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<p>^^^Agreed, 90% of my shopping is done around the outer edge of the store. It’s amazing how fast you can adapt.</p>
<p>Wow…</p>
<p>Glad to know that Mellow Mushroom, CPK, Olive Garden and Macaroni Grill will be dining options!</p>
<p>I agree that shopping along the edges of the store…fresh meats, cheeses, veggies, etc is GF. We think that my H needs to be GF, but he has always been kind of an Atkins Diet person, so he’s not eaten wheat/bread for a long time anyway.</p>
<p>My daughter was just diagnosed this week so I understand your concerns. She is about to head off to Tufts, just outside Boston and is understandably concerned about navigating her way through a college cafeteria. This weekend I bought a bunch of GF items and hope to try out baking some items this week. Luckily she eats fruits and veggies and plain meats (not big on sauces/casseroles), has never been fond of pasta, and generally avoids pizza (she’s lactose intolerant).</p>
<p>Her biggest concern is giving up pancakes of all things. I think that’s her normal dinner food when out with friends. I just cooked some GF pancades this morning and they smell and taste more like “cake”. She had trouble buying lunch at HS this week as choices are limited and she was told to avoid bread products and cold cuts and fried foods, even french fries because I guess everything is fried in the same oil. Does anyone have lunch food suggestions besides salad and yogurt (generally avoids dairy)?</p>
<p>She searched Tufts and found they try to accommodate Celiac students so there are options. When we visited, we saw Tufts posts notecards with all food items, listing all ingredients - and had a nice selection of seemingly healthy food choices. I’m just sure if will be try and miss at first, learning how to eat. I guess its more of a timing problem - just finding out now. Too late to meet with the school until she arrives for orientation. But I guess she’s luckier than some. I googled some of her other college choices and found they will put freshman in non freshman housing so they have access to a kitchen and can cook for themselves. Ugh. That isn’t the solution she’s looking for.</p>
<p>I think she made a wise decision when she chose her school, prefering it to some higher ranked schools. Funny how things often work out for the best.</p>
<p>We appreciate the advice you all are giving.</p>
<p>Does your D have Celiacs? or has she just been told to be GF?</p>
<p>* Does anyone have lunch food suggestions besides salad and yogurt (generally avoids dairy)?
*</p>
<p>Aren’t some cheeses very, very low in lactose? If so, can she tolerate those? Or does she have a dairy allergy…which seems to be different.</p>
<p>Can she tolerate feta cheese? Many can tolerate goats cheese.</p>
<p>Can she tolerate eggs? </p>
<p>Found this…</p>
<p>Question: Can people who are lactose intolerant still enjoy cheese?</p>
<p>Answer: First, it is important to differentiate between being lactose intolerant and having dairy allergies. Lactose intolerance is characterized by the inability to digest lactose sugar, one of the major components in milk. On the other hand, if you have dairy allergies it is more likely you have a reaction to either the casein protein or whey protein in milk. For some people who have determined they are only lactose intolerant, cheese can be enjoyed in moderation. This is because lactose is primarily in the whey, not the curds. When cheese is being made (with the exception of some soft cheeses that contain whey, like Ricotta) the whey is discarded and the lactose goes with it. Curds still have a little bit of lactose, but not much. As cheese ages and loses moisture and becomes hard, there is even less lactose left in the curds. </p>
<h1>Some believe that goats’ milk cheese is the easiest type of cheese for lactose intolerant people to digest. Goats’ milk basically has the same amount of lactose in it, but it is naturally homogenized, meaning the fat globules are small and remain suspended in the milk rather than separating out. This makes the milk easier to digest. In cows’ milk, the fat globules are large enough that they will separate from the liquid and become hard to digest. A way to visualize this is to think about the thick layer of fat that rises to the top of cream made from cow’s milk. </h1>
<p>As for lunch ideas…Do you mean for like lunch bags? or hot lunches you can cook in your kitchen?</p>
<p>hot lunches</p>
<p>Do you have a Rice Steemer? Those can make some pretty fast rice meal dishes. There is a small one at Wal-mart for about $15 that my college son has. He can make chicken, rice, and broccoli rather quickly. </p>
<p>Someone recommended making “lettuce wraps” which I think is a great idea. If your D likes that sort of thing. I would like to learn how to make a P.F. Changs kind of lettuce wrap. </p>
<p>Does your D like “squash spaghetti”. I know that you said that she doesn’t like pasta, but I’ve made a Squash Spaghetti that is pretty good. </p>
<p>You could sub the feta for something else…like sauteed/grilled red peppers.</p>
<p>Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons sliced black olives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2.Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven, and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.
