Saturday, February 25, 2012

Tips for Feeding Gluten Free People

When I had Trey four months ago lots of people asked if they could bring in a meal for our family. It was so kind. But I was very nervous about it. TJ is super sensitive to gluten, so trusting someone else to cook dinner was hard. It's not that I think they will put something in on purpose, it's just that TJ gets really sick if he has a bread crumb.

So if you want to make a meal for someone who is Gluten Free here are a few tips...

1. Always ask, never assume! Double check ingredients. Google is the best. I love having a smart phone so I can check ingredients. Wal-Mart brands clearly label a few products as "gluten free"(like olive oil). However, there are loads of their products that should be gf, but because they are processed in a facility that also processes wheat, they are not gf (like their non-stick cooking spray). These are listed right on the product.
Ask the gluten free person questions. I feel much more comfortable eating food from someone who asks questions and tries to understand, than from someone who doesn't ask at all.

2. Make sure they don't have any other food sensitivities. Like dairy or yeast. (Luckily we don't)

3. When cooking be sure to keep it totally separate from any other food.
When we stayed with my sister she made us a yummy salad. She did her own vinaigrette, and without realizing it dipped her french bread right into the dressing. Luckily it was after we had finished eating, so it wasn't a problem. But she was surprised to know that something so small could potentially cause a lot of harm.

4. Clean dishes and work surfaces really well before preparing any food. Make sure there is no flour dust or bread crumbs. Often my mom's kitchen mixer catches a little flour dust from just sitting on the counter in between uses, and she is a very clean person.

5. When using condiments like mayonnaise, peanut butter, jelly, butter, honey, etc. make sure you haven't used them for bread before. Bridget Loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, so we have separate PB and J jars just for her so she can eat sandwiches with her not gluten free bread. Saves us a lot of money. But we can never use butter, or the other above items at other people's houses unless it's a new package.

6. Mexican food is great because a lot of it is naturally gluten free. Simple tacos. Rice and beans. Chips and salsa. Enchiladas.
One of my favorite quick casseroles is rice, beans, corn, chicken and a can of tomatoes and chilies. Cook the rice and chicken separately then throw it all together (with some chili powder, cumin, coriander, garlic salt, etc.) in a casserole dish and top with cheese. Bake at 350 until cheese on top looks good. Serve with warm corn tortillas or chips. Do fruit on the side and it is a complete, delicious meal!

7. If you are having a big get-together with lots of people who aren't gf and just a few who are gf...Talk to the gf people about what exactly you are serving. If having Burgers, ask if they'd like to bring their own buns, or let them know if you pick some up especially for them. If mixing foods that are and are not Gluten free, make sure to label clearly and keep separate.

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