A Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Dinner

Those with celiac disease often become lactose intolerant because the disease affects the inner lining of the intestine where lactase is made. Gluten-free dinners usually are good for both groups, therefore, although they might take just a bit of extra attention and planning.

Wendy Cohen takes these issues into account with her article on planning a a full gluten-free Thanksgiving dinner at celiac.com. She's an RN who:

helps others as a Celiac Disease/Gluten Intolerance Educator. I work one on one with people on meal planning, shopping, cooking and dining out gluten-free. I will also work with children who have behavioral issues related to gluten or other food sensitivities. My book "Gluten-Free PORTLAND" is a comprehensive resource guide to the gluten-free diet and is available on my website www.glutenfreechoice.com. My other website is: www.WellBladder.com.

Here are a selection of tips from that article. Go to the link given above for the complete set of advice along with recipes for gluten-free pie crust.

• Most commercially produced turkeys contain gluten in the broth used to inject them full of flavorings, salt, and fat. It is important to avoid eating gluten with your conscientiously prepared meal by choosing a gluten-free turkey as your centerpiece. Check the label and it should say no MSG and no gluten on the front or under the nutrition label on the back.

• Gluten-free stuffing is easy, just buy or make the best gluten-free bread, cube it and dry in a low temperature oven. ... You can also make a wild rice/brown rice and dried cranberry pilaf style stuffing, which can be cooked separately, or used to stuff the bird.

• Use sweet rice flour to replace the traditional wheat flour in thickening gravy. If it's not quite thick enough you can add a little tapioca or potato starch.

• For pumpkin pie, all you really need to do is make a killer pie crust and make sure your filling is dairy free if necessary. You can substitute Earth Balance for regular margarine—it's gluten-free and dairy-free, or if you tolerate dairy products, use butter. Or, you can use oil to make pie crust. ... To replace milk in your pumpkin custard for the pie, there are many options to choose from: rice, soy, almond, hazelnut, or hemp, but for extra richness, try coconut milk—it has a very mild taste and won't overwhelm the pumpkin flavor.