General gluten-free tips
- If you're new to GF diets, work with a nutritionist or find a good book, with a fairly new copyright date, that explains what you can eat and what you should avoid. It's easy to accidentally eat food containing gluten if you don't know what to look for.
- Some folks need to watch the gluten more carefully than others. Some foods that don’t list wheat on the label may still have a tiny bit of gluten due to cross-contamination from other products. We have not tried to avoid those tiny bits but some people are sensitive enough that it is required. Some of my recipes do not take into account those tiny bits, so you may need to modify for your particular needs.
- Label reading is quite important – you’d be amazed at what has gluten in it (tomato soup, cream of chicken soup, some brands of barbecue sauce, some salad dressings, many processed cereals, etc.). Read all the labels, and check every time, because the manufacturers do change their recipes. Know which ingredients to avoid. Barley malt has gluten and is used as a sweetener in many cereals.
- Some people recommend having separate utensils, toasters, etc. for the GF foods to avoid cross contamination. We’ve never gotten that picky about it but you may find it makes a difference.
- Be inventive and have fun with GF cooking and eating. Instead of mourning that the new food isn't exactly like the old, embrace the new flavors and textures and develop new favorites.
- Many of your favorites can be modified with a bit of imagination. Knowing how GF flours react in a recipe helps. I'll put more information on the website later to help you modify your own recipes.
- Use your freezer. Many items can be made in large batches and frozen in individual servings so you have GF food available quickly when you need it. It's not much more work to make a large batch instead of a small batch.