When it comes to quality of my food, I learned to choose for the best whenever possible.  For a long time now, I have been avoiding conventional food and buying mainly their biological equivalents.

Till now, I haven’t been paying much attention to the costs of such food choices. However, recently I went to Lidl a couple of times and I noticed that I have a few (bio/GF) favorite products. Even better, I realized I saved money by buying these products in Lidl rather than in AH or a biological supermarket.

Below I show you some of my favorites from Lidl. They are gluten free (based on ingredients and allergy information), some also biological.

Vegetables (all biological)

You can find more biological vegetables by Lidl. Last weekend, I saw also different bio pumpkins and zucchini.

Nuts and seeds 

Great in salads!

I like to grind walnuts and use them in gluten free baking as a replacement for an expensive almond flour.

Sugar-y but gluten free 

These sweets contain glucose syrup and/or maltodextrine. I can have only a small amount, otherwise I get headache and other symptoms. Perhaps, you can tolerate them better.

 From the Delicieux line in Lidl, also the ‘Amandel Petits Fours’ (small amandelgebakjes) are glutenfree. Their bottom is made of almond cookies.

Other

I became really addicted to olives last weeks. These are quite tasty and cheap.

Soon, I will post a recipe for vegetarian butternut squash-lentils chilli ‘con-carne’ that I made with these beans. The sauce contains corn starch and is free from wheat.

I like these eggs for their nicely yellow yolks. But I also buy the biological eggs from Lidl if they are in stock.

I don’t tolerate dairy proteins well but I have no problem with butter.

 I really like the bio apple moes as an evening snack. The curry sauce makes a boring meal a bit more spicy and the gluten free pasta’s from Lidl are really cheap (penne, fusilli and spaghetti).

You can also find in Lidl paprika chips which are gluten free, some borrelnootjes, fritessaus, some ice-creams (Gelatelli /fake almond Magnum; Noblissima/Viennetta), frozen potato croquettes (not my fav though), an oven-dish fish mediterranean, some fresh and processed meat (e.g. Zwagerman Saksische leverworst; and andere vleeswaren), many dairy products, (bio) rice waffles and other.

I just wanted to show you the ones that I like the most.  I also buy there WC paper (the pinky one ;). The mineral water is not so tasty BUT unlike the Dutch tap water – the Lidl mineral water is free from estrogen and traces of Roundup chemical so I buy it sometimes too.

And bananas, not biological but so cheap ! ;-) I like to use them in my banana-avocado-cacao-honey ‘pudding’ (see the recipe).

Cheers,

Kati xxx

May is the Celiac Disease Awareness Month

For the first time in The Netherlands, May is announced the Celiac Disease Awareness Month. Why? Because celiac patients from the US lead a similar campaign every year and it proved to help many people to get diagnosed. Celiac is a ‘mean’ autoimmune condition which expresses itself with 300 different symptoms. Gastrointestinal symptoms are not always there. It is estimated that 135.ooo people have celiac disease and don’t know about it. Perhaps their condition is silent or they don’t realize that their chronic migraines can lead to infertility or colon cancer.

The initiator of the campaign is Elize Vis, a blogger behind Stories of a Coeliac. The pictures used in this post are designed by Emmelou Green from Bakers and Fakers, a contributor to the coeliakiemaand campaign.

Celiac disease is a serious matter but nothing should take away the smiles from our faces. To cheer up a bit

7 reasons to follow #coeliakiemaand

1. To support this excellent initiative of bloggers who care to increase awareness and help others to get diagnosed

2. To spread awareness and help your family, friends, colleagues, neighbors to get diagnosed. 1 in 100 persons has celiac disease! SHARING IS CARING.

3. To benefit from discounts and win-actions organized as part of this campaign

4. To get free samples of gluten free products which you haven’t tried so far (Always good to check if it is worth its price, right?)

5. To buy unique gadgets with gluten free slogans – for yourself or as a present for your daughter/son/mum/father/sister/friends with celiac disease. Click on the picture below to order. (The gadgets are limited edition so it might be a special gift. They are sold without profit)

6. For entertainment during a geeky coffee pause behind your PC ;-)

7. Get to know new people and their stories, bloggers and blogs you might not know yet

Go to Coeliakiemaand.nl and check what is new!

