I'm glad you mentioned NO soy, dairy, and nuts either, because that will eliminate a number of g-f brands of bread. The brand from Aldi (Live G Free) is cholesterol free, dairy free, nut free, soy free and gluten free. I've used it a few times when we traveled, but I normally make the g-f breads I use.

I try to stick to recipes that are high-protein versions containing almond flour and/or coconut flour, and flaxseed meal, and avoid rice flour and the high-glycemic starches and flours as much as possible (we are trying to avoid diabetes by sticking to low-glycemic ingredients, which runs rampant in hubby's family).

I have a feeling you may have to try different brands of g-f bread until you find one that works best in the meatloaf. It might help to make a 1/2 recipe in a small loaf pan. Don't discount using other g-f homemade breads you may be making, like biscuits, cornbread, scones, or even waffles in place of g-f bread. It might also help to toast the "bread" crumbs before using them.

Personally, I add oatmeal to my meatloaf, which I've always done - never tried using breadcrumbs even before going gluten-free nearly 3-years ago. My mother had celiac disease and she always used oatmeal in her meatloaf, but that was years ago before we had all the market glut of gluten-free items.

About the only thing I make that is breaded is a few chicken dishes. One uses crushed potato chips (the chicken is baked on a rack in the oven), and a recipe for pan-fried "chicken nuggets" which is dipped into cornmeal. I also make "Chicken Cutlets with Herbed Mushrooms" and I use any kind of g-f flour I happen to have on hand, and I once used Hi-Maize Resistant Starch (I buy it from Honeyville Grain by the 5# bag, but smaller amounts are available from King Arthur Flour), for the 1/4-cup of all-purpose flour used for the herbed flour mixture used for dredging.

Good luck on your search. I know how difficult it can be to try to duplicate your favorite recipes using gluten-free ingredients. Be sure to let us know if you find something that "works" for you and share the whole recipe. ;-)

-Grainlady

I too use GF oatmeal in meatloaf and patties.

Dear Grainlady and eandhl2,

Thanks so much about the idea of oatmeal. I assume it would be uncooked oats? How much oats do I substitute for say one cup of breadcrumbs?

I didn't get into the soy, dairy or nuts, because my husband can eat small amounts of these - so I wouldn't rule out something that had a small amount. It also depends on how his digestive system has been feeling. If it's been irritated, I'd steer clear of anything he's sensitive. In good periods, he himself grazes on foots with dairy, soy and nuts. But because of the nut sensitivity, almond and coconut oils or flours or milks are not acceptable any more.

I am still a fairly inexperienced cook - and I'm not baking any gluten free breads. Any recommendations of store bought GF bread is still welcome. DH is still experimenting and hasn't discovered one he really likes (although he's discovered cake and cookies he likes). I also never thought about cornmeal or potato chips. Those are good items to keep in mind.

Thanks.

Lynn.

I've never eaten a G-F bread brand that I'd recommend:(

However, if you are going to use it for meatloaf, perhaps any G-F white bread will suffice.

Lynn- I've found that grains of most types can upset my balance. I do not agree about cornmeal. For me, corn is almost as difficult as wheat. If I'm not mistaken, there is a strong similarity to gluten as the body sees it. Rice flour is the most tolerable for my body. Can you grind up rice chex?

Gluten free breads can definitely be problematic for me. the yeast or the binders like locust bean gum and heaven forbid-- inulin (chicory)--cause distress. Has your husband been tested for a histamine intolerance? Has he had skin tests (or a blood test panel) from the allergist?

I can't tell by your post if your husband has undergone screening to see if indeed he is a celiac. One doesn't "get there". It's a genetic issue and there is a blood test that will help with the determination of celiac. But, the catch is you have to be eating normally, with all the gluten stuff found in normal diets.

I had biopsies but couldn't do the blood test. It was decided I am gluten sensitive because of the lack of blood testing. Whateverm the treatment is the same. Avoidance of the offending food. And it's EVERYWHERE!

Originally I gave up gluten in an effort to help my thyroid. Wheat can aggravate autoimmune issues. The quick result was I could move easier and I just felt overall better. More recent results show really positive improvements with my thyroid and autoimmune markers. Yay. Not so yay for lipids but that is a work in progress. I have been GF for 8 years.

