Cooking with Food Sensitive Kids

The latest foray into the land of cooking took us to soups.  My child now has a thing for soups.  It started with chicken noodle and quickly progressed to clam chowder and lobster bisque.  One of the favorites turns out to be broccoli and cheddar soup.  A famous bakery chain restaurant with a lot of soups carries it, but like most of their soups it has wheat in it.  We should not eat wheat, even the amount they use to thicken the broth.  So we made our own.

This version uses gluten free flour as part of the roux that thickens is.  The base is partially milk.  Lactose free milk was used for that.  The hardest part would be to find a lactose free cheddar cheese.  That was impossible in a super market.  We actually did use standard cheeses and just took a lactaid pill, just in case.

It turned out very good.  Now for those of you worried that broccoli is dangerous to those with sensitive digestion, certain foods like broccoli are to be avoided as they may physically irritate the colon due to their shape or roughage, what we used was chopped very fine.  It still had a texture to it but was not the large brush-like shapes that can irritate.

This is a quick, easy dish most any kid can do.  It does have some risk if you are very sensitive thanks to the cheese and broccoli. But if you are able to tolerate those then this is worth trying.

Cooking and kids

Teaching kids to cook makes them aware of what's in the food they are eating.  This is a pizza made by my nine-year-old.  The crust is flaxseed and the cheese is low lactose.  The sauce is organic while the pepperoni has no additives, preservatives.  The meat has no hormones or antibiotics.

He is getting so much better at reading labels on foods.  The ingredients matter, not just the labels.  That happened with learning to cook.  The pizza came from Wheat Belly, by William Davis, MD.  While not specific to celiacs the wheat free diet goes a long way in eliminating the gluten that damages so many who are sensitive to it.

Cooking is another fun activity with the kids, and it imparts insight into food realities.  I'm very proud of my son for stepping up.  He checks labels and ingredients, and now wants to cook more of his own food.

Bake your own bread

So I am not all that thrilled with #glutenfree bread that's available commercially.  They are all frozen, except one that I found which was like a small brick of sawdust, and that makes them dry.  Crumbly, stale tasting bread is what you get when it is frozen no matter how good the initial bread.

That said, for me to find some good bread for toast or sandwiches I broke down and got a bread maker.  It has a setting for gluten free breads.  That means there is only one rise.  The machine, as a real baker, normally lets a standard dough rise once only to be punched down to let rise again.  Gluten free doughs do not have the structure to rise again so can't go through this process.  The program in the machine took away from any manual parts to the process.

The above loaf is from my own dough concoction.  I had recipes but not all the ingredients.  My local supermarket had almost all gluten free flours and stuff so I was able to get this done.  It's not the really airy white bread, a tad on the cake-y side for that, but it is good with nice texture and crust.  I will experiment some more with my new toy.  Looks like I am eating a lot of bread in the near future. Apparently have to make up for the seven months of no bread.

Cross Contamination Worries

I started to think dining out was getting better in the greater Boston area for people with food sensitivities.  The menus might be limited but they existed.  And servers seemed to know about the issue, as in really know, not just the lip service like having to wash your hands.

I was wrong.  Recently we went out to a couple of different restaurants.  One was a steakhouse in Weymouth, MA.  The other was all-American fare in Quincy, MA.   The both got things wrong, much to our detriment, although one more than the other.

In Weymouth, we figured a steak house was a safe bet.  Beef has no gluten.  Now many of the sauces, demi glace or whatever will have gluten.  They usually use flour to thicken them.  However, ordering a steak without sauce should be fine.  It didn't turn out that way.  We ordered after informing our server several times about gluten allergies, and asked questions about specific dishes regarding gluten content.  That still was not enough apparently.  My lovely date ordered filet with a lobster tail.  Now for her I will give the benefit of the doubt that it may have been the lobster.  It came out dull with brown edges instead of the bright red that one would expect.  Our guess is that it was cooked well ahead of time and just reheated when served.  You CAN'T do that to lobster.  I ordered sirloin.  It was a little tough but the butter on top may have had some additive that made me sick.  That is only my guess, there could have been something in the mashed potato.  In any event the food was somehow contaminated.  That is inexcusable in light of informing the server of our food allergies.  What should have let me know was that the same server brought the food.  Previously in other restaurants a designated food allergy server brought out the actual food as a way of insuring against cross contamination.  One place even uses slightly different shaped plates also.  This steakhouse did not.  And we paid for it.

