| Catering for a celiac diet can be quite difficult at | | | | contain wheat flour as well. |
| first. Basically, all that's involved is excluding gluten, | | | | Burgers and sausages, in fact most prepared |
| but it's easy to make a mistake if you're not | | | | meat products, contain bread or flour to bind the |
| familiar with the ins and outs. | | | | ingredients and/or as filler. There are 100% beef |
| So, first off, is the person you are cooking for | | | | burgers available - but check the label even on |
| newly diagnosed? If this is the case, it's likely that | | | | these. |
| they will also need to avoid milk products, | | | | All sauces, whether ketchup or cook-in-sauces, |
| because the mechanism which digests them has | | | | should be inspected to ensure they have not |
| been damaged, and there hasn't been time to heal | | | | been thickened with flour or "starch". Top quality |
| yet. Of course, even if they have been diagnosed | | | | ketchup may be OK, but the cheaper varieties will |
| for years, they may still have an intolerance to | | | | most likely have to go. Mayonnaise by Hellman's is |
| dairy foods (70% of adults can't digest lactose, a | | | | fine (or it was last time I checked - you check |
| protein found in milk products, for example). | | | | your jar as well, to be safe) - cheaper varieties |
| Start with a clean slate | | | | may not be. |
| If you are the celiac in question, your first job is | | | | Your final port of call is the drinks cabinet. Whisky, |
| to go through your kitchen cupboards and throw | | | | bourbon and most beer, lager, etc use |
| out all the items that contain gluten. The most | | | | gluten-containing grains in manufacture. The |
| obvious of these are flour (except cornflour | | | | makers try to claim that there is no gluten left in |
| cornstarch) and barley (and mixes containing it). | | | | the final product. Don't believe them. Celiacs have |
| Most people don't have rye or rye flour, but if | | | | learned to their cost that there is enough to give |
| you do, that has to go as well. | | | | a nasty reaction. |
| Soy sauce and malt products, including malt | | | | Finally, remember that gluten can contaminate |
| vinegar, should also be disposed of, and malted | | | | surfaces and chopping boards in the cleanest |
| drinks such as Horlicks, Ovaltine and Milo go in the | | | | kitchen, so give the whole place a good scrub |
| sack along with the rest. | | | | down, just to be on the safe side. |
| Next you need to check the labels of everything | | | | Having done all that (and had a rest), you will |
| else. If you have breakfast cereals, they probably | | | | probably need to go shopping. Choose a store |
| need to go - even rice based ones like Rice | | | | that has a good selection of fresh fruit and |
| Krispies often use malt in the flavoring. Oats which | | | | vegetables. Buy some big potatoes that you can |
| are not labeled "gluten free" can also go in the | | | | cook in their skins, a couple of bags of rice |
| trashcan. Oats themselves don't contain gluten, | | | | (brown is best, but it's up to you what you |
| but most are contaminated by being processed in | | | | choose). These will help to fill the space left by |
| the same factory as wheat or barley. | | | | bread, pasta and pastry. |
| Anything which has unspecified starch on the label | | | | Buy unprocessed meat, such as steaks and |
| must go. This will most likely include things like | | | | chops. If buying frozen ground (minced) meat, |
| seafood sticks ("crab sticks") and low fat yogurt. | | | | check there are no additives. Get stocked up with |
| That yogurt by Onken with the wheat added to it | | | | lots of stuff you can cook quickly, or eat straight |
| is obviously a no-no as well. | | | | away without cooking. |
| Ingredients to watch out for are starch of | | | | Raid the spice section and pick up lots of |
| unspecified origin and malt/malted products, as | | | | interesting looking seasonings to spice up your |
| well as oats, as already mentioned. Soy sauce and | | | | meals. If there's a gluten free section, buy some |
| monosodium glutamate (frequent in Chinese | | | | gluten free pasta and some rice flour - which is |
| cooking, but can be found in almost anything) | | | | great for thickening sauces and things like that. |
| should be avoided. MSG is a chemical, but it's | | | | Cooking gluten free can be as simple as grilling a |
| often made using wheat in the processing. Many | | | | steak, frying a few potatoes and making a salad |
| celiacs report that it has a bad effect on them, | | | | to go on the side. Old-style cooking, like your |
| despite "scientific" reassurance that it's safe. | | | | granny used to do. It's not too difficult, so long as |
| Most coatings and savory toppings contain wheat | | | | you don't have any of those dangerous foods |
| flour or breadcrumbs, and many marinades | | | | around to tempt you. |