1. Growing in Importance
Gluten-free and casein-free diets are very important to people with certain health issues. Lactose intolerance is the main reason for casein avoidance. Celiac disease sufferers have to give up all gluten products. Autism has popularized the gluten-free casein-free mix, showing promising results in autistic children. Because gluten and casein-free diets are becoming more and more common, there are products available to replace almost everything, from cookies to milk. Recipes are available for everything that you could possibly want, even though they sometimes require more time to create, and more than one try to get them right.
2. Read Labels
Many foods that are gluten or casein-free have labels to proclaim their status, though sometimes it's not obvious. It is necessary to check the ingredients for anything containing gluten or casein. Casein is a milk protein found in dairy products, whey, evaporated milk, chocolate and anything prepared that contains these ingredients. Gluten is in flour and other grains. This means most breads are off-limits.
3. Call the Restaurant
Depending on the amount of sensitivity to gluten or casein, this is very important. If extremely sensitive or allergic, it is necessary to call ahead and inquire about dishes that are available that meet dietary restrictions, and also to verify that non-gluten and non-casein dishes are cooked separately, not with or around the regular dishes. Many restaurants are able to accommodate these dietary restrictions, but it is very important to let the staff and cooks know.
4. Expect Change in Tastes
Because grains are off limits in a gluten-free diet, expect a change with breads. Most breads are potato based in the gluten-free diet. While these breads do taste different, many people actually prefer potato bread. This concept applies to many items on the gluten-free, casein-free diet. Though the new foods may not taste the same, at least try them. It could be that they actually taste better than what you were eating before.
5. Find New Grocery Stores
Unless you're just looking for basics such as fruits or meats, don't head to the supermarket to buy gluten and casein-free foods. Specialty food stores that carry natural or organic foods have a better selection of restrictive diet foods. It is difficult to find foods to fit into a gluten-free, casein-free diet at regular grocery stores, and if you can find them, it takes a lot of time and label reading. So, unless your supermarket has a large specialty section, head to a specialty grocery or health food store. Also, many online stores sell gluten-free diet and casein-free diet foods.
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