I mention all this because it's forever and I know I don't look at food the same as before I made the change. Thinking back, I had this problem forever but it presented without any gastro issues.

You may need to find a really good Gasteroenterologist and nutritionist. Celiacs and gluten sensitive people can become deficient in certain nutrients, for instance, B Vitamins. All our grains are fortified. If you eliminate them, you probably will need to supplement in a different way.

I am an avid cook and baker. I have converted many recipes but it's very tricky because of chemistry. Sometimes, it's just easier to not eat it instead of being dissapointed.

I have many web sites that offer gluten free recipes. For instance, chinese food is out of the question because of soy sauce. But Tamari sauce can be the basis for making my own teriaki sauce. So now I have several Asian inspired recipes.

Italian, same thing. I buy rice pasta or use Spaghetti squash. I use oatmeal in my meatballs, Grind it in your food processor, blender. Then measure the same way. Just check it's not too wet or dry and adjust accordingly.

Cooking takes longer and requires planning. I would suggest 14 main course recipes and rotate them every two weeks. Have a file of things you might like to try and sub them in the rotation for variety. I always keep homemade soup for lunches and one dinner.

You can't go wrong with a protein and veggies.

America's Test Kitchen " How can it be gluten free cookbook" is a definite winner. They give you a recipe to make your own all purpose flour. Every recipe I have tried has been wonderful, complete with pie crusts and making bread.

All recipes website has many GF recipes to choose from.

Gluten Free Girl and The Chef just published a book of classics remade to be gluten friendly. I have made many of their recipes with good success.

Last year at Thanksgiving we were invited to relatives house. I volunteered to bring sides and desserts ( so I could eat). I even made awesome gravy and green bean casserole. There was one actualy celiac, just recently diagnosed. I think she posted a pic on facebook of this pumpkin cheesecake " slice ", like half the cake. The whole afternoon she kept coming over and asking me if she could eat all this food. She was amazed. It looked just like a normal Thanksgiving table. All it takes is time, Planning, Preparedness and a lot of work. Believe me, I am already thinking about it!

Don''t look at this as what your family can't eat but as a way to make really good healthy food choices. Take your grocery store flyer and use it to plan your meals. Double up certain things, like meatballs or meatloaf so you have something in the freezer for those nights when things are crazy.

Brown Rice tortillas make a decent base for individual pizzas. Test Kitchen book has a good pizza crust recipe, but it requires planning.

Oatmeal: Bob's Redmill GF old fashioned oatmeal. My grocery has it in the special section for GF items.

The nut allergy isn't that uncommon but does make things more difficult. You may be able to get a crust with a rice flour mixture, corn flakes or potato chips.

Ghee is another option for oil/fat. It's cooked to remove the dairy solids. Many people with dairy issues can tolerate ghee.

Gluten free breads are dry by chemistry nature. You won't find a prepared one that is soft and has that nice mouth feel UNLESS you make it. That will get you close but still, it's different. And it will only last that day and then you will need to freeze your bread.

I have Udi's in the freezer for those times when I need it. Rudi's is also fine for me.

I do find that if I am preparing a sandwich, I very lightly toast it so that it will hold together. Gluten is the glue that holds the bread together. Without it, the bread will sort of fall apart. Gluten free plain bagels make awesome croutons to go on top of GF Clam Chowder or Potato soup.

If he is eating out, he can always order sort of al a carte, a protein and veggie or salad. BTW, salad dressing is dangerous. I find the only thing I can tolerate is a vinagerette. Just stick to really clean, plain food. Seasonings can be another landmind area.

BTW, if you are out, tell your waiter you have food allergies. Most restaurants now have a menu just for that. I visited friends near Disney world. I only had to ask IF they had a GF menu and the chef came out to personally take my order. Disney really gets this and is so helpful. But, always ask if you are out. Don't assume it will be okay.

One of my local restaurants has chili on Saturday. One would think Chili would be okay. NOT! Ask, don't assume.

