kind of animal. My dd once told the boys that the fish we were having for dinner was "barracuda" and they ate every bit of it, just because they thought it was!
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Angela
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CrunchyMom
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Angel wrote:
StephanieA wrote:
I have my "treat" drawer where I put fun fruits like pomegranates (.69 cents at Aldi's this week :)
That's off-limits to the rest of the family unless permission is granted. So when they have a gluten dessert, I have my fun fruit. My son's birthday is today, so we will have a cake, etc. this weekend. So I have a box of gluten-free brownies downstairs that I will fix. Yes, it cost $4, but I get tired of not "joining in" the fun many times. So this is my treat to myself. The gluten-free leftovers are quickly eaten by the rest of the clan.
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Yes, I think this is also where I run into problems. Everybody else is having something good and I'm hungry, too, or feeling left out of the fun or whatever. So I eat something I know is going to make me feel bad in the hopes that only a little bit won't hurt. My older kids are great and will try to make treats everyone can eat because they don't want to leave me out. But if we are invited out of the house... that's when I run into problems.
Like you, though, I love to try new foods! My problem is that my kids don't so much. Unless, of course, it happens to be some weird kind of animal. My dd once told the boys that the fish we were having for dinner was "barracuda" and they ate every bit of it, just because they thought it was! |
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I think that the treat drawer is essential--also the explicit expectation that family will honor it. I was on a strict elimination diet for many months when the baby was struggling, and I found myself feeling VERY resentful when others would eat the few things that were safe for me. The baby and I are still dairy free, and I admit that I am not very "sweet" when the boys complain about not having whatever I am eating because I gave them yogurt.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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JennGM
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Stephanie, That just sounds like such a hard cross. I'm sure other factors like stress and hormones also wreak havoc, but so hard (impossible) to control!
Warning, just random thoughts.
I read Elisabeth Hasselbeck's books on Gluten Free living this summer. She really stressed controlling cross-contamination, by having dedicated kitchen tools and areas that are gluten free only. I know she is referring to celiac in particular, but it just got me to thinking about all that. It almost sounded like she had a kosher kitchen.
I do small approaches like that in my house, but everything goes in the DW and we share the same plates and utensils.
There's a new book The Gluten-Free Table: The Lagasse Girls Share Their Favorite Meals by Emeril Lagasse's daughters who are gluten free. It's nothing radical, but I was really inspired. What's nice about the book is these are real recipes, lots of fresh foods. The dessert and "breads" stuff is so small, the emphasis is on real food. They do suggest typical gluten free flour mix (which is SOO high in carbs), but I wonder if subs would be easy.
The other book that is so tempting is La Tartine Gourmande: Recipes for an Inspired Life which is all gluten free, but her emphasis on organic and fresh foods is just inspiring. they are beautiful to behold. Her cookbook and blog were the first times I realized that Fava Beans could be eaten as fresh and green, not the ugly dried thing. (That got my wheels spinning to think of a different kind of St. Joseph dish with FRESH Fava beans!)
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StephanieA
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Jenn,
That's the rub. It very well could be stress too.
But if I wanted to add stress....I could try to make my house gluten-free right now 
I could see that happen much easier when I have 2-3 kids at home or littler eaters. But I just can't wrap my brain around going gluten-free and trying to cook like that for this crew. I already get very down just trying to homeschool and cooking for 6 kids that are here all day. It is overwhelming at times. I can't allow myself to get down like that.
So...I try to cook pretty basic right now. Read ----TOTALLY BORING. I love to cook new things. But it is either homeschooling or cooking like I would like. It can't be both.
This weekend I am attending a niece's wedding on Friday and on Saturday, celebrating my oldest son's B-day here. Grandma and sister-in-law will be here along with son's girlfriend, and the rest of the 8 kids. I am thinking - Lasagna or Chinese. I can't do soy - so I would buy 2 different sauces and place them on the table if I did Chinese. So that would be doable.
Then I host Thanksgiving and Christmas here with lots of relatives.
I can't even think gluten-free then. I just have to cook and make do...and try to minimize the hives with what I ingest. It makes my mind spin crazily to think I am breathing gluten in the bread I handle for the family.
Blessings,
Stephanie
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Topic: A strict gluten-free life