The Quincy restaurant was a bit better.  The server acknowledged our food allergies and even went to check with the chef about our questions on some dishes.  Even with all that there was still something possibly wrong.  I am only mentioning this to highlight the food sensitive's need to be ever vigilant.  She ordered a Cobb salad with steak tips.  The steak was obviously marinated in something, presumably teriyaki.  That may have been good except she cannot have any marinades, and most teriyaki contains soy sauce, which has gluten.

Even with the best of places, and when doing everything a person should do when food allergies are involved - reviewing ingredients, asking questions, informing servers - there is still a significant risk of becoming ill when dining out.  Restaurants are not automated, they are run by people.  People make mistakes.  While that is a fact of life, that fact can ruin another person's day, or life.

Bonefish Grill - Review

The other day we went to the recently opened Bonefish Grill in Westwood.  This whole area along University Ave is being developed with a large shopping area featuring Target, Nordstrom Rack, and a Homegoods among others.  It will soon be home to a Wegman's grocery store, which could be exciting and start to give Whole Foods a run for its money.

Across the street is a new restaurant, Bonefish Grill.  Now this is a chain restaurant that started in Florida but is making its way up north.  The Westwood location is one of three in the area.  Burlington and Rhode Island are the other two, although there is also one off in Connecticut.  We went in between the meal rush hours on a hot holiday weekend.  There were probably about a dozen patrons there at that time, and several friendly staff.  With plenty of space available I am glad we were quickly shown to a nice booth.  It would have been a little disappointing to have to wait for a smaller two person table in the middle of the room, which has happened in other places.  

It has a nice, contemporary decor.  The darkness was very welcome after being out in the hot sun, yet the lighting was still subtle and sufficient between the natural light and house lighting to be able to carry on a conversation.  If it gets too dark I always want to speak briefly in hushed tones.  That stifles a free flowing conversation, but that might be just me.   

I did check out the menu on line and on my phone previously so pretty much knew the offerings.  Seafood, obviously, with some good meat and salads also.  After a quick glance at the menu we did ask for a gluten free version.  It was my fault we did not do this at the Hostess station.  The very friendly server was quick in getting them though.  Throughout the whole meal she was very pleasant and attentive.

The gluten free version of the menu is, like most places with them, a really pared down version of the standard menu.  I usually get a little worried when the gluten free menu does not have prices on it.  This tells me that it is more of an after thought.  The gluten free offerings may not then be updated when the standard menu gets its changes.  

We both ordered salads.  This is what my date settled on after some questions about the menu.  Fish was first considered but the gluten free sides were mostly potato.  We did ask why a sweet potato mashed was not gluten free.  The server asked the chef for the answer that the add cream.  Not pressing the issue that neither cream or sweet potato have gluten, we just assumed the product was not sourced from a gluten free facility.  She handled the questions well so there was no point in torturing her over it.  I went with the Caesar and added chicken.  It was hot out and I wanted something lighter.  My date had their Florida Cobb Salad with some minor modifications.  They both came out quickly but mine did have croutons.  Before I could ask about that, did they have gluten free bread?, by date mentioned it.  So the mortified server readily admitted that this was her fault, she neglected to mention the gluten free on that salad.  She quickly had it corrected and apologized several times.  I thought she might have just said sorry and moved on, blamed the kitchen or something, but no, she took full responsibility without any prompting.  That was a bit impressive and shows she has character.  I can appreciate that.