A celiac may or may not have a gastro issue but silently there is damage going on in the gut. For me, I am sick for days, yet no positive test.

I guess the best thing is you and your family are not alone. This is more of an issue than most people would think. Start slow with just one recipe. Try to get him involved. He can't be GF just at home. Life is about choices and he needs to know how to make them.

And read every label. Just because it was fine the last time you bought it doesn't mean they didn't change the formula. Shop off times, like late at night or early morning so you can read without interruption.

Whole foods has a "class" where they take you around the store to show you options. A nutrionist might do the same thing.

It's all so overwhelming, I know. I remember when I could eat whatever I wanted. I could go to any restaurant. No more

Now I have food anxiety, geesh. It's a really good thing I like to cook otherwise I might starve or be broke from buying GF food which is always so much more expensive than the comparable non GF food.

And they say it's just a fad. Wll, that just makes my blood pressure go up.

Thank heavens wine is GF. BTW, liquor can be a problem so you want distilled like some Vodkas and it goes without saying normal beer is out of the question but there are some GF beers out there. Then there would be those who would say, why bother???

LOL!

Best to you and yours!

lynn, my oldest daughter was recently diagnosed as celiac, so I'm learning.

I've found that the kids like chicken baked with potato chips or gluten free corn flakes, crushed, but they really like it if I grind up flavored gluten free tortilla chips, like the ranch or taco flavored "Doritos" kind of thing, and use that to bread chicken nuggets. Gluten free pretzels work too.

My grandma also used oatmeal in meatloaf, but I got some "Glutino" brand bread crumbs and used that, and no one could tell.

I've also found that cornstarch makes a good fish batter, similar to tempura, and I also made crepes with cornstarch and actually liked them BETTER than the ones I made with flour.

I've managed to make biscuits that were pretty good, muffins that were passable, and some really good lemon bars that Amanda was hiding from everyone else. But, I'm still learning too.

Annie

I've made meatloaf w/ grated raw potatoes instead of breadcrumbs. Perhaps instant mashed potatoes would work as well?

Wow everybody. Such generosity and care. I've gotten a lot more than just recipe substitution ideas. I will go ahead and buy the America's Test kitchen - cook's illustrated GF book.

Compumom and meyer - there's great info in your posts that I will share with my husband.

Here are some answers:

he was tested for Celiac - and doesn't have it (I may have misunderstood what he told me about how his reactions/symptoms might get increasingly worse over time - maybe it wasn't heading to Celiac, but to higher levels of reactions)

he was tested for allergies - by a top allergist in DC - all were negative. Our understanding is that immediate, life threatening allergic reactions (like some have to seafood, nuts, etc) might show up - but that food sensitivities (where he eats something and feels lousy - in a variety of ways, depending on the food) don't - and may not - show up in those tests. He's on allergy shots.

He also sees a highly reknowned, more liberal (aware of GMO's, and various sensitivies), gastroenterologist named Robyn Chutkin (I think she's nationally known by some). And he consulted with a nutritionist she recommended.

He doesn't cook at all. And while I like to cook, I don't have time to do it often - and have a picky 16 yo who's tastes are opposite of what my husband could eat. It's virtually impossible to cook something they will both like and is good for them. The best I can achieve is one likes it and the other can tolerate it (my husband is more food appreciative - and my daughter can barely stand some of those dishes - or I cook something she may like that he cannot eat).

He eats corn products and doesn't seem to react to them, so I think corn meal, corn chips, corn tortillas is fine. One problem - as I see it - is because he doesn't cook at all - (and he may have more time than me, though we're both pretty pressed) - he eats the same things over and over - and then seems to develop a sensitivity to a new food because he's overeaten it. That's what's seemed to happen about nuts. He is now reacting to berries, tomatoes, potatoes, - I think his sensitivities are increasing all the time. I think he may develop problems with corn because he's snacking on popcorn and cornships - and probably having something with corn every day. He's lactose intolerant - which now seems like one of the more benign issues. He gets bloated and gassy. If he eats gluten, he feels parts of his digestive system feel on fire (I'm honestly not sure if it's his mouth tingling or further down). Soy is an issue - so all those wonderful GF Asian dishes are usually out. He is careful when he eats out.

