As I announced earlier this month, Subway is testing gluten free products at some of its fast food restaurants in Texas. I’ve found out a bit more about the situation.

Celiac dot com has posted an article with more information including the fact the tests are being conducted in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and the Tyler-Longview area. (I wonder if this has anything to do with Subway’s desire to sell their products to Super Bowl visitors.)

A trade journal for the fast food restaurant industry talked about Subway’s plans for controling cross-contamination. The rolls and brownies (the only products being tested) will come pre-wrapped as will a one-use-only knife. “…to further avoid cross-contamination, the same Sandwich Wizard will prepare the order from beginning to end, ensuring a 100% gluten free meal.” That’s a great start. but more needs to be done to ‘ensure’ a gluten free meal.

Several of you have sent me e-mails and comments about Subway’s testing. I hope that you are also sharing your thoughts with the customer service people at Subway. They are the people who need to read it.

I was delighted to learn that Subway is testing gluten free food at seven hundred restaurants in Texas. I got this information from CNN Health, a source that I consider very reliable. Subway’s website does not mention these tests so I can’t even tell you exactly which Subway outlets are ‘safe’ for us.

Subway does publish a nutrition chart which tells you which ingredients are gluten free. I know from personal experience that they will prepare any sandwich you request in the form of a salad thus rendering it at least relatively ‘safe’.

As soon as I finish this post, I will send a comment to Subway encouraging them in this test, thanking them for considering the gluten free community, and urging them to put information about their tests on their website in order to reach a nationwide audience. I hope that many of you will do the same.

Keep in mind that Subway is testing whether people will buy their gluten free products. This gives those of us who are currently in Texas the opportunity (or is it an obligation) to purchase their products thus helping them “pass the test”.

UPDATE: Click here to read more information about Subway and its current experiment.

Today I upgraded my power page “Gluten Free Pizza Restaurants by adding pizzerias in Nevada City CA, Cleveland OH, Albuquerque NM, and Smithtown NY. This power page now lists eight “safe” nationwide pizza chains as well as 42 individual restaurants.

This site’s power pages are designed to summarize (in list form) information that people living gluten free need to have constantly at the fingertips.  In addition to the power page mentioned above Currently, there are three other  power pages on this site. All we be expanded this year and new ones will be created. You may wish to visit “Gluten Free Restaurant Meals”. “Gluten Free Bakeries“, and “Gluten Free Supermarket Lists“.

“…you’ll only lose weight if your gluten free diet includes portion control and healthy foods to keep your calorie intake below your calorie burn rate” My thanks to Live Strong dot com for summarizing the situation so beautifully. Be sure to read the entire article and the other articles it recommends.

I emphasized the words “portion control” and “healthy foods” because I need to write about both these topics. Today’s topic is “portion control”. For example: You’re reading a diet guide and come across the phrase “medium potato”. How large is that? Click here to find out. You can also find this information at Web-MD. This site has better graphics and also allows you to download refrigerator-sized and wallet-sized charts that will answer your questions.

Forgive me for not answering the question I posed in the last paragraph. I wanted to make sure that you visited one of sites that I mentioned. They are essential for any person who is committed to following America’s most popular New Year’s resolution which is to lose weight in the new year. I’ll write about healthy foods in the next few days. “Portion control” and “healthy foods”. These are the keys to losing weight for wheat eaters and for people who live gluten free.

Everything I know about losing weight while living gluten free is summarized on my power page “Gluten Free Weight Loss Diet“. Click on the title to go to that page. Another option is to scroll down to the bottom of this article (past the ads) and click on the red tag that says “lose weight gluten free”. You will be taken to a page that shows the first few sentences of each of my articles on the subject. Click to read the complete article.

What alcoholic beverages are OK for people living gluten free? It’s probably prudent to review the rules during the holiday season. The basic rule is that any beverage that is distilled is OK unless something inappropriate has been added to it after the distillation. Since this statement differs from what many of us were taught, I should mention that this is idea is spelled out in The Gluten Intolerance Group’s “Quick Start Diet” guide for newly-diagnosed celiacs. For a technical but readable explanation of why distilled spirits are OK, click here.

