The Search Continues: Gluten Free Breakfasts Worth Waking Up For

Whenever I take on a Gluten Free, Wheat Free & Oat Free diet I cry to myself each morning when I can’t have my Oat Bran on Rice Milk breakfast. So in my recent desperation I hit the shops in search for a Gluten Free (Oat & Wheat Free too) equivalent to Oat Bran. Note: Many Gluten Free people can tolerate Oat Gluten which is a different ‘strain’ of Gluten (Gliadin being the primary culprit found in wheat & the likes) but word on the street is that even if you can tolerate the Gluten found in Oats, it is very difficult to get Oats uncontaminated by Wheat due to manufacturing cross-contamination and even just cross-contamination in the field where it is grown! - I have actually seen this myself: a lovely field of wheat with these random huge stocks of oats scattered throughout or visa-versa blown in the wind from one crop to another)...So, what did I come up with you ask?

Well, during my search I had a moment of blissful excitement in the Hopsack when I fell upon a box of Ener-G Rice Bran (also available in Down to Earth)!! It wasn’t really being marketed for cereal usage but I tried it anyway... (note: it does suggest to add the rice bran to hot or cold cereal for extra fibre). Ingredients: Rice Bran -Free of All Allergens other than Rice, of course.
Normally (& if you can tolerate oats I highly recommend this!) I cook 1 part oat bran (1/2 a cup per person) to 3 parts simmering rice milk (1.5 cups) stirring for only 2 - 3 minutes. I put it into a bow & add extras to my hearts content, such as pea protein, ground flax seeds, ground sunflower seeds and ground pumpkin seeds with a handful of frozen blueberries. I stir it all up and eat it with calm, quiet content. So I did the exactly same with my Rice Bran, only my added extras were chopped pumpkin seeds, chopped almonds, ground flax seeds and pea protein powder (no blueberries). It technically worked. The end result wasn’t overly appetizing looking as it has a bit of a green tint but with the ground flax seeds and pea protein I got it to a nice thickness. The biggest problem was that the rice bran is ground too finely so the end result becomes a bit too gloopy and smooth for my liking.

I ate it and thought it to be OK but longed for my blueberries and decided that I would only make half a bowl next time. The other downfall was that it’s NOT very financially viable at €4-5 for a box with only 227g. I think I’ll stick to using the rice bran in baking, as recommended, but if I cry too much one morning I know it’s there...

Alara ‘into the garden’ Gluten Free Active Organic Muesli: At first F. and I weren’t overly impressed. The milk (rice milk) made the cereal look like quicksand because all the tiny puffs instantly floated to the top which made it look disturbingly dense. We both felt that the apple juice sweetener was a bit tangy and overall were not instantly loving the experience... however, I was left with the box and I hate to waste food so I continued to eat it over the next couple days and ended up sort of liking it. There’s loads going on in it and although it’s easy to eat, unlike most muesli, I found it nice to give each bite a really good chew to release all the flavour. I would tag it as more of an acquired taste and not for people who want the very sugary mainstream cereals. If you are trying to refrain from sugars you’ll know how hard it is to find a cereal or muesli naturally sweetened or isn’t loaded down with dried fruits [which normally speaking I would love ;)] let alone a Gluten Free one! But 5 bowls later (about 6-7 generous portions in a box) I found myself buying another box!

P.S. If you care about packaging, this one comes in a really uplifting happy healthy bright box which says ‘Welcome the Sun’ on the opening flap. The whole experience made me feel healthy and earthy, in a good way! :) I got mine in Nolan’s Food Fare in Terenure for €4.69.
- Gluten Free
- Wheat Free
- Oat Free
- Dairy Free
- Free from Added Sugar
- Corn Free
- Coconut Free
- Soya Free (note: ‘produced in a factory that handles soy)
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Organic
Allergen Warnings: Contains nuts and sesame seeds. Produced in a factory that handles Peanuts and Soy.
Ingredients: quinoa flakes, sesame seeds, apple juice, puffed amaranth, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, raw buckwheat, golden linseeds, dried apple pieces, brazil nut pieces, puffed quinoa.

Kelkin Gluten Free Muesli: Yuck. It was similar to what I imagine chewing on wood chips to be like. F. and I had it on unsweetened Soya milk, which didn’t exactly help but F. put loads of sugar on it too, and still hated it. I liked the sweetness from the raisins but the flakes were so crunchy and crispy that it was more of a chore to eat than a pleasure. However, I think that Rice milk, or sweetened milk of some sort would benefit it as well as perhaps warm milk (actually recommended on their website) which would soften the texture. They also suggest yoghurt. If you are a regular buyer do share why you buy it and and what you like about it because what suits me might not suit everyone, and
and I’m always interested to hear other people’s opinions!
- Gluten Free
- Wheat Free
- Oat Free
- Dairy Free
- Free from Added Sugar
- Corn Free
- Coconut Free
- Soya Free (note: ‘produced in a factory that handles soy)
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
Allergen Warnings: Contains nuts and seeds.
Ingredients: rice flakes, sultanas, millet flakes, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, linseed, almonds, hazelnuts.

