gluten free familyA mum's blog about gluten-free living in Australia

I’m into cafes. I like the coffee, the cake, the background chatter… but add gluten free kids to the equation and they quickly lose their zing. This is usually how it goes:

Me: “No those delicious looking cupcakes with the irresistible pink icing and fairy dust sprinkles are not gluten free.”

Them: (indescribable animal noise)

Me: “What about that yummy orange and almond cake?”

Actually, I don’t say that last part aloud anymore. Though I personally quite like the ubiquitous orange and almond cake, I’m not sure why it, together with a few large, dense, pre-packaged cookies, has become the stock, standard gluten free offering of many cafe chains.

So last Saturday morning I steeled myself for the usual onslaught as I sought out a caffeine hit at Coffee Fest, a cafe near the cinemas at Macquarie Centre in Sydney’s North Ryde.

The kids noses were firmly pressed to the counter glass so I asked – as I always do – if they had anything gluten free.

Imagine my surprise when they pointed out almost a whole shelf of pastry treats including tarts, slices, cakes and about eight different cookies. (In my enthusiasm I spent way too much.)

So it looks like there is a move by cafes to boost their gluten free selections.

At the more upmarket end of the cafe spectrum, for instance, there is The Tea Room in the Queen Victoria Building in the Sydney CBD. It now serves a gluten free high tea including a selection of cakes and pastries made from buckwheat, quinoa, chickpea flour and almond meal.

Feel free to post a comment if you know of any other coffee shops that have a really great gluten free range.

MB

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gluten free cooking

I was doing it a bit of internet research on gluten the other day and it struck me how many different reasons there were for taking gluten out of your diet.

Unless you have been ordered to avoid it by a doctor, I figure it must be pretty confusing for anyone weighing up the pros and cons of this inconvenient dietary regime.

So I have decided to do a quick review of the multitude of reasons so many of us are taking this path.

Coeliac disease This is a well documented medical condition in which the stomach lining is damaged by gluten. It might cause many painful symptoms or none at all, but sufferers must strictly avoid all gluten – even trace fragments that could be picked up by accident from other nearby foods. A blood test from your doctor can determine whether you might be suffering from this condition.

Gluten intolerance It might be eczema, regular tummy aches, IBS or some other annoying condition that leads many to avoid gluten. Taking gluten out of the diet or even just reducing it can be enough to help sufferers of these sorts of irritating conditions,  but doctors are unlikely to suggest gluten free regimes because little research has been done on their effects beyond the very serious coeliac condition. There are some tests that can be done to detect intolerances but they are not easy to track down.

Sick, grumpy children They could be included in the category above, but many gluten intolerant children are not able to articulate particular health issues. Instead they may eat poorly, sleep poorly, suffer constipation or diarrhea and demonstrate unhappy or disruptive behaviour.  They may also have particular behavioural issues or poor concentration and could be underweight (though some may also be big for their age).  The medical community at large does not really acknowledge this condition though some dieticians and paediatricians are starting to cotton on to the devastating impact of food intolerances on children.

Because there are such a wide range of reactions in children, key clues to gluten and or dairy intolerance may be  things like chronic ear infections, stuffy noses, and strong favouritism of the very foods they have trouble with. Ironically it is this key symptom that makes it so difficult for parents to choose a gluten and/or dairy free diet because they are unsure what their child might eat instead.

Of course most adapt quite happily to alternatives once the offending foodstuffs are removed but its quite a big leap of faith (I know because I have taken it!).  A dietician who specialises in food intolerances could help you conduct an elimination diet if you want to be sure that these are the offending foods, and could also advise you on the type of dietary supplementation you may need to do to rebalance the diet.

Autism, ADD, ADHD At the core of this gluten and dairy (casein) free regime is the belief that gluten and the dairy protein called casein have an opiate effect on the brains of some children with these conditions.

While the number of doctors promoting this diet as a treatment for conditions such as autism are still in the minority, there are many stories to be found online of a reduction of symptoms in some children (though not all) in response to this diet. The theory is that for these children the food particles are not properly digested because of damage to the stomach called a leaky gut. The opiate effect of these undigested food particles in the blood stream is then thought to act on the brain exaccerbating many behavioural and physical symptoms.

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So there you have it – a potted summary of the many reasons we might choose to avoid gluten. While I cannot vouch for the science behind any of these beliefs, what I can vouch for is my own experience. Taking dairy and gluten from my son’s diet was a revolution for us. It was scary and challenging but we could never go back. (and believe me we have lapsed from time to time on holidays or at special events but we always live to regret it)

We would love to hear your stories and please tell us if you think we have missed something important.

LH

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gluten free: should you supplement?

Since going gluten free I have benefited in some unexpected ways, my favourite being in the waistline department.

I don’t eat as many carbs overall and am less tempted to over indulge when I’m out and about. As a result I feel healthier in general.

So it never occurred to me that by ditching some of those old baddies, me and mine may now be missing out on some important dietary elements.

A few studies cited by experts show that gluten free diets are lower in vital nutrients including calcium, iron, B vitamins and vitamin D as well as folate, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, zinc and magnesium.

