Helping coeliac patients go gluten-free
British Baker carried an interesting response from Coeliac UK this week to a Daily Mail article accusing the NHS of spending millions on “gluten-free junk food” on prescription to sufferers of coeliac disease.
Coeliac UK explained the NHS prescriptions mainly pay for key staples such as bread and flour.
I support Coeliac UK’s position. While more gluten free food is available now than 10 years ago, it still carries a heavy price premium because fewer items are made and alternative ingredients are costly.
It may also be worthwhile doctors’ practices/ NHS Trusts considering offering gluten-free cookery classes using a qualified home economist to help them learn the skills they need. Some people have no or poor scratch cooking skills even for basic non-gluten free cooking. If they did, then making simple things like a tomato sauce for use in a wide range of dishes would offer people the confidence to change ingredients to adapt recipes to suit a gluten-free diet.
A local Coeliac group will have plenty of ideas on how to adapt their diet using many readily available foods.
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