Vegetarian Celiac Familes?

[Pacer]

hi, I have seen posts by a mom called "Celiac Girls" , I believe she is vegetarian. CG are you out there???

I have been a veg for 25 + years (i'm 44, non celiac). Up til now my kids have really enjoyed being veg as well. no problems. We have even worked together doing math, counting protein grams, teaching them the importance of a healthy diet. it's been fine.

So, now it looks like DS6 is celiac. He is way positive by EnteroLabs (IgA 142) , and has responded positively to a gluten challenge. Our mainstream pedi does not accept this, however, mainstream pedi does not have to live with my son writhing on the bathroom floor and I do.

In any case, this is not to debate Enterolab. Assuming he really *is celiac -- HOW ON EARTH does one keep a gluten-free household and remain vegetarian? All of our major protein foods included gluten. (pizza, pasta with cheese, boca burger, grilled cheese, that sort of thing).

Thanks for reading, celiacgirls or anyone else who has insight into this.

HEIDI

[Amanda Thomas]

For pasta we use DeBoles. We love it, my husband said it is better than the whole wheat pasta we use to use. I have used it for mac and cheese and used it with homemade marinara. We have used the elbow macaroni and the pasta spirals.

I used Pamela's Baking mix to make pancakes. I made a batch of silver dollar size and flash froze them then put 4 in a bag. We reheat them for 30 sec in the microwave.

I hope these might help you some.

[RiceGuy]

The gluten-free diet doesn't require giving up breads. Only a change in the primary ingredient. There are literally dozens of gluten-free flours at our disposal. Yet the typical American has likely never tasted more than perhaps two or so, much less heard of them.

For instance, right on the package of Bob's Red Mill Garbanzo & Fava Bean Flour is a recipe for pizza crust (should work fine with just Garbanzo IMO). There are numerous gluten-free mixes available, though I've never tried any.

Since you are vegetarian already, I'm sure I don't have to mention such protein sources as beans, tofu, etc. But I would point out that dairy can often be problematic for a celiac, at least until some healing has taken place. So you may need to use soy/nut/rice milks and cheeses for awhile.

[FeedIndy]

My DD is a celiac vegetarian because her digestive system has never had a chance to develop well enough to process meats. Her doc recommended peanut butter and beans as a way to get some of the same nutrients. Her issue right now is a zinc deficiency. I'm not sure what else is high in zinc so he has her on a vitamin right now. It's just a matter of finding other sources for the nutrients you are lacking in your diet.

[Pacer]

Thanks for replying. I am not sure where this comes from, but my kids don't fall for the fake wheat products. I have probably spoliled my family rotten by always making fresh foods for them all this time.

We went through this with my husband as well, when he was Dx'd. We tried every fake pasta, pizza, pancake , waffle , cupcake, brownie, etc that's out there...he finally decided rather than eat such a lame copy he'd prefer to just eat the real stuff he *could eat like gelato, risotto, thai food, soups, mashed potatoes, etc.

My son has been really open and accomodating to trying some new stuff. From a 6 year old, I am actually impressed that he even tried it. He has, however spit most of it out in disgust and disappointment. We have tried sofar: Foods by George pizza, Amy's pizza, Foods by George brownies, FbG English Muffins, Grilled cheese made with Food For Life rice bread, and Larabars. I tried everything myself and I have to agree, it is vile. We have not gone through the gamut of pastas with him, because those are so far from the real deal I am sure he would not go for it. it is disheartening because I know that most people consider Foods By George to be the "good stuff".

The only thing I have not tried yet is to bake the bread myself. I used to do this for my husband for a while and finally he just told me not to bother anymore, it was not worth the effort. As I recall I used to use Miss Roben's dinner bread mix.

I agree there may be an issue with dairy but I am utterly overwhelmed right now by the celiac concept, dairy free is on hold til a later time. Thanks for reading. I know it seems like I'm being pessimistic but I am just telling the truth. Heidi

[RiceGuy]

I'd like to point out that there isn't anything "fake" about gluten-free breads and such. They're simply not made with wheat. It is true though that most of the prepackaged stuff leaves something to be desired.