The Food Allergy Interviews - Catherine Conroy - Dairy Free w/ sensitivity to Eggs & Oats

CATHERINE CONROY
Art Gallery Sales Assistant and aspiring Studio Jeweller. Catherine is in her mid-thirties and lives in Dublin. She has a massive collection of sugar packets (1100 strong) and has been practicing yoga for the last five years. She is a huge advocate of walking be it hills, fields, cityscapes or cross country, literally, having crossed both Spain and Portugal on the Camino Frances and Camino Portuguese, respectively (without straying too far from her food allergy diet!) She also does watercolour paintings and simply can’t resist a wind-up toy.
 



What are you allergic/intolerant to?
I am allergic to Milk and have a sensitivity to Eggs and Oats.

What are your reactions?
Milk: bloated stomach, achy joints, deep skin pimples, slight dyslexia, depression, fatigue, generally muddle headed and can't make decisions
Oats: weight gain
Eggs: hives

How long have you had, or have known about your food allergies/intolerances? I've known about my milk allergy for 20 years, Eggs I think I've known about since childhood and oats about one year. 

How did you discover your sensitivities, or what prompted the diagnosis?
A rotation/elimination diet my mother put me on when I was a teenager uncovered my milk allergy. She was into health food and decided that my bloated belly, sluggish nature and bad morning breath could be allergy symptoms.
The eggs were quite obvious, I think I realized the connection quite young that if I ate more then one a day for about five days running I would get hives. Oats I have only discovered in the last year or so. Every time I start to eat porridge as a healthy breakfast alternative my digestion would get very sluggish and I'd put on about five pounds that I just couldn't move, no matter how much I exercised and cut back on fats. Those pounds magically disappear when I quit eating porridge so there is a problem there. I gave up gluten for a while just in case there was a connection but that doesn't seem to be it, only oats cause the symptoms!
 
Do you find it difficult to stick to your diet? And if so why?
Generally these days I have little trouble sticking to my diet. At first though it was very difficult. Being a teenager I just wanted to do everything my friends did and be 'normal'. There weren't very many substitutes like soya/rice milk, cheese and yogurt on the market then. Putting apple juice on your breakfast cereal was what the books recommended back then... truly disgusting! Food allergies also weren't widely known about. People acted as though you were just making a fuss about yourself and that if it really was an issue that you should be able to get some sort of shot from your doctor like an antihistamine for hay fever.
As time passes you get pretty savvy about reading ingredient labels and asking the right questions when eating out so you don't stand out too much. Food is really such a social thing and you never really think about it until you can't participate. It is also really awkward when eating at other peoples homes. The last thing anyone wants to do is offend your host by not eating what is offered to you.
 
What is your favorite food?
Can a spice count? I'd hate to eat most things if paprika was out of bounds! Other then that my favorite healthy food is puy lentils and I have a true weakness for plain salted crisps!
 
What do you miss the most?
Cheeses of all descriptions!
 
What do your friends and/or family think of your food allergies or how do they deal with them?
Both my sister and mother have food allergies so we are all pretty tolerant of each other in trying to cook without the offending food and understanding when we feel rotten because we've accidentally eaten something wrong. A lot of my extended family generally prefers to believe it's all in my head (personally I think this is because they are afraid they may be allergic too). Any of my close friends have always been supportive, often to the point that they embarrassingly screen food for me when we are out! Many of them have actually tried a dairy free diet to see if any of their own little problems like bad skin or runny noses might clear up.
 
Where is your favorite place to eat (that can cater to your needs)?
Yamamori on the quays near Ha'penny bridge. Japanese restaurants are always great, I can eat just about everything on the menu. Asian cuisine in general is pretty dairy free.
 
Do you or have you ever broken your diet?
If so, why? How does it feel? & How long does it take to get back on track?
When I travel it is hard to get what you need, especially if there is a language barrier! It also can be very hard to pass up a little taste of a local specialty you know you will never come across again! But even then I try to wait until the last few days so I won't be feeling crap for my whole holiday. When I first gave up dairy products it included a lot of my comfort foods like cheese cake, skor bars and cappuccinos. The cravings for these often lead me to breaking my diet. But I suppose with time, waking up with sore arms and legs and feeling all doom and gloom eventually outweighed the momentary comfort/ pleasure. When I do accidentally get dairy these days it takes me about a week to get it all out of my system. I am pretty good at getting back on track right away even though when I get a trace of milk the cravings come back. Actually if I find myself longing for pastries or a slice of pizza it's a sure sign that there's been an unnoticed slip up somewhere!
 
