Restricted spontaneity when planning meals.

[computerdyslexic]

I am quite new and still very unhappy about eating GF. I'm OCD about food and believe me, nothing in GF baked goods is worth it (to me) to obsess over. Don't lecture, I'm a nurse and do understand the need for the diet. Anyway, not long after eating breakfast of a PBJ on a slice of GF toast, I decided to go shopping for small kitchen appliances and electronics in Syracuse. The stores are almost an hour away. Once I get out shopping I can easily spend hours away from home so I took some grapes and a bottle of water and hoped I wouldn't starve until I got home. Of course, I did get hungry around lunch time and I wasn't ready to return home. Now, the problem, what on earth can I get for lunch that I can afford and am willing to eat? Sit down restaurants are too expensive and there is the matter of a tip, and fast food isn't likely to be GF. As a nurse, I understand CC and the fact that the person handling my food has to accept the need to avoid CC. I don't hold much hope for the fast food industry's thorough understanding of GF food preparation and handling. I was hungry and frustrated trying to think of something appealing to eat. I know I could go to a store and buy a banana or apple but neither appealed to me. I wanted a sandwich or something equally filling and tasty like a hot dog or burger or KFC! I ended up buying a can of fancy salted nuts and an organic chocolate and almond candy bar. Spent quite a while reading labels and found a brand of fancy nuts that warned their product might contain dairy and wheat. Good for them, but munching on snacks, even a lot of snacks, has never told my brain that I have eaten the equivalent of a meal. As I was driving home I told myself to be grateful that I had, for the third day, GF spaghetti sauce with meat and GF ziti in the refrigerator. Supper could be almost immediate once I walked into my house. I called hi to the dogs in their fenced acre, greeted my house cats without tripping over them, washed my hands and threw some Ziti, meat sauce, mozzarella and spaghetti squash into the microwave. Guess what? This nice, GF dinner had lost its appeal by the third day. Did I mention I am also an extremely picky eater? Loving food as I do I am sure you know I am quite overweight. Funny story, I was once griping about the quality and selection in the hospital cafeteria when a coworker actually asked me how I could stay fat when I was so picky about what I ate. What a girl!

Silly, tragic or not, I guess I have to pack a lunch from now on when I am leaving the house for more than an hour or two. What do you "normal" eaters do in my situation?
_________________
Nancy in New York's Finger Lakes
Rescued Siberian huskies Zeke, Vixen, Duke and Moxie
Rescued DSH cats Timmy, Toby and Madeline-Rose
Please Google to learn about prosopagnosia, a neurological condition also called faceblindness.

[rpf1007]

It is a huge adjustment...and does take time to wrap your head around all the pre-planning that is required to stay healthy. That is one of the hardest parts- to always remember to bring stuff with you. When I first went gf I was out at some appointments downtown and then was going to wander around afterwards- but I was hungry and hadn't brought anything. So I went home and I was disappointed that I had to basically change my plans because of food. I learned from that and now I always bring my own food...at least a snack so that if I get delayed I'll be ok. I personally dont' trust any fast food. Now I just drop snacks in my bag all the time without even thinking about it. If I know I will be out for lunch I bring it with me. Sometimes I make sandwiches. Sometimes I'll bring something like a lentil salad.

While I know it seems like a huge pain in the butt right now- it will likely become second nature.

Good luck!
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Rachel

[aklap]

I think everyone will agree that convenience is one of the biggest losses we have to deal with.

Like Rachel said, get used to always planning ahead. It becomes second nature to bring some type of food with you where ever you go.

I will do, just like you had done - stop and grab a banana, apple, nuts...etc until I get home. At home we always try to have some type of meal that quick and easy to prepare. Cooking ahead is another thing that helps. If you're making fixing chicken breasts, make a few more so you have something for the next meal or two. We'll do a few additional chicken breasts so we can make chicken salad later.

Hang in there...
_________________
Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

[jeant]

I often tell people that the best thing about being GF is that I can't stuff myself silly with fast food whenever I'm out and about, and that the worst thing about being GF is that I can't stuff myself silly with fast food whenever I'm out and about. It's unhealthy, but so incredibly convenient when running errands or traveling!!

I always keep high-protein snack bars in my bag and car. For extended trips, I will either pack a lunch or stop at a grocery store. Quick grocery store lunches for me are yogurt or cheese, fruit, chips, and meat in a pouch (usually there is chicken, tuna, and salmon to choose from).

I found that getting containers for the food helped me. I have an insulated thermos as well as small containers that have built-in ice packs.

For when I get home, I like to have snacks available that will tide me over while I fix something, like tortilla chips with salsa or hummus or a lentil salad. If not, I always have brown rice wraps in the freezer and canned chicken, tuna, and salmon in the pantry for a quick sandwich.

I like to freeze leftovers when I make a big batch of soup or something, so I have things like that available too. I also like to keep a variety of burgers in the freezer--beef, chicken, and turkey--and I throw them frozen in the George Foreman grill and that's ready within 5 minutes. Add a frozen or canned veggie and a microwaved baked potato or instant mashed potatoes and you have a very quick meal.