Do try some homemade breads though. The consensus seems to be that homemade beats all. So please try baking some before your family becomes dead-set against ever trying them. I've never purchased any prepackaged breads. Having just begun gluten-free baking, I do find it different in some ways, but really it's just a matter of learning how. Like most things, it takes practice. In the short time I've been at it, I've learned a great deal, and the results I now achieve are really quite nice if I may say so myself Muffins have been easier to get right than most other things so far. Sweetbreads like banana bread should be almost as obtainable, and I'm planning on trying some soon. I don't find the flavor to be all that different than what I remember of their wheat counterparts. True, it's been awhile since I had wheat. Which reminds me; there IS a period of withdrawal, and it can be very easy to find fault with anything less than the perfectly ideal bread. But when it comes down to it, homemade is a little different each time you make it, but it gets eaten just the same doesn't it? Besides, it costs far less to make your own than to buy them. I should also point out that I have to make my breads without dairy, eggs, yeast, or sugar. So if I can do it with these restrictions, how difficult can it really be?

Here's a link to a gluten-free bread recipe that should give you some encouragement:

Open Original Shared Link

Now for pasta, I have to say Tinkyada brand is by far the best pasta I've ever eaten, and that INCLUDES wheat pasta!!! Before going gluten-free, I literally ate a pound of pasta every day, and it was the highest quality durham semolina pasta I could get my hands on. The Tinkyada pastas don't get mushy nearly as quickly as wheat pastas do. It does however, take a bit of practice to cook it properly, though not terribly different from wheat pasta.

I'd think it's also true that one would likely find gluten-free breads and such much more enjoyable after having been without for awhile. Though I didn't actually "crave" breads, it sure is great to be able to have them again.

[Juliet]

Heidi -

I could probably spend the next hour typing up suggestions and how you can change the way you think about cooking vegetarian and gluten free. I love to cook, and after being vegetarian for 15 years I did start adding fish and chicken to our cooking repertoire once my son was diagnosed with Celiac Disease only so that he had a wider choice of food to eat at this time and when he becomes an adult, but we are still more often eating vegetarian meals (I literally haven't cooked any meat in the last 4 days). Not that I am advocating you make this choice at all; it was a hard one for me and I actually prefer being vegetarian. I also do not have the disease, so I can taste what I cook versus others, and after solely cooking gluten free for over a year in our house I now can say I prefer it most of the time and think I'm a better cook for it.

Yes, it was very hard. And I had a lot of problems with the substitutions, and then trying out all the different type of flours. Here are just a few suggestions:

Tinkyada is the best gluten free pasta out there. It is not as good as the best gluten pasta and I don't think it stands up to "lighter" flavored sauces such as pesto or even a plain cream sauce. You do not want to make a pasta primavera with it if you think most gluten free pastas aren't any good. But with a hearty tomato sauce, lasagna, or making a homemade macaroni & cheese, you really can't taste a difference. I make a baked pasta dish with tomato sauce, carrots, spinach, garlic, onions & bell peppers and lots of ricotta cheese & mozzarella that others who aren't gluten free cannot tell a difference.

Besides regular rice, Arborio rice has been our savior! We replace arborio rice for pasta in the "lighter" sauces I was mentioning. I make a "poor man's risotto" with arborio rice in a rice cooker with Better Than Bouillion vegetable base, then stir fry vegetables with lemon, garlic, and various other spices and toss it all together with pesto and parmesan cheese. People beg me for the recipe. It's creamy texture and ability to really let flavors shine through makes it a great accompaniment even for cream sauces, too.

As for baked goods and other things reliant on flour, the real key is how much flour is actually needed in a recipe, particularly how much of the recipe is "flavored" by the flour. This is why it is difficult to find good bread and the best option is to bake it yourself. And even if you do make it from scratch, you can find something fairly acceptable but it truly doesn't replace gluten bread. I like Gluten Free Pantry Favorite Sandwich Bread mix for grilled cheeses or having thin slices with other really hearty, flavorful cheeses, but not much else. My son, however, likes peanut butter sandwiches with them, and so do others who've visited our household. Pizza dough is also hard to replicate, too, but some recommend trying recipes with corn meal so that the flavor is something other than the wheat flour taste you're used to. Our son likes the pizza dough from Gluten Free Pantry, as well as my husband, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law but I'm not as sold on it.

