Gluten free HEs

[purpleboots]

I have coeliac disease and have to stick to a gluten free diet. I'm finding a lot of my regular gluten free things are not counted as Healthy Extras! Boo! I just wondered if anyone knows how they figure out if something can count as a healthy extra? I'm going by the list on the Slimming World website for now, it just seems weird that, for example, dietary specials white ciabatta counts as a HE, but the dietary specials brown ciabatta isn't there? Is it something to do with fat content or calories? I'm finding it strange that trying to eat more healthily should mean swapping from brown to white gluten free breads...

 

[sparkles37]

Hi purpleboots. I don't have coeliac disease but I always eat the gluten free breads because of a wheat intolerance and I also noticed that was strange. I think I remember reading on here that Slimming World decides based on the calories and fibre content of the food. As far as I know, the point of the healthy extra b is to ensure people get enough fibre throughout the day, so that's probably the main thing they look at. I'm only new to this though so maybe there's something else to it that I don't know. I think 2 slices of the Juvela fibre bread count as a healthy extra b though if that's of any use.

 

[purpleboots]

Hello Sparkles, it is great to find someone else on here avoiding gluten and dieting too. I think I'll ask at my group on Tuesday but I doubt the lady who runs it will know, it is kind of unusual I guess. Although she says loads of people with coeliac and intolerances do SW but I was the only one last week but it was a small group apparently. Please do share if you find any gluten free healthy gems! I have put some Trufree herb and onion crackers on my shopping list, I've had them before but a long time ago, they taste really good and count as a 'true' healthy extra!! Planning on taking some to work with some babybels for a healthy snack.

 

[sparkles37]

I've tried those crackers before but unfortunately I really didnt like them. I might try them again if they're a HEB though! 5 glutafin high fibre crackers are a HEB too. I would have thought given that coeliac is quite common that SW would have done a feature on gluten-free foods. I must have a look through the website during the week and see if there is one somewhere that I just haven't spotted. I will definitely keep you posted if I come across anything else!

 

[sparkles37]

Just had a search through the useful features on the website & found an article about food optimising on a gluten-free diet. Have you seen that? It says that you can substitute 60g gluten free bread / 4 plain rice cakes / 35g of a suitable cereal such as rice krispies as a healthy extra B. It also lists some other branded products that are considered healthy extras, and it also does a pretty good job of explaining why some of the gluten-free foods aren't considered as HEB options. If you haven't seen it, if you go to the 'useful features' tab and put coeliac or gluten-free into the search box, it should come up.

 

[purpleboots]

Eeeep, I think I didn't read the article properly, I just looked at the ones on the list for truly healthy!!!!! Silly me.

 

[sparkles37]

Well I hadn't even thought to look up the features until I saw your thread so thanks a million (wasn't sure what you meant when you mentioned truly healthy options yesterday but didn't want to ask and sound stupid, hehe). Delighted now that I can use bread as a HEB-haven't had any in a couple of weeks as I refused to use up syns on it! Anyway, best of luck with your weight loss!

 

[purpleboots]

Well I hadn't even thought to look up the features until I saw your thread so thanks a million (wasn't sure what you meant when you mentioned truly healthy options yesterday but didn't want to ask and sound stupid, hehe). Delighted now that I can use bread as a HEB-haven't had any in a couple of weeks as I refused to use up syns on it! Anyway, best of luck with your weight loss!

I'm glad it isn't just me who kinda half reads stuff! It is a lot to take in what's free, superfree, healthy extras etc, I'm sort of getting there (its only been a week!) but I haven't even looked at how the red or green diet options work I'm just doing Extra Easy because...its easier!!

 

[sparkles37]

I'm the exact same! I'm just in my 4th week now. Found it hard to get my head around the first week, but I'm slowly getting there (although still making occasional mistakes!). Can't figure out red & green plans at all though, so it's going to be EE for the time being anyway!