Just what IS Gluten Free cooking?

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Permalink Reply by redschadler on January 6, 2009 at 5:50pm

I would also love to know where you find the ingredients. Are they hard to come by? Do you have to seek out specialty stores or do you shop online at all? Thanks!!

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Permalink Reply by Karen Fine on January 6, 2009 at 8:43pm

Hi there! I'm so glad you asked! It turns out that there are a lot of naturally gluten free foods. All fruits, veggies, potatoes, rice, milk, hard cheeses, seafood, meat, poultry, corn, nuts and seed and soy (not always tofu, though). Most spices are gluten free if their manufacturers didn't sneak in flour for caking.

I use a lot of gluten free mixes these days, but the non-gluten flours (that I buy at specialty or online stores) include a long list of gf flours such as rice flour, sweet white rice flour, brown rice flour, sorghum flour, corn meal, almond flour (my favorite, but expensive), tapioca starch, potato starch, etc! (there's a list on my blog and on my nonprofit site...www.jackshouse.org.)

Unfortunately, a lot of the pre-packaged items have gluten hidden in them in dyes, natural and artificial flavors. For example, Dannon yogurt LOOKS safe, but it has gluten in the dye, and it's not listed on the label! I buy a lot of my "specialty" flours at Whole Foods or Trader Joes. Many of the things I get, I buy from www.glutenfree.com. I've bought less and less specialty stuff as I've learned to cook smarter. Healthy eating has become a side benefit to going gluten free! Manufacturers are starting to look at their ingredients now and are working to make their products gluten free (when they can). I have a huge list on my blog (www.momcooksglutenfree.blogspot.com) of products that I have in my pantry and freezer.

I try to cook with as many naturally gluten free items as possible, but I do have my favorite pastas (spaghetti and fusilli by Schar) that I do buy online. There are also some great pizza crust mixes (Namaste and Really Great Food). I could literally go on and on. If you tell me what your favorite foods are, I can tell you how to make them gluten free! :-)

I hope this helps! Please feel free to send more questions!

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Permalink Reply by Karen Fine on January 6, 2009 at 8:55pm

Excellent question! Thanks Ann for being my first member!!

In a nut-shell, gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley and oats. Turns out that oats don't technically have gluten in them, but in the U.S. they are crop-rotated on fields with wheat. There's enough contamination to make people with gluten sensitivity sick, so oats are generally ruled out for those living gluten free.

In another nut-shell, (there will be quite a few for the squirrels when I'm done), people who are currently eating gluten free (so I hear) include people with celiace disease (they HAVE to), people with thyroid disease, rheumetoid arthritis, people on the autism spectrum, people with infertility, depression and/or migraines. I know the list is longer, but I'm trying to produce nut shells. :-)

Another nut-shell...why are people so sensitive to gluten? Everyone is different and the sensitivity differs as well. Some people don't have any obvious problems with gluten. Some people have been sick for years and never knew that they could "cure" themselves just by taking gluten out of their diet.

My "I'm not a doctor" nut-shell: Well, I'm not. I most highly recommend consulting your physician if you suspect gluten might be making you sick. I know there's no "warning" label on doctors, but remember, your health is in your hands. Go with your gut, literally. If your doctor can't find anything wrong with you and/or has you on expensive meds, just consider the possibility of gluten as a factor.

And a nut-shell for the original question, "What is the importance of gluten free cooking?" For anyone with celiac disease, it's MANDATORY. That's over 2 million people just in the United States. But, millions of people in the U.S. (and around the world) have gluten intolerance and it simply makes them sick. Learning to cook gluten free allows you (or your loved ones) to get their health back and feel well again. There is some label reading involved if you buy pre-packaged foods, but it's so incredibly worth it to feel GREAT.

So much for "nut shells." :-)

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Permalink Reply by Ann Duncan on January 7, 2009 at 8:25pm

Thanks for all the "nut-shells", Karen :)

Blessings!

Karen Fine said:

Excellent question! Thanks Ann for being my first member!!

In a nut-shell, gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley and oats. Turns out that oats don't technically have gluten in them, but in the U.S. they are crop-rotated on fields with wheat. There's enough contamination to make people with gluten sensitivity sick, so oats are generally ruled out for those living gluten free.

In another nut-shell, (there will be quite a few for the squirrels when I'm done), people who are currently eating gluten free (so I hear) include people with celiace disease (they HAVE to), people with thyroid disease, rheumetoid arthritis, people on the autism spectrum, people with infertility, depression and/or migraines. I know the list is longer, but I'm trying to produce nut shells. :-)

Another nut-shell...why are people so sensitive to gluten? Everyone is different and the sensitivity differs as well. Some people don't have any obvious problems with gluten. Some people have been sick for years and never knew that they could "cure" themselves just by taking gluten out of their diet.

My "I'm not a doctor" nut-shell: Well, I'm not. I most highly recommend consulting your physician if you suspect gluten might be making you sick. I know there's no "warning" label on doctors, but remember, your health is in your hands. Go with your gut, literally. If your doctor can't find anything wrong with you and/or has you on expensive meds, just consider the possibility of gluten as a factor.

And a nut-shell for the original question, "What is the importance of gluten free cooking?" For anyone with celiac disease, it's MANDATORY. That's over 2 million people just in the United States. But, millions of people in the U.S. (and around the world) have gluten intolerance and it simply makes them sick. Learning to cook gluten free allows you (or your loved ones) to get their health back and feel well again. There is some label reading involved if you buy pre-packaged foods, but it's so incredibly worth it to feel GREAT.

So much for "nut shells." :-)

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