Vegetarian Coeliac

[goodgoalie]

I have recently been diagnosed with coeliac disease, and as a vegetarian I am faced with a severe lack of options (not to mention great expense!) in food I can consume, particularly vegeburgers and the like for evening meals.

Any ABers out there who are in the same position as me, and, if so, how do you manage?

[TheChair]

Is this any help?
https://www.coeliac.org.uk/information-and-support/your-gluten-free-hub/home-of-gluten-free-recipes/

[jennyjoan]

Basically you need to be a vegetable lover - my friend makes pots of soup and lives of them.

Just cut out the carbs, but you can buy gluten free products - I believe (just going by friend) the best gluten free bread is called either Genesis but don't panic GG - there are loads of gluten free stuff - I think it is trial and error in getting nice things.

[barry1010]

You should be okay with all vegetables and pulses. Potatoes could be your friend for adding bulk such as using it for rissoles, potato cakes etc, you can still get protein from dairy and cheese.
JJ is right re soup especially if you can find a tasty gluten free bread to go with it. I always have a batch of soup in my slow-cooker.

Some gluten free recipes for vegetarians here https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/gluten-free-vegetarian-recipes

[Buenchico]

This Aussie site has some recipes that look tasty (and mainly inexpensive too):
https://www.taste.com.au/healthy/galleries/19-gluten-free-vegetarian-mains/E3srC0Cp

[goodgoalie]

Thanks for your replies. Very down about this as I'm amazed at how many things I will have to do without. For instance, I live in a village and do a lot of walking, and at lunchtime I always have a large bowl of high-quality unsweetened fruit and nut muesli with banana, which is great fuel and keeps my blood-sugar up over that mid afternoon dip that many people feel. No more lovely muesli, and the gluten-free cereal that I've seen wouldn't fill up a hamster.

Also, what on earth would I eat if I went to a restaurant for dinner, or was invited for a meal to a friend's? What if I wanted to go to, say, Portugal or Sardinia or a Greek island for a week - nigh on impossible to find anything. My life has just got a lot smaller and sadder. Maybe I'll feel better as the days go by - going to buy as much as I can find in Tesco and Lidl tomorrow (no gluten-free in ALDI) and see how I get on.....

[calmck]

Albufeira has some excellent vegan/ vegetarian restaurants. You can call and ask for gluten free

[jennyjoan]

I am sorry GG but my friend years ago became down too but got over it as from when she was diagnosed things definitely ie foods etc have got much better.

You won't die from starvation just different type of food.

[pastafreak]

If you eat eggs and dairy that would give you many more choices. Quorn products should also be ok.

For coeliacs, but hopefully useful...

https://www.coeliac.org.uk/information-and-support/your-gluten-free-hub/home-of-gluten-free-recipes/healthy-eating/following-a-vegetarian-and-gluten-free-diet/

Gluten free meal plan here...

https://www.mygfguide.com/7-day-gluten-free-vegetarian-meal-plan/

[pastafreak]

There are also plenty of gluten free meuslie brands available...in supermarkets, Holland and Barrett, online. Or...make your own. Again, ingredients are easily available.

[THECORBYLOON]

Aldi does own-brand gluten-free products and you can find a list here, https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&;source=web&rct=j&url=https://cdn.aldi-digital.co.uk/lgcfJ%24umojJUhEw0DsBW1u9gfmY.pdf&;ved=2ahUKEwi9586Nxoj5AhW4iv0HHXMYDwAQFnoECAUQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2ez5-oxsphU9V1_JNQH8AS

[Maydup]

I’m wheat intolerant vegetarian so sympathise although I’m not but not coeliac I understand you feeling down especially about eating with friends.

My first top is not to necessarily try to replace all food with a GF version. In the same way as we don’t try to replace meat with a non meat version of a meal but instead eat different things.

Having said that GF pasta is great, oatcakes, biscuits, and cakes are good. GF bread and cereal are hit and miss.

Take it step by step and begin with a list of meals you can have. Dishes based on nuts, beans, pulses, vegetables, cheese and eggs.

Think about oat based breakfasts, GF porridge which you could then use to make an oat, banana and raisin bar for your walks.

Have salads and soup for lunch instead of sandwiches and if you really miss a slice of bread with it have a few crisps or a GF oat cake.

Once you have establish a few new favourites and you begin to feel better for avoiding the gluten you will be ready to consider eating out or with friends.

[HeavensToBetsy]

It is a truth universally acknowledged that gluten-free bread is about as appetising as cardboard, as well as being ridiculously expensive - often up to three times the price of normal bread. When you consider the impressive list of additives - hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, vegetable glycerol, xanthan gum (as well as brown sugar and caramel to turn it brown) - it makes you wonder how supermarkets can get away with displaying it in the ‘free from’ section. That said, it’s far better now than it ever used to be. As Jennyjoan has said, Genius is one of the better ones. My wife (who is not coeliac, but is intolerant to wheat) also rates M&S and Waitrose.

Deliciously Ella does a decent range of GF muesli and granola.

Most pubs and restaurants have some GF options these days, and even if they don’t, they are often happy to do a jacket potato or an omelette. It’s worth letting them know when you book. If you like curry, most things on the menu in an Indian restaurant are GF (apart from the bread of course).

As Maydup says, GF pasta is good - I can’t tell the difference!

My wife has had no difficulty finding GF food in France, Spain, Malta and Portugal - and we now know how to say “gluten-free” in half-a-dozen languages! Airports can be a bit of a problem, though, so she always carries a couple of GF snacks with her.

There is a useful (and free) app called “Find me GF” to help locate pubs and restaurants that are GF-friendly.

I can understand you feeling down about this, but it’s not as bad as you think - and it’s getting better all the time.

[goodgoalie]

Ta for the further replies, which I will look into. Just back from my weekly shop which was not a great success - not a single vegeburger to be found, nor muesli, but was cheered by finding pasta in Tesco not much more expensive and some red pesto sauce. Good tip about Holland and Barrett, so will check that out; luckily there's a branch walkable from where the supermarkets are.

Ach, still trying to process this, a big change to make in your 60s. Hacked off and I'm having a bowl of muesli right now - don't tell my doctor!

By the way: how do those of you who are intolerant to just wheat and not other things that contain gluten know that for sure?

[calmck]

Look on Amazon they have gluten free products

[pastafreak]

I don't have gut issues but wheat plays havoc with my joints. I rarely eat bread on a regular basis, except for very occasionally sourdough...until Christmas when I had plentiful amounts plus regular bread for 10 days. My joints became extremely painful. Dropped all bread, pain cleared up. Some would say coincidence...I don't think so.

[goodgoalie]

Thanks, pasta (apposite name!) Have chucked the last of my ordinary bread and tomorrow will embark on the first of my gluten free bread, so it will be interesting as I get to grips with the changes to come, how quickly the horrible symptoms abate.

Very strange that all this should rear its head so late in life, when my diet has been pretty much the same for decades. Ho hum.