But other baked goods are much easier to replace. Pamela's Products Ultimate Baking & Pancake Mix is great for pancakes, particularly if you "add" things to it (I make pumpkin pancakes with added eggs & milk, tastes just like regular ones) and also for a quick substitution in most recipes. It's very good for cornbread since the predominant flavor is corn meal and most cookies since again, the predominant flavor in the batter is sugar, butter (use real stuff), and extracts. There are also some good cake recipes, and again, Pamela's makes a chocolate cake mix that if you do the one with sour cream you honestly cannot taste a difference. I have great recipes for muffins of all types, flourless peanut butter cookies, and flourless chocolate cake that are to die for, and flavorful quick breads are easy to make. And as you get more confident, playing around with the flours yourself will really open you up to so many new possibilities with food.

And again, for meals & quick snacks - hummus tastes great with corn chips instead of pita or naan, corn tortillas for quesadillas or with beans are delicious, baked potatoes with vegetarian chili can't be yummier (I have a great recipe for that, too), stuffed bell peppers with arborio rice, vegetables, and sauce are easy meals to go cooked the night before, Bumble Bars (or birdseed bars as they are called at our house) are very good protein bars made with seeds, nuts and honey, the list goes on. We also make DeBole's white cheddar & shells where I add extra cheese to make it really creamy. The pasta is small (not as noticeable then that it doesn't have gluten) and the sauce flavorful. It's not Kraft, but most people I know who still eat it actually prefer this since it has more of a real cheese flavor (amazing how real cheese can do that for you ) And Gardenburger Soy Burgers are gluten free. Don't forget lettuce wraps, too - lettuce with dressing, carrots, cucumbers, tomato & cheese all rolled up and ready to go.

And the issue with dairy, as long as there's no true, long-lasting dairy intolerance, you can give your child Lactaid tablets whenever he eats dairy. We did this with our son for the first month and after that we had no more problems.

Feel free to PM me if you'd like.

[Suzanne M.]

hi, I have seen posts by a mom called "Celiac Girls" , I believe she is vegetarian. CG are you out there???

I have been a veg for 25 + years (i'm 44, non celiac). Up til now my kids have really enjoyed being veg as well. no problems. We have even worked together doing math, counting protein grams, teaching them the importance of a healthy diet. it's been fine.

So, now it looks like DS6 is celiac. He is way positive by EnteroLabs (IgA 142) , and has responded positively to a gluten challenge. Our mainstream pedi does not accept this, however, mainstream pedi does not have to live with my son writhing on the bathroom floor and I do.

In any case, this is not to debate Enterolab. Assuming he really *is celiac -- HOW ON EARTH does one keep a gluten-free household and remain vegetarian? All of our major protein foods included gluten. (pizza, pasta with cheese, boca burger, grilled cheese, that sort of thing).

Thanks for reading, celiacgirls or anyone else who has insight into this.

HEIDI

Hello Heidi, I am celiac 52, I have 4 children, all celiac, but two are also vegetarians. One is 30, and one is 19. Today while shopping I found a book The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen by Donna Klein. I also went to a cooking demonstration at our Wegman's grocery store. The author is Annalise G. Roberts and the name of her cookbook is Gluten-Free Baking Classics. The bread recipes are wonderful, the best results that I have had yet. Her vanilla cupcakes were soft, moist and delicious. I recommend both books. Good luck! I also have 4 sisters, all celiac. All my neices and all my nephews also have the disease. Total now? (17) all tested by Enterolabs or Kimball Genetics

[MySuicidalTurtle]

I have not found it too hard to be a vegetarian with Celiac Disease. Franklin Farm veggie burgers are the best. Good luck to your son, Heidi!

[momandgirls]

My youngest is dairy and gluten free and also vegetarian. I make a lot of soups - black bean, cannelini bean, vegetable, etc. How about chili? Beans and rice? Eggplant parmagian with soy cheese? I just found a recipe for broccoli soup the other day and the girls loved it. We like the Kinnickinnick pizza crusts and use soy cheese. We make our own bread - we never found any premade that we like. Our favorite mix is Pamela's. As for pasta, we don't like Tinkyada at all - we prefer Organ corn and rice pasta (there are multiple shapes, including a fun farm animal shape that my kids really like) or soybean pasta (comes in different colors and the girls love it). Let me know if you'd like any recipes...

