My nutritionist recommended that I try eliminating wheat from my diet. I am not allergic or intolerant to it, but I thought I would try it anyways. So far I try to have a small bit of wheat once a day. I read all labels (I've always been a label reading Mama since I have food allergies to almonds and oranges) and have tried a few gluten free packaged items and like them.

But I am open to more ideas, recipes, product recommendations.

I was thinking about getting a bread maker but wondered if it was more cost efficient to get one and make gluten free breads with it. Right now I can get a loaf of gluten free bread at the store for under $6 a loaf. If you use a bread maker to make gluten free bread, which one and what are the pro's and cons' of it.

Also which packaged products do you like/dislike?

Thanks!

Sandra

I went wheat / gluten-free earlier this year. My chronic post-nasal drip cleared up immediately and a lot of my gut problems went away.

First of all, I wouldn't use a bread machine to make gluten-free bread mostly because you're not going to knead the bread which is what a bread machine does well. The only reason to knead bread is to develop gluten. You can't eat it so you won't be kneading the bread. And yes, you probably have already noticed how dense gluten-free bread is. Since the gasses from the leavening doesn't get trapped by the gluten, they don't rise.

Personally, I like Namaste baking mixes and Pamela's gluten-free cookies (particularly the Lemon Shortbread and the Chocolate Chunk Pecan). I just make a carrot cake - my favorite cake - with a Namaste spice mix that I doctored further with more spices. It turned out pretty well.

Of the gluten-free products, I eat one slice of gluten-free bread for breakfast and one cookie for a snack. Other than that, I rarely use the specialty products. I eat a lot of tortilla chips, popcorn, rice (including rice crackers), and some potato products. I eat fruit or veggies when I'm looking for a snack. It is amazing how I don't tend to fill-up with junk food when I go out or I'm at a party, etc.

I'm slowly trying other gluten-free products for baking. I haven't found a good waffle mix yet and we tend to have waffles about once a week or once every other week. I DO NOT like the Red Mill products. They taste really harsh to me.

I'm experimenting with other baking. With apple season coming I am toying with making different strudel crusts because I love apple pie. I found an oatmeal crust at a health food restaurant. There is some debate about whether or not gluten-frees should stay away from oats. The latest research says it is okay so I'm willing to risk it.

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Cookie - did your MD suggest that gluten/wheat free would help with the nasal drip or something you found? Myself and my oldest ds has this chronically. Something I would be interested in looking into.