Thanks for visiting,

Kati xxx

Thus it is more difficult for sensitive people to find reliable information on the internet. A lot of shared information refers to products which don’t contain gluten in the ingredients but are contaminated with it. I can imagine that suggesting the less sensitive people to watch out for traces might not be opportune. And so they advice’s, on the other hand, might sometimes cost another person feeling very sick.

Therefore, I dedicate this post to all sensitive Celiacs who are about to shop for gluten free food in The Netherlands :-)

Where I shop

I buy fruits and vegetables in EkoPlaza (link). I go there because they have organic products and a wide assortment of certified gluten free food.  As for meat, I buy it at a butcher. I don’t buy packed meat (very rarely) as it contains entire list of ingredients, especially sugars, like maltodextrin and dextrin (which might contain some tiny traces of gluten – perhaps it is nothing but if you collect all the traces you eat every day you might actually rich beyond 20 ppm).

The rest of food products I buy mostly in Albert Heijn (AH) or in shops with special assortment (also from webshops). AH is the only supermarket in NL that uses their own gluten free and dairy free logo’s on products made by their brand.

Although it is still necessary to double check the ingredients, it allows to shop faster. I check the ingredients on products with AH’ GF logo because they might still contain gluten free wheat starch (I don’t tolerate it well). I don’t buy AH brand products without their GF logo. AH place their GF logo on products which they know to contain gluten traces below 20 ppm. It is safe (although occasionally mistakes happen so read  ingredients on these products anyway). There are some products (not from AH brand) which I know are 100% gluten free but it took me some time to collect such knowledge. I used Livaad in the beginning.

Traces

I you are very sensitive you might not tolerate well products that ‘may contain traces of gluten’ or ‘are processed at the same facility as products with gluten’.

Recently, AH changed the labels on nuts. In the past, they were marked gluten free with their logo. Now, the logo is not there. I told myself to not exaggerate, those are JUST nuts, and nothing can go wrong, that I would be fine. But I wasn’t fine at all. There is no gluten on the ingredients list but AH doesn’t guarantee that the gluten traces are below 20 ppm. Now I understand why even better, these nuts are contaminated with gluten.

Sugar

Another problematic ingredient (for me) is sugar. I think it is related to my Hashimoto’s disease rather than to Celiac disease but I react very strongly to all sugar fluctuations in my blood. Sugar and hormones don’t go along. It is really annoying that sugar is added even to the raw meat. That is why I buy meat at butcher. I can barely find any (gluten free) product which doesn’t contain maltodextrin, dextrin, glucose-fructose syrup, sugar or (hydrolyzed) starches.

What makes me really disappointed is that the gluten free flour mixes (e.g. cake mixes or universal flour mixes) often have sugar on the 1^st or 2^nd or 3^rd place on the ingredients list. It is sad and frustrating that the companies who make food for people with gluten intolerance seem not to care about these people at all. They are simply profit oriented. Gluten free food products produced by small (often family) businesses are sometimes of a better quality.

Wishing you all ‘gluten traces – free’ and healthy shopping :-)

Kati xxx

Easter breakfast is a special meal in my family. A gluten free diet doesn’t have to change that. This year isn’t going to be any different.

This is what we will eat at Easter breakfast(s)/brunch(es) this year:

GF Bread from GF bakery Gebaksjuwelier in Culemborg (NL) (check out my review )

Paasstol from the same bakery

Suikerbrood from the Free From shop in Apeldoorn (review of the FF shop) (made by Specialetaarten.nl)

Homemade vegetable salad with mayonnaise (recipe)

White GF sausages from the supermarket Real in Germany

Homemade pate (recipe)

Boiled eggs with mayonnaise 

and Snack vegetables & Fresh berries :-) (from Real in Germany)

I am looking forward to it, I just hope I will be able to move after breakfast :D

Wishing you all Happy Easter, Vrolijk Pasen, Wesolego Alleluja!

Kati xxx

What would (gluten free) Rick want to have when he woke up in an abandoned hospital and realized that he is not in his safe gluten free zone (home) and all shops are closed? A Nakd ! That’s right :D He would like to have backup food!

It really helps to be prepared and always have a backup plan. That is why I want to share my tips on:

How to stay prepared for unexpected

1. Research gluten free restaurants and cafés in cities (countries) where you, your friends and your family live. This way, if someone spontaneously suggests ‘Let’s go out for a dinner’ or ‘Let’s grab a coffee’, you will know a place where you can eat safe. A spontaneous idea seems much less scary then, right?