[The Edifying Conscience]

A grocery store is your best friend in these situations. A piece of fruit, a container of pre-sliced and GF lunchmeat, a box of crackers and some cheese would make for a satisfying lunch....for me anyway. If there are no gf crackers to be had a bag of (salt and vinegar) Kettle chips is even more enjoyable.

I hope you've read about different candy manufacturers labeling of GF products. Mars and Nestle are our friends.

[smalltownslackermom]

Since you're a foodie, I have to ask: Have you read Gluten-free Girl by Shauna James Ahern? Good book. I haven't tried all the recipes but I don't own it either, I borrowed from the library. Also, after reading that, I would say go ahead and read (gulp) E. Hasselbeck's book. She is not the writer nor the foodie that Ahern is but she has some practical cheerleading she does. Someone gifted the book to me and I have not tossed it. (Is that a recommendation?)
The psychology of it all is a big hurdle. I have a different idea of what consitutes a meal now compared to a few years ago. I recall when I first quit eating wheat (thought I had an allergy to it - bah!), standing in my kitchen wondering "what can I eat?" but yeah, now it's 2nd nature. I eat Kind bars and fruit and veggies from my snack bag, my son munches on GF cereals if there's nothing else about. If you're lucky enough to still be able to eat diary, oo la la, string cheese! cheddar cheese! :::drool:::
Also, luckily I enjoy global foods so there are a lot of cuisines to choose from too. If I was in a Big City I'd be eating thai and Indian and central American food every day I think. If I was in Syracuse I would be pigging out at this place in all likelihood:
http://samratindiancuisines.com/
You could ask them if they make Idli or Dosas, both of which should be GF but ask ask ask.
Preplanning, learning what fast food restaurants may have safe foods (wendy's baked potatoes and chili, eg.) Gluten-free registry helped me with my last trip:
http://www.glutenfreeregistry.com/gluten-free-state-search.do?state=NY&city=Syracuse

http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/

Now I must go and try to bake my first GF roll-out cookies for ds. I hope this recipe works for me:
http://glutenfree.wordpress.com/2007/12/13/gf-christmas-roll-out-cookies/
_________________
son - high ttg - 4/09, pos. biopsy 5/09
self - negative blodwork 5/09, pos. biopsy 11/09
sister - gf for 2 years and is a new person

[The Edifying Conscience]

[celiacmaine-iac]

No doubt about it, it's hard at first, until your brain has made the adjustment to all this planning. Eventually it will become second nature.

For lunches on the go I have a little cooler/lunch bag that I use. I throw in some pre-wrapped cheese, GF crackers, cut up veggies, and a piece of fruit or two. Sometimes I pack Lundberg rice cakes (there are CC issues with other brands,) peanut butter, and jam. You could always keep some plastic silverware and those disposable Gladware containers in your car. With a quick stop at a grocery store you can buy lettuce, cut up veggies (from the produce section, not the salad bar), some of those little packages of ham or turkey (one brand, can't remember which, labels them as GF), and some dressing and you have a nice salad.

For avoiding meal boredom at home... You could choose 2-3 meals that you really like, and convert them to GF. Again, using those Gladware containers, freeze individual servings. Be sure to label them and date them so that you use the older ones in a timely fashion. That way you won't be eating the same thing every night until it's gone. If you do that every week you will eventually have quite a variety.

When I was shopping at Sam's Club last week I picked up a cookbook called, Once-A-Month Cooking, Family Favorites by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg. Glancing through it, I knew I could convert most of the recipes to GF with no problem. When I got it home and looked through it more carefully, I was surprised to see that they had a 2 week menu plan for gluten-free!

Anyway, the idea of the book is to save money by shopping less frequently and planning to use ingredients in more than one meal to save waste. It also emphasizes the convenience of being able to pull a mostly prepared meal out of the freezer at a moment's notice. My DD has already made a few of the meals, and said they are very good.

Good luck!
_________________
Steph

[smalltownslackermom]

computerdyslexie - TEC is absolutely right - better to be safe than sorry right now. Stay away from the tandoori and the chili. I am quite enthusiastic as I just ate a few Indian meals recently that were delicious and gave me no side effects. But the southern Indian cuisine that has more rice and coconut in it, the only wheat bread they made was naan and I stayed away from the tandoori chicken. They suggested and I agreed for our pakoras to be fried in a clean pan with new oil. etc... best of luck!
_________________
son - high ttg - 4/09, pos. biopsy 5/09
self - negative blodwork 5/09, pos. biopsy 11/09
sister - gf for 2 years and is a new person

[caseygirl]

celiacmaine-iac - that cookbook sounds awesome!! I'm going to have to check that out/buy that.

