Help...my College Freshman Was Just Diagnosed

[SSage]

Any suggestions for a mom whose college freshman was just diagnosed yet is 500 miles from home!? Her college cafeteria is not gluten free and she has to move out of her dorm into an apt. so she can cook....but she doesnt cook much. She is in Lynchburg, VA and there are no whole foods or Trader Joe's near by. Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

[Darn210]

Lots of regulare grocery stores will have specialty gluten-free items in their health food sections. But there are lots of mainstream foods that are just fine. The following link gives a list of manufacturers that list gluten on their labels. Therefore, if you read the label and don't see wheat, rye, barely or oats, it's OK even if they use the ever ambiguous "natural flavoring" . . .

Open Original Shared Link

fresh meat, fruit, veggies . . . all good

rice pasta (Tinkyada is a favorite but probably won't find that one at a regular grocery store)

fruity pebbles, trix, dora the explorer stars are all mainstream cereals

peanut butter on rice cakes (my daughter's personal favorite)

tacos (Ortega brand stuff is OK)

rice

Betty Crockers Potato Buds (instant mashed potatos)

tunafish

Hormel chili

Oscar Meyer lunch meats (read the label, it's part of Kraft and will list gluten)

I think for a college person, something like one of those little george forman grills would work great for them to be able to quickly grill/cook a chicken breast or hamburger.

That's a few to get you started. I will try and find NoGluGirl's list and link it or post if for you.

[Darn210]

Well . . . it was easier to find than I thought . . . (Jin, hope you don't mind that I'm passing out your list )

I have a list that should really help. This is overwhelming. I went through this with myself eight months ago. You spend most of your day cooking and cleaning obsessively. The rest you are on the phone with reps from companies trying to find out what is safe. I decided to save you the trouble!

1. There are a number of things in the regular grocery that are safe. Some things are labeled already. Wal-Mart's Great Value brand has numerous things you can eat.

2. For the love of God use Coupons on items you are allowed to eat. People can get them and print them out online even. Call some of the local stores and ask if they accept online coupons.

3. Check the ads online and in the newspaper. You would be surprised how many people do not do this.

4. Some items like rice flour and rice noodles are safe to buy at the Chinese or oriental market. The merchants are more than happy to help you if you cannot read the label.

Now, here is my list of great things to get you started:

Condiments:

Smart Balance Margarine*

Crisco Shortening

Crisco Oil

Pompeiian Olive Oil

Great Value soy sauce

Heinz Ketchup

Lea & Perrins Worchestershire Sauce (all Lea & Perrins Products are safe)

Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce

Kraft French Fat-Free Salad Dressing

Kraft Thousand Island Fat-Free Salad Dressing

Pace Picante Sauce

Ortega Salsa

All Classico Red and *White sauces

All Jif Peanut Butters including Smooth Sensations

Welch's Grape Jelly

Cool Whip*

Philadelphia Cream Cheese*

Miracle Whip

Daisy Sour Cream (fat-free, low-fat, regular)*

Snack Foods:

Utz Potato Chips (Found at Sam

[HouseKat]

Any suggestions for a mom whose college freshman was just diagnosed yet is 500 miles from home!? Her college cafeteria is not gluten free and she has to move out of her dorm into an apt. so she can cook....but she doesnt cook much. She is in Lynchburg, VA and there are no whole foods or Trader Joe's near by. Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

SSage,

In you and your daughter's situation, I think that mail-order is the way to go. The things that she cannot buy locally can be bought online by you or her and shipped to her apartment. I've been using our local health food stores, but I've also been using websites like vitacost.com and Amazon to order things that are not available locally and things that I want to buy in bulk. Amazon has a repeat shipping option so you could, for instance, set it to ship you daughter a 12-pack carton of Tinkyada pasta every three months. She could use the "wishlist" feature to make her grocery list - friends and family could use it to send her gluten-free care packages.

I highly recommend getting her a rice cooker. I bought an Aroma 8-cup Rice Cooker & Steamer at Target and it's the best investment I've made since going gluten-free. I cook up a big batch of rice 2-3 times a month, store it in plastic containers or baggies in the fridge and freezer so I always have it ready to use. The rice cooker can also be used to steam meats and vegetables, and as a crock pot! Crock pot cooking is a great option for her situation; she can throw ingredients in the pot in the morning, spend all day on campus, and come home to a great dinner.

On another discussion board, I heard about a great bread alternative, Corn Thins. The people over there are raving about them, so I'm ordering a carton of them from Amazon. I've missed sandwiches and I'm told that they are great for that purpose.

Kate

[~alex~]

Is there ayway that you could go see her for a weekend or other convenient time so that you could help her cook a bunch of gluten-free meals that she could freeze and then use as needed. Once she cooked them once with you she could probably do most of them on her own.

