brown rice cakes and other snack options

[annemarie]

It seems that all rice cakes are made from brown rice.  Can anyone tell me if they are an issue for HFIers? My son enjoys them and can't eat wheat/gluten and we are looking for safe snack options besides potato chips/ rice crackers. Thanks

[antonia]

Hi, my daughter is also HFI and gluten free. I feel your pain. It’s difficult to find gluten free products without whole grains, legume or pea flours, or nut flours. We don’t do brown rice because I remember my daughter getting sick from eating it prior to diagnosis, but she was also eating vegetables with it, so both could be the culprit there. Rice cakes are mostly air so you might get away with them in moderation.

I make most her food from scratch but there are a few convenience snacks I’ve found safe:

Snyder’s gluten-free pretzels
Le Veneziane dried bread sticks
Qwackers (cheese crackers shaped like ducks

In the frozen section I find Brazi Bites, original flavor, Brazilian cheese bread.

She also does fine with various gluten-free, corn flour based products: chips, puffs, corn cakes, popcorn, polenta, and pasta.

And gluten-free, purity protocol oat products. Whole grain oats don’t seem to be a problem for her. There are only a few companies that follow this protocol. One of which, Montana Gluten Free Oats, makes a safe baking mix and bread mix. The instructions for the bread do call for you to add sugar (along with eggs, water and yeast) and I sub the sugar with nonfat dry milk powder. Add a little extra xanthan gum if it’s too crumbly. For those who can’t have dairy or milk powder, try reducing the water a little bit and/or add extra gums, xanthan or baking grade psyllium, if the bread lacks structure (sunken tops or sides).

There are also a couple safe, gluten-free, all purpose flour blends on the market now: GF Jules and Mom’s Place. I make my own all purpose blend, which I like better, but it’s nice to have something on the market that’s pre blended.

[ukbill]

rice cakes should be fine they are so light they contain only a couple of grams of anything so should not cause an issue.

[annemarie]

I really appreciate your replies! I will continue to allow the rice cakes in moderation.

In addition to gluten/wheat sensitives, my son is allergic to egg whites and sensitive to cow's milk. I am substituting goat milk which works.
I will check out those products you mentioned Antonia. I know my son really misses his pretzels, so if he could tolerate the Synders Gluten free pretzels that would be awesome!!! I am a little concerned about the cornstarch in them. So, I will try them in moderation.
The qwuackers and other items you mentioned would be awesome, if he could tolerate cow's milk.
As for the bread, I wish I could make him something. I will see if I can make gluten free bread with additional substitutions ...not sure if it's possible without eggs too. thank you !!!

[ukbill]

There is no need for egg products or cows milk in any bread recipe, unless you are making a specific type of French bread Brioche, that is normally very sweet and contains egg.

You may find that once his liver has stabilised and he has grown nice healthy new liver cells (as he physically grows) his gluten / cows milk intolerance might well fade away.

I know that when a liver is challenged and not working on top form it will "give up" on dealing with the more difficult substances. This can cause conflicting symptoms and confusion.

So do not worry just go easy and relax.

Of all Genetic conditions your son could be born with HFI is by FAR the one to have.

If you do not believe me take a look at the lives of Type one Diabetics. Your child dose not need several injections a day every day and blood tests all the time also.

Keep smiling

[antonia]

Bill, gluten-free baking is a whole different animal compared to wheat baking. Gluten-free bread is more of a very thick batter than an actual dough. If it is a dough it will be extremely soft and wet. You will often find eggs, milk, sugar, and gums in gluten-free bread recipes because all of these ingredients provide structure that gluten would otherwise provide. Nothing completely replaces the stretchy, elastic structure that gluten provides, but it prevents these products from dissolving into a puddle when baked. That doesn’t mean that gluten-free bread can’t be made without eggs or dairy (or sugar), but it does take some adjustments to the flour, water and gum or fiber ratios, and possibly flour type.