[Cam's Mom]

I also have been a vegetarian for 20+ years and my kids' early years were vegetarian as well. When my daughter was diagnosed with both celiac and diabetes last year (at 5) we tried to introduce meat into her diet. My son (her twin) took to it like he was missing it for his first 5 years and we have come to understand how important it is to his diet. As for my daughter, she just won't touch it. She says she is willing to eat peanut butter and other beans every day but just can't deal with meat.

I agree with the previous post that suggested that you change your way of thinking about gluten free and vegetarian food. It sounds like you have always prepared healthy fresh food for your family and you should just continue to do that.

I make all of our baked goods from scratch and other than the bread, no one would be able to tell the difference. My daughter loves the flax meal bread that I make - so no complaints there. I just make all of the same foods I have always made, just modified slightly to fit a healthier diet for her. (The real challenge is keeping enough meat in the house for my son - when no one else eats it).

Some of the things we make are lasagna, mac 'n cheese, pizza, pasta salad, chili, hearty soups with beans and kale and pototoes. Lite Life tofu pups are gluten-free for quick meals. We make a very tastey crustless quiche, tacos, huevos rancheros - you name it, we make it!

Believe me, we are MAJOR foodie snobs but if you embrace this challenge and "get into it" you too will become an amazing gluten-free Chef and gluten eating folks will not know the difference. My family absolutely refused to go gluten-free in the house. Finally I insisted that it was important that we all act as a team to support Camryn and her health - and now that I am making really tastey food there has not been a single complaint! Take the leap, you'll see, it can be great - especially with summer coming and all the fresh and local produce.

One other thing I have come to realize is that most vegetarian diets are too dependent on carbohydrates. It has been good for us to branch out and get more into veggies and other protein sources and base or meals around those instead of starting with th ecarbs and working from there.

Good luch to you!

barb

[Pacer]

Thanks so much to everyone who has replied. Live and learn.

I had no idea there could possibly be so many celiac vegetarians - and even a BOOK! OMG I am heading to amazon .com as soon as I sign off this forum.

