Simply Delicious Gluten Free Options

gluten free gympie

“Aaahhhhh,” came the moan from the other end of the house. “Aaaaaah.”

As it approached the office where we were sitting, Tracey and I glanced at each other. We knew what was coming because this had been happening more and more frequently of late.

Master8 arrived at the door just as we turned to face it. “My tummy huuuurts,” he said, clutching his stomach.

We’ve nicknamed Master8 ‘our bubble boy’ because he came pre-programmed with a range of sensitivities. Peanuts have seen him rushed to hospital and fish has historically made him throw up. His eczema was such he had trouble touching people and sleeping when he was a baby – no coincidence this was the two year period Tracey and I aged the most noticeably.

We’ve had tests done for gluten, of course, and they’ve all come up with no intolerance, however we’ve observed when he’s off normal breads and biscuits his stomach pains recede. So, results or no, we’re taking him off gluten to see how his pains go.

I keep telling myself how lucky we are because when my sister was younger she was  diagnosed as Coeliac and back in the seventies there wasn’t a lot of choice our there for parents. Not like these days when everything is proudly labeled, making it much easier to at least identify gluten free products.

Coles makes it even simpler, with a section dedicated to Gluten Free in both the cold section and the normal aisles.

What surprises me every single time I do the shopping is the sheer variety of gluten fee products available and how reasonably priced everything is. I guess because I consider the gluten free products health products I expect them to cost the Earth. And as more and more people make the switch away from breads and biscuits the market is becoming more competitive. But people are voting with more than their wallets and purses. Coles’ range just won top dog in the Frozen Meal Solutions and Healthy Snacks categories with Product of the Year, an independent consumer survey voted on by over 16,000 people.

The other thing is, compared to what the rest of the family is eating, the gluten free stuff used to be tasteless and unexciting.

Not anymore.

We keep a drawer of special foods for Master8 and we’re constantly having to bat away eager hands from raiding his stash of Simply Gluten Free Anzac biscuits and chocolate chip cookies. Just how far they’ve come since I was a kid was tested when we opened a pack of the Simply Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies earlier this week and divvied them up amongst the kids. They all loved them and had no idea they were any different to any other packet of biscuits!

This was similarly repeated when we sat down to a pizza dinner.

“Oh my god!” Master8 exclaimed as we tucked in, we with our normal bases and him with the Simply Gluten Free Pizza Base. “It’s amazing, Dad. Thanks.”

The real joy in this is he was thanking me for dinner, not a gluten free dinner. He didn’t feel any different to the rest of us. And that’s what I love most about the range of gluten free foods available these days – for all intents and purposes they’re just the same as the food the rest of us eat. And that is exciting.

The only exciting thing I can recall about my sister’s menu choices when we were growing up was Pavlova.

Yep, thirty years ago and I’d have been moaning louder than Master8 at the idea of feeding him on a gluten free diet, but those thirty years have made a world of difference.

And right now, as Master8 enjoys his pizza, I’m well aware tonight I have the likes of Coles and their Simply Gluten Free range to thank for it.

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Thank you to the sponsor of this post, Coles

“Raising a family on little more than laughs.”

3 Comments

  • I hear you loud and clear! We have been on the dairy free ride for 7 years now (protein, not lactose) and the range is getting better every year.
    Just a note to the makers of sweet William chocolate- your bunny heads are great, but how about bringing out standard Easter eggs?

  • Like your son I’m not coeliac, but my body doesn’t tolerate too much gluten. Too much at any given time and I get sick enough to feel sorry for myself, but not enough to be in hospital. In the process, I discovered I also do far better with Lactose free milk. Trial and error is the go for me, I can eat supermarket ice cream but give me the rich ice cream parlour stuff and I’m as sick as the proverbial dog. Just remember a lot of that packet stuff has (on a very general average) ten times the sugar than home made stuff or natural products.

  • We have found the same with my 6 year old. No allergies etc and bad eczema. Cut out the gluten and she improves.

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