Oats... not gluten-free.

[MsSassyBaskets]

So, this weekend DH and I went out with one of his classmates and classmate's wife. We went out for dinner and then back to their place for some wine and dessert. Classmate's wife had made a gluten free cheesecake for dessert -- which is like the nicest thing ever! I definitely don't expect someone I've just met to try and cater to my dietary needs, so it was really sweet. Anyway, I asked if she'd done a GF cookie crust for it, since that's probably the easiest way to go, and it turns out she'd actually used almond flour and OATS. Well, most people who don't eat GF assume that all oats are OK, and it isn't the case. Because oats are so highly cross-contaminated with wheat by being grown in the same/neighboring fields and being processed in the same facilities, you have to look for specially labeled gluten free oats (Bob's Red Mill has some) that are tested below 20 ppm. And even 20 ppm is going to make some super-sensitive celiacs sick. On top of that, about 10% of celiacs also have a sensitivity to aveenin, the gluten-like protein in oats, and I happen to be one of them.

So anyway, she'd gone out of her way to make a lovely dessert, and I couldn't eat it, and I felt terrible. She was probably disappointed too. That's my PSA for the week... if you're feeding a celiac, stay away from oats unless you're really sure.

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

Thank you for this PSA. Dh has a cointern who's wife is gluten-free and it's always hard to know what to make.

In terms of starches, rice, lentils, beans (not a true starch I know), and quinoa are ok, right?

[scrub-jay]

This is so true with many food allergies, food intolerances, and related food issues - cross-contamination is very common. Generally, it is best to check with the individual because degree of severity can differ dramatically from person to person.

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

Yes, scrub-jay! I had NO idea but she was telling me that a lot of things which should be gluten-free aren't because they randomly just roll them in wheat flour after making them (apparently rice crispies are a good example of this - no actual reason for the flour...just because).

[MsSassyBaskets]

Rice, beans, lentils, quinoa -- all fine. The only actual sources of gluten are wheat, barley and rye. The problem with other foods usually comes with processed or packaged foods that are cross-contaminated, or tricky ingredients that you didn't know contain wheat, barley or rye (soy sauce and enchilada sauce are two great examples). So if you stick with whole foods and only ingredients that you recognize, you're on the right track. Then there's the whole other issue of cross-contamination in your own kitchen.

If you are going the extra mile and trying to cook for someone with a food sensitivity, I can tell you that we appreciate your good intentions and efforts! At the same time, if you're not sure about a person's sensitivities, it's always best to run everything by them first. I've had people try to cook for me and just end up frustrated, when I probably could have told them about an easy solution if they'd only asked.

[moonlight]

That was super nice of her for trying! Sorry it didn't work out. I guess I haven't encountered any friends with food allergies. Diet restrictions yes, but no food allergies just yet.

[scrub-jay]

Rice, beans, lentils, quinoa -- all fine. The only actual sources of gluten are wheat, barley and rye. The problem with other foods usually comes with processed or packaged foods that are cross-contaminated, or tricky ingredients that you didn't know contain wheat, barley or rye (soy sauce and enchilada sauce are two great examples). So if you stick with whole foods and only ingredients that you recognize, you're on the right track. Then there's the whole other issue of cross-contamination in your own kitchen.

If you are going the extra mile and trying to cook for someone with a food sensitivity, I can tell you that we appreciate your good intentions and efforts! At the same time, if you're not sure about a person's sensitivities, it's always best to run everything by them first. I've had people try to cook for me and just end up frustrated, when I probably could have told them about an easy solution if they'd only asked.

Food allergies that fall into the "big 8" (dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, soy, wheat, fish, & shell fish) have mandated FDA labeling. There are recalls due to mislabeling all.the.time and if you have a food allergy, insensitivity, or intolerance to something other than those big 8, you might be out of luck. I know a child who has anaphylactic reactions to anything containing corn. My understanding (and correct me if I'm wrong) is that "gluten-allergy" seems to be used to span the spectrum from gluten-insensitivity to celiac disease, the degree of reaction can be incredibly diverse. Never ever trust last week's gluten-allergic dinner guest's reaction to be the same as this week's gluten-allergic dinner guest. Play it safe, just ask beforehand.

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

Food allergies that fall into the "big 8" (dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, soy, wheat, fish, & shell fish) have mandated FDA labeling. There are recalls due to mislabeling all.the.time and if you have a food allergy, insensitivity, or intolerance to something other than those big 8, you might be out of luck. I know a child who has anaphylactic reactions to anything containing corn. My understanding (and correct me if I'm wrong) is that "gluten-allergy" seems to be used to span the spectrum from gluten-insensitivity to celiac disease, the degree of reaction can be incredibly diverse. Never ever trust last week's gluten-allergic dinner guest's reaction to be the same as this week's gluten-allergic dinner guest. Play it safe, just ask beforehand.

Yup, I always do!

Or, I just serve things that can't possibly have gluten like a salad made with tons of CSA veggies with oil and vinegar or a soup.

[Thirteen]

I appreciate this thread. Gluten sensitivity, unlike some other forms of food allergies, typically worsens with age.
I could still eat oats a few months ago without sx, but that won't always be the case.
My brother cannot eat them at all.


For the most part (butter), I am Paleo, and find that the majority of things I make are edible to our other friends with sensitivities.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MsSassyBaskets]

For the most part (butter), I am Paleo, and find that the majority of things I make are edible to our other friends with sensitivities.

It's amazing how much easier it is to deal with food sensitivities when you're already eating whole foods instead of packaged and processed stuff.

[scrub-jay]

It's amazing how much easier it is to deal with food sensitivities when you're already eating whole foods instead of packaged and processed stuff.

This can be tough. On our end (IgE-mediated food allergies) we have to avoid bulk bins bc of cross-contamination issues, but everything is generally whole foods, prepped from scratch at our house too.

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

This can be tough. On our end (IgE-mediated food allergies) we have to avoid bulk bins bc of cross-contamination issues, but everything is generally whole foods, prepped from scratch at our house too.

We eat this way because it's so healthy and delicious and we don't have any (known) allergies in our nuclear family. Almost all produce is CSA, dairy is organic, meat is hormone free and organic (and therefore a very rare treat because it's so pricey!), and all legumes are bought in bulk from bins. So far, I haven't had the time to bake our own bread products but that would be the next thing on my list if I had the time.

[scrub-jay]

We eat this way because it's so healthy and delicious and we don't have any (known) allergies in our nuclear family. Almost all produce is CSA, dairy is organic, meat is hormone free and organic (and therefore a very rare treat because it's so pricey!), and all legumes are bought in bulk from bins. So far, I haven't had the time to bake our own bread products but that would be the next thing on my list if I had the time.

Watch out! You'll get really addicted to homemade bread and once you go there, you can't go back.

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

Watch out! You'll get really addicted to homemade bread and once you go there, you can't go back.

Yeah, it creeps me out that store bought bread will last literally a month in the fridge and real bread lasts less than a week. Preservatives are gross!!

[MsSassyBaskets]

Store-bought gluten-free bread has zero nutritional value, it's all simple starch. So I devised a 100% whole grain buckwheat and brown rice sandwich loaf that, miraculously, turned out great. I still don't eat much bread, but it's all homemade now!