3.Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook only until tomatoes are warm.
4.Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash, and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the sauteed vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm. </p>
<p>Cold lunches do seem harder to think of…unless you take a lettuce wrap and roll in with some healthy cold meats that she likes (that aren’t fatty/salty like cold-cuts)…like roast beef, or lean chix or turkey. </p>
<p>I would imagine that a tuna fish salad wrap would be good…alabacore tuna, mayo (if tolearated), celery and onion wrapped in a lettuce leaf. </p>
<p>Can your D eat oatmeal? or is that a no no? </p>
<p>I’m trying to think of something with pnut butter and oatmeal. I think there is some kind of “balls” you can make with honey, oatmeal, pnut butter…and some GF kind of cereal (like one of the Chex cereals that is GF)</p>
<p>Please share more about what she can’t have in regards to dairy products. That also limits choices.</p>
<p>Remember…meat, poultry, fish, fruits, veggies, nuts & seeds are all gluten free. Pamela’s has a great gluten free pancake & baking mix with great recipies on the back. We’ve had the sour cream coffee cake and the banana bread…delish!</p>
<p>Watch out for soy sauce, bbq sauce, etc…they usually have gluten. GF alternatives are available in many grocery stores and health food stores. </p>
<p>I am sure it seems overwhelming right now, but like any change of habit it gets better/easier with time. Your S’s health will be much better for the effort you take now. My D’s university labels everything in their dining hall although it’s still really carb heavy and she has a hard time getting adequate protein & fats. Good luck!</p>
<p>*Remember…meat, poultry, fish, fruits, veggies, nuts & seeds are all gluten free. Pamela’s has a great gluten free pancake & baking mix with great recipies on the back. We’ve had the sour cream coffee cake and the banana bread…delish!</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>Good to know about Pamela’s…is that sold in stores or online?</p>
<p>I know that many basics are G-F (meat, poultry, fruit, etc) but when kids are in college they often have to rely on what’s available in dining halls and local joints. </p>
<p>Right now, my son is out of state doing research at another univ. He’s being very careful, but I think he’s bored picking the same things at food venues. LOL</p>
<p>I will definitely try to get that GF baking mix so that when he comes home in July, he can experience pancakes again! :)</p>
<p>Dumb question…I assume that when eating animal products (eggs, meats, etc) that we dont’ have to worry about what the animal had been eating as far as gluten products. LOL</p>
<p>Lactose intolerance w Celiac is sometimes (not always) caused by the damage of the intestines…when the intestines heal (with the GF diet), often the individual can tolerate dairy products again…it’s different for everyone (time it takes to heal and tolerance both)…</p>
<p>Lunch products: too much to list right now, but my daughter used to take bread/bagels/pitas to school; her HS had lunch meats on their salad bar that were GF (Thumann’s)…also, jif makes portable 2 oz peanut butter cups…</p>
<p>There are so many baking mixes around as well as pre-made items: if you are looking for something specific please post…</p>
<p>jerzgrlmom: pancakes: there are frozen GF pancakes (and waffles) from Van’s that are indistinguishable; Nature’s Path has them as well (Stop and Shop) but we haven’t tried them yet…in addition, kinnikinick makes a terrific GF pancake mix in a white bag (that literally never expires)…if you live in NJ, PM me…there are some GREAT stores around the state that have ALOT of stuff that you can’t even imagine…</p>
<p>Does spelt have gluten?</p>
<p>^^yes…</p>
<p>just checking in to see how the OP’s son is doing??</p>
<p>and btw, California Pizza Kitchen has just launched a GF menu…the bang-bang shrimp on the appetizers is “to die for” (my d’s words)…and the GF pizza crust is not bad either…</p>
