Tips for People with Celiac Disease During Thanksgiving

Celiac Disease is a condition that affects the digestive system. Celiac disease causes damage to the small intestine, and interferes with the absorption of foods. Patients with Celiac Disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein that is found in wheat, rye, and barley. According to medicine.net the only known treatment for Celiac Disease is a gluten free diet. What this means for the patient is avoiding any food that includes wheat, rye, and barley, and the flours and other products that are made from these grains.

When most of us think of Thanksgiving dinner, the turkey is the centerpiece of the meal. To the patient suffering from Celiac disease, this holiday meal can present many hidden dangers.

The stuffing that traditionally accompanies the turkey is one source of gluten. Any rolls or breads are off limits to the guest with this disease. In addition to the deserts that are made with flour, a patient with Celiac disease has to avoid any food where wheat, rye, and barley flours are included in the ingredients.

To a patient that has been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, Thanksgiving could turn into an embarrassing and painful situation. Instead of questioning a host endlessly about the ingredients in the dishes served, this person may opt for safe foods like vegetables or salads. Sometimes, to avoid potentially difficult situations, a person with Celiac Disease will choose to avoid the holiday dinner.

If you have extended an invitation to Thanksgiving dinner to someone that you know has Celiac disease, there are a few things that you can do. These tips will help you to ensure that the event is pleasant for everyone, and safe for the patient.

The first thing that can be done is to prepare the stuffing outside the bird. Try some alternative dressing ideas that don't include bread or flour. If you are using a roasting bag, do not use the recommended flour, but instead opt for potato flour. Advise your guest with Celiac disease if the gravy that accompanies the turkey contains flour.

An alternative idea is to prepare the whole turkey in the traditional manner, but also prepare a gluten free turkey breast. For a gluten free gravy for the breast, use potato flour as a thickening agent instead of wheat flour.

The desert table is where a lot of patients with Celiac Disease get into trouble. Some traditional favorites include flour, either hidden or obvious in the recipe. Stay away from cakes, pies, and cookies. Instead, opt for puddings or gluten free custards.

If possible, serve Thanksgiving dinner in the style of a buffet. By using discreet markers on the foods that contain gluten, (a small red sticker on the serving dish), you will ensure that the patient with Celiac Disease is not excluded from the festivities. By using the marker in this way, you can include foods that everyone enjoys.

For information on gluten free foods, www.csaceliaces.org has a very detailed list of safe foods for the Celiac patient.