Gluten free/wheat free/dairy free? Help! Post Reply

[anootka]

I have been advised that my child's condition will be greatly helped if we switch over to a Gluten Free diet, as well as Dairy free. I've spent this past weekend going supermarket to supermarket and getting everything I can find, but still feel that the selection is quite limited.

Is there anyone out there who can suggest something other then the supermarkets (sainsburys, waitrose and asda have already had a visit from me), cafes, restraints, websites or books I should read, all advice is very much appreciated.

Thanks
A

[Claire M]

Hi,

There is a website called www.dietaryneedsdirect.co.uk which is quite good - especially for treats.

You have probably already discovered it but Waitrose stock an ice cream substitute called Swedish Glace which is really nice.

My son is severely lactose intolerant but can eat West Country farmhouse cheddar provided it has a PDO sticker.

Wholefoods on Lavender Hill stock a Hale and Hearty bread mix which is free from just about everything, very delicious and very easy to make.

Thats all i can think of for now - good luck!

Claire

[fooxxyy]

Hi My little one has the same problem to be honest I do my shopping at Ocado web, the web is designed to choose the food which are gluten,milk free and ect.Try as well shops for vegan,at balham you can find shop As Nature Intended. Good luck

[jcr]

in terms of dairy free stuff....holland and barrett do dairy free cream cheese - by tofutti i think. different variations. my son now absolutely loves it. they usually have 'cheddar' slices, and 'cheddar' cheese (also dairy free) - so you can make 'cheese' sauce with soya milk etc.
they also have different ice cream to swedish glace (although swedish glade is very good) and a range of soya yoghurts and snacks. also 'chocolate' buttons and smarties (dairy free) . if you do online shopping most of them stock a range of alpro stuff - from cream substitute to custard substitute to natural 'yoghurt' and fruit 'yoghurts'.
any vegan cookbook helps with the dairy free obviously
also moo free do chocolate and easter eggs and things like that and you can buy at a range of places including amazon.
dietary needs direct is pretty good.
asda normally have quite a good aisle too in terms of specialist allergy foods. they have some great chocolate buttons.
'Pure' marg - as a substitute for butter - they have this in waitrose.
Also stork do a vegetable spread for baking (in a block like a butter block) that has no dairy in it. the one in the tub has dairy in it.
there is another health food shop in east sheen that has most of the stuff above and a few other specialist foods too ('Nourish' - opposite waitrose).
hope this helps

[anootka]

Thank you so much for all your replies, very helpful and informative!

[Jetsettingbaby]

My son is on gluten and wheat free and dairy free , so he is on coconut milk, which is the most non offense one of them all. there is a cook book called the Autism and ADHD cookbook, which has all gluten and wheat free and dairy free recipes for kiddies, including lunch box ideas. ALso once you look in to it and get in to the hang of it. its not that hard. a little more baking on your part pom bears are great snacks for being out and about. also the free from range which you know about is great, i get their pizzas chicken nuggets they can have mcain oven chips (just make sure they are the right ones it says on the pack) i get fish fingers and chicken nuggets and the gluten and wheat free pasta for lasagnas ect. rice dishes are great too.. if you want to chat further PM me.. i have devoted my life to this for the past 9 months

[maryd]

Check out www.candidacanbefun.co.uk for lots of information and ideas. The cookbook is great too!

[iamjules]

Hi- your paediatric dietitian who advised you to go gluten/ wheat and dairy free should be able to direct you to where to get what you need- there is variable regulation so depending on the age of your child, it's best to get professional advice

[Hellokitty]

My daughter has severe allergies to wheat, cows milk, egg and nuts, so a very restricted diet. Dandelion health food shop on Northcote Road is excellent and stocks many wheat and diary free products, bread, pasta, breakfast cereals and kids treats. Good luck.

[Soon-to-be-a-SMOG]

My second daughter has had to go dairy, wheat, egg and soya free too and i'm finding things quite tricky. She's ok for now as she's just on purees, so fruit, veg, rice etc are fine. But I worry about when she gets to 1 and onwards as my first lived on pasta, sandwiches and yoghurt !