<p>any other new developments??</p>
<p>I missed this the first time. I’ve been GF since March after 30+ years of symptoms. </p>
<p>I’ve found with our local restaurants that if I ask for if they have gluten free options, that they’ll usually respond that they have a GF menu. It hasn’t been as hard as I’d thought. </p>
<p>I’ll have to try CPK; I miss my Bang Bang shrimp :(</p>
<p>Bob’s Red Mill brand sells GF oats that has been tested to confirm that it doesn’t have gluten. (Oats don’t have gluten intrinsically, but contamination from wheat and other gluten-containing crops is common, so Quaker and other major brands make no claim of GF.) They have a bunch of other GF products.</p>
<p>Udi’s (based in Denver) is a commercial bakery that has some outstanding GF breads, sweet rolls, muffins and the like – I’ve had some and could not have told you they were GF to start with. If you have a store that carries their stuff, I’d definitely give it a try.</p>
<p>A friend’s daughter developed severe celiac disease, and they found that they pretty much needed to have separate food preparation space for her – a separate toaster and cutting board were two of the items that seemed to make a difference.</p>
<p>RobD: you are very lucky; this area of the country has been VERY SLOW to respond other than the national chains…</p>
<p>and fwiw, the Jersey Shore area (or at least Monmouth County) is just awful…haven’t found ONE restaurant that even knows what I’m talking about when I ask if they have GF</p>
<p>arabrab: Udi’s is terrific…</p>
<p>Join “Center for Celiac research” on facebook. They have food/restaurant info frequently on there. There are a few other FB pages too, but I dont remember them!</p>
<p>^^lol; I get prob 40 emails a week from all the different organizations…and blogs (SO MANY)…</p>
<p>speaking of research, anyone hear anything lately about the “supposed” vaccination in the works?</p>
<p>It was originally projected to be in distribution by the end of this year…</p>
<p>I know there are a lot of groups out there. But this one on FB seems to have lots of food company and restaurant info. Just thought I would pass it along.</p>
<p>^yes, they put out a great newsletter as well (for those of us FB-shy people…)…</p>
<p>@Rodney: yeah, I was really surprised. I ran into a church acquaintance and found out in convo that she was GF; at that point I was convinced that I’d never eat out again. I asked her where she had luck locally and she told me that when she goes to a restaurant, she asks to talk to the manager and then brings the GF up before she is seated. The first week I tried it, I was almost jumping up and down with excitement because ALL of the restaurants were very receptive: the local upscale burger joint had GF buns; the local trendy Mexican & Cajun place had a separate GF menu that listed all the stuff from their regular menu that was safe. </p>
<p>Of course, I live in a relatively upscale, health conscious kind of place so it didn’t really surprise me once I thought about it.</p>
<p>Udi’s bagels & white bread are the best that I’ve tried. And the Against the Grain baguettes are wonderful. Of course, the second ingredient is mozzarella cheese, so the constant battle of “do I avoid the gluten?” or “do I avoid the fat and sugar?” continues.</p>
<p>Guess those sausage sandwiches on the Pt. Pleasant boardwalk aren’t GF, eh 
?</p>
<p>RobD – my mil is allergic to wheat (not gluten, per se) and was supposed to follow a low-salt diet. I fairly quickly learned that you can reasonably easily optimize for one dietary restriction, but two is really, really difficult. Her doc agreed that the low salt was less important than the wheat-free.</p>
<p>One thing to consider is whether the person in question is sensitive enough to need to be paranoid about cross contamination (e.g. at a Mexican restaurant, did a tiny bit of wheat tortilla dust land in your tacos made with corn tortillas? At a Chinese restaurant, did a drop of soy sauce (contains wheat) land in your food?).</p>