The salads were good.  They came out with a bit of theatrics, plated in a transparent tall ring mold which was then removed by the server to give a bit of a last toss. The Caesar is basically just lettuce with dressing and cheese.  The Florida Cobb has mangos and avocado with the tomato and blue cheese.  The mangos were a big hit along side the adored avocado.

Once the lunch was done I indulged in dessert.  Bonefish does have a macadamia nut brownie, which is flourless so is gluten free.  With ice cream and a raspberry sauce this sounded perfect.  When it was coming out, just before it reached the table, our server intercepted it.  Restaurants often use a dedicated server for food allergies.  This one person brings them all out to help insure mistakes are not made.  Apparently another mistake was made though.  Our server mentioned to the other person that the whipped cream was not supposed to be on it.  It was sent back before reaching us to be remade in the gluten free version.  (what gluten is in the cream was never explored and is another topic)  After the first occasion she was being very diligent.  The dessert was great.  A moist chocolaty cake with rich sauces and macadamia nuts.  I was expecting a lava cake as gluten free desserts seem to have trouble baking in the middle so places just go with it.  But no, it was a real cake 'brownie'.

Overall this was a good dining experience.  We certainly will try it again for dinner and see how the place does in a rush.  It is new so may be working out some of the kinks that happen with places no matter how well planned, but it is new so is certainly a different experience.  They didn't have in integrated menu accommodating food allergies, but did make reasonable allowances.  Though not perfect they tried.  That's a bit better than some places.  

Gluten or other?

One of the hardest parts of living with a good diet is figuring out just what is good.  I went gluten free and so far it is working well, health wise.  I still can't pass a Dunkin Donut without wanting to buy a dozen.  There are still days of dubious comfort but I will say the days are better now compared to last year.

It is the topic for a different post but I imagine that much of this feeling better is a result of having invested so much personally into going gluten free.  I feel better because it would be pointless if I didn't.  Why put myself through all this if nothing changed?  Call it a dietary placebo effect.  It certainly sounds like good grounds for scientific study.  What part of improvement of health comes from actual changes to diet opposed to the believe the changes will improve overall well being?

That will take some thinking, time, and googling to get an opinion.  But when changing diet I was recommended a process I did not follow.  I was supposed to basically cut out anything and everything that could possibly cause a problem; gluten, dairy, eggs, sugar, carbs, you name it.  I should have been sitting in a corner gnawing on some blanched chicken five times a day.  Do that for a month till you're purged then add back one thing at a time for a week at a time and see how it goes.  That would have been very scientific and I am sure very helpful.  It also sounded dreadfully dull and rather painful to do.  So I didn't.  Now I am coming to the conclusion that there may be more than one malefactor in my diet.  The evil Lord Gluten may have a sinister companion, the Lady Lactose.

It could be one, or the other, or both, that creates great discomfort and horrible moods.  The one way to find out is to give up lactose.  No milk, not a big sacrifice as I do not like milk, no cheese (sorry, pizza) or other dairy containing stuff, read ice cream.  After seeing how things work out I can try and add it back in.  Or I can cheat.  Unlike gluten, lactose has a pill.  Its over-the-counter so who know how well it works, but it is a start.

Saying you're allergic to food is like saying you're allergic to every organic molecule.  It is just too much.  So despite all the pain-in-the-(neck) bother narrowing it down is the best thing.  I have my suspicions.  Now it is time to confirm them.  You can't just shove food in your mouth anymore.  Time to think about things, and once the one or two offenders are identified, then shove the rest into your mouth.  (not recommended but after all the experimentation the treat may feel satisfying.)

Healthy Summer Camps

It is almost time for kids to go to Summer Camp.  Working with schools to make sure your kids get treated well in regards to food sensitivity can be a challenge.  Trying to do the same thing for Summer Camp has similar obstacles.

