wheat allergy question

My 19 month old daugher was just diagnosed with several allergies, one which we weren’t expecting was wheat. I just saw a recipe for buckwheat pancakes in a wheat free list. Is buckwheat okay for wheat allergies? If so, what else can you bake with it? It wasn’t on the list the allergist gave us. But I guess the name is throwing me off. Thanks!

Jessica

Sorry…another question (I’ve been doing lots of reading!) Does anyone use a grain mill to make their own rice or oat flour? Some seem to say that you can save lots of money milling your own flour and putting together a wheat free mix yourself. I’ve briefly entertained the idea of buying a grain grinder attachment for my kitchenaid mixer.

They really should change the name for buckwheat, because it confuses a LOT of people. The following flours should be completely safe for a wheat allergy as they are no where near related to wheat or grains:
Tapioca
Potato
Buckwheat
Amaranth (pigweed)

Happy Baking!

My 2 and half year old daughter has just been diagnosed with a wheat allergy…she loves her sandwiches and cookies…what are the best substitutes for bread?

The best substitute for bread and cookies is…bread and cookies. You just need to stock your kitchen pantry with gluten-free flours and other “magic” cooking ingredients, instead of the wheat flour. Buy yourself a good gluten-free cookbook, and have fun experimenting! If you don’t have time to make bread, you could try using gluten-free tortillas (brown rice or corn) to make roll-ups for your daughter to eat—they can be even more fun than sandwiches! In place of cookies, you can buy mini rice cakes from the grocery store in flavors like apple-cinnamon, caramel, and chocolate (but check ingredients for possible artificial sweeteners). They’re the perfect size for kids, and they still feel like a treat.

I was just diagnosed with a wheat allergy and have a few questions: in some of the recipes on this site that are “safe” for wheat allergies, flour shows up. Should I just choose any non-wheat flour to use in those recipes? Also, is chocolate safe for people with wheat allergies? Finally: what about “safe” soy sauces? Thanks very much.

dgmwbiz—You can try substituting wheat-free flour in normal recipes, but you will also need to add approximately 1 tsp. plain gelatin powder or xantham gum per cup of flour to make the recipe hold together without crumbling. Also, you will find that each type of wheat-free flour has a different texture, and may work better in some recipes than others (a combo flour works best). Likewise, you would need to experiment with different ratios of gelatin/xantham gum for the desired consistency in each recipe.

As for soy sauce, see if your local health-food store carries “San-J” brand Organic Tamari Wheat Free Soy Sauce. This is an awesome replacement for normal soy sauce!

thanks so much for the advice, happywheather—i’m pretty overwhelmed by how helpful people have been. i really appreciate your time,