2. If you enjoy having an occasional drink and like spending time in pubs – make a list of alcoholic drinks that you are allowed to have. As long as you don’t plan to eat – you can have a drink just about anywhere (assuming that you tolerate alcohol).

Gluten free alcohol list

3. Always carry snacks in your bag. They are very useful; for example when your colleagues choose the coffee room (with no GF options). My advice: big cup of coffee and your favorite (raw) chocolate bar (mmmm lovechock).

4. Stock your freezer with muffins and/or a cake! When dining out or visiting friends you will be offered ice-cream and fruits (most of the time). Now, you can take a muffin with you (e.g. to a birthday party) and this way enjoy some kind of baked goody too. Unless you are fine with ice cream and fruits.

5. Have an extra package of GF crackers at home. The next time you won’t have time (or forget) to bake/buy GF bread or boil your vegetables/grains (if you don’t eat bread) – you can snack on crackers.

6. Learn which processed foods are gluten free. The next time you are away from home and hungry, or you are too busy to cook from scratch – get to the nearest supermarket and purchase what you can eat (hummus, GF crackers and snack vegetables you guys saved me so many times!)

7. Stay hydrated and carry a bottle with mineral water. We often confuse hunger with feeling thirsty and we do function better when being well hydrated.

8. Keep a list of GF hotels (holiday resorts) that you occasionally hear about. When you don’t have time or will to research on your own, you can always choose one of the recommended destinations to enjoy worry- and gluten- free holidays.

9. Make sure that your fridge (and freezer) is always stocked up with food. Even better – plan your meals (check my post) for the entire week ahead and make sure to have all necessary ingredients in stock.

10. Keep 1 or 2 ready meals in your freezer. When something comes up and you come back home really late and hungry or you are feeling bad, you can open your freezer, take that frozen lasagna you made last weekend (or the left overs) and warm it up. You will have a satisfying meal within no time!

With these tips you are prepared and ready for everything! ;-)

Cheers,

Kati xxx

Do you know those Advent calendars that hide for example chocolates inside?  You get to open one chocolate every day as a countdown to Christmas.

Together with a group of ‘glutenfree’ bloggers from The Netherlands and Belgium, as from tomorrow we start a glutenfree blogging Advent Calendar for you. Just, as there are 32 of us, our Calendar lasts from the 1^st December 2014 till the 1^st January 2015! How great is that :-) Every day, one of us will blog about December and glutenfree living. We already know whose blog will be posted when, but we want to keep it as a surprise for you. Each day, you can read on our blogs, Facebook or Twitter who the blogger of the day is.

Have a wonderful December full of peace, love, hope and joy. We will do our best to bring you a little bit of inspiration every day for the entire month.

• Our logo is designed by Bakers and Fakers (link below)
• The GF blogging Advent Calendar is initiated by Ik ben glutenvrij (link below)
• We use the #decemberglutenvrij tag in social media for the entire month
• Click on the gifts under the tree to find out the post of the day. Every day, you can find here a new gift! Don’t forget to check it out :-)

The blogs that participate in the #decemberglutenvrij relay-race

Bakers and Fakers
Creatief Glutenvrij
Da’s andere koek
​De gezonde kok
De glutenvrije man
Dion glutenvrij​
DIY for you and me
Foodless
Glutenfree Amsterdam
Glutenfree Guide
Glutenfree Lady
Glutenvrij hoort erbij
Glutenvrij reizen
​Glutenvrije blog
Glutenvrije mama
Glutenvrijers
Glutenvrijheid
​Gluuts
​Home of comfort
Ik ben glutenvrij
​Kids met allergie
​Laurien is
The Dutch Celiac
​Mainly Marlot
​Meer dan Glutenvrij
​Met Zonder gluten
Miss Glutenvrij
Rijstwafel
Stories of a Coeliac
Young and Wild and Glutenfree
Your daily intake
Zusjes Glutenvrij

I am looking forward to read all the stories! Stay tuned and watch our posts,

There are, however, situations when a glutenfree meal needs to be prepared in a not glutenfree environment

• when you need to share kitchen with people who do consume gluten
• when you decide to prepare a meal for your glutenfree guests yourself
• on holidays
• or in a restaurant

Glutenfree cooking is easy once you get a hang of it. The beginning might be difficult though, especially if you are not used to cooking with raw ingredients.  Most of the ready foods and food ingredients (like sauces, marinades) are not suitable for making glutenfree meal. The second obstacle is when one needs to prepare such glutenfree meal in a kitchen where gluten is used. The chances of contamination are huge but it is possible to avoid it when the following rules are followed.

