Category: Resources

Polenta Soup

Polenta Soup – 4 servings
adaptation by Chef Mariann

6 cups of your favorite stock
I used ham stock (stock recipe posted at site)
1/2 cup ground cornmeal
1 can chickpeas
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
1 head of escarole well rinsed and chopped to bite size pieces
(you can sub other favorite greens like kale or spinach)
salt and pepper to taste

In a soup pot or dutch oven, over medium heat, bring the stock to a simmer.

Sprinkle the cornmeal into the hot stock whisking to combine so that the cornmeal does not clump.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the chickpeas to the pot and gently whisk the cheese into the pot.

Add the greens to the pot (or place the greens in your serving bowl and serve hot soup over the raw greens to allow them to lightly wilt)

Simmer an additional 10 minutes to heat everything through.

Serve with your favorite g-f crackers or bread.

This recipe has been adapted from Edible Cleveland Magazine
original recipe and food styling by Melissa McClelland
Winter 2016

Study of Allergen Advisory Statements

Gluten Free Watchdog, with the coauthorship of our own Dietitian Advisor Trisha Lyons RD. LD., has recently published the study “Allergen Advisory Statements for Wheat: NOT a Useful Predictor of Gluten Content”.

Gluten Free Watchdog statement.

You can read the full text of the article.

In the US, allergen advisory statements (“Made in a facility that also processes wheat” and similar) are voluntary and are not currently defined by any federal regulation.

What this study found is that products that have warning statements such as “May contain wheat” or “Made in a facility with wheat” might be without gluten and just fine to eat. On the other hand, the lack of a statement did not mean that a product was free of gluten.

Ask the Dietitian: Gluten in medications

Question: I have been advised by my primary doctor not to use perscription drugs because they do not have to say if the fillers they use are wheat or barley. My insurance charges more for non generic and some of the meds are unafordable. Can you give me advise on this as It’s costly enough at the grocery store. My primary doctor is also a Celiac. Thanks for your time.

Answer: Your physician is correct in that medications do not fall under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004, which applies to food. Rather than reinvent this wheel, I would like to refer you to the website of pharmacist expert, Steve Plogsted, RPh. www.glutenfreedrugs.com Steve has identified a long list of prescription & over-the-counter meds which have been deemed gluten-free, ingredients to question, questions for your pharmacist & manufacturers, a list of manufacturer brand practices, etc. I’ve also included a link to an informative interview he gave a couple years ago: https://glutenfreeandmore.com/

If you don’t get your questions answered in these two places or through your pharmacist or manufacturer, Steve welcomes questions via e-mail on his site. Lastly, a bill was introduced in the House of Representatives last fall with a goal of helping to clarify this matter of gluten in medications. No action has been taken on the bill as of this date. Gluten in Medicine Disclosure Act of 2015

Important note: Countless prescription (brand & generic) and over-the-counter medications are considered to be gluten-free. Best to you in evaluating yours.

Trisha Lyons, RDN, LD

Ask the Dietitian: Eating Gluten-Free While in Hospital

Question: I have to stay at [a local hospital overnight and they are not very helpful with gluten free options. I was told I have to pick food off the regular menu. I can’t believe a hospital does not have gf food. Suggestions? Thanks.

Answer: Thank you for writing with this excellent question. Patients who require a gluten-free diet should certainly be able to eat safely & nutritiously while in the hospital, of all places! Here are some suggestions:

1) Contact an inpatient clinical dietitian or food service supervisor at the hospital to discuss your medical dietary needs (Is it safe to assume you have celiac disease?) Please explain that your diet is not a choice but rather the sole treatment for your autoimmune disease.
2) While the hospital may not offer specialized GF items such as bread or pasta, they do serve numerous foods which happen to be naturally gluten-free. If they have not done so already, they should identify those foods and provide a detailed list from which you and future patients can select.
3) If your inpatient stay will last longer than a few days (during which time you should expect to receive variety and balanced, nutritious meals), the dietary department may wish to consider providing frozen GF entrees for increased variety as a simple, short-term solution.
4) Please ask how the hospital handles allergies (e.g. allergy wrist band?) While you technically do not have an allergy, this type of flag will raise awareness when hospital staff is providing food and medication.
5) Speaking of meds, please notify the nursing staff and pharmacy of your gluten restriction.
6) If something does not “look” or seem right, please inquire. Humans make mistakes. If a staff member quickly dismisses your concern, ask to speak with a supervisor or chef.
7) Lastly, you may be able or even encouraged to bring in your own food. While you may choose this option, it should certainly not be a necessity.

All hospitals should be able to meet the medical dietary needs of their patients. Best wishes to you.

Trisha B. Lyons, RDN

Gluten Free ? That is the question

Gluten Free:
To Be… or Not to Be…
That is the Question!

Northeast Ohio Celiac Network
NEOCN
www.neohioceliac.com
info@neohioceliac.com

Written by Laurie Sammon

Gluten Free seems to be everywhere you look. Should you be gluten free? For those with celiac disease,
A strict gluten free diet, considered a medical diet, is their only treatment. No medication or therapy, just a strict adherence to not eating anything made from wheat, barley, rye, and sometimes oats (which can be cross contaminated). Not even a crumb!

Why no gluten for those with celiac disease?
The gluten protein found in these grains causes intestinal damage to those diagnosed, often after years of baffling gastro-intestinal distress, or unexplained symptoms: i.e. diarrhea, constipation, bloating, weight loss, infertility, anemia, osteoporosis, peripheral neuropathy, skin problems, or muscle wasting. Celiac disease is both an autoimmune and genetic condition, triggered by gluten.

For those without celiac disease?
Some people have been tested and celiac disease was ruled out. They’ve noticed symptoms stop on a GF diet, so they are considered gluten sensitive or gluten intolerant. No damage happens internally, but the symptoms are often the same as those with celiac disease. They may choose to totally eliminate gluten, or cut back on it. Others with autism, rheumatoid arthritis, neuropathy and more, find relief from symptoms, although science can’t verify. Some find GF foods easier to digest.

Is the gluten free diet a weight loss diet?
No. But first—— think about what items in the grocery store do not have grains in them. THESE ARE ALL GLUTEN FREE: fruit, vegetables, milk, real cheese, eggs, plain meat, juice, beans, fish, and seafood. Most of these are found at the perimeter of the grocery store. Eating these foods in moderation will help with weight loss. But how many people are able to eat just these foods all the time, or limit flour based products in their diet— cookies, cake, pasta, cereal, bread, pizza, crackers, etc.? So, gluten free products exist for those on the life-long strict gluten free diet.

Baked goods are baked goods. Regular or GF, they add calories…
Gluten free baked goods sometimes have more fat and sugar added to improve the texture of the GF substitute flours in them (i.e. potato, rice, sorghum, garbanzo, amaranth, millet, quinoa, tapioca flours). Most GF flours are not enriched while regular wheat flour is enriched with, B vitamins, iron, calcium & sometimes fiber. So GF baked goods may have more calories and less nutrition than their gluten counterparts, although some GF companies have begun to enrich. Supplemental B vitamins, fiber, iron & calcium should be discussed with a doctor.

Are gluten free foods here to stay or just a fad?
Only about 17% of people with celiac disease have been diagnosed, yet 1:133 have the condition. Recent statistics from the University of Maryland’s Celiac Disease Center have estimated another 1-6% of the population as gluten sensitive. That means as many as 20 million Americans are affected by gluten. Gluten free foods are here to stay to help those who have been diagnosed or have found relief from symptoms.