Tuna, Bread, Margarine/Butter

[Turtlecat]

Okay, I think I get it with the tuna. If it only has tuna and water, it's okay, right? Mine is canned, but that's all it has. The pouches have soy, too. And I think if it says "vegetable broth," it can have soy in the vegetable broth.

Bread. Can't find one without soy or 500 ingredients, even in bakery section of the grocery store. I have a bread maker, but cannot seem to get bread from it that's not too dense. Any suggestions?

Margarine. Every margarine tub I pick up has soy-something in it. Pure butter has too much saturated fat for my other health issues. Does anyone have any suggestions.

Since this flare is persistent, I'm trying to stick to this IC diet to the letter. And you know, I feel like just not eating! I started WW three months ago and have lost 20 pounds, but have a lot more to go. (This flare started three weeks ago.) Not eating would get me there a lot faster...LOL! (Just kidding. But it is very frustrating.)

I spent an hour today screen printing sections of a map showing restaurants and gas stations along a one-hour drive tomorrow!! Just knowing where I CAN stop for a bathroom break makes it less stressful. I've never been the way we're going and felt more comfortable having that information. Between that and the food...

Thanks for any suggestions!!

[ICNDonna]

I steer clear of vegetable broth because it usually has tomato in it. I'm okay with tuna canned in water. I buy white bread from the bakeries that are in many of our grocery stores; it gets moldy fast, which tells me it doesn't have preservatives --- I don't do well with whole wheat.

Donna

[Linda May]

tuna in the can with water like starkist or chicken of the sea i seem to do o.k and i use white bread or potatoe bread.

[Calinda]

finding bread

Yes it is hard to find bread to eat. Do they sell Ezequiel bread? or Bread for Life? Not every store has a bakery, so I know it is hard.
I make my own really easy Irish Soda Bread. I know that homemade bread isn't the same. I travel once every 3 months to a town 1 hour away that has a better bread and even tortillas I can eat. I buy a ton and freeze it. Is that possible for you?

[fallenTXangel]

Do you have a Trader Joes where you are? Ours is 1.5 hrs away, but it is SO so worth it! I get something called Shepherd's bread from there. It tastes like sweet white bread. I haven't found a white bread yet at any store that doesn't have problem ingredients. What's with all the soy?? Ugh! I know what you mean about the breadmachine bread being dense. I just got a machine for my bday/xmas, and the bread is good, but not that light airy kind. Maybe try a local mom and pop bakery if you have one nearby? Also, there is one bread I can get local at the grocery store with no baddies in it.. it's Dave's Killer Bread cracked wheat. Delish!

The butter.. I know what you mean. I told my hubby my next problem is gonna be high cholesterol or a heart attack. I haven't tried it myself, but I have a friend with IC (diagnosed with it at the same time right after our surgeries for endo around the same time) who swears by a mix she makes with real unsalted butter and oil.. it's somewhat like margerine, and better for you.

Tuna makes me want to cry. I can't find canned anywhere that does not have broth in it. Even the tuna in water has broth. What the heck? Not to mention, I love tuna salad, and no idea how I'd make anything near that. If you find one that's safe, let me know.

I'm dealing with a weird flare myself that the pain comes and goes but the frequency is always there. Good luck, hon! Hope you feel better soon!

[ICNDonna]

When I use my bread machine, I set it to dough and put the bread in a covered bowl to rise, then bake it in my oven --- it makes the bread very light.

Donna

[Turtlecat]

I think there's a setting on there for making pizza dough where it just kneads the dough and then stops. Donna, do you just use a regular bread recipe not for a bread machine and just let it make the dough?

[Turtlecat]

Thanks, fallenTXangel. Yeah, what is it with soy-this and soy-that? I think there's a Trader Joe's somewhere close by; I'll have to check into that---thank you! Star Kist has one canned tuna that has "Tuna and water" for the ingredients, the "low sodium" one. All the others I've looked at either list soy or list broth, (even the ones in the pouches), which I've researched and seems the broth often has soy in it.

I'll have one day that's not so and another one that is bad. At least they aren't all horrible!

[ICNDonna]

I've done mixes and also my own recipes. If I do my own, I have more control over what goes in it. I don't make bread very often because we have a tendency to eat too much home made bread.


Donna

[fallenTXangel]

Thanks, Donna! I will definately try that! I have a dough setting, and actually used it on Christmas for dinner rolls (even made my own butter for the recipe because I was all out of safe kind). I never thought that baking it in the machine was the problem. Will have to try to make some later in the week.

Maybe it's just the fact that I shop at the base commissary, and they're pretty limited.. I checked every last can and bag of tuna at the store last week, and even starkist had soy. Maybe I'll try out in town now that I know what to look for.

[wagamama]

Another thing you can try is adding vital wheat gluten to your bread machine recipe. I have a bag of it from Bob's Mill - it says to add one tablespoon for every cup of flour you use. That has helped me make my breads a little less dense, but I agree that using the dough cycle and then finishing it in the oven will probably give you a better result. I'm just lazy.

[bob04951]

You are right Donna. That's the way I make my bread, let the machine do the initial kneading and then finish it off yourself, the final rising and baking. Also found that adding a little more yeast makes a lighter bread. Sometimes mine is so light can hardly cut it. And YEAH do not make all the time, it is so good, and hub is on low carb diet as well. You can also take that dough after the kneading and divide it up into kaiser size rolls. That works.

Try health food stores for bread, maybe look at pita or get used to wraps. Sigh...Jill, wife of Bob

[bk2schultzie]

Hi fallenTXangel, I went that route with the tuna also....look for Star Kist, very low sodium, chunk white in water....only ingredients are tuna and water...it's a little bit harder to find but I get mine at Giant and Redners...hope that helps....I live on it.....I am very food sensitive.....

[Juliasface]

Tuna, Bread, Margarine/Butter

Hi, I buy the basic Starkist Tuna, but if you want another option, I buy the tuna in the olive oil. I still drain it, but this is perfect for a Tuna salad without mayo. I just add dill seasoning to it. For bread, i buy all of mine at Trader Joe's. I get the Honey oat. I love it! Sorry, I can't help with the margarine, I stick with real butter.