Sometimes you have to start all over in many cases.  Summer camps are not necessarily run by the schools, and even if they are it is most likely a different set of people.  College and high school kids volunteer to be camp councilors.  These are not the teachers you are used to dealing with.  So it is time to be patient and explain the situation all over again.  So at camp that weekly pizza day means either your kids miss out or the place has to find gluten free pizza.  Either case makes me worry about stigmatizing my kids.  They are special to me but I don't want them singled out for a special table.

One good thing is often I have to provide the lunches and snacks.  I can have a bit more control of what they eat.  A downside is they may be sent to a special table.  I can guess this as the camp already notified me of peanut allergies.  Nothing with nuts should be sent with the kids.  Fair enough.  It also means the peanut kids will probably eat at their own table in case a parent doesn't want to heed that warning.  That's going to be an issue if the kids start to feel second class while at camp.

I imagine there are camps for kids dedicated to healthy living.  They probably have only lactose free cheese and milk, no nuts of any kind, only gluten free products, plenty of spring water fresh from the ground, and everything is organic.  But I do not live in that Vermont commune and one of those camps isn't near me.

I, like every other parent, have to deal with what we have available.  Summer Camp is supposed to be a place of fun and adventure, exploring outdoors and trying to make being away from school last forever.  But when there are food sensitivities/allergies involved someone has to be on the look out.  That random ice cream truck can ruin a day.  Schools are getting better with food concerns, camps may be catching up too, but for now healthy living means being vigilant, even in the lazy days of Summer.

Time to Bake

For now I have been buying all the gluten free breads and stuff.  This weekend it might be the time to make some of my own.  I have some gluten free mixes for things like brownies, cookies, and corn bread.  And I do have a recipe book for baking, now's the time to put it into action.

If I can find a good doughnut recipe and then find a way to add cocoa to it so I can finally have chocolate doughnuts, I will be very happy.  In the mean time I think I will have to eat my way through a lot of attempts.

It's the internet, I know, so there are a lot of blogs, sites, etc. with lots of information.  I may try to go through all of these again, but I also want to discover things for myself.  When I get more comfortable I will get to baking bread on my own, gluten free of course.  I hope I can find something that acts like gluten so the loaves are not as dense as gluten free bread and still rise to a good size loaf.  Somehow we deserve both in our bread.

Among all the other things happening this weekend,  Happy Fathers' Day to all the other fathers out there, some time in a kitchen with a hot stove churning out the tantalizing aroma of baking bread just might happen.

That's the plan anyway.

Gluten Free Children

For months now I have been doing what I can to live Gluten free.  For me it hasn't been that bad of a transition, challenging, but when put in perspective not all that bad.  Children, however, are another story.

I have one child that will really benefit from going gluten free, and another where it will help but is not absolutely necessary.  They are twins so what one gets the other demands.  Not in this case.  I buy nothing but gluten free food.  That means no cookie dough, no Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, no regular doughnuts, no regular pizza, no regular chicken nuggets, you get the point.  Several times already at the supermarket when the kids are along someone will ask, "Can I get this?" while handing me some awful thing.  I say I can't eat that and your brother shouldn't either.  The conversation quickly ends with a loud, "I hate Gluten!"

The resentment of one is matched by the reluctance of the other.  He just does not want to eat gluten free.  After going to great lengths to find products that actually taste good to a child's palate, at this point, I believe the resistance is not based on taste.  I wonder if two things are not happening here.  One is a realization that he is different and has to eat different.  The other that it seems he is singled out as different and has to eat different.  That everyone sees it.  Both those things can be devastating to a child.  I point out the differences in everyone, not just with diets, in an attempt to not only lessen the feeling of having a spotlight on him but to also help him appreciate the differences.  That's mostly  a lot of touchy happy feel good stuff and does not work all that much.

A different approach has been to try to develop insight within him as to what the affects of food are on him.  Certain foods really make him feel bad.  Some hurt a lot.  Gluten also affects him behaviorally.  It is almost like a steroid.  He becomes aggressive, unfocused, irritable, and restless.  I have no scientific evidence of this but am convinced the gluten is a major cause of bad behavior.  It is almost like clockwork that if he eats something bad soon he will be difficult to deal with.  And that is not his normal baseline behavior.

