itigo

When I flew MEL to LHR with Qantas last year I had too much food and it was all good. My Dad said he was thinking of asking for one on his next flight! And the hosties were making comments about how much I got. I guess it depends on the sectors you do.....

itigo

I'm similar Caroline. I have biopsy changes that suggest Coeliac but nothing definitive. I've had my 2nd biopsy and it showed improvement (after going gluten free) but it's still not enough to fully diagnose me. It is frustrating as I can't join the society and get their offers etc. I have to treat myself as though I do have it. In 5-10 years time there may be a vaccine in which case I have to go back to my gastro. Sort of Coeliac limbo, but as the treatment is fairly easy (remain gluten free) it's ok.

BuonTempo pasta (Coles and I think Woolies) is good, I actually prefer it now!

I have one child with cow's milk allergy and one with egg allergy so it's fun eating out!!!

carolinephillips

Just made bread using a pre bought packet. It fell to bits!!!!!

Then my OH tormented me by having toast and marmalade- which used to be my staple breakfast.

Well after 6 days on the GF diet, I have to say that I'm hungry, but not as gassy- the horrible belching has almost gone, and the diarrhoea has lessened.
I've even lost a pound in weight!!!

Kooky.

Toast and marmalade is not a very healthy breakfast, Caroline. You're better off without it, and your body seems to agree.

TiddlyPom

You can get gluten free oats. They're in my local supermarket with the cereals.

Re gluten free flour and baking, gf flour can't stand much mixing, otherwise you'll end up with a tough product. Absolutely minimum handling. Like making muffins where you 'just' combine the flour.
If you want better texture, you can add a half teaspoon of Xantham gum to your flour. It serves as 'gluten' basically and gives dough and batters the elasticity you need for good texture.

NSWP

Try Zhenderer bread..available in IGA's, trouble is $7.94 a loaf. Quite good.
Country Life, just ok, around $5 a small loaf, Woollies and Coles. Get a Marmalade that is ok, Woollies Select ok, no wheat, then you can have GF toast and marmalade for brekkie.

Our GF breadmaking did not go to well either, don't worry.

Took me 6 months to recover from your symptoms, I was refractory coeliac, GF diet alone did not work..had to go on cortisone. Lost 33 kg. Real sick, now ok as long as I eat GF.

Good luck !

carolinephillips

Ah, my marmalade is home made- absolutely no gluten and loads of tangy taste and peel.

I used to have it on soy and linseed bread or home made granary, with cholesterol reducing spread, so in a way it was healthy!!!

Kooky.

That's very carb heavy - just be sure you're getting enough protein. All my docs, dieticians and naturopaths told me I wasn't getting enough at breakfast, which is why I now have yoghurt with my oats rather than water.

It's tough when you have so many foods to avoid, and I sympathise - the temptation is to treat yourself to things you CAN eat, but maybe should not (Or is that just me? )

I know you have other health issues to take into consideration too, so might be a good idea to book a session with a dietician, if you haven't already seen one.

TiddlyPom

I honestly don't bother with baked goods or anything else like that from the supermarket.
If I want cake, I'll make it myself, once in a blue moon.
Lindt is gluten free.

I just eat meat, fruit, veg. It's easy.

Japonica

There is a whole knack for baking with GF...and those flours will always be somewhat more prone to crumbling. Except perhaps buckwheat which has a gluten analog that helps bind it somewhat. Light buckwheat (milder flavour) was my go-to flour for cookies, muffins and the like.

TiddlyPom

I'm not a big fan of buckwheat because I don't like the taste. Where do you get the Light Buckwheat from?

I got a pancake mix from Woolies the other week which was GF and it was delicious. Saved me messing around flour because we had friends staying and I was low on time.

Japonica

Yeah, I looked in the shops and only found the dark variety. Too bad. The light flour is much more palatable.

I haven't bought any in a while but found some at Manna http://www.mannawholefoods.com.au/ last time. I also recall buying it online at one point...there are some online specialty stores that stock alternate flours.

TiddlyPom

Thanks J.

Japonica

No worries. There's a couple of other tricks that you can use if you're stuck with medium to dark (ack) buckwheat flour. One is to do a blend...mix the buckwheat half and half with another GF flour. Also, use spices or other ingredients to help tone down the taste...think spice cookies, dried fruit bread, that kind of thing. From what I've seen, the medium variety is the most common here, so anyone who wants to use it but isn't thrilled with the flavour might have to get creative. It is an acquired taste. I don't mind it now but it took some getting used to. Nutritionally though, it's awesome and worth it...packed with nutrients compared to stuff like plain rice flour.

carolinephillips

Such a lot of good tips- I bought potato flour and polenta to supplement the rice flour that I already have, and almond meal and hazlenut meal too, but if I use the latter I can't take them to work because of allergies. I am going to experiment over the weekend with some savoury muffins which I'll freeze if succesful.