Wine coolers have so many additives that most celiacs consider them off-limits. Read the ingredients list carefully when deciding which drink mies are appropriate.

Beer is a significant issue during the holidays. There are several brands of wheat free beer available, but it is barley that presents the problem. Redbridge beer is distributed nationally and is brewed with sorghum rather than barley. New Grist and Bard’s beer are available nationally at Whole Foods.

Alcoholic beverages are only one of many issues that people living gluten free during this wonderful but hectic Christmas season. For a summary of information about all aspects of this holiday, have a look at my power page “Gluten Free Christmas“.

Gluten free Christmas and Thanksgiving are very much alike. Both involve festive meals served to a mixture of wheat-eaters and people who live gluten free. Both involve hosts who need to know how to deal with gluten free guests, and celiacs who are uncomfortable at a party or other social situation where they may (or may not)  be the only guest who lives gluten free.

Much of what I have written about other holidays may be useful during the Christmas and other holiday seasons. Unfortunately, the computers at google and the other search engines are not able to direct you toward those articles.

I’m using “tags” to deal with that problem. To use the tags, scroll down this article (past the ads) and you will see a set of red tags. Click on a tag that interests you. You will be taken to a page that will include the first few sentences of all the article to which I have assigned this tag. Click on a fragment that interest you to read the entire article.

This year, I am asking Santa Claus for a gluten free Kindle. As you probably know, the Kindle is a wonderful gadget that you allows you to download books at less-than-half the normal cost and carry them with you at all times, and read them from a tool about the size of a 5×8 index card.

A Kindle becomes gluten free when it is packed with gluten free books, at least 65 of which are available for the Kindle. Consumer Reports has rated the Kindle the best e-book reader available. It weighs about eight ounces, and fits easily into the typical purse or carry-on bag.

The Kindle is available in two forms which are identical accept that the $139 only record books when the Kindle is connected to a wi-fi network. Use the green icon below. If you need to be able to download any book almost anywhere in the world, pay an extra $50 and use the yellow icon.

UPDATE: I was delighted to find out that Amazon makes it possible to read kindle books on your windows computer. Click here to download the free software. After installing and using this “app” I have decided to defer my request for a Kindle until I have tried many of the books and decided that I need to spend money for a “real” Kindle.

Ten of my favorite Kindle books are displayed in the carousel below. Use the arrows to see different books. Click on a specific book for more information.

Thanksgiving is coming in seven days!!!! You may need gluten free recipes. You may need to review the rules for being a gluten free guest in a wheat-eating home. You may be a host or hostess whose holiday guests live gluten free. Hopefully, these ideas will be useful.

→ Read or reread my power page “Gluten Free Thanksgiving“. It summarizes everything I have written on the subject.

→If you still need recipes, it is probably because you are overwhelmed by the thousands of recipes that are posted on the internet. You need to see gluten free recipes presented in a well-organized in one place and accompanied  by photos and simple directions. I recommend Live Gluten Freely dot com.

→ Everyone should read chapter 7 of  The Gluten Free Bible entitled “Eight Simple Rules to Ensure that you and Your Host Never Feel Ill at Ease”. Hopefully, you can find  this book locally. If not, order it from Amazon. You’ll need as you prepare for Christmas.

Triumph Dining has authorized me to give away four copies of its news revised and vastly expanded Gluten Free Restaurant Guide. I’m doing this by awarding a guide to the fourth, eighth, twelfth, and sixteenth person son send me a list of tips using the title Ways to Insure an Enjoyable, Relaxing, and ‘Safe’ Restaurant Experience.

Here are two more entries:

“I give the server a “cheat sheet” that I made. It briefly explains what I call a gluten allergy (I know that isn’t technically right, but as you said, everyone understands allergies) and a list of foods that I must avoid (e.g., bread, pasta, gravy or sauce thickened with flour, etc.). My list also includes the other foods besides gluten that I have to avoid.

