Planning My Gluten Free Vacation
I’m planning a gluten free and computer free vacation this month. I’ll be gluten free for obvious reasons and computer free because that allows me to be more relaxed and people-focused. I’ve tried this before with limited success. I rely on the internet for my gluten free information. This year I think I have a better chance of success. I be carrying two new assets:
♦ “The Essential Gluten Free Restaurant Guide, Edition 5“. This guide lists 6,500 restaurants in all 50 states. Lists in books become obsolete rather quickly of course. But they are a great place to start. Always keep in mind that all guides (printed or on-line) are merely ‘leads’, places to check out , suggestions. They don’t relieve us of the responsibility to dine defensively. Click on the graphic below to learn more about this guide book.
♦ A GPS navigation system for my car. I’ll need to find restaurants and food stores that I have never visited. I’ll have the street address but that doesn’t really help much when you are not in familiar territory. I got my first GPS system several months ago, learned to use it in a few minutes, and found it really helpful in so many ways. I bought the Garvin 205w model, the cheapest among 14,000+ options available from Amazon dot com. For more information, click on the word gps system
FYI, my website will continue to publish during my vacation. I'm writing them now and my computer service will publish them on the appropriate day.
I Can’t Believe I Did This!!!!
Last week, I started a new series of article called THE GLUTEN FREE COOKING SCHOOL, based on the idea that the best cooking teachers in America are available on You-Tube. I’m planning on more GLUTEN FREE COOKING SCHOOL sessions this week.
Last week’s lesson would have been great (if I may say so myself) except that I forgot to include the links to the videos!!!!! Good grief. Fortunately, one of our members did us all a favor by spotting the mistake and adding a comment to the site. The article is now working properly. Check it out.
FYI, please let me know when you see errors like this. This website is a one person operation. There is not enough fact checking and proofreading done. I am going to reward the person who caught this error by sending a copy of “The Essential Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide” which has recently been updated and expanded to cover 6500 gluten free restaurants in all 50 states. Please send me your comments and corrections wherever they are needed. My e-mail address is gfceliac@gmail.com. Unfortunately, I can’t promise to award all the people who assist me in maintaining this site, but I am grateful for your support.
Gluten Free Pizza v. Gluten Free Crust
Having a gluten free crust does not guarantee that a pizza is gluten free. Celiacs know this, of course — the toppings must be gluten free and the assembling and baking must be done in a way that avoids cross-contamination. Any restaurant whose menu or website that even suggests that having a gluten free crust makes a pizza ‘safe’ has already made one mistake and may make others.
On the other hand, offering a gluten free crust is a good first step. Perhaps the only person who is not celiac-savvy is the person who prints the menu or prepares the website. If we ask the right questions, we may find that we are in a ‘safe’ place. (By the way,asking questions is better than just looking around. You need to know if the people in the restaurant are knowledgeable enough to take care of your needs.)
♦ Gently remind the person you’re talking to that a celiac pizza-fan needs more information than whether the crust is gluten free.
♦ Ask which toppings are gluten free. If the answer boils down to “I have no idea” (and it often will), it is time to ask to talk to someone else, order a salad, or simply walk out. Hopefully, the answer will be ‘yes’. Thus you can questions about how the sauces were prepared and handled.
♦ It’s now time to find out about cross-contamination. Where and how was the crust baked? How was it protected from contact with other foods? Was the pizza assembled in a gluten free area by a person wearing fresh gloves, cut with a dedicated cutter or knife, and baked in isolated area in oven?
During all this, avoid using the words ‘contaminated’ or ‘clean’. We are not suggesting that their establishment may be contaminated or unclean in the usual sense of the word.
Conversations like this are difficult to say the least. It took me at least a year to become reasonably comfortable doing it. But contentious restaurant appreciate your questions and suggestions. One restaurant manager served complimentary wine with our dinner because he appreciated my suggestions. You don’t need the good will of the rest of the people — you won’t be returning to their restaurant.
