Comfort Rice Pudding

This old fashioned, baked, rice pudding is the perfect comfort food! It tastes just like the stuff that Grandma used to make. It is gluten and dairy free, and warms the soul instantly. 

As many people with a gluten intolerance or celiac disease know, you can never be too confident when you eat out and order a gluten free meal. Last week I went out to a well known restaurant and ordered gluten free pasta, since then my stomach has been completely awful. My moods have been up and down, and my greatest accomplishment has been getting out of bed. I do not think I have had a gluten attack this bad since I was diagnosed with celiac disease years ago. Gluten affects people in different ways. When I eat gluten I get bloated, have awful migraines, get really sad feeling, and experience extreme fatigue.  Comfort foods are one thing that makes being glutenized seem a little bit better! I love eating oatmeal, scrambled eggs, toast, grilled cheese sandwiches, and tomato soup - all gluten free of course. The main idea is to keep things bland.  My favourite comfort food is rice pudding, so last night I quickly whipped some up!

Comfort Rice Pudding

2 Cups Cooked Instant Brown Rice
1 Beaten Egg
1 1/2 Cups Almond Milk
1/4 Cup Mixed Dried Berries (Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries)
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1 Tsp Vanilla

Place all ingredients in a oven safe pan and bake uncovered for 40 Minutes at 350 Degrees.

I am not a huge fan of raisins, so I use mixed fruit, but raisins can be substituted if that is what you prefer! Paired with a cup of lemon ginger tea, everything seems to be a little bit better!

Other ideas if you accidentally consume gluten:

-Warm tea or almond milk with honey
-Yoga or another low impact work out
-A warm compress on the stomach
-Drink LOTS of water
-I find that the best thing you can do if you accidentally consume gluten is relax and take things easy for a few days. The best thing for your body is to keep stress to a minimum and get some rest. Things will start to feel better after a few days.


I hope that everyone who suffers from a gluten intolerance has something in their tool box that makes them feel better. If not, I hope that some of these simple tips can help! Eating healthy when you have been glutenized is not always possible. Sometimes a walk, or a low impact workout helps the stomach feel better, but a long strenuous work out can cause more stress on the body and fatigue. Just make sure you are getting enough nutrients and fluids that you do not get sick and run down. This will make flushing the gluten harder and it will take longer to get back to yourself. I found that what works for me does not work for everyone else. The best thing you can do is experiment and find out what makes you feel better!

Don't let gluten take you down, ask questions! Some simple question that I wish I asked are "Is the gluten free pasta cooked in the same water as regular pasta?" and "Is the sauce thickened with wheat flour?" Asking questions can save a lot of pain later on. My biggest hope is that one day people with celiac disease or a gluten intolerance do not have to live in fear of accidentally eating gluten, that they don't have to be scared of the places that say they are gluten free but in reality are only partially gluten free. I hope that one day people become as cautious about gluten as they are about peanuts. Until then, it is best to always have some tools to help if you do eat gluten by accident, and always ask questions if you are unsure!

Happy Monday!
K.