Thanks for all the recipe and medical insights.

Lynn.

I feel for you being between a picky 16 year old and food allergies. You are right that as time goes by it seems food allergies increase in both the offending items and intensity of illness.

Tomatoes, potatoes are nightshade vegetables, many people develop sensitivities to this plant family. Peppers, even cayenne and black pepper can be a problem.

Some say it could be leaky gut issues that cause the increase in food issues.

The daughter needs to either compromise or cook for herself. You could try having a cooking session just with her and just what she wants to eat. So you can either freeze it for later or she can whip it up herself. Your husbands issues are much more involved although a miserable 16 year old is a formidable problem, been there, done that, got gray hair.

I think with time you will be okay. I know at first I had only a few things to eat but then I started playing around and found new things to try. This is when scheduling will be your best friend. Some families all change their eating habits at home because it's so much to keep all these foods separate and cross contamination is a real issue. IT would be a full time job to fix food two ways .

And we can't discount food anxiety. I know that gets in my way often because so many times I have been reassured that all was fine and yet it wasn't. If we go out, its only to a few places I KNOW I can safely order.

Tomorrow I am making a white bean chicken chili that everyone seems to like. Win/win for me. I could combine that with corn bread and a salad and it's dinner.

I can eat corn chip stuff, too. I don't very often because of other lipid stuff but at least I know it's for now, safe.

All I can say is people who have these issues have to find the time to make the food they can eat. Some prepare components and keep them in containers in the fridge, then build a recipe from that. For instance, you could brown 2 pounds of ground beef/turkey on Sunday and use it through out the week. You can make salads and vaccumn seal the individual salads in mason jars, so they will be good all week. Grab and go. Buy a roasted chicken and shred it. Good for making tacos or enchiladas or top a salad.

I always try to have a soup or stew in the fridge. A crock pot is a life saver.

There is an overnight, bake in the oven oatmeal. There are breakfast burritos. Lot's of choices.

If you have something in mind you want to make, I will see if I have something appropriate.

I was glad to read that you seem to have landed with qualified professionals.

Did the "top allergist in DC" only test for the ONE most common wheat protein? A general blood test will not necessarily show if you have a gluten sensitivity because of this. There are 17 proteins in wheat, and a person could be sensitive to any one of them. Generally, they only test for the most common protein and skip the other 16. This is why an elimination diet is often a better indicator than tests.

And there is a big difference between gluten sensitivity and celiac disease, although some physicians don't always recognize the fact.

It truly sounds more entailed than just wheat and other allergies....especially if there is a "laundry list" of symptoms to go along with the issue. I'd suggest getting a copy of the book Digestive Health with REAL Food - by Aglaee Jacob, M.S., R.D. It includes information about FODMAPs, SIBO, non-responsive celiac disease, food sensitivities and more.... Broader information than just gluten sensitivity and celiac disease.

America's Test Kitchen's The How Can it Be Gluten Free Cookbook (mentioned above) is great for lessons about the science of gluten-free cooking and baking (it includes LOTS of recipes for things other than baked goods, which is really nice) - as well as recommending different gluten-free baking mixes and homemade mixes, and what results to expect from the different types if substituting them in the recipes. BUT, they use sooooo much high-glycemic gluten-free flours and starches a person could encounter blood glucose issues as a secondary effect if they switched to baked goods using these flours/starches on a daily basis. Especially so if they are already diabetic, or are pre-disposed to diabetes or have other glucose issues presently. These are NOT diabetic-friendly recipes, a LOT of gluten-free recipes are not diabetic-friendly, and unfortunately they don't often include the nutritional information for counting carbohydrates.

Personally, I mill my own gluten-free flours for freshness and nutrition. I also avoid rice flour due to the arsenic in rice flour (unless I prepare it myself using special methods to reduce the arsenic) - and nearly everything out there - commercial products and g-f flour mixtures is loaded with rice flour. [More information: http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/Metals/ucm319948.htm] It's the proverbial "going from the fat into the fire", in my opinion. You may be exchanging one health issue for another.

-Grainlady