Like everyone has said, it's a big adjustment and much less convenient to be GF, especially when out and about for extended periods of time. And like others, I bring food with me when I go out for long periods of time. My go to snacks/foods are bananas, apples, almonds, GF crackers. I also can't eat dairy or soy, otherwise, I would eat cheese sticks, etc. I'm lucky because I actually like eating healthy foods...my snacks have always been mostly fruit and veggies, so it was less of an adjustment for me. But still, sometimes I just crave a regular sandwich from a deli or something...you do get used to it after awhile and it does become second nature. Of course, there will always be days where it's harder.

I just recently started a job where I drive around with a cop for 6-8 hours. The cops all stop for lunch/dinner at restaurants (which is awesome because they usually get half off)....but I don't want to chance it. I pack my lunch. It gets hard thinking of things to pack but it's better than the alternative (which is major GI distress for me). I also tend to cook things on the weekends for the week. I just made a crab soup today and will individually pack it for a few days this week. I add fruit, baby carrots (easy), and almonds for extra substance to get me through the day. If you like salads, you can make many different variations - add shrimp, beans, tuna, chicken, grapes, raisins, walnuts, etc, etc.

Good luck, I know the beginning is tough.

[Kathie]

I generally keep a Lara Bar or Clif Nectar bar in my purse at all times for when I end up out and miss a meal. Of course I've been known to scarf down some peanut M&M's and a banana,----- fruit, protein and chocolate, the 3 most important food groups.
_________________
CD by Biopsy 3/25/88

[ostrich]

Plan, plan, and plan some more! Even if you think "Oh, I won't be out very long. I won't need a meal," bring food anyway. The worst case scenario is...you don't end up needing the food.

I was stuck at the hospital for several hours last week. I brought my lunch (GF rice cakes with PB and some chips) and some other snacks (GF crackers and cereal). The hospital had fruit, but I didn't want to pay $3 for an apple.

Having problems coming up with meal ideas? If you can't find something you like in this thread there's no hope for you. You'll also notice that some of us *coughmehack* are "repeat offenders": having the same meal multiple weeks in a row.
_________________
Ostrich :>--O==={

Time falls away, but these small hours
These little wonders still remain

[ErinElberson]

Great answers all. Funnily enough, I just did a blog post on planning ahead to eat healthfully gluten free. Although I don't address specifically snacking, that's to come. I hope this helps-and leave me comments so I know what to add on for next time.

http://www.glutenfreefitness.com/preparing-ahead-for-healthy-gluten-free-eating-success/?preview=true&preview_id=252&preview_nonce=68d9a6ace1

I'm personally a big fan of an apple and almonds in my purse at all times, with a ziploc bag of protein powder for emergencies.
_________________
www.glutenfreefitness.com

[computerdyslexic]

Ostrich wrote: Having problems coming up with meal ideas? If you can't find something you like in this thread there's no hope for you.

Well, I'm not completely hopeless, but a lot of the meals mentioned don't appeal to me--either I wouldn't have enjoyed them pre GF, or the fact that I want bread or rolls with other dishes is a problem because GF baked goods aren't worth the calories. What's a burger without a (real) roll? I was so picky before trying to eat GF and now that pickiness is really making my life difficult. I will continue to try homemade baked goods that are recommended here in the hope that at least some will satisfy me. A huge problem for me is that consistency (mouth feel) is as important as taste.

I did it again today!!! I left the house shortly after noon thinking that my appointment to service was at 4. Being compulsive me, I checked my date book shortly after I set out, just to be certain I had enough time to run errands, go home and eat, and go back into town (15 miles) at 4 for the service. Well, my date book said 2:00! Just knowing I MIGHT be out long enough to feel hungry resulted in me feeling famished. I went to a supermarket and bought GF hard taco shells, GF boiled ham, and a diet Coke. Eating fragile taco shells in the car while driving to the dealership was a "crummy" experience, but it wasn't too awful substituting the taco shell for a roll.

After the car was ready I went to Wegman's hoping to find a GF Betty Crocker cake mix. I did, but it cost $3.49! While I was there, because I recalled some of the GF food mentioned on their website, I checked out the meat department. They had their brand of GF hot dogs and I decided to give them a try. Guess what? I'm sort of picky about how various brands of hot dogs taste I also found a bunch of boneless, skinless chicken breasts marinated in lemon and garlic. The package was marked GF! I won't use all the breasts for quite a while but the package was partitioned so I could cut out one piece for tonight and throw the rest into the freezer. I'll soon learn if they have too much garlic. If they do I can give them to my friend who says it is impossible for a dish to have too much garlic.

I have been fat all my life and used to say I wish something would make it impossible for me to eat all my favorite foods. Funny, as I walk the aisles in a store and see something "good" I am starting to have an immediate thought that I can no longer eat that item. Hell of a way to lose weight ! I encourage myself to think that someday I will be able to buy clothes in regular sizes--they're the ones that are always so cute.
_________________
Nancy in New York's Finger Lakes
Rescued Siberian huskies Zeke, Vixen, Duke and Moxie
Rescued DSH cats Timmy, Toby and Madeline-Rose
Please Google to learn about prosopagnosia, a neurological condition also called faceblindness.

[aklap]