So if you have been following my posts, you'll have read that my son might have Celiacs. Celiacs is a very difficult disease to diagnose and I've gotten mixed information on what testing is really adequate for diagnosing the disease. My son was tested via blood work, which tests to see the levels of certain autoantibodies, proteins that react agains the body's own cells or tissues. They test for high levels of anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies or anti-endomysium antibodies. This information all came back "normal" for my son. However, when they did the endoscopy they discovered some abnormal cells that are often seen in patients who have Celiacs. Even though they discovered these cells, its still inconclusive because not enough damage has been done to his small intestine. The next step is to have a genetic test done on my son. This test will either tell us 100% that he doesn't have it, if negative; and will give us a "probability" that he has it or will acquire it if it comes up positive. Positive in this case, doesn't mean that he has it necessarily. Did you get all that? I know it can be a bit confusing!
So for now we have chosen to go gluten free, at least until he gets the genetic test and it comes back "negative". Since roughly 65% of the population tests "positive", I'm pretty sure he will too. Again, it doesn't really tell us much, just that we can't say for 100% certainty that he doesn't have it.
So what does gluten free mean? It means we have to eliminate those foods that contain wheat, barley and rye. Pretty much everything we eat that is a processed "starch": breads, pastas, cakes, cookies and so many other things. For instance, I went to serve a "pre-made" Birds-Eye vegetable and I just happened to look at the back of the package, and sure as you know it, it has wheat in the ingredients. So label checking is a must! Fortunately for me, I have a smart phone with internet access - so when food shopping I often have to refer to "Google" for information on products. It might not show "wheat" on the contents, but I double check by googling the product and specifying - gluten free and read through websites until I'm satisfied with the answer. I'm sure there is a more efficient way of doing things, but we are new at this and will get well versed in no time!
The government has helped out a lot by making food manufacturers label the adverse ingredient prominently on their packages that pose adverse reactions. Fortunately, there is enough people in the world that can't tolerate gluten that the ingredients WHEAT, BARLEY and RYE are such ingredients that need to be prominently displayed under the ingredients section. Which has made this process of label reading much easier!
Another thing we have to watch for is "double dipping / cross-contamination" of gluten foods with that of non-gluten foods. For instance, if you butter a "normal" piece of bread, you can't put that knife back into the butter if you plan to butter a piece of "gluten free" bread. We had to purchase a new toaster with four slots so that two slots can be used for gluten free items and the remaining two can be used for "regular" bread. If you open my cupboards or refrigerator you'll see in bold black permanent marker "GF" for gluten free to help make sure we don't cross-contaminate.
You're probably wondering why we don't go 100% gluten free in my house. Well, have you tasted the gluten free food? It doesn't taste as good as the food containing gluten. We have found a few items that taste good; for example, a pancake mix that can be used as a flour substitute too. The other reason is that gluten free items are very expensive in comparison to gluten items. So cost is a factor. Fortunately, the government allows for an income tax deduction if you can claim medical expenses. The government will allow you to deduct the difference between the cost of the gluten free item and its gluten counterpart.
I have made a few meals totally gluten free even though my son is 2 1/2 years old and a very picky and bad eater and won't try what I cooked (eventually he will, I hope). With the right substitutes handy, I am able to make some really tasty meals. I made a stew to die for - the best meal I ever made in my life. This evening I served home made gluten free chicken nuggets with a very closely tasting homemade gluten free McDonald's sweet and sour sauce. Instead of cracker crumbs or flour breading, I used the gluten free pancake mix and Corn Chex as the breading. Both of my kids gave me a double "thumbs-up" on the chicken nuggets. My son hasn't eaten much in months and he surprised me and ate 1 1/2 nuggets. I'm pretty sure that I can take most, if not all, of my recipes and make them gluten free without sacrificing too much of the "taste".
Going gluten free just means I have to cook more and we eat out less. Although there are many restaurants that offer gluten free menu items, at this point, my son is so picky in eating that it just doesn't make sense to even try right now.
If anyone who reads this post is interested in any recipes I have so far or wants to offer some recipes on gluten free meals - please post me a comment and I'll supply what I know and would be happy to accept any new recipes.
I want to thank those food manufacturers and restaurants that offer gluten free items. Thanks for thinking of a "small segment" of your market! We truly are grateful!
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