Moreover many of the packaged gluten free products are higher in fat and cholesterol than their gluten-based counterparts. And gluten free diets in general are said to be too high in protein and fat and too low in carbohydrates and fibre.

Of course many people who are not on gluten free diets are also not getting enough of the good stuff. Even back in my gluten glory days, I was no stranger to an unbalanced diet. Like most people, I knew what I should be eating but actually doing it was another matter.

The difference is that now that I have done some digging on this particular topic, I can no longer cry ignorant. And having young gluten free mouths to feed provides additional pause for thought.

While I am not qualified to offer dietary advice, here are some of the tips that I found online that may help get things back in balance:

- see a nutritionist who is experienced in gluten free diets

- take vitamin and mineral supplements as advised

- increase your helpings of oats if you can have them, as well as brown rice and quinoa and fruit and vegetables

- ensure your gluten free flours come from whole grains rather than refined sources

MB

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Gluten free playdough

We love playdough. It’s so much fun to mold it into cute little balls, cars and bunny shapes and sometimes we even like to pop a fragment or two into our mouths.

So when someone recently sent me a link to an ad for a new aromatherapy gluten free playdough, it took me back to when my little fusspot had first started out on his gluten free diet.

We couldn’t work out why he kept getting a sore tummy even though we were supplying all his food at daycare.  It was weeks before it dawned on us that he was gobbling up their playdough whenever he got the chance – which of course was made at the centre from wheat flour.

As soon as I discovered this I began making my own gluten free playdough to send with him each week, and in the end the daycare decided to switch from their recipe to my gluten free version so they didn’t have to worry about him when he was out of his usual room.

Unfortunately I can’t remember where I got the recipe from in order to give them credit but I thought I would put it up here for the benefit of everyone facing the same problem. So step up and take credit if you recognise this happy brew:

1/2 cup of rice flour
1/2 cup of corn flour
1/2 cup salt (I know that sounds like a lot)
2 tsp cream of tarter
1 cup water
1 tbsp sunflour oil.

Stick it all in a saucepan and mix it up together and as it heats it will clump together. When it looks like the right sort of density your playdough is ready. If you want to add pretty colours you can add a drop or two of colouring.

You may want to choose natural colours if you think your littlies are likely to have a bit of a chomp. You can reduce down some red cabbage, beetroot, spinach or carrot (in a little water) for some nice natural colours – just don’t add too much liquid if you want the playdough to keep its form. The end product can feel a little greasy when it’s warm so just watch which surfaces you put it on.

Store in a plastic bag in the fridge for a week or two or in the freezer for longer periods. Pop it out of the fridge about 30 mins before you plan to use it so its not too firm.

LH

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Woolies new gluten free snags

Sausages… manna from heaven?  Okay, perhaps only if you are eight or so but they have become something of a staple food group in our house.

For this reason, tracking down good gluten free versions of this family favourite has become a bit of a hobby.

A butcher a couple of suburbs away has joined the gluten free sausage brigade and even has a preservative free variety – but it is not quite close enough for a weekly visit.

And Coles has decent gluten free sausages in its mainstream sausage range (you know, those cheaper, sawdusty ones that kids seem to prefer).

But I am surrounded by Woolies so for a long time I have had to go for chevapi or specialist brands like Peppercorn which are flavoured with grown-up tastebuds in mind.

But Woolies has finally come on board!  Its new mainstream gluten free sausage is actually pretty nice. (Disclaimer: it still contains all of the usual sausagy health hazards)

So I’m going to have to find myself a new hobby.

MB

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FG Roberts gluten free bread

One of my dearest gluten free wishes was granted this week.  Fresh, soft, delicious bread that is perfect for sandwiches, and stays nice and bouncy in a lunch box.

This was the result of my most recent attempt at FG Roberts’ new bread mix which is headed to shops any minute now.

It’s taken me a couple attempts to nail it. The first time around my creaky old scales let me down when measuring out the dry mix which created a slightly stodgy though very edible loaf.

Older, wiser, and armed with some slick new scales I baked another Vienna style loaf for school lunches which resulted in a nice looking loaf. Then, armed with new confidence, I finished off the packet by baking a tasty thin baguette for a barbie last weekend.

Today was my first proper school-day trial of the sliced up Vienna loaf. I am very happy to say that only half a sandwich returned home in my son’s lunchbox – but  more remarkably, this half had retained normal bendy bread-like qualities.

There are plenty of excellent gluten free breads – readymade and mixes – on the market and many of these are tasty and avoid ingredients likely to trigger food sensitivities like soy and yeast, both of which are found in FG Roberts mix.

The readymade loaves are okay as toast but in my view don’t have a soft enough texture to make a satisfying sandwich and many use preservatives as well.

The mixes do better on this score but can quickly lose their form.  Many will toast up nicley, but may resemble rubber within two hours out of the freezer.

FG Roberts has somehow managed to stumble on a winning formula – and they say it only took 15 years of experimentation and 800 loaves.

But by jove I think they’ve cracked it.

LH

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My pepperoni pizza from Hugos

Happy Mother’s day gluten free mums everywhere.

