Greer - Easy Wheat, Egg and Milk Free Cooking

Wheat, milk and eggs are probably the three most common allergens (allergy-causing agents) in the Western diet today. They are staples and are eaten every day by most of us in some form. While some people may be allergic to just one of these items, others less fortunate may be allergic to all three. As they play such an important part in the structure of our diet, a food regime which excludes them needs to be carefully balanced to replace their valuable nutrients.

The author has had personal and practical experience of catering for a special diet which cuts out wheat, milk and eggs, and the results of her research in the form of information and recipes has proved to be a lifeline for people on similar diets. This book gives a broad outline of the problem of cooking without these foods, and it offers practical advice, including a wide range of recipes, on how to cope with what may at first appear to be an impossible diet to follow.

For most people wheat is a wonderful food! It is cheap, easy to grow and harvest, is highly nutritious and extremely versatile, keeps well and tastes good. One of its most interesting qualities is that when liquid is added to wheat flour it will make a very elastic dough that can be shaped and baked. It will also thicken, make smooth and bind other ingredients. We eat wheat mainly in the form of bread and other bakery products. It is also widely used in a variety of products from instant desserts to Communion wafers.

If you see one of the following items listed as an ingredient in a manufactured food, then it may well contain wheat and should be avoided.

Cracked wheat

Durum wheat

Kibbled wheat

Semolina

Wheat

Wheat berries

Wheat bran

Wheat flakes

Wheat flour

Wheat germ (and oil)

Wheat protein

Wheat starch

Wheatmeal

Wholegrain wheat

Any food that lists one or more of the following ingredients on the label may contain wheat:

Binder

Cereal

Cereal protein

Corn

Cornstarch (UK)

Flour

Food starch

Modified starch

MSG (monosodium glutamate), often made from wheat starch

Rusk

Special edible starch

Starch

Thickener

Thickening

Vegetable protein

Rye, barley, oats and rice are traditionally stored, milled and packed in the same factories and mills as wheat. Contamination is inevitable, as in any flour mill wheat dust is everywhere all over the machinery, on all ledges and surfaces, on the workers and in the air. So, while it would seem to be the obvious choice to use rye, barley, oats and rice flour on a wheat-free diet the contamination problem has made this difficult for some. There is also the point to be considered that rye, barley, oats and rice are not as versatile as wheat for baking, and usually they need to be combined with wheat flour for best results. Oats can be used on their own in a limited way, but appear in the shops as rolled oats and oatmeal and not as a flour. Oats have an individual taste and are not as bland as wheat.

A very allergic person would be wise not to use rye, barley or rice flour, oats or oatmeal because of the risk of wheat contamination. It is possible to buy ground rice that is guaranteed non-contaminated, but not rice flour. The less allergic person may be able to tolerate the wheat contamination in ordinary milled rye, barley, oats and rice. However, a return of symptoms may mean a stricter approach is necessary, and most people will probably feel it is not worth the risk, preferring a 100-per-cent wheat-free diet to a low-wheat diet.

One of the problems of wheat-free baking is that contamination of wheat-free foods and ingredients can occur easily if care is not taken to avoid the problem. The main culprit will be wheat flour which is inclined to be dusty and easily becomes airborne. Wheat may also be present on tins and utensils and this too can lead to contamination. Most people on a wheat-free diet prefer to keep one set of utensils and baking tins etc., just for wheat-free cooking. Wheat flour under the fingernails, wheat flour on overalls or apron can also be a source of contamination. An electric toaster which is used for both wheat bread and wheat-free bread can again be a problem as the crumbs from both kinds of bread accumulate in the bottom. A way round this is to use the grill for toasting wheat-free bread and the toaster for ordinary bread.

For someone who is acutely allergic to wheat a separate set of utensils is a must. Otherwise be scrupulously clean and use the same utensils etc., for both types of baking/cooking.

Basically wheat contributes carbohydrate, protein, vitamins (especially from the B group), minerals (especially iron) and cereal fibre to the diet. In the average diet wheat can provide up to one sixth of the daily intake of protein, more often than not in the form of bread.

To replace wheat in the diet other foods can be used, e.g. protein is readily available in meat and fish. The B-group vitamins can be supplemented by Brewers Yeast or by vitamin tablets. Many previously bought ready-made foods will need to be made at home, such as bread, cakes, biscuits, etc. If wheat bran has previously been used in the diet, other types of fibre will have to be substituted such as rice bran or soya bran.

The following other products must not be consumed or used in wheat-free cooking unless you are sure they do not contain any wheat:

Baked beans in tomato sauce

Baking powder

Batter mixes

Bedtime drinks

Biscuits and biscuit mixes

Blancmange powders

Breadcrumbs

Breakfast cereals

Cakes and cake mixes

Cereals

Chocolate (cheap brands)

Chutney

Cocoa

Coffee (instant)

Communion wafers

Corned beef

Cornflour (cornstarch)

Cream (non-dairy)

Crispbreads

Crumble topping

Curry powder

Custard (powder or ready-made tinned)

Desserts and instant puddings

Drinking Chocolate

Gravy powder and mixes

Ice creams

Macaroni

Stuffings

Mayonnaise

Mustard

Oat porridge (instant)

Pancake mixes, pancakes

Pastas

Pastry mixes

Pickles

Pie fillings

Salad dressings

Sandwich spreads

Fish in coatings

Sauces

Sausages

Soups (tins and packets)

Soy sauce

Spaghetti

Sprouted grains

Stock cubes

Sweets

Yogurt (fruit flavours)

Milk features in our diet in many forms butter, cream, cheese and yogurt, or as a drink in various ways. In the Western world, dairy farming is an extremely important industry and milk is plentiful and cheap. It is not unusual for adults to drink at least litre (1 pint) per day and children more.

Milk is added to products to enrich them. Components of milk can also be used in manufacturing. Lactose (milk sugar) is widely used as a filler in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals. Caseinate (milk protein) is valuable as an enricher and is used to increase the nutritional value of slimming products and cheeses. Whey is used in the manufacture of margarines usually to make them creamy.