# Unique dietary requirements



## Graeme1029 (Jul 20, 2014)

Hi,

My girlfriend is a vegetarian who also has a stomach condition where she has an intolerance to wheat, dairy and eggs (gluten free isn't ok either but I think brown wheat pasta is ok). So far the meals have mainly been brown pasta with tomato sauce or fish and steamed veg. Any other recipes or advice/tips would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks


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## GotGarlic (Jul 20, 2014)

Hi, Graeme. Welcome to Discuss Cooking 

I'm a little confused by part of your post. You might want to ask your girlfriend for clarification on this: "she has an intolerance to wheat, dairy and eggs (gluten free isn't ok either but I think brown wheat pasta is ok."

She can't tolerate wheat - but gluten-free isn't okay? Gluten substitutes include things like almond or rice flour. Can she eat those?

And if she can't tolerate wheat, why do you think brown wheat is okay? It's still wheat and contains gluten.

Instead of steaming veg all the time, try tossing them with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasting or grilling them (on an outdoor grill). You can also marinate them in a vinaigrette and then grill them. There are lots of rice and potato dishes out there that can be used instead of pasta, and there are lots more types of sauces for pasta than just tomato. Veggie stir-fries over rice and grilled fish with fruit salsa and mashed potatoes come to mind (use unsweetened almond milk instead of dairy milk or cream).

Have a look at some of the forums here and if you have more questions, come on back and we'll be happy to help


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## jennyema (Jul 20, 2014)

Yes, I am also confused about the fish and why gluten free wouldn't be a great way to go...


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## Zagut (Jul 20, 2014)

Intolerance or dislike? 

It makes a difference to the answers you'll receive. 

Good luck.


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## Graeme1029 (Jul 21, 2014)

Hi,

Thanks for your help. I am still not fully sure of the specifics (she isn't either, it's just what the doctor told her) but I know she cannot eat any bread or white pasta but for some reason brown and buckwheat pasta is ok. She is also highly allergic to nuts which rules out using almond milk. I will have to check about the gluten free when I speak to her next (she's travelling at the moment). It is an intolerance to these things rather than a dislike. Thanks again for all your comments.


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## menumaker (Jul 21, 2014)

Hi,
Do you know if it is Celiac disease that she suffers from? If you can identify her problem with a name then it will be easier to research foods for her. Potato flour or spelt flour should be ok and you can make bread with both for instance.


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## Mad Cook (Jul 22, 2014)

menumaker said:


> Hi,
> Do you know if it is Celiac disease that she suffers from? If you can identify her problem with a name then it will be easier to research foods for her. Potato flour or spelt flour should be ok and you can make bread with both for instance.


Sorry, MM, spelt is NOT suitable for coeliacs (Source - an article in "Good Food" mag recanting an earlier one which said it was, quoted on the Coeliac UK website).


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## menumaker (Jul 22, 2014)

Thank you MC ,I am happy to stand corrected.


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## GLC (Jul 22, 2014)

It seems very unlikely to  be Celiac. Too much inconsistency. In that case, it  may well be an allergy or an array of allergies. Note that white flour is commonly bleached, and that introduces bleaches and byproducts, including sulfites, that are not present in whole wheat flour and its products. The specific allergens can be fiendishly difficult to pin down, but that would be true allergies and not a disease process. 

Here's why it's hard to pin down. Let's say it's sulfites. No sulfites in cow's milk, right? Nope. Skim milk is often "filled," and sulfites appear with the oil used as filler. And eggs contain some sulfites. Not too much, but in combination with other sources, it can contribute. Beet sugar gains sulfites in bleaching. Too many foods have added sulfites to list here. 

Now, this is not to say it's a sulfite allergy. There are many foods with sulfites, including wine. But it just demonstrates that the villain(s) can lurk in unsuspected places. But when white flour hurts and whole wheat is okay, it's suspect. It can take many trials to even hope to pin down the allergens. If I had a desire for baking with all-purpose flour, I'd test with King Arthur Organic Unbleached All-Purpose Flour. And, in a separate experiment, if I'd found problems with milk when I was using altered milk, I'd try whole milk, a good brand that's unlikely to be filled. 

And while fish has caused no problem, if it turns out salmon has bad effects, suspect sulfites. And note that some shellfish is treated with sulfites to fight mold. So, the problem is to restrict to absolutely tried and tested safe foods when testing one and only one suspect food and making that one organic, if possible. Organic is always preferable in this effort. Not because non-organic is automatically bad, but because it eliminates some of the possible allergens.  I seems to be harping on sulfites, and it is a known allergen, but it's not necessarily more suspect than anything else.


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## Mad Cook (Jul 23, 2014)

GLC said:


> It seems very unlikely to  be Celiac. Too much inconsistency. In that case, it  may well be an allergy or an array of allergies. Note that white flour is commonly bleached, and that introduces bleaches and byproducts, including sulfites, that are not present in whole wheat flour and its products. The specific allergens can be fiendishly difficult to pin down, but that would be true allergies and not a disease process.
> 
> Here's why it's hard to pin down. Let's say it's sulfites. No sulfites in cow's milk, right? Nope. Skim milk is often "filled," and sulfites appear with the oil used as filler. And eggs contain some sulfites. Not too much, but in combination with other sources, it can contribute. Beet sugar gains sulfites in bleaching. Too many foods have added sulfites to list here.
> 
> ...


Skimmed milk - "filled" - sulphites? Hell's teeth! Are they allowed to adulterate milk over there?  It's been illegal over here since 1875!


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## Hoot (Jul 23, 2014)

If y'all suspect a sulfite allergy, the following document may shed some light on the challenges involved with achieving a sulfite free diet.
It is from the University of Florida IFAS Extension (Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences). It was written in April 2005 but reviewed in June of 2014.
Sulfites: Separating Fact from Fiction


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## GLC (Jul 24, 2014)

Mad Cook said:


> Skimmed milk - "filled" - sulphites? Hell's teeth! Are they allowed to adulterate milk over there?  It's been illegal over here since 1875!



I didn't express that very well. To be more clear, "filled milk" is skim milk to which other fats have been added. It is used for frozen desserts, "half and half," and other milky products. Unfilled skim milk (skimmed milk in the UK), while not having non-dairy fats added, may have non-fat dried milk added (plain skim milk is an industrial waste product) to make it more palatable. The manufacturing process of non-fat dried milk causes chemical changes that contribute nitrates. Skim milk is really a non-food peddled as healthy, when it is actually shown to hinder the very diet efforts it is touted as assisting.


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## Oldvine (Jul 24, 2014)

I'm assuming she is an adult.  Assuming that, I say her food issues are her own and she is the best person to give you the needed information.


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