The Gluten Free Author's guide to goodies or not.Or ... pondering on labels

Morning all, 

I'm writing this, at some early hour, drinking coffee and pondering the label on the cereal. 

Not the cereal I can eat, though not that long go I did. Then either they changed the recipe and it's no longer below the codex index, or I got extra super sensitive. Because on holiday a while back, I was eating said cereal, and I was ill. So ill, one day I had to go back to bed. 

Lovely hubby came in waving the packet, and said, "I think you've been poisoning yourself."

More than a slight exaggeration, but I got the gist. There, on the list of ingredients was 'wheat flour.'

I swore a bit and went out and bought the cereal with 'gluten free' emblazoned on the front.

Since I've had to cut gluten out, I have read labels religiously. Checked and double checked. Looked up what certain words mean, made sure anything is gluten free or below the codex limit.

Been ultra careful.

But, I guess it's easy to just assume something is okay if it used to be. There's a gravy mix that was gf, then wasn't now is again. It's enough to make you dizzy.

Thankfully these days there is a much better choice than even five years ago. The Gluten free shelves now cover twelve foot instead of two. (Some companies have even done the make them and stop because they say whatever it is doesn't sell. I mourn Genius croissants) 

There's more than one brand of bread and no longer is it so heavy, that if you threw it, it would kill a sparrow at ten paces (As my gran would have said) Biscuits taste 'like biscuits'. Scotch pancakes by whatever name taste as I remember them) You don't need to struggle and cuss with home made pastry, and so on.

But even with all that you still have to be vigilant.

Labels are my new best friend. But oh how I wish they didn't need to be.

Happy eating,

love Raven xx

The Gluten free author's guide to goodies—or not. Monday musings, on Same outside not in.

Hi all. Happy Monday, or whenever you are reading/skimming/ignoring this or rolling your eyes and muttering oh goodness she's at it again.

I hold my hands in the air, and admit that yes, if you are alert and have had your coffee (or wake up drink of choice), you'll notice today's blog has the dreaded 'or not' in its title. 

Because I'm talking about the same packaging, different contents of a certain type of condiment. A well known, name no names, brand of tomato ketchup. 

In the UK this is listed as using tomatoes, spirit vinegar etc. When we were on holiday recently, the same packaged product was made from tomato paste and 'vinegar'. Not spirit vinegar. (Amongst other things.)

I'll own up and admit I didn't look at the ingredients when I generously dolloped it on my chips. After all, it was the same label, type of bottle, brand we use at home, so I didn't see any reason to. But I didn't turn it around and look at the reverse.

Boy I won't make that mistake again.

It was purchased from a reputable supermarket, wasn't labelled as g-f, etc etc, so this was totally my own fault, but...

The moral of this musing is read before you eat.

It's the one thing we know to do. Check the ingredients. But how often do you think to check if something you have enjoyed for years has actually changed the recipe unless it has those 'new improved recipe' or whatever on it?

For that matter, why would you assume the same food as you eat in 'x' is made to a totally different recipe in 'y'? 

I pondered over this, and thought, well actually I do know that happens because foods can and are altered for specific tastes.Think a type of curry you eat in India to the one you eat down your local high street, or the lucky people in Europe who can get g-f buns with a famous burger that we can't in the UK.

So why would ketchup be any different?

The moral of this story as I said before...

Read before you eat.

Those of us who can't eat gluten check out what is and isn't available where we are going, and full our suitcases with what we will need to stop ourselves going hungry while we are away.  I have a feeling Ketchup might well be tucked in mine if I do go back to that place again.

Happy reading...and eating,

love Raven x