I try not to make a big deal of it, but I HAVE blogged about it, so hopefully that doesn't come across as making a big deal of something!
Long story short, my body is definitely wheat intolerant. Am I celiac? I have no idea. Knowing how my body responds to just small amounts of wheat, there's absolutely no way I could eat wheat-based products for 6 weeks in preparation for a biopsy. Instead, I avoid wheat and it's all good :-) As far as barley and rye goes, I'm not sure about that either. Fortunately, it's not a common part of the American diet so I just don't eat it (or miss it), either!
When I do mention to somebody that I have to avoid eating wheat, they always ask, "So what DO you eat?" And my response is, "Well, normal stuff!" And to me, it's all normal--meats, veggies, fruits, eggs, cheese, rice, potatoes, etc...and of course, there's the junk--Cheetos, potato chips, monster cookies, occasional ice cream following by a Lactaid, etc. Again, all normal food :-)
But then comes the "other" stuff--the breads, rolls, TV dinners, etc.
With these, you have to be EXTREMELY careful. Not because there are some awful tasting products out there that will cost you LOTS of money. But because of the nutritional value--or lack there of--of products that are specifically made to be gluten-free.
One reason I don't say much about my intolerance is because I'm worried people will think that I'm following a fad diet. Yes--I admitted it. For once in my life, I do care what people think :-) Funny thing is, eating gluten free does not necessarily guarantee a weight loss.
IN FACT, gluten-free products most often have a higher calorie content and they're loaded with fat. Rice and almond flour is actually pretty awful tasting...to make the breads, cookies, crackers, etc gluten free BUT appealing to the taste-buds, the manufacturers have to add lots of fat and other calorie boosting ingredients.
So there you have it. Gluten free does not mean you'll lose weight! In fact, if you rely heavily on pre-packaged gluten-free goods, you're more likely to GAIN weight!
That said, I'm going to introduce you to some of my favorite pre-packaged gluten free foods! Ha! Do as I say, not as I do ;-) But really, I consume these in VERY limited quantities and it's taken me quite a bit of time (and wasted money) to find the good stuff. I guess the only reason I'm posting this is because if you know someone who is newly diagnosed with Celiac disease or has learned that their body doesn't tolerate gluten/wheat, feel free to share the suggestions!
And in no particular order (literally!), here are some of my favorite gluten free products:
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| Yum. Yum. YUM. This frozen dinner tastes just like a real tamale! |
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| My "Sweet & Salty" weekend breakfast wouldn't be complete with this! Nothing beats a slice of this raisin bread with a little butter and cinnamon-sugar and a fried egg topped with salsa verde and cheddar! |
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| I use our cast iron pizza stone to make the crust ultra crispy!!! |
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| The texture of this makes great garlic bread! |
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| Last Mother's Day, I made a chocolate cake using this mix. And nobody suspected that it was GF! |
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| Thus far, this is my most favorite pre-packaged bread machine mix. While baking, it smells like real bread and the finished product's texture is pretty decent! |
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HUGE MISTAKE. I never should have bought these. They are DELICIOUS and make awesome s'mores!!! And they're slightly addictive, too :-)
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Another item that I should never, ever buy. Even the ultra-picky giant of a husband will eat these cookies without a single complaint or bit of hesitation!
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| I kinda like this mix! Super quick and easy to make--and the rolls are very similar to a Pillsbury cinnamon roll. If you're expecting a Mrs. Powell's-like roll, well GOOD LUCK finding a GF equivalent! Spread a little cream cheese frosting on these and you'll be in heaven! |
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My other favorite frozen dinner--and it's also by Amy's! Whenever I make one at work, it drives the other agents crazy because it smells so good AND authentic!
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This is great for drop biscuits or creating a biscuit-like topping for casseroles. It tastes just like the regular Bisquick but word of caution--you cannot substitute it 1-for-1 with regular Bisquick in recipes!
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| I love, love, love this dinner roll option! I use this when I make my Jenny's Tomato Bread (recipe can be found here), want something to dip in a soup, etc. Only word of caution--if you're going to top the roll with anything, be sure to slice it open and broil it first. Otherwise, you'll end up with a big, soggy, disappointing mess! |
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| Trader Joe's corn-based pasta is awesome! And super cheap, too! Only downfall? Our closest one is 2 hours away :-( |
I love, love, love cookies--and when I want something with a bit of spice, I go for these!
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| This is our go-to for pancakes...Justin LOVES the pancakes from this mix. It's a little pricey compared to regular flour, but worth every penny! |
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| Knowing I can't get to Trader Joe's often, I stock up on this stuff at Hy-Vee. When we went to Dallas, I made my "pasta bake" for the guys--it was 2 lbs of pasta, 3 lbs of beef, half-pound of pepperoni, 2 jars of sauce, bunches of diced tomatoes and TONS of cheese. Justin, Isaac and Seni ate the entire pan in one sitting. And they had no idea it was gluten free! |
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| Again, do NOT buy these! They're incredibly addictive! The chocolate ones are actually kind of gross, so really DON'T buy those! But these are totally awesome :-) |
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