A friend of mine has recently discovered that she has a gluten intolerance, and thus she now has to avoid foods. It is somewhat challenging to find good tasting recipes or alternative products in grocery stores, especially because the labels are not always clear about gluten contents of products.
What are some good places for gluten-free resources, and recommendations on particular products or brands which are the best alternative to typical products?
I'm a coeliac from Australia and so my tips come from my experience here, but they should hopefully be useful regardless.
The first thing I suggest is joining your local society which can be invaluable in terms of support, information and even training. The training covers for example how to read ingredient lists to determine whether something is gluten free by ingredient.
As a general rule you need to avoid products containing [wheat, barley, rye, malts and triticale][1]. There are a few exceptions such as glucose syrup, caramel colour and dextrose derived from wheat where the ingredients are so highly processed that they contain no detectable [gluten][2].
Cross contamination and hidden sources of gluten can make it hard to ensure a gluten free diet. In my experience the hardest replacements are the bread based ones. They generally do not come close to the texture and taste of traditional breads. Baking your own bread may be the best option using gluten free bread mixes.
Eating out can become a bit of chore because many restaurants use gluten containing products such as sauces and fillers. I recommend contacting the restaurant beforehand.
The following products are some of the better gluten free alternatives I've found (couldn't post links because I don't have enough rep):
References:
If you eat Indian Chapati, then there is Bajri flour. It is gluten free.
Take 1 scoop flour, add little salt, a bit of chilli powder, very very little water and make a dough. Keep the pan on heat and start rolling. Take one plate, put dry flour, make a ball and start pressing and rolling until it is a round shape like pizza, then slowly put it in pan and keep adding a little oil so that it doesn't stick to the pan.
ah! a subject near and dear to my heart!! I'm answering this question more broadly than just in the "baking sense".
Most "natural food" stores (such as Whole Foods) have specific gluten free areas, where you can find gluten free bread, pancake mix, cookies, pizzas, etc.
For a "take out" or "eat out" kind of environment, I've had good luck with Thai food and SOME Japanese foods. Sushi is ok, as long as it doesn't have tempura.
For changes to cooking, she should start thinking more about rice dishes and potato dishes. Pasta dishes are ok, but she'd need to get gluten-free pasta (which does exist!! Mrs.Leapers is my favorite).
Just an FYI for your friend, "modified food starch" CAN be wheat by definition. Anything labeled "Gluten-free" is a safe bet, assuming your friend is in the US. Depending on her sensitivity, something "made using equipement that processes wheat" can be bad.
Above and beyond anyhting else, read labels!!! I've noticed a tendancy to have allergy information under the ingredient list. BUT this is not a hard, fast rule.
Hope this helps!!