Her moving into her own place is actually good timing because she can get all new, uncontaminated stuff like her toaster, cutting boards, frying pan, etc.

Fruit, vegetables, rice, and chicken/turkey are all naturally gluten-free things that should be pretty easy for her to find and prepare.

[taylor-]

Hey! im a college freshman too, but i have had celiac for about 18 years. I have my own apartment as well, just make sure if she has roommates that they know the situation and don't leave bread crumbs all over the counter and just pick up after themselves and stuff. I am a horrible cook!! i very rarely cooked before coming to college, so when i came my mom gave me some of my favorite recipes and a gluten-free cookbook. My new best friend is a george forman, and i am slowly learning that you can make chicken taste a thousand different ways depending on the spices you put on it. haha.

As far as shopping, a lot of times you can get pasta, corn tortilla's and possibly even a pancake mix in a regular grocery store. when I had to find a health food store in tallahassee, I literally went to google and typed in "tallahassee, fl health food store" and the map came up with a bunch of different stores that i visited. There is one good one, so apart from my usual grocery trips I try and go to that store at least once a month. other than that i just stock up when i go home (i've been home twice, thanksgiving and christmas) and bring a ton of stuff back up with me.

Oh i also make salads a lot! either the kind that comes with everything in the bag or i'll buy lettuce and whatever i want to mix in it.

She should be fine! and if you or her have any questions about anything I would be happy to help!

ps. does she go to Liberty?? several of my friends go/have gone there!

[Phyllis28]

I was diagnosed as a spring break of my junior year. I only knew the basics of cooking so I kept everything quick and easy.

Below are samples of my five to ten minute meals:

Canned Baked Beans with hot dogs

Tortilla chips or corn tortillas with cheese and precooked meat, chicken, turkey etc.

Microwaved baked potato - stuff with precooked meat and cheese.

Peanut Butter and Jelly on rice cakes.

Tuna Melt - use corn tortillas (taco style), rice bread (open face) or rice cakes (open face) in place of the bread. Microwave with cheese add tomatos.

Also, making a big pot of spegetti sauce with meat or chili once a week makes a quick and easy meals through out the week. Both can go over rice, rice pasta, layered in corn tortillas or over a baked potato.

In addition to the George Forman grill mentioned below a crockpot might be useful. Many crockpot receipes are naturally gluten free or easily adaptable. I make the meal in the morning to be ready in the evening but if I remember college correctly it might work better to make the meal in the evening and let it cook all night. A crockpot provided lots of leftovers for quick meals.

One way to locate a store with specialty gluten free food is to look on the websites of companies specialize in gluten free food. The is usually a section like "find a store". I use the Glutino and Enjoy Life websites when I need to locate food away from home.

[ThatlldoGyp]

hi, I went through this myself... being so far away must be very frustrating with a new diagnosis and life change.... It is time to find Amy's organic and gluten free products in the organic frozen foods section (hopefully at her local store or health food store ) as well as her premade soups, etc... That over rice with some chicken thrown in takes only about 15 min., unless if the chicken is precooked and seasoned and then frozen for later use, then it is even faster! ... Annie's has gluten-free rice pasta mac and cheese... add ground meat and a frozen or fresh veg and she has a meal that is more than any college student usually gets, lol! There are also gluten-free frozen waffles that are easy to grab for a healthy lunch if topped with fruit and yogurt... Also, lots of Bob's red mill mixes so when brownies are needed, she has that on hand! gluten-free pastas are a must as well as an arsenal of spaghetti sauces and frozen home made pesto if you have any to spare.... Oh, please teach her to make pesto on her next trip home and then make a ton of it... it freezes well for about a year....

Home made taco salads (add salsa, corn, an use cumin and chile to spice the meat, not the packaged kind) , green salads, etc. help a lot. And she needs a crock pot.. throw meat, potato, and a veg in the morning, italian seasoning...and viola! healthy dinner by evening with minimal effort...

This is the time that she has to learn to really shop for and feed herself, but as we all know, learning is a process.... I would help her out by packing the "red shopping bible "in a box with a bunch of easy meals and mail it to her to get her started and then as she learns what she can eat and if/where she can find it you can taper off. I would also supply her with a bunch of "starter items" that she will "normally consume" and then help her learn to internet search the local stores and health food stores for the items that are to be her "staples". (print up the search if necessary and mail it to her). Be sure she has plenty of rice cakes... that with jam or peanut butter got me through a ton of late night study sessions, lol!

