Today I had to go grocery shopping. Things were getting pretty sparse and nobody wanted more popcorn for snacks, so I ventured out. At the checkout, the lady in front of me had a full cart and as I waited to put my things on the conveyor belt I took a quick inventory of her things against mine, and then pondered on how different our shopping is now that we have to be gluten free.
Shredded Wheat, Basic 4, Hamburger Helper, pizza dough...all those things used to be on my shopping list. Basic 4 cereal was one of my favorites. While I always felt we ate pretty healthily, I never bothered reading labels, searching for allergens that are supposed to be in bold letters at the bottom of the ingredient list. Wheat was healthy for you, right? WIC (which we were on for years) listed it all out for us on those folders: No sugar, fortified, whole wheat cereals and breads, whole or 2% milk, cheese, peanut butter, and 100% juice. Celiac or a gluten free diet did not compute, so of course, all these cereals were healthy for normal people. How much I've learned in the last 9 months.
Remember when you start dieting how they advise you to stay on the outer aisles of the grocery store? Now I'm pretty much forced to that. Our shopping list is different. Our menu is different. Usually we don't find gluten in veggies and meats. Some stores have a nice gluten free aisle or section. Some do not. When we first went gluten free, it took me 3 hours to go shopping because of all the label reading I had to do. I'm a little better now, but sometimes I can't find the food I usually get and it will slow me down having to read new labels.
Things that feel like mine fields:
Salad dressings, condiments, canned soups (don't even bother with these anymore), chips, spices, dry soups, frozen potatoes, Asian foods (you would think with the rice noodles we'd be safe, but it comes in the form of the yummy sauces that all have soy sauce, which is distilled with wheat), and sometimes the "health food" section, which may seem gluten free but you might find it hidden in the starches, like malt (barley), or oats.
Bread
This has been a struggle from day one. One the airplane back from England I asked for a gluten free meal. I think the bread was actual Styrofoam. I couldn't eat the cereal (corn flakes) because of barley in them. It's very hard to find a fluffy, "holey" bread, as most of them end up pretty dense. I've found a few that are really good though over time, but it's not a quick meal.
Menus
Forget just running through the drive-thru at McDonald's. Most places will cook their breaded fish/desserts/chicken in the same fryer they do the fries and so the fries have gluten all over them. While the fries may well be gluten free, they aren't after being cooked in that same oil. It takes planning on our part for quick lunches. There are about three restaurants I found we can eat at without little effect. Our menu at home changed. I grew up eating a meat, starch and veggie. We didn't do boxed meals, pizzas, or bread items very often, and so this is how I learned to cook. Our starches now are potatoes, rice, rice pasta every now and then, and hominy. Is it bad I feel slightly proud of myself when I make a meal in which we are eating two veggies? Breakfasts were another problem. Rice Chex only holds you over for so long, so I found some gluten free muffins to make (adapted my pumpkin ones and found a wonderful banana nut muffin recipe), and then the old standby I grew up on: rice with milk, sugar and cinnamon. Then I discovered Coconut Dream milk. It's like dessert for breakfast when we use it on the rice! No longer do I keep Poptarts on hand for breakfast on the run. We now get a nut bar or cheese stick. Or both sometimes. Boiled or fried eggs are the other quick breakfast. Thankfully I homeschool so lunches can be soups, one dish meals, baked potatoes, leftovers, or nachos. If I had to send off four kids with gluten free lunches, they'd be bored by day three. Our picnic lunches are pepperoni sticks (if I can find them) or gluten free jerky, cheese sticks, a fruit, a pudding, and chips or nuts and juice or water.
While it sounds overwhelming and challenging, I have to say that now I know where to go in the stores, I find it easier to go shopping as a gluten free consumer. I laughed today when Ammon held up a candy to ask if he could have it, and when I responded, "Nope. It has wheat in it. Sorry", he put it back without any fight. Sometimes we get frustrated and shout "I wish we didn't have to do this stupid diet", more out of inconvenience. Overall, I've seen a major improvement in myself and the kids, which only motivates us more to stay on the diet. Had I started off with a bad, resentful attitude about a gluten free diet, I'm sure that now I would be dreading this diet.
As I put my things on the conveyor belt, I noticed that I had 16 bags of frozen vegetables, meats, a huge bag of salad, a few gluten free mixes I haven't been able to figure out how to make my own yet, and canned "safe" foods. It was simple, and yet exciting as I cataloged all the possibilities I could do with a roast or chicken thighs and legs, or spaghetti sauce. So, its not so bad now. My energy is coming back. My hair is straightening out (not stick straight, but not frizzed out either). No more stomach pains. No more horrible acne and pale-faced pictures (think Twilight...yeah...that bad).
If you care to share a recipe at the bottom of the page, please do so. You can never have too many of those, right?
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