Ep 177 Gluten Free in a Gluten Household

A Conversation with Carla

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

There are many things that those of us on a gluten free diet must learn quickly once we receive our diagnosis.  For many of us the most challenging is how to prepare and safely eat a gluten free diet, while living in a household that eats gluten.  Carla and I discuss this common situation.  We offer different suggestions for day-to-day coping and highlight the idea that every family situation is different.  What might work for you and your family may not be workable for another.  The strictness of the diet is something we all have in common, as well as the frustration of educating our family members.  Both Carla and I agree that over time, as a family you will settle into routines that are work-able for your situation – family members begin to understand and accept, children get older and have a greater understanding, and the celiac family member gets better, which makes it all worthwhile.  Carla is a co-host on my other podcast “Gluten Free Weigh In” and she finds following an intermittent fasting lifestyle works for weight loss and makes her gluten free diet easier to cope with.  You can find Carla on Instagram @celiac_and_the_suburbs

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Facebook – @acanadianceliacpodcast

Twitter – CeliacPodcastCA

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

Very soon after a diagnosis of celiac disease it hits you – you are trying to understand the diet, but you are forced to live in a world (home) filled with gluten.

For me, coming over to the gluten free side, initially had me sympathising with the gluten eating factions of the household, and to be fair I was one of them just a few days earlier.  How could I ask them to give up foods they loved to be company for me on a diet that I didn’t fully understand or feel comfortable working with.  I suspect most households in this situation do exactly as I did – make separate meals.  On the surface this seems okay, even simple.  Many of us have had to cater to picky eating children, or guests who aren’t eating what we laid out for them.  Over time, preparing an extra main course or side, was just something we accepted. 

Until gluten free.  Preparing separate meals, or actually, two different menus for the same meal is more work, but it’s also fraught with the dangers of cross-contamination – separate everything, but often only one pair of hands doing the work.  I remember struggling.

Then a few months later, my almost five-year-old daughter was diagnosed celiac as well.  This changed everything.  For some reason, I hadn’t felt that I should reach out for help if it was just me needing gluten free, but when it was the two of us, that’s exactly what I did. 

I found another young mother who had been working with the gluten free diet for a few years and she gave me some very wise advice, which stuck with me –

Allow gluten eating members of the family to eat gluten for breakfast and lunch, but at dinner, when you all sit down together, it should be gluten free.  Make exceptions as you are comfortable, and expect gluten eaters to eat some of their gluten extravagances outside of the home (fast food, or wings with the guys, or school cafeterias).  They won’t miss out on their favourites and the family can come together for a meal that won’t make anyone ill.

I pretty much stuck to this advice – we did usually make two kinds of pasta and always kept a separate toaster, but for most dinners everyone ate gluten free.  Simple guidelines like this allowed the rest of the family to understand our diet, and support us, as well as allowing me to keep my sanity.  In short – do what works for you, don’t over-do for others or under-do for yourself.