You can substitute other starchy foods such as sweet potatoes and buckwheat for some of these – see p301. Be careful to distinguish buckwheat from bulgur wheat – the latter is true wheat, but buckwheat comes from an entirely different plant. Millet is a cereal, but few people react to it. You should not eat it at first, but if you find you are unable to eat wheat, you could test it as a potential substitute.
If you are used to eating lots of bread, then you may feel rather empty and it might be tempting to stoke up on potatoes. Try to avoid this temptation, and use some other, less usual foods as fillers sometimes – parsnips or turnips, for example. Acquiring a sensitivity to potatoes is not going to be helpful.
Maize is found in sweetcorn, corn-on-the-cob, cornflour, corn syrup, cornflakes and popcorn; also in the American products known as grits or hominy grits. The Italian dish, polenta, is made with maize. The gum on stamps and envelopes is often made of cornstarch and highly sensitive people may react to licking these.
Wheat is found in macaroni, spaghetti and other forms of pasta, couscous, semolina, biscuits, cakes and pastry – as well as in bread, most breakfast cereals and most packaged foods. When labels say ‘flour’ they usually mean wheat flour – or maize.
If you are eliminating rice, then you should also avoid wild rice, since the two are related (though not closely). If you find you are sensitive to rice, then test wild rice later as a potential substitute.
Potato flour, rice flour or arrowroot can be used to thicken sauces and gravies – these are available from healthfood shops and delicatessans. Do not use instant mashed potato as this contains various additives.
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