Have you learnt anything about yourself since abstaining from your problem/danger foods?
Yes! First off, that I am an amazingly resourceful person both in finding food that suits me and creatively using substitutes. I serve a lot of my dairy free creations to dairy eaters without them ever knowing and most importantly I have learned that I am not a lazy un-energetic/unmotivated person. I am actually the person who can't sit at home all day, I am quite active and have to get out and walk everyday. I can also finish a crossword now which seemed like the most insanely difficult riddle when I was younger as my spelling abilities were atrocious. That said I still only do the simplex :)
 
If you could give advice to people with food allergies or potential food allergies what would it be?
Really and sincerely try giving up your allergen for at least a month (it often takes at least a week to clear your system alone). I have met far too many people who've only gone off their suspected problem food half heartedly ie: If you are giving up dairy that includes cheese... Yes, I know you love it too much to give it up... but try. It just might be worth it!
 
What is the best source of information and/or help that you have found?
There is an amazing amount of info and recipes on the internet which have been most helpful over the years but really I have to say that the allergy advice labelling that has been introduced on food products has been a huge help: One, for speeding up shopping time and Two, for solving the contents of ambiguous things like E numbers.
 
Can you share with us one of your worst, best and/or funniest experiences living with food allergies?
Years ago a new boyfriend of mine asked me to a wedding as his date. His parents were only friends of the groom’s parents and he was invited through them, being the eldest child. I felt completely out of place being the date of the son of friends of the groom's parents! Anyway, when the dessert was being served I discreetly declined as it was laden with dairy. After a few moments my boyfriend’s father noticed my empty place and asked why? I quickly and quietly explained why I couldn’t eat it but little did I know that he was a major advocate for dessert! Very loud, over everybody he exclaimed that I ‘Must have a dessert!’ and started shouting out to the waiters ‘We need a Fruit Pot! SOMEbody get this girl a FRUIT POT!’ ...So much for discreet! [ouch! The word mortified comes to mind. -Ed.]

Would you like to share a quick and easy food allergy-friendly recipe?! 
This is a good substitute when a recipe calls for an Au gratin topping:
   1 cup Breadcrumbs (use gluten free ones if you need to)
   ½ cup Ground Almonds
   4 tablespoons Nutritional Yeast: it adds a nice cheesy flavor 

Mix all the ingredients together well and top your casserole before baking. The measurements are only approximate and can be adjusted to your own taste. Sometimes it’s nice to also blend in some dried herbs into the mix that compliment your dish ie: if the casserole is fish based a bit of dill mixed through is a nice touch!

If you would like to take part in The Allergy Interviews or The Vegan/Vegetarian/Raw Interviews please contact me by leaving a comment below or by emailing me at: aurea.conroy@gmail.com
I’d love to hear from you either way. And enjoy your weekend!

When the Nibbles Gnaw & the Sweet-tooth Aches - 'Against the Grain' Gluten Free, Dairy Free & Egg Free Cookies

When browsing my local gourmet grocers, Nolan's Food Fare, I noticed a new product line that I had not seen before: 'Against The Grain' Wheat, Dairy & Gluten Free cookies. The packaging lured me in instantaneously with its clean but modernly elegant lines and after reading the boxes I was very curious and somewhat excited! The 'cookies' advertise as being:

- dairy free
- wheat free
- gluten free
- egg free
- vegan
- vegetarian
- organic
- free from hydrogenated fat
- free from artificial preservatives
- free from artificial flavours
- free from artificial colours
- free from added salt

I also note that they are naturally
- soya free
- oat free
but cross-contamination might be an issue.

Upon closer inspection I found that Against the Grain not only use and support sustainable palm oil but they are also manufactured on the Isle of Mull in Scotland in Island Bakery Organics. Before this week I had never heard of the Isle of Mull or the Island Bakery Organics but after reading all about them on the Against The Grain website I must say that I am thoroughly impressed. If you want it straight from the horse's mouth:

"Island Bakery Organics operate strict procedures to ensure that ATG biscuits meet our exacting standards of quality and allergen control.
To verify that these procedures are working correctly a regime of product testing is in place.  EVERY BATCH of biscuits is tested  at the bakery to verify it meets our gluten-free standards before they are  allowed to leave the bakery In addition samples are also periodically sent for laboratory analysis to verify their wheat, gluten and dairy-free status."

So... the next time I was longing for something sweet, allergy free but still moderately healthy I went straight Against The Grain's 'sugar free' alternative. The Berry Delicious Cookies are sweetened with apple juice instead of sugar as well as being free from the entire list above.

