Have yourself a Merry Yeast-Free Christmas Part 1 - Christmas Dinner

 Ah, Christmas. 

The most wonderful time of the year... unless you have an intolerance or allergy to some pretty random ingredients, then it becomes a headache of trying to read tiny ingredient lists on the side of packets or explaining for the third time to your dear great Aunt Angie why you cannot have that glass of the expensive white wine she purchased especially for the festive celebrations or to your co-worker Sue that yeast is not the same as gluten so the lovely gluten-free treats will still need to be checked for other possible ingredients you should really avoid.

But, fear not, it is possible to enjoy Christmas alongside everyone else with a few twists and tweaks to some common essentials.

Gravy

First up, gravy. What is a Christmas dinner without gravy? But, as expected, most gravies contain yeast, yeast extract or barley malt extract to help flavour them. If you have the time, you can create your own from the lovely meat juices that are left behind when cooking your chosen joint of meat, but in a realistic world, this is not always possible. Some yeast-free alternatives however, include:

  • Bisto BEST Turkey Gravy This is a great gravy for your christmas dinner, with a great flavour. Be sure to get the BEST one though in the glass jar as the version in the cardboard packet contain monosodium glutomate which is recommended to avoid on a yeast-free diet as it can cause reactions.
    Available in most supermarkets.




 

Other notable alternatives:

  • Tesco Finest Lamb Gravy
  • Tesco Finest Beef Gravy
  • Tesco Finest Red Onion Gravy (suitable for vegetarians and vegans)
  • Morrisons The Best Chicken Gravy Granules
  • Morrisons The Best Turkey Gravy Granules
  • Morrisons The Best Lamb Gravy Granules
 
Stuffing
As with gravy, you must have stuffing with your Christmas dinner. While the majority of stuffing products do not contain yeast, some do contain barley malt extract, so it is worth checking the label. Other most traditional style stuffings use proper breadcrumbs instead of a wheal alternative so will contain yeast. Some yeast-free suggestions:
  • Paxo GLUTEN FREE Sage and Onion Stuffing The 'normal' version contains barley malt extract but this gluten free version does not. It also tastes the same.
Other notable alternatives: 
  • Tesco Free From Sage and Onion Stuffing Mix
  • Tesco Sage and Onion Stuffing Mix
  • Asda Free From Sage and Onion Stuffing Mix
  • Sainsburys Sage and Onion Stuffing Mix
  • Sainsburys Free From Sage and Onion stuffing Mix
 
Pigs in Blankets

Another addition to check as they can contain breadcrumbs in the sausage meat as well as sulphites on the bacon. Last year, we made our own by using:
  • Naked Pork Sausages cut up and wrapped in Naked Streaky Bacon 
It can be a little tricky to find these products but you can find alternatives:
  • Waitrose Made Without Nitrite Unsmoked Streaky Bacon They also have a smoked version



Yorkshire Puddings

I am happy to report that none of the yorkshire puddings I looked at in any of the supermarkets contained any ingredients that should be avoided on a yeast-free diet.

Sauces and Condiments

Many added extras will likely have vinegars etc to help add flavour. Some of the finer ones also contain wine. However, some contain fortified wines, such as port or sherry, which apparently is yeast-free due to the way it is made. Some notable yeast-free friendly products include:

  • Sainsburys Cranberry Sauce and Taste the Difference Cranberry Sauce
  • Ocean Spray Whole Cranberry Sauce (also available in smooth)
  • Tesco Cranberry Sauce
  • Morrisons Cranberry Sauce 
  • Morrisons The Best Cranberry Sauce
  • Tesco Bramley Apple Sauce
  • Gordan Rhodes Drop Bread Gorgeous Bread Sauce (also gluten free)
  • Asda Rich Cheese Sauce 

While this list is by no means exhaustive and there could well be some other alternatives out there, this is just a quick look at some of the products to help you enjoy your christmas minus the headache. If you know of any other products that you use that are yeast-free friendly, or are looking for an alternative to a product you use that is not listed here or even have a query about a product you currently use and are not sure about whether you should be eating it or not, get in touch!

Look out for Part 2, where I focus on the odds and ends that we nibble on from buffet classics to sweet treats.

Part 3 will follow that with a focus on alcoholic beverages - one group of products I do get a lot of questions about.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I'm yeast intolerant... now what?

Image
  When I first saw that I was yeast intolerant, the first thing I thought was 'Oh, no more cava then'. Then, 'Wait a sec...no more marmite!" To say I was annoyed would be an understatement. As anyone else would, I then started looking in the cupboard to see what else I was not going to be able to eat and I was shocked...practically the whole cupboard was a yeast pit! Yeast is in practically EVERYTHING that is made for our convenience. So, I started reading through York's handy initial guide to see what else I would have to avoid. My day became gloomier...although I perked up a bit when I saw champagne was still an option. (More about this ina future post - watch this space!) Because of it's unique flavour, yeast is used as a flavouring to enhance the almost salty, umami flavour of food and to make processed foods that bit more palatable. The down-side to this is that there are a few by-products and foods that are not advised if you are following a yeast-free d...
Read more

Taking the Plunge

Image
 So, even though I had been suffering from stomach issues for a number of years, it took me a very long time to actually take an intolerance test. Why? I was skeptical. I had read a lot of differing opinions about these independent companies that offered a solution to a variety of everyday woes and honestly just sat on the fence. My mind was curious, my partner was also skeptical and believed they kept your blood to clone you at a later date! As I mentioned on my About page, I finally took the plunge a few weeks after a conversation with a colleague about their experience. They chose LifeLab Testing and said it was a fairly good experience, they waited over a week to get some results but were generally happy with the service they received. I did a little more digging and decided to go with York Test. I decided to go with this one as the number of foods and drinks they tested for was greater and I really wanted to get the nitty-gritty of what on earth was my problem. The price was g...
Read more

A word about vinegars...

Image
 So, we already know to be careful about avoiding bread, beer, or other fermented products. But did you know vinegar can also be a hidden culprit? Here's why: Why Vinegar Matters Vinegar is a by-product of fermentation, a process that often involves yeast. While the yeast used in fermentation isn’t always present in the final product, some vinegars may still contain residual yeast proteins or components that can trigger reactions for those with sensitivities. Vinegars to Watch Out For: Apple Cider Vinegar : Made from fermented apples, often involving yeast. Balsamic Vinegar : Aged and fermented, which can increase yeast by-products. Red or White Wine Vinegar : Derived from fermented grapes. Malt Vinegar : Made from barley, which contains both gluten and yeast. Safer Alternatives: Distilled White Vinegar : Generally free of yeast as it undergoes a distillation process that removes most residues. 'Sarson's' also do a distilled pickling vinegar if you like pickling things....
Read more