That said, I do plan to offer my son some fish or chicken options just so he can mix up his diet a bit. I never thought I would cook meats but that just about says it all about being a mom. Problem is, I'm going to have to "teach" him to eat meats, which I don't think I'll be too great at. I have always tried to be sensitive to meat-eating friends and never really bashed meat in front of the kids, but ar the same time, I've been crystal clear that I'd never touch it and it was their choice whether they'd want to.

~~~sidebar~~~How weird is this - somehow my son wound up tasting clams several years ago and always liked them. In the past my DH has cooked him clams and they shared them. So this week I figured I'd try. Although I am and expert veg cook, I don't know much about clams, so nobody ever told me don't cover them all the way. I can honestly say I was not expecting a black dirt explosion on my stove. Dh came home and saw the carnage and informed me you are "always" supposed to leave a little space open on the pot when steaming clams. ~~end sidebar~~~

See, i'm working on it. :-)

Those are good suggestions about the pasta and 'light sauces'. I have tried the tinkyada and other brands..it is interesting to know that's about as good as it gets. I guess the term "foodie snob" would fit me as well...I hate the idea of anything snobbish, because in the past I have always felt that my choices are my choices and have no bearing on others. But in this case it is sort of important to figure out whether my definition of "good pasta" is achievable ..or not.

In the past we have had OK luck with Lasagna. It kind of makes the 'pasta' part secondary.

Has anyone ever tried making their own pasta? I used to do that before DH was dx'd. I wonder if that would help at all. I will definitely get into those bread mixes again.

re "poor man's risotto" - you mean a version where you dont have to stir it? I don't have a rice cooker. is this a celiac must-have? Or could this quickie risotto be made on stove-top too.

Ahh -- sorry for the long post, trying to address everything. What a great time to have a lobster shortage, which I just read about in the paper. (as I recall DS kind of liked lobster once when he tried it).

Thanks , thanks. HEIDI

[Pacer]

My youngest is dairy and gluten free and also vegetarian. I make a lot of soups - black bean, cannelini bean, vegetable, etc. How about chili? Beans and rice? Eggplant parmagian with soy cheese? I just found a recipe for broccoli soup the other day and the girls loved it. We like the Kinnickinnick pizza crusts and use soy cheese. We make our own bread - we never found any premade that we like. Our favorite mix is Pamela's. As for pasta, we don't like Tinkyada at all - we prefer Organ corn and rice pasta (there are multiple shapes, including a fun farm animal shape that my kids really like) or soybean pasta (comes in different colors and the girls love it). Let me know if you'd like any recipes...

Hi, I am OK with figuring out recipes, but a bit light on logisitics. Where do you guys get teh bread crumbs to make eggplant parm? Do you make your own? I know, with the price of gluten-free bread, I woudln't want to waste a bit of it, does anyone know how to DIY breadcrumbs?

Where do you (or anyone) buy your stuff like the cute pasta shapes? I live in NYC and theoretically we have lots of health food stores, but I wind up having to go to 3 or 4 different stores to get all the different stuff I need. Also, I have ha dproblems in the past with buying mixes and , due to low shelf turnover, finding them infested with meal moths. (ick).

As I have said previously - my DH pretty much told me a long time ago don't bother trying to buy or make 'revisionist' (better word than fake I hope) stuff for him. I'm sure the mail order sources have come a long way since then...who is recommended for one-stop-shopping?

Thanks for reading. Heidi

[Pacer]

I agree with the previous post that suggested that you change your way of thinking about gluten free and vegetarian food. It sounds like you have always prepared healthy fresh food for your family and you should just continue to do that.

Believe me, we are MAJOR foodie snobs but if you embrace this challenge and "get into it" you too will become an amazing gluten-free Chef and gluten eating folks will not know the difference. barb

OK, I'll take your word for it. ;-)

Just to end on a positive note, there are two dishes our family REALLY enjoys, that are great the way they have always been, no revisions necessary. (both contain dairy unfortunately)

~banana cream pie in a crushed nut crust. I can make this as-is from New Basics cookbook. It is easy to make a nut crust, just crush some cashews, combine with beaten egg white and sugar to taste , and press into a pan, bake til crisp. My (hopefully) non-celiac son asks for this as "nut brittle" for dessert.

~Raclette. It is a Swiss national dish, made from melted cheese served with steamed potatoes , cornichons and pickled onions. Decadent , but a holiday favorite around here.

Heidi

[Juliet]

I call it my "poor man's risotto" because I don't cook it stirring constantly. I use a rice cooker (which I think has paid for itself months ago even if it breaks down tonight) but you could easily cook it over a stove. Arborio rice has such a high starch content it's still very sticky even without making an actual risotto. I add the vegetable base with it, cook the veggies (normally asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onions, bell peppers, and sometimes artichoke hearts at the end) with a little olive oil, garlic, lemon pepper, oregano, Italian parsley, thyme, minced fresh rosemary, and a pinch of cayenne, then when all is cooked (veggies & rice) I mix it together with a basil pesto and parmesan cheese. There are some decent store bought pestos that are gluten free that I use but other times I make my own (I'm in California - easy for me to grow basil, oregano, Italian Parsley, rosemary, etc.) It's great!

[Juliet]

Also - bread crumbs are easy to make with cheap rice bread. Just dry it out, crumble it up in a food processor and add spices.

[hathor]

Heck, hon, I have to avoid casein, egg, soy, & yeast, too, and I have more recipes than I can ever make. The trickiest part is eating out. I'm finding that I am slowly developing a repetoire of restaurants and particular dishes that work. But eating at home is no trouble at all (except for deciding what to make, making sure I have the ingredients & actually making it -- hence my desire for a repetoire of restaurants )

In addition to the book already mentioned, check out Food Allergy Survival Guide. It contains information about nutrition and menu planning, and all the recipes are vegan.

The fatfreevegan recipe site has an entire section for gluten-free dishes. Of course, many of the dishes at it, other vegetarian recipe sites, and vegetarian cookbooks don't contain gluten.

There are two Yahoo groups for gluten free vegetarians (one vegetarian and one vegan). The vegan one has scads of recipes posted and more all the time.

Open Original Shared Link

[edgeyveggie]

Hey, not trying to spam my website but if you're looking for a dedicated vegetarian/vegan celiac disease community I'd like to recommend my site VEGIAC.com (Open Original Shared Link) it's specifically for vegans and vegetarians who have celiac disease. I love my vegetarian gluten-free diet by the way! Hahah