Where Is the Best Place to Find WHEAT and DAIRY FREE GROCERIES

Hi! I live in Alvin and I buy my GF products at Kroger, in the health food section. They used to have a dedicated GF section but now they have them dispersed according to types of foods (pasta ect.) The HEB at 646 is probably a good option for you as well. I have been to the one at 288 and 518 and they have a lot of GF products in a dedicated GF section.

I buy items that may not be strictly GF (and we aren't on the CF diet yet.) If it doesn't list modified food starch or some of the other gluten containing elements, I'll buy it. I'm not real strict about it like that. I buy corn tortillas like crazy (I make pizzas, enchiladas and quesodillas with them.)

My 5 YO's meltdowns have greatly improved since being on a gluten free diet. I first joined ECI when she was 1 because of her awful meltdowns. They did sensory therapy ect with her but her meltdowns never improved. With the diet they are fewer and much milder. But if she has oats or another gluten containing item, she is awful the next day.

I wish you all the best,
S., mom to four girls, possibly all 4 on the spectrum

www.gfcfdiets.com is a good place to start. GFCF is for Gluten free/Casein Free diet. It's the gluten (protein in not only wheat, but oats, barley, and rye that you need to avoid) and Casein is the protein in ALL dairy. We've had to stay clear of soy because it mimics dairy and caused both my kids to have violent outbursts! Dairy make them spacey and wheat seemed to make their I.Q. dropped about 30 points!

I ordered the yummy snack pack to have some things to fall back on when I got going on this almost two years ago.

Special diets for special kids by Dr. Lisa Lewis is fabulous! I have her 1st and 2nd addtions. Unraveling the Mysteries of Pervasive Developmental Delay by Karyn Serrousi is good too.

Shopping, ah the shopping part. Whole Foods in Houston will have alot of items but may overwhelm you. The Kroger store in Clear Lake on ElCamino Real is wonderful. Carol runs the food section and has a passion for people that need a wheat free diet.
Erma's in Clearlake off Nasa Road One and Upper Bay road is so much fun and worth the trip! They even have frozen dinners w/o all the allergins! For about the cost of a fast food meal (4.95), it's got a GFCF chicken nuggets, brownie and a veggie-corn I think. It's great for an evening over grandma's so she doens't have to figure out the diet. Natural Rewards in Pearland is doing a GF demo May 1st from 11-1. It's not casein free, but it'll be interesting. They carry Tinyada rice pasta. It's wonderful and tastes just like "regular" pasta.

Feel free to email me, it's definately helped my two children. Our daughter wasn't even talking before! Now if she gets something off the diet by accident, her speech is GONE for three days and her behavior reverts to what it was pre-diet!

Good luck, there's LOTS of help on this subject. There is even a U-tube mom that mixes up recipes and shows you how to do all this!

Take care,

S.

My mother-in-law has been diagnosed with having gluten allergies. Her doctor gave her a list of items at HEB that she could purchase that would be at least gluten free. I'm not so sure about the dairy part. Good luck and best wishes.

You've had great advice. Kroger's health food section carries wheat free products, as does HEB, and Whole Foods. You can also order things over the internet, there are many sites which can help. Type in gluten free/dairy free products. I've recently been diagnosed as gluten intolerant also and after a few weeks of digging in, researching and trying new things, I'm feeling better already. My doctor also wants me to be casien free, however, said I could drink raw milk, milk which has not been pasturized, does not come from grain fed or hormone injected cows. Lots of information about raw milk on the web also. Good luck!
J.

It is hard when you are not used to the diet. For your area I would definately go to HEB, the one on 646 has a great selection of natural and healthy foods, you should have good luck there. If you can make it I would definately make a monthly trip to Whole Foods, which is downtown, it's a pain but you can go there to stock up and just supplement from HEB.

I have heard and seen the difference a gluten free diet makes in autistic children and just want to encourage you to stick with it. That means you'll have to severly limit eating out or bring his food with you, but the behavioral differences are AMAZING in some children.

Go for it and GOOD LUCK!!
T.

Erma's off of Nasa Rd 1 and Upper Bay Rd. This place is wonderful they have all kinds of stuff. I have a son with Dairy and Egg Allergies. It is very hard to find stuff at regular grocery stores. Hope this helps!!!

Have you ever been to Whole Foods? It is on the corner of HWY 59 and Hiway 6 in Sugarland. It is a pretty awesome place.