How to prepare a gluten free meal in a shared kitchen

1. Find a dedicated corner/ piece of kitchen space/table where you can work.
2. Clean the surface really well. Use hot water, soap and sponge/brush. Gluten is very sticky; think of it as you would need to remove glue from the surface.

3. Even better, use a clean, made of non-porous material and dedicated only for glutenfree cooking kitchen board/tray.

4. You will probably use your sink – I suggest cleaning it first. Keep separate glutenfree dish sponge and kitchen towels (e.g. paper towels).

5. It is easier to prepare raw/ not cooked meal. Make sure that knives, plates and other kitchen tools/utensils that you are going to use are very well cleaned (again: think of removing glue from it). Important, you can’t use the same toaster for both breads, with and without gluten.

6.  The best option would be to keep dedicated utensils. Now, that can save you a lot of time if you know that you need to prepare such meals more often (otherwise you will spend additional hours on cleaning).

7.  In case you need to prepare a dinner, keep in mind that your sticky frying pans are not suitable here. The traces of fat are the best hiding spots for gluten. Choose recipe where frying is not required or buy a new pan.

8.  The oven is another risky zone. Avoid it or use an oven dish which can be closed during baking. Make sure the lid is sealed; wrap it in aluminum foil if necessary.      There are oven-suitable baking bags in shops. It’s alright to use them.

9.   Cooking and steaming (as long as in metal, glass or plastic utensils) are safer cooking techniques. The pots/surfaces are rather easy to clean.

10.  All kitchen utensils made of plastic, glass or metal can be used. Wooden utensils are porous and thus not safe (unless new).

11.  Remember of keeping your hands clean. Try not to touch any gluten during preparing the glutenfree meal and if you do – wash your hands.

12.  Before choosing a menu, you should be informed if there are other food intolerances that you have to take into consideration. (Celiacs often can’t tolerate dairy and other grains).

13.  Since gluten is a cheap and highly functional food ingredient, it is used in 99% of processed foods. It is safer to prepare the gluenfree meal using whole foods like meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, eggs, nuts and seeds. The same counts for spices – try to use pure herbs rather than pre-packed spice blends.

14.  The products marked with a glutenfree certificate/logo are safe to use (unless they contain another allergen that is not tolerable by your guests).

15.  Keep in mind that the jars with jam, pesto or anything else in your fridge that was already used (assuming initially glutenfree) is already contaminated. Unfortunately, you need to purchase new jars if required in the recipe.

16.  There are many blogs and websites posting glutenfree recipes (my glutenfree recipes). To save yourself time and trouble – you can just use some of them. Paleo recipes are totally safe too.

Easy Breakfast Idea

•       Glutenfree cornflakes (not certified ones are not glutenfree) with almond/soy milk and fruits
•       Glutenfree (fresh Genius*) bread with boiled eggs

Easy Lunch Ideas

•      Gluten free (fresh Genius*) bread with smoked salmon, hummus or avocado
•      Salads (without shop bought dressings)

Easy Dinner Ideas

•       Homemade soups (without bullion blocks)
•       Potatoes with homemade prepared meat or fish and salad (without shop bought marinades; important: soy sauce is not glutenfree unless certified)

Easy Dessert Ideas

•       Sorbets / Fruits
•       Glutenfree Genius muffins**

*Glutenfree Genius bread is available in AH supermarkets at the bread department. It is fresh thus excellent without the need to toast it (my review).

**Glutenfree Genius chocolate muffins are available in AH supermarkets at the bread department (my review).

I used Genius’s products in my suggestions only because they are easily available in all AH supermarkets in the entire country (in The Netherlands). They can be easily replaced by any other certified gluten free products.

If you have any doubts or questions, feel free to contact me. I am always happy to help!

