MSG Questions

[Rachel]

I'm just about ready to take the plunge and go gluten free with my son. Last Saturday, when the doctor was going over results, he asked if we ate out much. This is a very rare thing for us to do. He said that MSG could cause high Glutamate and low GABA that showed up in the neurotransmitter test. I've been researching and it seems like there is a connection with MSG and gluten products. Is this right? I'm also beginning to understand that it also occures naturally in our foods such as vegetables and fruits. I'm about ready to plant my own garden. Is it possible to was this stuff off your fruit and vegetable or do you have to buy organic? How do you avoid MSG? Does this show up in food allergy testing?

 

I have been going back and looking at the post I did earlier on Gluten Free. Thanks for all your answers. I have been working on a menu plan but I still lack some confidence in trying to pull this off. Am I dealing with a double edged sword trying to go gluten and MSG free? Is it possible to do both? My son really likes pasta dishes? Can anyone recommend a brand of noodles to try creating mac and cheese and spegittie?

[NancyD]

It's hard to know the source of MSG ... It could be from corn, beets, molasses, or wheat. Regardless, I steer clear of any MSG in foods, and any additives in general. Too many people react to it. I have gotten very sick from MSG. I try to make everything from scratch and use mostly organic food. A good gluten-free organic pasta my DD and I like is by Bionaturae. It's made in Italy and contains organic rice flour, rice starch, potato starch, and soy. You can buy this in Whole Foods or other stores I'm sure. They make all types of pasta: spaghetti, penne, fusilli, rigatoni, elbow, linguine, etc.

 

I don't find it difficult being gluten and MSG free. I always read labels and stay away from canned and processed foods. We especially stay clear of any artificial dyes and titanium dioxide ... even in skin care products.

[searching_for_help]

I just ran across MSG (monosodium glutamate) in an unexpected place. It's in the FluMist vaccine.

 

This is from the CDC site, with a list of ingredients in the vaccines.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/B/excipient-table-2.pdf

[qannie47]

Rachel, good for you. I have tested the waters with a gluten free diet, and I just did not have the fortitude to pull it off. So I envy anybody whom is willing to put forth the effort. One suggestion, quite a few people have raved about spaghetti squash. They say it is quite wonderful. You can use it with pasta sauce and I bet a cheese sauce (for mac/cheese), would pare well with it. One thought, if you don't eat out much, I wonder if MSG is really the culprit.

 

p.s Rachael Ray went on the South Beach diet awhile ago, and came up with a lot of great substitutes. I would google that.

Edited February 16, 2014 by qannie47

[mama2alex]

We also buy Bionaturae pastas from Whole Foods. I'm the only one who's GF at this point, but my whole family loves it.

[mdmom]

My entire family eats GF and we steer clear of MSG as well. But honestly, I was under the impression that MSG contains gluten. I have never seen a certified GF product contain MSG. Of course there are products that contain no gluten ingredients but contain MSG.

 

We use Bionaturae pasta as well. Even when we entertain, I serve this pasta to my non-GF guests and everyone loves it. I also like that it's organic - many GF products contain soy and corn, and I will only use organic soy and corn because they tend to be a source of GMOs if they are non-organic. GMO foods can create inflammation and overload the immune system as well.

 

We try to avoid processed foods, but my children did not start eating GF (and we are also dairy free) until the ages of 10 and 12. I have kept some foods in their diet simply because it creates normalcy for them (e.g. GF pretzels, potato chips, occasionally cookies).

 

Here are some GF favorite brands of ours:

 

Pasta - Bionaturae

Bread and Bagels, Hot Dog Buns - Udi's

Granola - Udi's

Crackers - Schar

Cereal - Nature's Path Organic - Envirokidz

 

Fast Food Restaurants (occasionally we are naughty):

Noodles - ask for the GF fusilli

Panera - salads (hold the croutons and bread), black bean soup

Chipotle - Burrito bowls are the burrito without the tortilla - rice, meat, toppings

Chick Fil A - get the grilled chicken nuggets, fries

Dominoes Pizza - ask for the GF crust

 

Of course, rice, potatoes are naturally gluten free. The easiest way to eat GF is to stick to unprocessed foods and prepare fresh meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts, etc. If you tend to use processed foods, it is a difficult transition because so many processed foods contain gluten. We mostly shop the perimeter of store where you would find produce, meats, dairy.

 

Whole Foods and Wegmans (if you live in the Northeast) are great sources for GF products and Wegmans has the best prices on GF products.

 

If you have a specific GF question, please feel free to PM me - we been eating this way (100% compliant) for 4.5 years.