Gluten-free is a pain in the ass

I may have mentioned this before once or twice, but here's the full scoop:

I either have Celiac's disease or some other form of wheat sensitivity. I'm not sure which because I haven't gotten tested yet. What I do know is that for the last 15 years or so I have been plagued by both serious acid reflux stomachaches and terrible eczema rashes on my face, and that cutting wheat out of my diet a few months back magically made both of those go away, so here we are.

I really hate being gluten-free. There are soooo many delicious gluten-filled foods that I miss because they are both tastier and SEVERAL TIMES CHEAPER HOLY HELL GLUTEN-FREE FOOD IS EXPENSIVE. I keep "cheating" and eating stuff I shouldn't be, and then of course the stomach-aches and eczema come right back :(

So basically I'm asking about fun things to eat that are gluten and/or wheat free. Particularly things that require little to no cooking because, uh, to make a long story short I don't often have access to a kitchen outside of a microwave and toaster oven.

My typical diet lately mostly involves rice, potatoes, or gluten-free bread for carbohydrates, various meats for protein, and then a bunch of fruits and vegetables, often with peanut butter as "dip". I've been drinking a lot of chocolate milk as well. This sounds super-healthy and it probably is, but it gets old day after day. AND I MISS PIZZA DAMNIT. Gluten-free pizza isn't as tasty and is like triple the cost.

What can I do to spice up my gluten-free diet, EoFF?

The loss of pizza is a terrible one. I love gluten and I would be hard pressed to give it up. Not being able to cook cuts out a lot of your options.

Personally, I'd end up eating a lot of nuts, fruits, and cheese, since those things are all great non-gluten items that don't require cooking.

Nuts are a good one. I've been eating that as a snack (alongside popcorn).

I've never really tried it, but I enjoyed trolling customers at Walmart there for awhile. They would ask about the Glutton Free section, and I'd point it out to them, but explain that it has extra glutton in the items, but in that particular section they weren't having to pay extra for it so it's considered free. I ended up getting in trouble, but deep down I think they thought it was a pretty good joke.

Topic at hand...I have no idea how you'd spice up your diet. I'd say,much like any other diet, it'll get easier and eventually you'll just get adapted, but if you still have not and have been this way for awhile then I don't know what to say. Diets are the hardest while in the adaption period, then it just becomes part of life until you quit it. I'm allergic to eggs, and when I think about them I miss them more and more, so I pretend like they are nasty evil poisonous gross things.

Toy around with recipes other people in your situation use. There are plenty of recipes that can be found online, and if you find enough that you like then you have yourself a new menu that hopefully you'll like just as much as the old food you can no longer have. Have you tried various types of gluten free pizza? I'm guessing you have, but here is a link that seems to have a lot of different choices.

Best Gluten-Free Pizza Recipes

Those gluten-free chocolate chip cookies are soooo yummy. But they're like $5 a box or so.

My sister's gf has .. A gluten allergy. I won't say it's full blown CD 'cuz I don't know for sure, but if she has anything with gluten in it, she'll get really sick with diarrhea and whatnot.

She pretty much eats what you eat.. Cheeses, chicken, fish, steak, rice, lots of veggies & nuts... Start using hummus instead of PB! Making your own is really cheap and easy compared to buying like Sabra.

Also, I know.. Here I go - Mexican food. When made right, it's all gluten-free. Black or pinto beans made from dry beans - either whole or make refried beans, red rice, salsas.. Just make sure you use good quality corn tortillas or tostadas. I make a really awesome ceviche with fresh tilapia and Mexican shrimp cocktail - both served with tostadas & have minimal or no cook times.

I also make a really good gluten-free tres leches cake with homemade whipped cream! It doesn't involve too much cooking.

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Originally Posted by Spuuky

The loss of pizza is a terrible one. I love gluten and I would be hard pressed to give it up. Not being able to cook cuts out a lot of your options.

Personally, I'd end up eating a lot of nuts, fruits, and cheese, since those things are all great non-gluten items that don't require cooking.

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Can't you get gluten free pizza?

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Originally Posted by Mirage

Can't you get gluten free pizza?

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Sure, just like you can get meat-free meat and cheese-free cheese, you can also get pizza-free pizza. It is not the same (in addition to the massive price increase).

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Originally Posted by Spuuky

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Originally Posted by Mirage

Can't you get gluten free pizza?

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Sure, just like you can get meat-free meat and cheese-free cheese, you can also get pizza-free pizza. It is not the same (in addition to the massive price increase).

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This exactly. As I said in my original post! :greenie:

I have had gluten-free pizza. It's okay, but not the same.

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Gluten-free is a pain in the ass

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Heh.

Yeah, like 70% of my Diet consists of trout with Gluten in it. I think I would cry myself to sleep Nightly if I had to stop that.

Dude, so much of normal food is gluten free these days. Just check the label. My mom has been gluten free for years, and we still eat/ate plenty of normal food...

