CELIAC- things I find useful

Here is a list of things that *help* .   Having them say “Go gluten free, and good luck with that” at the doctor’s office was not helpful. At all. Ever. Still not very helpful over there at doctor central, so I wrote this out for them to give to their newly diagnosed persons.

This list IS helpful. Pass it on.

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• Start here——>   http://www.triumphdining.com/glutenfree/gluten-free-foods.php and BUY the grocery guide. It’s completly worth it, and will save you months of research. Seriously. Make it easy for yourself.

• –Gluten Intolerance Group–

http://www.gluten.net – they have a lot of handouts that you can reprint

• –www.csaceliacs.org

• –Unendingly helpful book: Recognizing Celiac Disease, Cleo Libonati

(www.glutenfreeworks.com)

• --Very helpful book: Celiac Disease, Peter Greene, MD

www.celiacdiseasecenter.org
Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University
Harkness Pavilion
180 Fort Washington Avenue
New York New York 10032
212.342.4529

• –http://www.celiac.com – good reference website for all things celiac

–Best magazine: www.livingwithout.com

--Best cookbook: You Won’t Believe It’s Gluten Free- Roben Ryberg

–More cookbooks, anything by Bette Hageman

–Helpful: Gluten Free, For Dummies. (sadly, it’s pretty helpful)

–http://www.celiacsite.com/index.php3 – they put out a free newsletter that lists mainstream products that are gluten free….. very helpful.

–Amazon.com has 4,000 products in their online store listed as gluten free

–Betty Crocker released 4 new mixes in the baking section, 2 cakes, 1 cookie mix and a brownie mix., all gluten free. And delicious.

–Chex cereals have gone gluten free as of June 2009: Rice Chex and Chocolate Chex as well as Honey-Nut, Strawberry, and Cinnamon Chex are now *safe*

Emergency Food Plan

This is my personal soapbox. Feel free to ignore me, but ….Do you have an emergency food plan?  And is it GF?

Tornado season is starting here, but you may have other natural disasters in your neck of the woods that should make you think. Earthquake boxes are popular on the West Coast.  Hurricane evacuation box for the East Coast? Ice Storm box? Some parts of Kentucky are STILL without power after 3 weeks.  

…. and what do you have stocked away for that kind of mess?  What can you put aside to keep you gluten-free, and actually FED for five days, or longer without having to resort to eating wheat. (bleah)

Help doesn’t always arrive, and when “help” comes, will it be gluten free? Probably not. They will think they are “helping you” with a nice piece of wheat toast. No thanks.  I am going to double the size of my box this year. Maybe triple it. I am adding beans and rice though, that weren’t in it before, that will help.

I am approaching this plan with “camping” in mind. Think long term camping, with no backup grocery store to run to. Think of things that are easy to fix. Take no preparation or at a minimum some boiled water, in one pan. (**Note to self: put matches in the box.**) I can always start a fire and get out the tent if I need to .. well… if it’s still here after the tornado rips through the neighborhood, anyway.

The planning sheet is starting point. Yours will completely vary from mine, because you don’t have other restrictions beyond gluten-free. I have to consider about 40 other things on the “no – no” list, like eggs, and soy and whatever. You can add canned soup, and whatever if you want to. I don’t eat it on a regular basis, so why would it be in my care kit? GF soup cubes, sure.

If you have small kids, pack a change of clothes, a toy and pacifer if you need a backup.  I would so much rather have two than none. Consolidate your kit in a carry bag in the hall closet, or box, or boxes, that are small enough that you can throw them in the car and leave in about 3 minutes. GO! Where’s your flashlight?

Emergency Food Box Plan = food for four+ days. ……… Planning Page

Fruit:                    

Dried Blueberries   -  Canned Pears   -  Golden raisins   -  Berry jam

Vegetables:

Baked beans  -  Green beans  -  White beans   -  Kidney beans

Pasta sauce:

Meat:

Starkist Albacore tuna  -  Chicken-water only

Liquids:

Rice milk   - Juice boxes -  Bottled water  -  Coconut milk  - Coffee/tea   -  Lemonade powder

Misc:

Chocolate bar   -  Gummi Bears – hard candy   -  GF soup cubes

Cream of rice cereal  - Rice crackers   -  Sunflower seeds  -  Shredded coconut  - 

Freeze dried foods  - Dried rice   -  beans  -  lentils  -  noodles  - 

medicine  -  vitamins

Other things to think about:

Flashlight + batteries  -  Radio + batteries

Can opener  -  Bottle opener

 Duct tape   - plastic tarp

 Gas stove + fuel 

Cooking pot  - Stirring spoons  - Table cover  - Paper plates

Paper bowls  - Paper towels  - Toilet paper  - Garbage bags  - 

Knives  - Forks  - Spoons

Salt/pepper  - Spices  - Dried cilantro  - Cooking Oil if needed

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Emergencies are just that. Emergencies. Be prepared.