Remind her that if she should be tempted, go with wine or a simple distilled drink always that she makes or pours herself ALWAYS... NO BEER unless it is of the gluten-free variety... which I doubt they will be serving knowing what my friends drank back then, lol! ... and when she is finally 21, bite the bullet if you need to, and get her a few 6 packs of gluten-free beer so she can try that as well. But have her hide it in her room as only the rare roomie will respect an unguarded 6 pack, lol!

Oh, if she likes them, whole nuts are good as well.I can not tell you how many mornings my breakfast was tea, whole nuts and some fruit.. easy to pack and eat later as well. Hope this helps! Oh, her own set of cooking pots that are clearly marked gluten-free so her roomie won't accidently gluten her! Good luck, this is a scary but important step! I wish you both the best!

[MySuicidalTurtle]

She is by Kroger stores. They usually have a lot of gluten-free food and will order more.

[pugluver31902]

The book "Beyond Ricecakes" is great EASY 'cooking' for college kids.

[SSage]

Well . . . it was easier to find than I thought . . . (Jin, hope you don't mind that I'm passing out your list )

Thank you sooooooo much! I am now fighting with the university as they want to make her pay for a meal plan even though they cant provide a gluten free meal. Your list is so helpful. Again thank you!

[SSage]

I am overwhelmed and so grateful for everyones kind and helpful responses! I am sending all of this info on to my daughter. She is still losing weight but her violent gastrointestinal symptoms have subsided. I think that her fear of being "sick" is causing her to limit her food intake as she is unsure about hidden gluten; thus the weight loss. All of your help is invaluable and again I am so thankful and appreciate each suggestion. Have a blessed week!

[SSage]

Hey! im a college freshman too, but i have had celiac for about 18 years. I have my own apartment as well, just make sure if she has roommates that they know the situation and don't leave bread crumbs all over the counter and just pick up after themselves and stuff. I am a horrible cook!! i very rarely cooked before coming to college, so when i came my mom gave me some of my favorite recipes and a gluten-free cookbook. My new best friend is a george forman, and i am slowly learning that you can make chicken taste a thousand different ways depending on the spices you put on it. haha.

As far as shopping, a lot of times you can get pasta, corn tortilla's and possibly even a pancake mix in a regular grocery store. when I had to find a health food store in tallahassee, I literally went to google and typed in "tallahassee, fl health food store" and the map came up with a bunch of different stores that i visited. There is one good one, so apart from my usual grocery trips I try and go to that store at least once a month. other than that i just stock up when i go home (i've been home twice, thanksgiving and christmas) and bring a ton of stuff back up with me.

Oh i also make salads a lot! either the kind that comes with everything in the bag or i'll buy lettuce and whatever i want to mix in it.

She should be fine! and if you or her have any questions about anything I would be happy to help!

ps. does she go to Liberty?? several of my friends go/have gone there!

Yes she does go to liberty Thank you for all of your suggestions! It is so kind of you to take the time out of your busy schedule!

[kbtoyssni]

Thank you sooooooo much! I am now fighting with the university as they want to make her pay for a meal plan even though they cant provide a gluten free meal. Your list is so helpful. Again thank you!

I haven't read the whole thread so hopefully this hasn't been mentioned before. Have you considered getting a 504 plan for her? It's typically done for grade schoolers, but it spells out the responsibilities of both parties to keep your daughter safe. I think if you have one and the university is unable to provide gluten-free food, they would not be able to require her to buy a meal plan.

[Phyllis28]

Celiac is considered a disability under the American Disabilities act. With proper medical documentation she may qualify for support from the university disability office. They maybe able to assist with the problem of the meal plan and other accomdation she may need to stay healthy.

My son qualifies for other reasons other than celiac. I have found the disability office very helpful at the local community college. Also, he get priorty registration for classes.

[mandasmom]

Celiac is considered a disability under the American Disabilities act. With proper medical documentation she may qualify for support from the university disability office. They maybe able to assist with the problem of the meal plan and other accomdation she may need to stay healthy.

My son qualifies for other reasons other than celiac. I have found the disability office very helpful at the local community college. Also, he get priorty registration for classes.

Celiac is def covered by ADA..its likley that whom ever u are dealing with at the Univeristy has no idea about that..keep pressing until you get the right person and certainly have appropriate documentation from your daughters MD. I have a 25 year old daughter who was diagnosed while she was in college too. It is a bit of an adjustment when learning to live with a chronic disease---but after a while you will all be alot more relaxed!! In the beginning I think its best to rely on naturally gluten-free foods. Many of the specialty items are very expensive and have varying appeal to varying people--one persons favorite is anothers trash!! Best of luck and good health!!

