***this is the post I have submitted to purely elizabeth for their monthly newsletter! As always, this should not be considered medical advice as I am not your medical provider. I am an ambassador for purely elizabeth and they provided the cookie mix mentioned in this article, but it's actually one I use on a regular basis that I purchase myself. ***
After the question, “what can you eat?”, the second most
common thing my friends and acquaintances want to know is how to feed me when I
come to their homes. And after a
recent poll, this is the question they wanted me to write about next.
Recently,
I attended a two separate parties at two different friends homes. Both bought
gluten free goodies just for me because they are such great friends but in one
case I got “glutened” and in the other I didn’t. What happened? Well, the first friend bought a fruit and
veggie tray and the dressing was GF.
I brought GF pretzels and she also bought some GF cookies from a local
bakery so I could join in the festivities. Isn’t she so sweet?? I had a little
bit of all of the above and had no issues.
The
second friend bought some packaged GF crackers and chips but the dip she bought
was actually from a buffet style service area at the grocery store and the
snack mix which consisted of theoretically GF ingredients was also from a self
serve granola bar. Again I had
some of everything but this time I had a reaction. What happened?
Well,
the problem is that when you are dealing with food allergies or a disease such
as celiac disease, contamination can be just as much of an issue as actually
eating something that contains the offending ingredient. So things such as bulk dispensers,
while sometimes cheaper, pose a significant risk of contamination. Most people are not aware of this and
tongs get used from one item to another without thought to possible
contamination. Even bulk
containers that empty at the bottom may be dangerous as they may not always
contain the same item and may not be cleaned thoroughly in between.
Another
area of cross contamination occurs in the kitchen. It is always very kind when
someone offers me gluten free pasta.
However, if you are using the same colander to drain both GF and regular
pasta, it is likely being contaminated. Colanders are notorious for all of
their little nooks and crannies, which make great hiding places for remnants of
pastas past. Plastic colanders are
the worst. Plastic and wood
utensils are also great hiding places for gluten. And stoneware baking pans can also harbor leftover
gluten. It can’t be baked away.
So
how do you cook for your friend with out causing them to break out, rash up,
run to the bathroom, or turn blue??
First, your best bet is very well scrubbed stainless steel pots and pans
and utensils. And use a clean
sponge when washing them!! Sponges harbor all kinds of stuff, including little
bits of old food! (kinda gross really…I like to use a clean cloth each day)
Plates washed in the dishwasher are fine or plates washed with a clean sponge
work too. New disposable plates
and utensils are great, especially for outdoor affairs.
The
next area to pay attention to is the prep area. The general rule of thumb is to start with a clean surface
and prepare the allergen free food first.
This can largely eliminate the possibility of contamination when
preparing different foods. Placing
a piece of parchment paper or saran wrap down on the counter can also lessen
the chance of contamination.
My
biggest surprise was the coffee pot!
I have one friend who is so highly allergic to hazelnuts that I can’t
make her a pot of coffee because I’ve made hazelnut coffee in my coffee maker
and any trace of it will cause her to have an anaphylactic reaction. Prior to my celiac days, I never would
have considered that!
Please
also note, if you typically grill your buns or use sauces that contain wheat,
such as regular soy sauce, don’t use your grill to cook for someone with wheat
sensitivities or celiac disease without first placing at least one layer of tin
foil between their food and the grill.
So
now, what to serve them? If your
friend has celiac disease like me, they can’t have wheat, rye, barley and most
oats. Easy right? Not really
because it’s the gluten that is the issue and gluten lurks in all kinds of
products you would never suspect!
Canned beef broth? Yep, it’s in there! (my dad got me at Christmas with
this one…) Soy sauce? There
too. Ice cream? Yes, unfortunately many of them contain
gluten. Flavored coffee? Very likely. Amazing isn’t it?
Now
that I’ve scared you, here’s a safe list for those with gluten “issues”(this
list is NOT all inclusive):
All fruit
All veggies, including corn
All natural meats that do not contain injected broth, i.e.,
chicken, beef, pork, lamb, fish
Plain rice-white, brown, black, red, etc.
Quinoa (keen-wah)
Nuts
Plain spices, such as salt and pepper
Fresh herbs and most plain dried herbs (avoid mixes)
Dairy (but some also have lactose intolerance)
Gluten free crackers (such as Crunch Master)
Gluten free cookie mixes (such as purely elizabeth oatmeal
cherry chocolate chip – my favorite!) baked on parchment paper
Your
best resources will be your friend and Google! Ask if they have a favorite recipe they’d like to share. Or,
if they are coming to a party, ask if they can bring a GF dish. Check out the recipes on this website
or you can Google your friend’s food sensitivity for a recipe to try. There are a zillion resources out there.
Most of us are so thrilled that
someone would try to accommodate them that we are grateful for all of your
efforts. Ultimately, it’s up to
the person with the sensitivity to ensure that what they are eating is
safe. And if it’s a child, it’s
the parent’s responsibility.
It does make going out much more pleasant though if others are willing
to change what they do so you can enjoy a meal together! So thank you so very
much for caring and making the effort to include us at mealtime and
celebrations!!