Healthy eating is just that, eating to be healthy.  And healthy counts more than just being not sick.  It means having a better outlook and behavior.  It was important for me and my own health, but becomes that much more important for my life when I see how it affects those I love.  Healthy living is a challenge for a whole family.  It impacts us on a very basic level.  Working it into the lives of children poses its own special challenges, school, socialization, etc.  I want to give both my children every chance to be the best possible persons, even if that requires them to have 'special' diets.  It is the least I can do.

A new life, Meditation, and Coffee

At the risk of sounding like a wanna be Hippie, or granola eating sandal wearing Earth crunchy type (not that there is anything wrong with hippies, young hippie posers, or associated stereotypes.  I just don't think I am close to being any of those.), I am coming to the opinion that having to change your diet for your health is hardest when it is just that, changing only one thing for an external reason.

It's similar to advice I hear given to young people - don't change for someone else.  A girl is only liking the person you pretend to be, not who you are so knock it off.  Be yourself.  In a similar way trying to change only one aspect of your life is putting on a facade and lying to the rest of yourself.  That is what makes the bitterness, the resentment, the reluctance to continue with healthy eating.  Part of you wants to be who you were despite the pains while some other part is convincing yourself that you are better.

Just yesterday I went in to get a decaf iced coffee.  (yes, at the same place that has no conception of a gluten free world)  And I really wanted their doughnuts (here I steadfastly refuse to spell it the wrong way as in their marketing schemes).  I grew up on them.  I love them.  But I cannot eat them.  I am now just over a relapse where I was in quite a bit of discomfort and pain due to eating something inadvertently with gluten in it - mints. (who knew? but I should have) (for the love of parentheses and as an aside I was all but addicted to Altoids, would eat them one after the other.  These were a knock off brand as I have been out of Altoids for a long time.)  Still I wanted doughnuts even as I stood in line, in abdominal pain, waiting to get an ice coffee.

It finally hit me.  That is not who I am.  Not anymore.  Being attached to an old life, wanting it back, and wanting all the tasty treats that went along with it (and could very well have made me sick) was making me bitter and depressed.  It was wrong.  It was wrong as that is not who I am.  As part of changing what I eat to feel better I am really changing my life to be more who I  really am.  That is what is making me feel better.

Off and on in life I would meditate.  It is rewarding and it helps to get perspective on things, not really be attached so much.  Getting back to that point of view, changing my diet is only a small part of not physically suffering any more.  I'll go back to meditation not only for the many demonstrable benefits but also since it will help lessen the attachment to all the foods and wants that worked to destroy my life.  A healthy lifestyle is just that, a life.  It is not a fad, a phase, or just one thing you have to grudgingly do.  That is why diets so often fail.  It is not something to do.  It is a new someone to be.

New Beginnings

There are many gluten free blogs out there.  Sharing recipes, finding good places to eat, and sharing stories have all been covered.  So what about one more?  That's this blog.  I'm a writer, analyst, and now blogger who went completely gluten free as a lifestyle starting in 2015.

Writers always want to write everything down.  We take note of things and try to observe.  It's where great ideas for new stories are found.  Changing lifestyles provides a lot of fodder for new stories, hence I'm going to write it down.  This will be a new project for me.  Eventually I will incorporate more Twitter or something to round it out, but for now I hope to reach out to people dealing with similar issues as we change lives to ones without gluten.   I decided to change how I eat for my health.  Apparently I had gluten sensitivity for years without knowing it.  That was just how people were supposed to feel.  Now a new life offers hope to not only feeling better but being better.

Like everything else in life, this blog will evolve and change.  For now it is just starting out, and looks that way.  I'll learn the ropes as I share more, and learn more from you.  Since you can't finish without starting this is the first post.  Thanks to any who read and looking forward to sharing much more with you.

Oh, and my name is Doug, by the way.