Category: Food Allergy Tips

Survival Kit: When You’re Alone Life Savers

These next two posts are dedicated to celiac survival techniques in KL. While cooked food is always a challenge, especially when you are in a new part of town and/or in a hurry, there are some viable and healthful options should all else fail.

#1: Fruit – Almost guaranteed to be gluten-free unless it is obviously coated with something. Fruit stalls are ubiquitous and a good option

#2: Energy Bars – Most supermarkets (such as Cold Storage), pharmacies (such as Vitacare) and organic grocery stores (such as Justlife, Country Farm Organics) will carry some gluten-free variety. I usually get my favourite Raw Revolution bars from www.iherb.com (use discount code “LEQ993 for $10 off!).They are delicious and gluten- and dairy-free.

Fruit Stalls
The ubiquitous fruit stall in KL
Raw Revolution
Raw Revolution Bars: I love the Spirulina and Chocolate on

#3: Nuts – I usually carry raw nuts (and sometimes dried fruit) with me all the time. I keep some in the office. I have some in the car. Make sure to get unprocessed nuts. The kinds available at your average petrol station is not likely to be gluten-free, even if it is just roasted and salted (cross-contamination). If you don’t like raw nuts, buy it anyway and roast it in your oven. It’s safer that way. Roasting on your own is as easy as putting the nuts in your oven for about 20 minutes at about 160C.

Nuts
Nuts fill you up!

 

Peace,

Daisy

Gluten-less, Thought-less Breakfast Parfait

Breakfast Parfait
Breakfast Parfait

Breakfast is often the toughest meal of the day because: a) one is pressed for time, and b) one cannot think of interesting and delicious culinary delights so early in the morning. And yet, it is probably the most critical meal of the day because of its nutritional importance.

My solution? A healthy blend of dry and healthful ingredients that can be mixed and matched but still supply the morning nutrition essential for celiacs (and really, everyone).

I have glass jars full of: ground flax seed, powdered greens, chia seed, goji berries, raisins, cranberries, all types of nuts, fiber powder (you’ll want to make sure it’s  not made of gluten—Benefiber, psyllium husk, etc. are okay). To this, I add: coconut oil, wheat germ oil (a gluten-free kind), and honey. If I have fruit lying around, it’ll definitely go in as well (berries and bananas work particularly well). I add a small serving of gluten-free oats or corn flakes if I feel like it, both of which I can take in small proportions. Finally, the liquid part: almond milk or soy milk or rice milk, or even yoghurt or a yoghurt replacer. You can use real milk if the dairy doesn’t bother you.

Layered parfaits look nice but sometimes I just put it all in a bowl and lap up. Or in a smoothie as below, with some old bananas and other left over fruit. You can add some yoghurt and peanut butter to the smoothie to make it thicker and richer as well (check peanut butter label for gluten-free-ness).

Smoothie
Breakfast parfait in a Blender = Smoothie. Basically same ingredients!

This is my husband’s breakfast as well, and lately I’ve noticed that my house guests will readily join in. See? It’s not just us celiacs who could use a thought-free morning.

Peace,

Daisy