Where do I get the free from nuggets and fish fingers, and are they free from everything, or just gluten ?

We've found so far that millet works well in place of porridge type things for brekkie. Ener-G bread (rice bread) toasted is 'ok', there's pasta made from rice / corn which takes forever to cook, but tastes ok. Making our own bread looks to be a go-er as we have a bread machine and free from flour. But i'm no domestic goddess so I need quick & easy options !

Would love to chat to anyone local who has experience. i'm a bit shell-shocked still !

[Honeymummy]

_freefrom fish fingers by Youngs (Ocado) or there's another brand at Sainsbury's.
_freefrom chicken nuggets (Sainsbury's)
_Dietary Specials ciabatta rolls & crispbread/toasts (Co-op & Ocado)
_Lovemore Jammy wheels (Waitrose)
_Kallo dark chocolate rice cakes (Waitrose)
_Granovita vegetable pate (ASDA freefrom aisle 22 or 23)
_corn/rice pasta (most supermarkets)
_'mozzarella style' soya cheese (Wholefoods) great for melting on pizza
_'cheddar style' soya cheese (Wf) for cooking
_spelt pizza bases (Wf)
_buckwheat flour (Wf) or Doves wheat free (Co-op) flours (to make pancakes)
_Pure dairy-free margarines (olive/soya/sunflower) Co-op, Waitrose, Ocado
_Silken tofu to replace eggs in pancakes (cheapest from ASDA)
_applesauce to replace eggs in cakes
_chicken or beef sausages by Hilalturk (ASDA next to humous)
_soya milk
_dairy-free chocolate buttons (those in ASDA have coconut oil but in Waitrose you can find some without)
_dairy-free chocolate lollies (ASDA & Waitrose)
_crisps: walkers ready salted & ready salted hoola hops
_frozen chips: many brands do just 'salt, potato, sunflower'
_egg-free mayonnaise (ASDA, Ocado, Waitrose)
_Orgran Animal Outback -mini choc cookies (Dandelion)
_Alpro soya yoghurts (the shop someone mentioned in Balham)
_Alpro soya chocolate yogurts (non-refrigerated, ASDA)

Cookbook: 'Allergy-free cookbook no eggs, no dairy, no gluten, no nuts' by Alice Sherwood (children's food)

[Soon-to-be-a-SMOG]

Can't have soya though either, have seen some of those but lots have soya in too
But thank you so much ! I'll scroll through and work out if any are soya free too. Otherwise soya trial here we come !! :-/

[Soon-to-be-a-SMOG]

Applesauce in place of eggs ! Who knew ?! Could be v.handy for my little one's first birthday cake *sob*.

[anootka]

Again thanks so much, I've got so much brilliant info, this is truly helpful!
Thanks to everyone!
(we too can't do soya only rice milk, which both of my children seem to like)

[SRR]

Hi, it can be really difficult. My little one is wheat, dairy, rice and soya free but there are a few things that you can try (in addition to the loads of really great suggestions from everyone else). Potatoes, polenta- which I cook up and spread into a pan and slice into "bread". Corn pasta-available on line but if your little one can eat rice then sainsbury's and most of the other shops also have this in their "free from" range. I try and avoid most gluten free processed foods because of the soya and rice problem. Hummus, pate (some of waitrose's own brand are good-but be careful and check all ingredients). Peanut butter (if no nut allergy)

Bob's red mill does some cake and bread mixes and a great pancake mix you might want to try. I blend vegies and mix with the pancake mix for savoury or you can use fruit for sweet.

Sainsburys and Tesco both do a gluten free porridge oat (porridge is gluten free but if your child is highly sensitive they may react to the cross-contamination as regular oats may be processed in a site where other things are processed).
.

Flours/grains-holland and barrett, whole foods, health food stores-buckwheat, potato, corn, almond (asuming no nut allergy); juwar/sorghum, millet . good website-- http://www.foodsubs.com/Flournw.html. corn crackers (instead or rice ones etc)

Please feel free to get in touch if you want more help or just to chat, it can be really difficult and frustrating at times especially in the beginning. Good Luck!!

Please feel free to get in touch