Following my “MUST AVOID” list I made a list of what I CAN have, including rice, rice pasta, rice crackers, quinoa, sauces/gravies thickened with cornstarch or arrowroot, etc., and a list of substitutions for my other allergies.

“There are restaurants that simply can’t accommodate me, but at other establishments the chef has taken my list into the kitchen and created a safe meal for me. I’m a return customer when they do that!

I have asked the writer to send me a copy of his “cheat sheet”, omitting any details that are too private to publish and assuring him that I would not use his name without permission.

MY RESPONSE: This writer has lived gluten free, dairy free, and soy free for the past seventeen years.Congratulations!

# # # # # #

If you would like to learn more about Triumph Dining’s wonderful new guide, click on the graphic in the right sidebar of this page. Click here to learn more about our contest. This article also includes my list of strategies for finding gluten free meals. Click here to read the first list that was submitted.

FYI, the next article on this subject will be our fourth entry and lucky winner will receive a copy of this new guide 65000 restaurants that serve our gluten free community. There will be three more winners.

My gluten free vacations are especially challenging since I leave my computer at home. I need a break from that addiction. I also take vacations in the winter. Summers in Oregon are great. Why should I leave?

Our vacation begins soon. Before we leave, I intend to identify at least 25 gluten free restaurants and bakeries. I won’t actually use all the information — we’ll only be gone for a week. But a great vacation requires spontaneity and a huge variety of choices.

I’ll print out directions to each restaurant. I’ll be driving a car that I’m not used to in a new and unfamiliar area. Wandering around aimlessly does not make for a good vacation.

I’ll pinpoint the locations of Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and any other stores that we might need. The only food I will purchase in advance is “airplane food”. I eat excessively when I am bored, and I am always bored on a long plane flight. Therefore, I’ll leave home with a case of gluten free food bars. Since that diet will be monotonous, I’ll eat when I’m hungry but not otherwise.

I’ll write extensively about this gluten free vacation. One of the joys of operating this website is that I get to enjoy gluten free meals and then write them off as business expenses. The site will be available while I am gone. My web software is capable of publishing material that I have written ahead of time and scheduled for a future date.

Planning a week’s worth of menus is not easy, particularly when one is dealing with celiac disease or other diet restriction. But it is clearly worth the effort. You save money by considering what foods are relatively inexpensive this week. You save shopping and cooking time by thinking about the best combination of items to be purchased and perhaps preparing more than one meal at a time. Menu planning helps you see the “big picture”. Is your family’s diet well balanced? Have the needs and preferences of all members gotten the attention they deserve?

This article will give you more general information about this subject. Click here to see a weekly plan that is both gluten free and vegetarian. Read this even if you are not a vegetarian. Ir’s a great example of how the same set of menus can serve multiple needs.

Here are more articles that include weekly menu plans. Skim through the entire article you have followed my link. You’ll probably find other menu plans or links to them: I Am Gluten Free, Gluten Free Homemaker, Gluten Free is Life.

Published 9/30/10

With Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up, many celiacs will be guests in homes that have no need to practice gluten free living. Here are two articles that may be helpful:

♦ “For People Who Love People who Can’t Eat Gluten“. This article deals with general ideas like inclusiveness and hospitality.

♦ “Gluten Free Diet Cheat Sheet“. This article gives specific information to a person hosting a gluten free guest and includes many useful links.

Published 9/28/10

Triumph Dining announces the fifth edition of its Gluten Free Restaurant Guide. The new edition lists 6500+ restaurants, 1500 more than the previous edition. It includes menus from 100 restaurant chains (up from 80). All entries have been “checked out” by members of the staff.

Triumph Dining emphasizes that the restaurants listed are only suggestions. We must always dine defensively. Thisbook helps us by allowing us to visit restaurant where success is probable.

As with any list, a food guide starts becoming obsolete on the day it is printed. Thus we need to be armed with at least two resources: (1) a food guide like Gluten Free Restaurant Guide, 5th edition and (2) lists such as I published on this site and update frequently.