Your best bet with pizza is finding a gluten free crust/crust mix or a place that sells gluten free pizza.

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Originally Posted by Jinx

Your best bet with pizza is finding a gluten free crust/crust mix or a place that sells gluten free pizza.

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Yes but as mentioned before it doesn't taste half as good and is super expensive!

Well, yeah. Not all gluten free things taste bad or different, but not all of them are the same.

That's the hardest part about eating gluten free. It's actually pretty easy to find the foods to do it; it's the giving things up that sucks.

We have a ton of gluten free pizza options where I live. I've never tried them because I don't need to, but I have made low carb pizza for myself that was delicious. Definitely not the same as good ol' fashioned pizza, but delicious in its own way. Maybe try making one for yourself? I feel like so many people are gluten free these days that it shouldn't be too hard to find some great gluten free recipes.

Gluten Free Goddess has a pizza recipe that looks promising: Best Gluten-Free Pizza Crust, Gluten-Free Goddess Style |Gluten-Free Goddess® Recipes

She claims that "this one doesn't suck" which is a ringing endorsement, I think.

This youtube cookin channel,Rule of Yum, has a lot of gluten free recipes. Although most of them do require a lot of cooking, there are a few that don't require baking/cooking.

I want you to make a cauliflower pizza crust and report back to me how it is because I am v. curious.

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Originally Posted by Pike

I may have mentioned this before once or twice, but here's the full scoop:

I either have Celiac's disease or some other form of wheat sensitivity. I'm not sure which because I haven't gotten tested yet. What I do know is that for the last 15 years or so I have been plagued by both serious acid reflux stomachaches and terrible eczema rashes on my face, and that cutting wheat out of my diet a few months back magically made both of those go away, so here we are.

I really hate being gluten-free. There are soooo many delicious gluten-filled foods that I miss because they are both tastier and SEVERAL TIMES CHEAPER HOLY HELL GLUTEN-FREE FOOD IS EXPENSIVE. I keep "cheating" and eating stuff I shouldn't be, and then of course the stomach-aches and eczema come right back :(

So basically I'm asking about fun things to eat that are gluten and/or wheat free. Particularly things that require little to no cooking because, uh, to make a long story short I don't often have access to a kitchen outside of a microwave and toaster oven.

My typical diet lately mostly involves rice, potatoes, or gluten-free bread for carbohydrates, various meats for protein, and then a bunch of fruits and vegetables, often with peanut butter as "dip". I've been drinking a lot of chocolate milk as well. This sounds super-healthy and it probably is, but it gets old day after day. AND I MISS PIZZA DAMNIT. Gluten-free pizza isn't as tasty and is like triple the cost.

What can I do to spice up my gluten-free diet, EoFF?

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I'm not sure about America, but I know for a fact that Pizza Hut in England does gluten free pizza, they are the same size and price as a medium pizza as well.

As for recipes I can ask my aunt if she has anything special up her sleeve (she sufferes from it like you).

For pizza, make it from corn tortillas and grill it! :D Just rub down a corn flour tortilla with some tomato puree, add cheese and some other toppings and grill it up. It's actually really tasty and very quick/easy/cheap!

I just tried to make gluten free pancake batter and I didn't even bother trying to cook it, it just puffed up into a huge mess of dough that didn't resemble anything batter-like at all. I guess I could go to the shops and get some pancake mix, which I will mix with my tears of shame and bigotry against pre-packaged foods.

PS - The store was closed. I will eat borscht for breakfast and then go back to bed in defeat. There is no point in getting up on a Sunday if there are no pancakes.

I've been having gluten free pasta and wraps lately. What I've noticed is that gluten free pasta and bread breaks up way too easily and that's particularly annoying with a wrap. I don't taste much of a difference in the pasta, but the bread is slightly less flavorful. I don't think I am gluten intolerant, but I had been having horrible indigestion lately after getting off several medications I was taking, and noticed the difference of extracting that from my diet. It's also a lot less bloating for me.

I heard a show in NPR the other day saying that they found King Arthur's non gluten flour to be the best all around flour for cakes, cookies and dough. I know there is a new gluten free cook book by these people on the show coming out later this year. Wish I could remember the name.

My doctor wants me to forgo gluten for a month, which I will do for April. In the meantime though, French bread for every meal!

It's been a couple of months, and it's pretty doable for me; except for about once a week when Spuuky makes a sandwich - I miss sandwiches! 75% of the gluten free baking I've done has turned out great, so I might try baking bread next. Bob's Red Mill flour has been a lifesaver! It helps that I like rice and tacos so much.

My wife recently found out that she has celiacs as well. We've found that shopping at Trader Joe's/Aldi's is pretty inexpensive. She eats a lot like she use to, minus the bread and certain types of pasta, but the biggest problem she has now is not being able to snack like she use to. Meat and rice and fruits and veggies are good and you can use them to make a ton of different dishes.

Not as in depth as I'd like to have been, but I'm not actually the one who is gluten free.