What do you do if you are craving a gluten item?

isto

How do you handle cravings when you want a certain item and it has gluten in it?

I understand the obvious answer is to make a gf substitution, but that isn't cutting it for me. I'm craving mac 'n cheese and the gf brands aren't filling the craving. I bought some Annie's gf mac 'n cheese yesterday and I'm hoping it will taste better.

I'm also craving lo mein from our favorite Chinese restaurant and there is no substitution i'm happy with. Ditto for their egg rolls. I don't want a spring roll in a rice wrapper.

For the ladies who have been thru pregnancy cravings, I think you will understand what I mean that sometimes the gf substitutions just don't cut it. This is driving me nuts. I don't want to go off the gf diet and get sick, but I'm getting to the point where I don't want to eat other stuff because my cravings are SO intense.

aklap · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 8607 Location: WI, USA

Hmmm. I'm must be kinda weird - I don't get many cravings for NGF food. Confused

For Mac-n-Cheese - have you tried getting the Kraft Mac-n-Cheese cheese and making GF pasta? When I make it, this is what I do.

Good luck!
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Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

mrsppmrxky · Joined: 09 Oct 2004 Posts: 1471 Location: GF Kitchen

I understand cravings! Believe me. When we were stationed in Hawaii and I was expecting our first child, I would have given my eye teeth gladly for fried yellow squash or stewed yellow squash or stir fried yellow squash, boiled yellow squash...............I would have even licked raw yellow squash ROFL..........I can laugh now, but you should know that I could find NO YELLOW SQUASH in all of the island when we were there.

We flew home for a visit, I ate yellow squash every day.

I have never like boxed mac and cheese. My mother always made it from scratch, so once we found Tindyada Brown rice elbow noodles, I was home free. I use Velveeta cheese, milk and eggs, salt and pepper. Now that MrP can't have Velveeta, we use grated cheddar and no pepper.

For Low Mein, you can go to the Asian market and get flat noodles or round rice noodles and make your own lo mein.

I can't help you with the fried egg rolls..............you might be able to find a GF recipe for the egg roll wrapper. I was satisfied with the spring rolls.

I usually am pretty statisfied with the recipes that I come up with or the ones shared here to sub for gluten items.

Let me know if there is something specific and maybe I can help with ideas to statisfy you enough to get through the worst of the craving.

((((HUGS)))))
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isto · Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 9:04 am Post subject:

Thanks, Al and Mrs. P. I've tried substituting the rice noodles in lo mein, but they don't have the same flavor I'm craving.

As for the Kraft Cheese w/gf pasta, I can only get white rice pasta and I can't stand it, cheese or no cheese.

Sounds like I'm being picky, but it isn't really me, it is the cravings. They drive me MAD!!!

I'm planning on making the Annie's mac 'n cheese for my lunch today. I was going to make it yesterday, but i felt bloated and miserable all day from the 4 pancakes I inhaled for breakfast!!! Shocked

Beware of pregnant woman armed with pancake batter!!! I made so many pancakes that the 7 of us ate them for breakfast yesterday, used them for peanut butter and honey sandwiches for lunch (except me Rolling Eyes

), ate them for breakfast this morning, and there are still lots left. Pancakes, anyone? Laughing

luvscowznh · Joined: 23 Dec 2004 Posts: 320 Location: Groton, MA

I haven't been craving anything non-GF yet. Had a few big ones though - my husband went out for a roasted chicken a few weeks ago and we went to a new PF Chang's that is a little closer to us. It was somewhat disappointing though. They haven't worked out all of the kinks yet, so the Singapore Street Noodles were drowned in 5 spice. (Neither hubby or I are big 5 spice fans...) I didn't remember the Singapore Street Noodles having any 5 spice. That was a BIG disappointment. At least the Chang's spicy chicken and soothing lettuce wraps were good.

We also had GF pancakes this am. I made a small batch for the two of us, but thought we'd have extra. Nope. We wolfed them right down. Very Happy

I guess the baby likes pancakes.

I haven't been able to really tolerate burger meat lately. In anything. Poor hubby made mac-n-cheese with burger, which sounded SO YUMMY to me, but I couldn't keep it down. He's been eating the whole batch himself.

Good luck on your quest for meeting your cravings. Mu husband makes a lot of things for me. I might have him make me Thai this week. I've been really into chicken and Mexican lately.

--Manda
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mrsppmrxky · Joined: 09 Oct 2004 Posts: 1471 Location: GF Kitchen

I am a big pasta person. I always felt so bloated after eating pasta, that I was thrilled to find Rice pasta. I have seen Millet noodles in the health food store, you might want to try those and see if they fill the 'taste need' that you are searching for.
Sadly, I do not remember the name brand.
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isto · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 4:17 pm Post subject:

I don't have a local health food store, but I'll keep it in mind.

I made the Annie's yesterday. I thought there wasn't quite enough sauce to cover all the noodles, but the taste was pretty good. Better by far than other gf mac 'n cheese I've tried. Next time I'll add a little bit of extra cheese.

HadassahSukkot · Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 10:31 am Post subject:

Can you order some corn pasta? There's a few by glutino that are really good and do well for fetuccini and spaghetti... and I think would be ok for Mac and Cheese if you wanted it for that.

I got where I really hate mac and cheese, even gf (especially gf? LOL), but I was craving it once in the early part of my second trimester and somehow just ignored it and moved on. I'm not sure how. I guess that was the day I made fetuccini alfredo the first time and it turned out so well that it was all I wanted. LOL

Like Mrsp said, I went thru just before Thanksgiving where I'd give my eye teeth for yellow squash. We can't get it here. I made zucchini the same way we generally make squash, and it sufficed!

Now if I could just get m&ms.. Rolling Eyes

They aren't kosher here and I found out just this last week Crying or Very sad

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isto · Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 7:07 am Post subject:

I'll check the price on corn pasta at the local market today. I would be happy with brown rice pasta, but right now these pastas are all cost prohibitive for our budget. My husband says just buy some anyways, but I'd rather spend the money on fruit for the children.

If the Annie's brand is still on sale today, I'll pick up more, as I found it an adequate substitute.

Thanks!

mrsppmrxky · Joined: 09 Oct 2004 Posts: 1471 Location: GF Kitchen

Isto, have you priced it on Amazon? Many items are cheaper. YOu have to purchase it by the case, but it really lasts. With a $25 order, you get free delivery. Saving on gas for the store. Personally, I only do the brown rice elbow noodles. They have better texture and hold together.
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isto · Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 6:28 pm Post subject:

Thanks, Mrs. P, I'll check it out! Very Happy

skyeofblue · Joined: 09 Nov 2007 Posts: 21

You might try a new recipie for Mac and Cheese...

I really like Southwestern Mac and Cheese.

1 pound GF Pasta - rice or corn
12oz evaporated milk
8oz velveta or american cheese
1cup shredded cheese
2 meduim tomatoes diced
3 tables spoons diced green chilies
3 diced green onions
1 packed of McCormic's Origional or Medium Taco Seasoning.

Cook Pasta
Melt the cheese with the evaporated milk, once melted add taco seasoning then pour over cooked pasta.
Mix in Tomatoes, chilies and green onions

You can add hamburger meat or chicken to make it a meal. It is delicious!!!! Hope this helps! Smile