I heartily recommend this guide and am proud that Triumph Dining is one of the sponsors of this website.One tiny criticism: the graphic shown below seems to be leading you to the old edition of the guide. I gently but firmly reminded them to update their website. But, everything works as it should — you will get the new version of the guide.

Published 9/16/10

Today I summarized everything I know about celebrating a gluten free Halloween into one Power Page called — appropriately enough — “Gluten Free Halloween“.

My older articles remain on the site for technical reasons. Google and the other search engines may direct you to them. (After all, these computers are only machines.) If you do find yourself on an older article, you will be provided with a link to the Power Page.

Published 9/13/10

Your comments are an essential part of this website. This week, I was able to improve seven articles by adding your comments:

♦ Gluten Free Rye Bread

♦ Gluten Free Peanut Flour (2 comments added)

♦ Are Sprouted Grains Gluten Fee?

♦ Kroger Supermarkets

♦ The Search for Gluten Free Bisquick

♦ Is ‘Gluten Free’ the Best Weight Loss Diet?

Published 9/10/10

Many things that I learned during the first months after my diagnosis in 1999 have since been debunked as “myths”. “Myth” is a very harsh word — “outdated information” might be a better term. Here are six statements that seem to be true today that differ sharply with what I was taught originally. Perhaps I misunderstood (I was certainly under severe stress). Perhaps some modern “debunkers” are wrong and we should return to what experts once believed.

Anyway, I would like to check the validity of these statements by sending information that disproves any of these statements. E-mail me at gfceliac@gmail.com

Consider these statements:

→ 1. Vinegar is OK on the gluten free diet. The only exceptions to this would be malt vinegar (since it has not been distilled) or vinegar to which flavorings have been added.

→ 2. The glue used to seal envelopes does not contain gluten.

→ 3. It is certainly possible to lose weight on the gluten free diet – but gluten free does not mean low calorie, low carbs, or low-fat and people who’s only goal is to take off weight should use a diet designed for that purpose.

→ 4. Gluten can’t be absorbed through the skin. Thus, toothpaste and lipstick and other items that might be ingested are a concern but we do not need to worry so much about shampoo or cosmetics.

→ 5. MSG is gluten free. Many people (including some celiacs) react to MSG but these reations are not gluten accidents.

→ 6. Celiac disease is an auto-immune disease not an allergy. This distinction is important because allergies can be cured or simply outgrown. Celiac disease requires life-long adherence to the gluten free diet.

Published 9/5/10

“… Peanut flour, I asked how it would be used, no one had a clue. Do you know, from the little a read it could be used as a thickener, but I was wondering if then the food would have a peanut taste. Have you ever heard of this?“. My only answer to this question sent in by a member if America’s gluten free community is “no I haven’t” so I am turning the question over to you, the experts on everything gluten free. Please e-mail your information to me at gfceliac@gmail.com or leave a comment at the bottom of any article.

Here are three more gluten free Halloween recipes. They’re similar to ones I published yesterday but have the additional benefit of being made with naturally gluten free ingredients and therefore tend to be less expensive and more healthy.

Scroll down learn how to prepare candy spider eggs, marshmallow ghosts and ghouls, and puss filled pimples. Enjoy!

Published 8/31/10

“A friend is trying to convince me that sprouted grains are gluten-free. I am thinking “not so”, if the grains include wheat, oats, rye or barley.” I was recently asked this question in an e-mail from a member of our gluten free community.

Since I could find no trustworthy answer to this question, I invite you to e-mail your thoughts to me at gfceliac@gmail.com. I’ll publish your ideas. In the meantime, I suggest an attitude of “when in doubt, leave it out”.

Published 8/26/10

Preparing family-favorite gluten free granola can generate a recipe that everyone — regardless of age or feelings about gluten free food — can share. Helping with the cooking is a great way to give kids “ownership” of their own diet and produce a product less expensive than one that is purchased. The recipes given below can easily be modified to fit individual tastes. Just be sure that your creative touches do not result in a gluten toxic product.

