I am not a coeliac by choice, my body for some reason decided it didn’t want to absorb nutrients correctly, so I needed to make some changes in what I eat to repair the damage to my intestines. Apparetly it’s hereditary (thanks Mother!!).
12 weeks ago I was diagnosed with Osteopenia which then led to blood tests to investigate if there was any other reason for the significant decline in my bone density. My blood test revealed the highest levels of antibodies the dietician has ever seen & I didn’t even know I had a problem!! It appears I’ve had this for a long time & apparently 80% of coeliacs don’t show any symptoms.
According to Coeliac New Zealand
1/10 are gluten intolerant
1/10 related family member with coeliac
4/5 coeliacs remain undiagnosed.
There is a clear difference between Coeliac Disease & gluten intolerance – When a coeliac person ingests gluten, his or her immune system will attack against its own body’s tissue. Whereas, if a person is gluten intolerant, the consumption of gluten will cause short-term bloating and belly pain. You can find more detailed information by visiting Closing the Gap.
I’m not claiming to be an expert in this field by any stretch. This is only the beginning of my journey, my story with a few recipe ideas thrown in for fun. If I can help or inspire one person to make a healthy delicious meal – then I’ll be happy.
A brief intro about me – I’m a 46yr old relatively active female who loves food. We (me & my other half) love cooking, we love new recipes, we love cooking for people. We rarely dine out, if we do we want to be wowed so we can try to re-create it at home. We’re self -confessed foodies & we’re looking at this diagnosis as a challenge. To continue to create delicious, healthy meals, whilst accepting this condition without compromise.
To be fair I’m possibly the easiest patient my dietician has come across as my gluten intake was rather minimal in comparison to others. To some this would turn your world upside down. “What do you mean I can’t ever eat that again, like EVER?!!”
Take my dear friend Kirsty – She eats like the world is about to end in 10minutes! She has zero control of what food she puts in her mouth, especially it if contains sugar. We’ve joked about how grateful she is that this is not happening to her.
So what changes do Coeliacs have to make:
Firstly I cleaned out the pantry. All flour, soy sauce, stock cubes, pasta, couscous, were given away to friends. I then cleaned out the fridge & freezer, read all the labels on the sauces, what could stay what had to go. Then came the supermarket shop & the necessity of needed to take my reading glasses with me. The fine print on labels is exactly that.
Here’s a short summary of some products Coeliacs need to avoid:
- Wheat flour, flour, durum wheat, bulgar wheat, wheat germ, wheat bran
- Triticale, dinkel, spelt
- Rye (flour or grain)
- Barley (flour, flakes)
- Oats, Oatmeal
- Modified Starch (unspecified & moderated wheat starch)
- Baking powder, icing sugar, wheaten cornstarch
- Breadcrumbs, semolina, couscous
- Soy sauce containing wheat
- Malt powder, malt, malted milk products containing gluten
- Ice-cream cones (standard ones are not gluten free).
What products to check if you have Coeliacs Disease:
- Baking powder, icing sugar, custard powder
- Processed cheeses, cream cheese
- Yogurt, ice cream, soy milk
- Sweets (lollies) & chocolate
- Soy Sauce
- Flavoured crisps/chips rice cakes/crackers
- Packet soups, sauces, dressings
- Canned products baked beans etc.
- Frozen foods, nuggets, fish products
- Stocks, spices/herbs seasoning mixes.
What alternative gluten free products did I find:
- Soy Sauce – Tamari or GF Soy Sauce
- Sriracha – a gluten free organic version
- Flour – a gluten free product
- Pasta – I didn’t replace.
- Stock cubes – we make our own stock
As part of this journey, I’d like to share simple easy food ideas as I experiment with this newly discovered diet. I intent to share the successful ones along with the failures!
Recipe for today – Vegetable fritters.
I don’t like eggs, so breakfasts have been a challenge for me for a very long time, even before the diagnosis. I don’t mind if they are in something, just not a standalone egg dish. I don’t like milk either (or cheese) so cereals were also out. I have found fritters are very versatile as you can chop & change them with different vegetables you have at hand. I’ve also tried courgette & kale which worked out well & also potato by itself but they were rubbish! Defo add another ingredient to those ones.
Sweetcorn Fritters (makes 3-4)
½ can of 410g drained whole kernel sweetcorn (reserve the other half for the next batch in a couple of days).
1 x finely sliced spring onion.
¼ cup of GF flour
1 egg
2 tbls milk
Salt & pepper.
Mix all together in a large bowl.
In a frying pan heat up some oil & add two tables spoons of the mixture per fritter & flatten them down. Fry for about 3 minutes or so on each side & boom!
As an alternative you can add some chopped up gluten free ham/salami. Or add paprika, or some herbs like parsley or chives. Perhaps add some grated cheese?
I usually cook two & keep the rest in the fridge for the following day. Serve with mixed salad leaves, baby spinach or rocket, 2 slices of my favourite gluten free bacon & avocado when they are in season.
Enjoy!!
I'm Not Awkward I'm a Coeliac 