Kati xxx

How you can avoid gluten contamination at home

• Prepare clean kitchen’ surface to work on
• Use clean kitchen accessories (cutting board, plate, spatula, knife, pot, frying pan etc.)
• Store food well protected – close it in a bag or in a box
• Keep the gluten containing food away (separate, lowest shelf; closed container/bag)
• Make sure your ingredients are not contaminated (butter, foods in pots)
• Clean the dining table and the table mats (the best are from a non-porous material)
• Do not drink water from someone else’s bottle/cup (nor share yours)
• Do not use someone else’s fork, spoon nor knife (do not ‘borrow’ yours)
• Make sure nobody transports its own food above your plate/meal
• Each dish should have its own spoon, take your food first – or ask your family to use the ‘drop it on a plate’ technique
• Once your food ‘escaped’ the plate – let it go
• Wash your hands after feeding the dog (dog’s food contains gluten)
• Kiss only washed ‘gluten-consuming’ lips of your loved ones  :-)

The gluten containing grains were listed in a previous post.

Keep in mind

• ‘Gluten free’ does not mean strictly gluten free, it means that the product contains <20 ppt of gluten.
• ‘Gluten free’ does not mean ‘Wheat free’. 40% of people with celiac in the Nederlands can not tolerate wheat starch.
• ‘Wheat free’ does not mean ‘Barley free’.
• Processed meat like sausages, lunchmeat, hot dogs, chicken nuggets etc. can contain gluten. Gluten is often used as a binder in these products.
• Packaged, marinated or covered with spices meat/fish/sea-fruits  can contain gluten. It is not, however, specified on the package.
• The wheat and barley derived food ingredients  are polluted with traces of gluten.
• 30% of grains that are inherently gluten free (like amaranth, buckwheat, oat) are contaminated with gluten.
• According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), testing done on a random wheat starch using the R5 ELISA found gluten in amounts up to 279 ppm.
• Wheat starch hydrolysates (e.g. glucose syrup, maltodextrin) were found to contain intact gliadin and gluten peptides, but the amounts were rather low (< 5 ppm of gluten for maltodextrin and up to 25 ppm in the glucose/dextrose samples).
• If you don’t see the word wheat on an FDA-regulated product containing maltodextrin, the food product does not contain wheat protein.

List of food ingredients that can be made of wheat or barely and their applications.

Eliminated gluten from the kitchen:

• All food products from the kitchen shelves – even if originally it contained no gluten it  probably became polluted upon using
• All food products from the fridge
• Jams and other products in open jars/tins – most likely polluted with a knife having bread crumbles on it
• Wooden kitchen accessories like cutting boards and wooden spatulas
• Colander
• My old bread box
• Old frying pans that were not easy to clean anymore
• Baking forms/molds
• Old toaster

Cleaned really well:

• All kitchen surfaces
• Kitchen shelves
• Oven
• Fridge
• Plates, cutlery and pots
• Cloth kitchen towels
• Dining table and mats

Bought new:

• Cutting boards
• Spatulas
• Baking forms
• Bread baking machine – with a fast gluten free program
• Bread box and bags with a seal to keep bread in it
• Frying pans

Removed all the gluten containing medicines and supplements from the medicine cabinet.

Learnt how to distinguish hazardous and gluten free products (how to read the label’s and recognize gluten free logo’s) 

Checked gluten free department in every store in a neighborhood

Checked online shops for gluten free products

Started baking gluten free bread, cookies, cakes etc. using gluten free ingredients (my recipes)

Filled my kitchen shelves, fridge and freezer with naturally gluten free foods 

Visited a dietitian and learnt following:

• The celiac symptoms can occur already after consumption of 10 milligrams of gluten, (otherwise known as a bread crumb) and this is why the contamination has to be avoided by any means
• Web shops with gluten free products
• Handy recipes
• Handy links to find the safe food, e.g. Livaad.nl
• About ‘De Nederlandse Coeliakie Vereniging’
• About tax compensation (ref)
• Overall tips regarding how to stay gluten free

Subscribed to the Dutch Celiac Association ‘De Nederlandse Coeliakie Vereniging’ 

• Membership card
• Discount when shopping for gluten free foods at certain shops (e.g. webshop, EcoPlaza)
• Welcome packet from DNCV
• Welcome packet from Schar
• Brochures with information’s
• Invitations to organized by DNCV events like baking workshops, gluten free markets, symposium’s etc.
• Mails informing about new gluten free products available on a Dutch market
• Other

Found blogs / websites written by other celiacs/doctors/ scientist for ideas and inspiration, knowledge but also support!

* After my diagnosis I found a following post by Gluten free Goddess ‘here’ . Check it out!