Check out this article called “How to Make Gluten Free Cereal” and read what “The Gluten Free Mommy” and “Gluten Free Gobsmacked” (two of the best gluten free bloggers) have to say on the subject. Enjoy these three videos and then reach a decision about the best components for your family’s special granola.

Published 8/23/10

“I was recently in a store where they were giving out samples of a GF certified product and it was made of oatmeal….what is the scoop on oats being gluten free or not?” In theory, oats are gluten free. The problem occurs that most oats are contaminated because they have been grown on farms that also grow and process wheat, barley, or rye. Some farms use special procedures that result in oats that are safe for us.

When a products is certified “gluten free” by a laboratory, the food is tested in a laboratory and found to contain less that XX parts-per-million of gluten. I use the X’s because some labs certify products containing 20 parts-per-million, others require 10 parts-per-million, and the strictest laboratories require less than 5 parts-per-million. For more information, click here to read my recent article about oats.

This article was a response to a question sent to me by a member of America’a gluten free community. I’d be happy to address your questions. E-mail me at gfceliac@gmail.com.

Published 8/21/10

Here are links to two quizzes that are labeled “gluten free trivia”. Actually, I don’t think they are trivial at all — this is the information that keeps us healthy. Anyway, this is a pleasant way to review some essential information.

The first quiz is titled “Where’s the Gluten Hiding?”. It involves a newly-diagnosed celiac walking through his kitchen and attempting to make it gluten free. Obviously, he has lots of questions and we are challenged to give him answers.

The second quiz was prepared by a person living in Canada. I think his questions and answers are OK by American standards but you may need to be a bit cautious. Definitions differ from country to country.

Published 8/17/10

→As the school year begins, parents of gluten free children have many concerns. Hopefully, these ideas will make things go more smoothly.

→ The Childrens’ Hospital of Boston publishes a list of guidelines for working with a school to provide the best possible experience.

→ School supplies are an issue if children put them in their mouths. Gluten does not pass through the skin. Most Crayola products are “safe” according to their website. Discount School Supplies offer a wide selection of gluten free materials. There is a recipe for gluten free play dough in the article I mentioned in the last paragraph.

→ The video at the of the article explains one mother’s strategy during school occasions when gluten gluten toxic goodies are being served.

→ The gluten free mom is a blogger who writes from personal experience on about gluten free issues at school.

→ A gluten free child should have an excellent lunch. I’m planning an article on school lunches. I promise to publish it next week. Where has the summer gone?

As you probably know, the government requires that manufacturers list wheat on the ingredients label of any appropriate product. There is no requirement to list barley, rye, or un-certified oats.

The Celiac Sprue Association is encouraging legislation that could (if amended) correct that situation. The House of Representatives has passed their version of “The Food Safety Modernization Act” and the Senate now has the opportunity to pass this this legislation adding one phrase that would make this law helpful to persons who live gluten free.

Certainly, we all agree that celiac disease is a “food safety issue”.  We must alert the Senators to the importance of this fact. The Celiac Sprue Association has detailed information on this subject and provides a sample letter that could be used.

I’ve written three articles about the gluten free singles scene (the most recent in 2008) and was discouraged to find out that none of those links are still functioning. How unfortunate!!! I can’t imagine anything more difficult than having to explain celiac disease early in a dating relationship.

I did discover that there is a group for single celiacs on Facebook as well as one at MySpace.com. Perhaps they will be useful to you.

I did this research after receiving an e-mail from a member of America’s gluten free community asking “Why don’t they have a site for single celiacs and expressing some of the same thoughts I’ve just discussed.
Short answer: no one with the proper qualifications has found an appropriate way to meet that need. I had my last date in 1965 and have been have been married longer than the internet has been in existence. Clearly, I am not the person for that job. But I’ll venture to guess that at you are reading because you are a single celiac with some knowledge of the current singles scene. Those are the only real requirements. I can help with the rest.

Published 7/16/10