[taylor-]

hey again! they are so strict with the dumb food plan thing! haha, all the dorms a freshman can live in at FSU require you to have a meal plan as well. when i talked to them they said either a)i could live in an apartment style dorm (with upperclassmen) or meet with the cafeteria staff once a week and plan my meals for the week. obviously both of those options weren't ideal, which is why i opted for the apartment.

i completely agree with talking/registering with the disabilities office. they will help her with the food plan, and if she ever needs to leave class or anything for an "emergency" they should be able to provide her with documentation and an excuse for the professor.

she should see if there is a nutritionist/dietician on campus. if so, they should be able to assist her as she is starting out on the new diet and maybe even some local stores.

and liberty has such a beautiful campus!

[Beth41777]

Hi, I am 30 and was diagnosed with Celiac over the summer. Kroger has frozen microwaveable meals which are gluten free. My absolute favorite is Amy's gluten free rice macaroni and cheese. It really tastes like the real thing. I take it to work with me all the time for my lunch, along with Hunts snack pack pudding cups (all flavors are gluten free from what I have read... and they don't even have to be refridgerated.) Also many frozen chicken and steak taquitos are gluten free as well - Delimex is one brand that has gluten free tacquitos but there are others- (with corn tortillas of course, not flour) ... I pop them either in the toaster oven or microwave. I eat them with Daisy sour cream, which is gluten free. I also get Ian's wheat free gluten free frozen chicken nuggets which taste really good to me too. (Believe me I have also found my fair share of crappy tasting gluten free food, so I only reccomend good tasting items!) I order gluten free rice noodle soup bowls by Simply Asia a deriviative of the brand Thai Kitchen. You can find these at some stores also, but usually the ones at the store are not the gluten free rice noodle version. I order them by the case from the website, all you do is add water and the seasoning / oil / dehydrated veggie packet and microwave for 3 or 4 minutes. I eat fruity pebbles, those along with cocoa pebbles and trix are gluten free normal cereals. The gluten free cereals that you find at health food stores or at Kroger tend to taste terrible if you ask me. Hope that helps! I know it is tough finding quick easy convenient foods when you have Celiac, but I am learning. I purchased some great tasting crackers, graham crackers, pasta, etc... on a web site: gluten free.com Glutino - Crackers honestly taste like the real think which is absolutely amazing... they are expensive though. Glutino also makes good pretzels. Jo-Sef - Graham Crackers are good too.. not identical to regular graham crackers, but they taste good. I am always searching around for things.

[chrissyinnj]

Thank you sooooooo much! I am now fighting with the university as they want to make her pay for a meal plan even though they cant provide a gluten free meal. Your list is so helpful. Again thank you!

I am curious how the food plan thing panned out. My son will be returning to that school after being diagnosed. I called the food service and they said he could qualify for a special diet if he had a letter from his doctor. I see the original post was a while ago...

[beefree11]

Hi. Not sure if anyone mentioned personal products that contain gluten. My daughter (college senior) decided to remove ALL personal care items that contained gluten and/or its forms since she also had issues/sensitivities to OTHER ingredients. But it might be something to consider. Then those pesky additives that don't actually list GLUTEN, but are:

My link

Hidden sources of gluten --

Open Original Shared Link

[cyberprof]

After I wrote this whole long post, I realized that this is an old thread. Oh, well. Maybe someone else can use it.

Everyone has had good ideas. My son is a freshman but luckily his dorm has one gluten-free entree option each meal time. But he needs to gain weight so he eats a lot on his own.

Progresso soups (not all - see label)

Hormel Chili (read label)

Oscar Meyer hot dogs

Rice - Minute RIce comes in pre-cooked 1-cup servings (expensive but convenient...or you could get a rice cooker) flavors are white, brown, wild/brown and mexican. Rice might be really good while she's healing.

Lunch meat - Hormel

Tuna fish (most are gluten-free - check label)

Thai Kitchen rice soups (like the Top Ramen my roommates ate in college only rice insead of wheat)

Pre-cooked chicken strips

Cereal - Corn, Rice and Flavored Chex cereals, rice krispies (check label on all these ...should say gluten-free very plainly)

Tortila chips -Dorito (not all varieties) Mission (make nachos with chili if she doesn't have to be dairy-free too)

Glutino pretzels dipped in peanut butter

Jars of applesauce

Canned peaches, pears and pineapple with cottage cheese

Hard-boiled eggs (anyone can cook these...good to eat on the run)

Gluten free frozen waffles

And if she wants to get a crock pot, these recepies are really easy. Maybe you could teach her over Christmas/holiday break. Open Original Shared Link All are gluten free and most are the "no prep - dump and cook" variety. If she got a 3.5 or 4 quart slow cooker, cooked on Sunday, she would have pot roast or chicken stew for the whole week.

Good luck!