I was whisked away on a ferry to Manly to a well heeled but very comfy lounge bar-style Italian eatery called Hugos which is on the pier near the ferry terminal.

As we entered, I wondered (to myself) how I was going to eat my way around this particular menu. Imagine my glee then, when I noticed the small print at the end of the pizza part of the menu that almost every pizza was available as gluten free if requested.

Now those who have read recent posts will know I am a bit of a pizza fan so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this random encounter with a gluten free pizza menu.

But when it arrived it was a beautiful thin crust pizza covered in pepperoni and mozarella cheese ($24). I doubt I would ever have picked it for a gluten free base in a blind tasting.

Neither would my fussy-pants todder who scoffed large quantities.

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LH

a typical expo haul

We just love gluten free shows here on the GFF blog. We usually come home clutching dozens of product samples and with oodles of new food ideas swimming around in our heads.

We also manage to consume quite a lot of cake at these events.

This coming weekend (15th and 16th) it is Brisbane’s turn to host the Irrisistable Gluten Free Food Show (other cities will have their turn later in the year) and we have five double passes to give away to our readers.

For the unitiated, the show is being held at the Brisbane Convention Centre and will feature loads of food stands from retailers looking to spread the gluten free word on their products, as well as live cooking demos.

Educational sessions from health and nutrition experts are also scheduled as well as presentations from cooking pros like Dr Sue Shepherd of Gluten Freedom fame (and author of numerous gluten free cookery books). Celebrity guest Janella Purcell (from the Biggest Loser) will also be dropping in.

Grownups must pay $15 for a ticket and its $12 for kids aged 12-16. Family tickets are also available for $40 – or if you are feeling lucky you could enter our competition for a free double pass.

All you have to do is send us the name of this blog as well as your name and contact details (which we promise not to use for any other purpose than to pass on to the show’s ticketing team) to mail@glutenfreefamily.com.au. The first five replies will win a double pass each which can be collected on the door at the show.

UPDATE: COMPETITION NOW CLOSED.

LH

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OzeChoc labelled gluten free

A Milo replacement it is not but it does have decidedly Quik-like properties. Either way, the kids really like Dick Smith’s OzeChoc and so do I.

It’s my latest find and one of a new breed of products I am going to dub lurkers because they are not found in supermarket “health food” sections with most of the other gluten free grub. Instead they quietly, modestly lurk among regular products on regular shelves.

But they they are different to products like corn chips and baked beans which may well be gluten free but are not labelled thus.

The lurker makers have not only taken the quality control steps required to ensure their products can be labelled gluten free but also the trouble to declare it loud and proud on the pack.

Because I usually only happen upon them by chance, I thought it may be of use to start listing products we have found that fall into this category.  We will continue to add to this list and would love to hear of any good finds by readers as well. So far we have:

OzeChoc (Dick Smith)

Gluten free burritos (Woolworths brand)

Readymade soups (LaZuppa)

Peanut butter (Kraft)

Frozen gluten free pies and sausage roles (Patties)

Frozen crepes (Creative Gourmet)

Frozen nuggets & fish bites etc  (Bayview)

Frozen pastry, puff & short crust (Pastry Pantry)

MB

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I have battled with lousy kitchen equipment for too long. Scales that are way out of whack, whisks that give off smoke and a mish-mash of tablespoons, teaspoons and cups that just don’t cut the mustard – or even measure the mustard accurately.

It’s all well and good if you can buy all of your cakes, breads and pastries from the shops, but we of the gluten free persuasion do not always have that luxury.

Even simple bread and cake mixes can be hazardous for the ill-equipped. My once-favourite white bread mix, for example, suddenly stopped working out the way it used to. It bubbled up over the bread tin every time I cooked it and I couldn’t tell if the mixture had changed or I had added too much rice milk three times running (seemed unlikely).

I wrote to Orgran’s customer service to see if they could advise me about why this might be happening (for instance, was it because rice milk is more liquid than dairy milk?) but got no response at all from them. As a result I have begun experimenting with other loaves.

But it’s not just bread mixes I have had trouble with. All mixes and recipes can be spoiled by substandard equipment. Although they may seem to work out okay, when we are talking about gluten free cookery, dry, stodgy or doughy results can discourage us from future experimentation, and I have come around to thinking that my time is way to precious to waste on anything that is less than extremely edible.

I used to try to get by on a shoestring when it came to kitchen equipment, but over the last few years I have slowly accumulated a decent collection of baking paraphernalia. My most recent acquisition is a set of digital scales so I can bake another FG Roberts free standing Vienna loaf (necessary because the dry mix needs to be measured out by weight). Not the cheapest piece of kit i’ll admit, but I found one at a fairly bargain price and I hope it will see me through for many years.

So here are my favourite kitchen contraptions:

-Dough hooks (came with my hand mix)
-A good deep bread tin
-Bread cooling rack
-Bread slicing rig (see video)
-Electric knife
-Silicon muffin tray
-Digital scales and measuring jug/spoons
-Silicon rolling pin
-Oven timer (would be lost without it)

LH

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