Upon opening I noted that the 'cookies' were more of a large biscuit in crispiness and texture, perfect for dipping in tea. However, I was not overly impressed with the flavour. Partly due to the berries of choice (cranberries and raspberries) and partly due to the apple juice myself and F both found the cookies a bit too tangy/tart for our taste.

I was a bit surprised as I had read rave reviews and even noted a 2009 Gold Great Taste Award for the Chocolate Chip & Hazelnut variety. I decided to put it down to personal taste and the lack of sugar. So on the next opportunity I purchased some of the sugar filled Ginger Crunches for F and my sister to sample... The verdict: very nice. A slight after-taste from the alternative flours, as usual, more than ideal for dipping, albeit thinner and less uniform than the other cookie flavours and a delayed but strong flavour of true candied ginger which disappointed F (not a ginger lover) and delighted my sister (a true ginger advocate). I must admit that I did take a bite and then spit it out directly just to see for myself without too much sugar ingestion and was left longing for them all evening. I'll try to be less nosy next time and trust my tasters.

I haven't seen Against The Grain in too many stores yet but they are definitely available at Nolan's Food Fare, Terenure and The Organic Supermarket, Blackrock from approx. €3.90 - €4.80 per box.

Against The Grain
web: www.againstthegrainfoods.com
The range of flavours in the Against The Grain range are

Berry Delicious (recommended by Health & Fitness magazine)
Ingredients: Gluten Free flour (contains rice flour, potato starch, buckwheat flour, maize flour), Rice syrup (rice flour, lemon juice), Palm oil, Almonds, Cranberries 7% (apple juice concentrate, sunflower oil), Apple juice Concentrate, Coconut, Raspberries 1.3%, Mixed Spice (contains coriander, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cinnamon [cassia]), Raising agent (ammonium bicarbonate)
Nutritional Information per 100g:
Energy 2073kJ/495kcal
Protein 5.5g
Carbohydrate 58.9g
of which sugars 14.6g
of which starch 35.8g
Fat 26.5g
of which saturates 10.0g
mono-unsaturated 11.4g
poly-saturated 3.6g
Fibre 5.8g
Sodium less than 0.1g

Chocolate Chip & Hazelnut Cookies (the all round favourite from what I can gather with the Gold Great Taste Award 2009)
Ingredients: Gluten Free flour (rice flour, potato starch, buckwheat flour, maize flour), Rice syrup (rice flour, lemon juice), Hazelnuts 12.1%, Almonds, Palm oil, Sugar, Dark Chocolate 9.9% (sugar, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin)
Nutritional Information per 100g:
Energy 2152kJ/514kcal
Protein 7.2g
Carbohydrate 52.5g
of which sugars 28.7g
Fat 31.2g
of which saturates 9.5g
mono-unsaturated 16.4g
poly-unsaturated 4.3g
Fibre 3.2g
Sodium less than 0.1g

Ginger Crunches
Ingredients: Gluten Free flour (rice flour, potato starch, buckwheat flour, maize flour), Palm oil, Rice syrup (rice flour, lemon juice), Sugar, Rice flour, Stem ginger 8.9% (ginger, sugar), Ground ginger 1.2%, molasses, Raising agent (ammonium bicarbonate)
Nutritional Information per 100g:
Energy 1997kJ/474kcal
Protein 2.8g
Carbohydrate 65.6g
of which sugars 29.8g
Fat 23.0g
of which saturates 10.8g
mono-unsaturated 9.0g
poly-unsaturated 3.1g
Fibre 1.2g
Sodium less than 0.1g

Almond Cookies
Ingredients: Gluten Free flour (rice flour, potato starch, buckwheat flour, maize flour), Sugar, Palm oil, Almonds 17.6%, Rice flour, natural Almond flavouring 0.5%
Nutritional Information per 100g:
Energy 2198kJ/523kcal
Protein 6.7g
Carbohydrate 56.4g
of which sugars 23.5g
Fat 30.8g
of which saturates 10.7g
mono-unsaturated 14.3g
poly-unsaturated 5.3g
Fibre 2.9g
Sodium less than 0.1g

and
Chocolate Orange Cookies (new to the flock)
Ingredients: Gluten Free flour (rice flour, potato starch, buckwheat flour, maize flour), Rice syrup (rice flour, lemon juice), Coconut, Palm oil, Sugar, Dark Chocolate 10% (sugar, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin), Cocoa powder, Orange oil 0.2%
Nutritional Information per 100g:
Energy 2127kJ/509kcal
Protein 4.1g
Carbohydrate 56.0g
of which sugars 30.6g
Fat 29.9g
of which saturates 18.4g
mono-unsaturated 8.7g
poly-unsaturated 2.1g
Fibre 6.0g
Sodium less than 0.1g