Yesterday I
told you about being diagnosed with a gluten allergy. When I was first diagnosed,
I thought of the obvious things like bread and pasta but I had NO idea how many
everyday food items have gluten in them. I bought several books and started
reading some online blogs on how to transition into being gluten free easily.
So, what is
gluten exactly? Celiac.org gives the following definition, "Gluten is a general name for the proteins
found in wheat, rye, barley and triticale. Gluten helps foods maintain their
shape, acting as a glue that holds food together."
Gluten is found in anything made with flour like breads,
cakes, cookies, pasta, flour tortillas, cereal, pastries, etc. It is also in
items that you wouldn't necessarily expect like soups, salad dressings, BBQ
sauce, spices, seasoned chips, beer and wine coolers, soy sauce, hot chocolate, and candy. I could go on and on about what gluten is in but I'd rather focus on the
things I CAN eat!
Now you are probably thinking, "There isn't a lot of
things NOT on that list!" But fear not! I have found substitutions or alternatives
to almost everything.
There are two types of people who are gluten free. Some
people are those that do it for a medical reason like an allergy or Celiac
disease. (That's me!) Then there are those that just avoid it for personal
health reasons. For those that are doing it for diet purposes, they don't have
to be as careful as those of us with an intolerance. If they accidentally have
a bit of something with gluten in it, they may not even notice. If someone with
an allergy has gluten on accident, it could result in several days of
sickness/reaction. In other words, I have to read the labels on EVERYTHING that
I eat. A lot of companies are starting to place the simple gluten free logo on
their items which makes it so easy for me! Others, I just have to read the
labels and know all of the different names that gluten could be hiding under.
Luckily, if I'm not sure about an ingredient, all I have to do is Google it and
I can find the answer pretty easily.
Okay, here we go--I want to tell you about all of the amazing
things I still get to eat! Like I said before, gluten free doesn't mean taste
free! Thankfully companies are catching on to gluten free demand and they are
doing their best to bring us yummy alternatives.
First of all, I eat a lot of fruits and veggies. I try to
have one or the other or both at every meal. That is an easy gluten free part
of my meal. Here is a list that I have put together of my favorite gluten free
items at the grocery store.
It can be
used to make lots of items but my favorite are the pancakes. They take just
like "normal" pancakes! It can also be used for biscuits, waffles,
and even breading for fried chicken.
These are a
great snack and I really enjoy dipping them in Nutella! They also come in
several flavors.
These are
one of my go to breakfast items. Toasted with a little butter and jelly--yum!
Again,
another good breakfast or snack option.
These taste
exactly like the "normal" ones! Hubs can't even taste the difference.
(That's when I know it's really good!)
I have
tried most of these but my favorites are the brownie, cookie, cake, and
cornbread mixes.
These are
new but I LOVE them! Such a great snack.
These are a
total guilty pleasure, but oh so very yummy.
9. Pillsbury Gluten Free Funfetti Mixes
No other explanation. Who doesn't love Funfetti?!
9. Pillsbury Gluten Free Funfetti Mixes
No other explanation. Who doesn't love Funfetti?!
I know
there are others, but these are certainly my go to items at the grocery stores.
Now, here is a list of my favorite places to eat out!
The best
steak outside of making it yourself, and super yummy salads and sides.
When I have
a craving for Asian food, these are both great places that have several GF
options for me.
This is a
local Austin chain but they offer a very large gluten free selection. My
favorite is the GF pancake.
Another
local chain, they offer a pretty good GF bun but I prefer my burger bunless.
They also have a dedicated GF fryer for their french fries which are very
yummy!
5. Chick Fil A
Fast food I
know, but there aren't a ton of fast food options out there for gluten free
friends. CFA fries their fries in a dedicated fryer and I order the grilled
nuggets. I can also have any of the sauces, which we all know is important.
6. Red Robin
By far the
most "normal" tasting bread alternative I have found so far. The
first time I ordered the GF bun, I had to ask a manager to double check when
they brought it to me. It looked like the regular buns! They have a lot of
options and are really good to work with you to answer any questions.
7. Chipotle
Funny
enough, I can walk into Chipotle and order the exact thing that I have always
eaten. (The bowl!) They are a very GF friendly restaurant.
An Austin
chain, they have great GF protocol in place that makes a girl very happy and
their GF bread is super tasty.
A local
place, these guys are amazing when it comes to finding something delicious for
me to eat. Everything is homemade so they are able to tell you exactly what you
can and can't have. They are awesome people.
10. Pizza Hut
Last but
not least is for the evening when I don't feel like cooking OR going out. Pizza
Hut rolled out their new GF crust a few months ago and it is pretty yummy!
Now, there
are more places that we like to eat but this post would be forever long if I
talked about all of them. This is just to give you an idea of places to start
with it you are looking for some good GF alternatives.
Well, I
hope that I have given you some insight into my GF life! I feel great and am
totally free of my symptoms. I have lost around 30 pounds in the last 11 months
and have not had a bit of anxiety about life in general. In 11 months, I have had 2 reactions and those were all from eating/drinking things that I just assumed
were "safe." Needless to say, I read EVERYTHING now, even if it seems
like something obvious.
If you want
to learn more, I can direct you to some great blogs and books. And I am always
happy to talk with you myself about it.
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