These 10 tips on how to cook for a celiac will help boost your confidence with gluten free entertaining.
So, you are planning to cook dinner for your friend or family member who has Celiac Disease. Where do you start? Does it really matter if a little bread crumbs get into their food? Do you really have to spend $10 on the spice that say’s ‘gluten free’ when you can buy the other one for $3? The answer is YES! It really does matter. You have to take this seriously.
A Few Celiac Disease Symptoms
People with Celiac Disease can experience a whole range of symptoms when they are exposed to gluten:
- headaches
- cognitive impairment
- anxiety/depression
- vomiting
- constipation/diarrhea
- joint pain
- bloating (I can look 5 months pregnant within minutes)
- insomnia
- extreme fatigue
- break out in a blistery rash called Dermatitis Herpetiformis
We all experience different symptoms. In the past, I have gotten sick from not washing my hands after giving my dog a treat. Sometimes it takes weeks before feeling like myself again. People are not making this up. Certified gluten free products are usually tested to under 20 ppm some are under 10 ppm. When you have Celiac Disease a tiny bread crumb can make you sick.
How Much is 20 ppm?
But I Cook Gluten Free all the Time for My Celiac…
The thing is, you don’t want to tell your host they made you sick. So, often the host doesn’t even know. They think they rocked that dinner out of the park for you. Meanwhile you can’t wait to go home, lay on the floor groan, moan and cry your heart out while this awful pain goes through your digestive system. Then you make promises you will never eat out again while you have endless diarrhea. Do you really want to put your loved one through that? Let’s get down to the 10 tips.
10 Tips On How To Cook For A CELIAC
1. Bread crumbs/flour
They get everywhere. Before you start cooking look around your kitchen. Wipe out your microwave, stove, countertop corners and anywhere else you can think of to clean. Then replace your kitchen cloth with a clean one.
2. Carefully inspect your cooking equipment
DO NOT:
- plan on using your metal baking dishes that had yesterday’s baked cookies crusted to the bottom
- use a strainer
- use your regular toaster/toaster oven
You do not need to go buy new kitchen equipment
- Baking trays: line with parchment paper
- BBQ: lay down aluminum foil
- Toaster: put toast in oven on parchment paper lined tray/aluminum foil, select broil high, flip toast
- Strainer: use pot lid
3. Using condiments/spices
If the condiment was ‘double dipped’ into a gluten containing food you can’t use it. You will have to buy new condiment.
Label condiments for the Celiac person/friend to keep in your fridge. My mom always labels a peanut butter just for Celiacs in the family to use for when we come over. Try to buy condiments like ketchup in squeeze containers. The celiac person can also bring over their own condiments if you are unsure about yours.
4. Don’t use wooden utensils/cutting boards.
Gluten can get into the pores of the wood. Instead cook with silicone/metal utensils and make sure your cutting board has been throughly scrubbed and cleaned.
5. Alcohol
Although they say distilled alcohol is gluten free I have been really sick from unknowingly drinking cranberry vodka that had been distilled in wheat. So be careful with hard liquor. Wine is gluten free and you can buy gluten free beer.
6. Coffee and Tea
Look up your teas in certified product finder link below to clarify if they are safe. Flavoured coffee can have gluten.
7. Try not to make a meal containing ‘gluten’ and ‘gluten free’ foods
It is so easy to contaminate ingredients especially under the stress of entertaining people. Make sure you are alert and aware in the kitchen because it can so easily happen. For example, you are talking away and accidentally place the ‘gluten free’ burger on a regular bun. Oops! Nope, they can’t eat it now.
8. Try to think of a meal that is simple and doesn’t require tons of ingredients
For example, a baked/steamed potato with salad or steamed broccoli. It really can be that simple. Something more elaborate might be Mexican tacos; cut up vegetables and other toppings. Have everyone build their own taco.
9. Ask the Celiac to come and help you prepare their meal with you
10. Ask if they can bring something they can eat
I actually prefer just to bring my own food. Then I have nothing to worry about and I feel like I haven’t caused the host too much trouble.
Tip for buying ‘gluten free’ products for Celiac Cooking
- Go for the products with the certified gluten free symbols. See my post here on Why You Need To Buy CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE HALLOWEEN CANDY.
- Look up products in the gf product finders linked below.
- Ask your friend/relative which product they buy.
- Lastly, if you must buy a product that isn’t certified read the ingredient list. If you see wheat, rye, barley, oats or gluten, in either the CONTAINS or MAY CONTAIN list it is NOT safe for a CELIAC.
Where Can I Find Certified Gluten Free Products?
Her are two links to gluten free product finders. Type in the product you are searching for and it will give you a list of gluten free products.
2. Canadian Gluten Free Product Finder under this link helps to look up certified products.
Hopefully you feel prepared to cook for a Celiac with these 10 tips. Let me know if you can think of any other suggestions in the comment section below.
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