
Celiac Disease Support Group
Celiac disease is an auto-immune disorder of the digestive system that occurs in genetically-predisposed individuals. It is characterised by damage or flattening to all or part of the villi lining the small intestine, which interferes with the absorption of nutrients. This damage is caused by eating anything with gluten (gliadin), a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley...
When will I stop getting mad at the grocery store

deleted_user
Hi! I am a mother to a 13 year old girl recently diagnosed with celiac in September of this year. I want to know when will I stop feeling so mad and frustrated when shopping at the grocery store. There are so many aisles that I can't go down because she can't eat any of that. We live in a small rural type community so there is no gluten free sections. I have to travel 50 miles to get gluten free products. I do make alot of stuff myself but I really miss the convenience of just buying granola bars or some chicken nuggets on days when I am busy. Plus my daughter is a picky eater so that makes it doubly hard. I really hate it when I pick up an item that I think would be safe but then I read the label and wheat flour is in there somewhere. ARGH!! It just makes me mad. I also really hate eating out right now too. There just seems to be hardly anything that she can eat. She isn't a salad type person so what do you order? She also really fears cross contamination so is reluctant to eat anything. And yet being we live so far away from major shopping you tend to get hungry and need to eat. And she still would like to eat out but just doesn't know what to eat and doesn't always feel like she can trust it.
Well thanks for letting me vent a little. I appreciate it. Also it sounds weird to say but I was almost happy that my daughter had a diagnosis of celiac because her brother who is 18 had Ulcerative Colitis and Eosinophilic Esophagitis and those are not nice diseases to have either. At least with celiac we feel more in control of handling the disease with UC & EE you have to rely on medication that doesn't always work. So even though the gf diet is a challenge at the moment it is better than what she could of had.
Virgie60
Well thanks for letting me vent a little. I appreciate it. Also it sounds weird to say but I was almost happy that my daughter had a diagnosis of celiac because her brother who is 18 had Ulcerative Colitis and Eosinophilic Esophagitis and those are not nice diseases to have either. At least with celiac we feel more in control of handling the disease with UC & EE you have to rely on medication that doesn't always work. So even though the gf diet is a challenge at the moment it is better than what she could of had.
Virgie60
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As for eating out, if you could tell me the names of any national chains you have, like McDonald's, Burger King, etc., I can send you the links to their website that show the gluten free items they have. Some places have quite a bit more to eat than you would expect! Also, I have used and taken with me soft corn tortillas or the flat crunchy corn tortillas (tosatadas) to use in place of bread. You can put all kinds of meat and stuff on them - doesn't have to be mexican. It's cheap and works in a pinch. I even make pizzas out of the cruchy ones!
Or just order the burger or sandwich stuff without the bread and eat with a fork.
For contamination issues, just explain what her needs are. Most places really are nice about it and would be willing to help her eat and not get sick! You just have to be brave enough to explain and ask lots of questions and send back items not prepared correctly. You're the one paying for their food!
Also, google gluten free foods and you'll find lots of goodies you can order online. The gluten free mall is a good one, too. They have lots of stuff to order - even GF ice cream cones! www.glutenfreemall.com.
As for the grocery store - Cocoa pebbles, Fruity Pebbles, and Bam Bam Berry Pebbles are GF as is Kix! Get some Jet Puff Marshmellows and make some cereal squares with those! Heavenly! Popcorn definitely is and nuts and fruit and of course chocolate! The all natural Cheetos are GF and all the plain potato and corn chips and most all salsas. Also check out frozen taquitos with corn tortillas - there are some at my store that are GF. There are even a few Progresso soups and Herb Ox buillion and rice noodles in the Asain section (sometimes). Most yogurt is safe, cheeses, most lunch meats - Oscar Meyer for sure. Some puddings are also safe and jello. If it says modified food starch, and it's made in the USA, it's always corn. Kraft foods will always list any wheat based ingredient as well, so if it doesn't say wheat, it's corn or potato starch. There's probably more than you realize at your store! And then there's ice cream . . . . ! Lots there also!
I have a gluten free teenage boy besides myself that is always hungry, too! Hang in there, it will get better!
And then there are those folks who will react to oats just like some are sensitive to corn, soy, or dairy.
Sorry for the Kix thing! Hope this helps!
It is hard to read every label. I am sorry but that is the truth of it. However, you will get better at reading as time passes. I was diagnosed 8 years ago and I can quickly read labels now. It makes my shopping trips longer but this is the cross I have to bear in order to be well.