if you are allergic or intolerant to wheat
How to understand and use the recipes in this book
1.Every chapter has its own recipe list which indicates which of the eight “free of” ingredients is omitted from each recipe.
Example 1: Protein dishes for light and main meals
Name of recipe | Free of:W = Wheat; G = Gluten; Ma = Maize; E = Egg;Mi = Milk; L = Lactose; So = Soya;C+P= Colourants and preservatives | |||||||
W | G | Ma | E | Mi | L | So | C+P | |
Pan-grilled fish | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
Oven-baked white fish | • | • | • | • | • | |||
Tuna bake | • | • | (•) | (•) | (•) | • |
•If you take a look at Oven-baked white fish, you will see that this dish is free of wheat, gluten, egg, soya, colourants and preservatives.
•If you take a look at Tuna bake it has brackets (•) at milk, lactose and soya. When the milk in the recipe is replaced by soya milk, then the dish will be milk and lactose free, but not soya free.
2.The “free of” information is provided at each recipe.
Example 2: Tuna bake
Free of: | W | G | Ma | E | Mi | L | So | C+P |
• | • | (•) | (•) | (•) | • |
3.Substitutes will follow at the bottom of each recipe, for example:
SUGGESTIONS AND VARIATIONS•Replace the milk with soya milk, then the dish will be milk and lactose free but not soya free. Use lactose-free milk, such as Parmalat EasyGest, then the dish is lactose free but not milk free.•Crosse & Blackwell Trim Low Oil Dressing is milk and egg free. It contains maize starch as a stabiliser so it is not maize free. It contains the preservative potassium sorbate, which is considered quite “safe”. |
Hints to make your meal plan more practical
•To make it easier to buy ingredients and prepare food, plan a menu for every day of the week. Plan the menu so that most of the dishes are suitable for everyone in the family. Only substitute those dishes that are not suitable for the person with the food allergy or intolerance.
•Substitute each unsuitable dish on the menu with an alternative. A person who has to restrict their diet due to a food allergy or intolerance will achieve better long-term compliance if he or she does not feel deprived.
•Make provision for the days when there is little time for food preparation by preparing food in advance when you do have time. Pack, seal and chill or freeze these dishes until they are needed. Each recipe includes “Will it keep?” information which will give you an indication of whether the dish is suitable for freezing or for how long it can be kept chilled.
•Make provision for packed meals away from home by preparing and chilling or freezing breads, muffins, soups and light meals in serving portions.
•Mark the dishes to be chilled or frozen and store them in a specific spot in the fridge or freezer. Mark each dish with a label and the following information:
–Name of dish
–Date of preparation
–Portion size or number of portions
•Although it is preferable to use fresh and unprocessed ingredients, some recipes include tinned food such as tinned tomatoes, lentils and mushrooms to assist and speed up food preparation.
•Store special flour in an airtight container in a cool place or in the fridge.
•View the dietary prescription and meal plan, with all its restrictions, in a positive manner as part of a balanced treatment and lifestyle.
Special occasions
VISITING AND EATING OUT
•Follow the guidelines under the heading “Hints to make your meal plan more practical”.
•When eating out or when you are invited for a meal, it is a good idea to visit or call the restaurant before the time, or to call the host to determine if you should take a substitute along for certain dishes which will be served.
CHILDREN’S PARTIES
If you follow these guidelines, children’s parties can still be fun:
•Choose