Updates on Gluten Free Weight Loss
Five members of America’s gluten free community commented on my recent weight loss articles. All I can say with any kind of authority is that a weight loss diet using gluten free is not essentially different from the traditional weight loss diet. I invite you to consider these comments by click here, or here, or here. (Comments were added to three different articles.)
Gluten Free at The Comfort Cafe in Denver
The website for The Comfort Cafe in Denver thrilled me. Finding an attractive restaurant with a gluten free menu makes me happy, but in this case I felt much more. There are no prices on the menu — people pay what they can afford and are motivated to give. All items on the menu are designated vegan, vegetarian and/or gluten free. The restaurant offers free wi-fi, and an art gallery. The site states that “We are about filling bellies, sharing stories, and offering a hand-up through gourmet meals and open doors.”
I discovered this gem while planning a trip to the Denver area at the end of March. I don’t usually write restaurant reviews before I visit a place, but in this case I couldn’t wait. I’ll write more when I get home in early April. UPDATE: I was not able to visit this restaurant because our vacation in Denver was cut short by my wife’s serious illness. When I revisited the site in order to write this review, I discovered that The Comfort Cafe has a dedicated gluten free kitchen. I’ll be back.
Using this Website…Tags
The internet uses the term ‘gluten free’ in at least 22 million articles. The humongous computer system at google can’t give you an exact number. My website has posted 1181 posts and pages. That number will grow as soon as I post this article.
‘To Much Information’ (TMI) is a major problem in the 21st century, and the gluten free world faces this problem just like everyone else. I am beginning a series of articles designed to help you find the information you’re looking for and — perhaps most importantly — relocate it again when you need it.
One useful procedure is to use ‘tags’. Actually, the computer geeks who invented the system seem determined to make it look intimidating. It’s really not that bad. I’ll walk you through it.
Step 1: Move to the area labeled “Search Using Tags”. At first, it looks like a jumble of words. Roll your mouse over those words with your computer mouse and you’ll see that they are separate underlined phrases. These ‘tags’ are all the topics covered on this site.
FYI: The size of the type indicates that number of articles that have been given that tag. The more popular items are written in the larger type.
Step 2: Click on one of the tags. The computer will create a special page containing the first paragraph or two of every article to which I have assigned this tag.
Step 3: When you find an article that interests you, click to read the entire article. If you want to read other articles having the same tag, scroll down to the bottom of the article where you will see the tag. Click on the tag to go back to go back step 2.
Try it! It is not as tricky as it sounds. If all else fails, ask a teen-ager. You’d be amazed at the number of times I have to do that.
More About Gluten Free Disaster Planning
Celiacs face unique challenges when preparing for a disaster. I wrote about this last night when I sat in front of my television thinking about the disastrous earth quake and tsunami in Japan. Today, I have done a lot more thinking and made a few very-preliminary steps toward setting up my survival kit.
Mixes from the Heartlands sells several different types of gluten free emergency survival kits. Shipping is free on orders of more than $100. Unfortunately, these kits are not suitable for diabetics and I must find something that will be appropriate for both my wife and I. I know from personal experience that these products are excellent. Click on the graphic below to learn more.
Several years ago, I wrote an article on the subject of survival. I republished an article that was written just prior to Y2K, the months when we were concerned about a major computer failure that would occur when the new century began. The original article is no longer on-line but my article may be useful.
I’ll write more as soon as I make some specific plans for my preparedness kit. I’d appreciate your reactions to this issue. Leave a comment at the end of this article, or e-mail me at gfceliac@gmail.com.
Gluten Free and Facing a Natural Disaster
I need to prepare for situations where it will be difficult or impossible to find gluten free. Like most Americans, I spent today (3/11/2011) glued to my television watching the earthquake/tsunami tragedy unfolding in Japan and praying for their survival. It’s been a difficult day for all of us, particularly when we realized that there were celiacs in that crowd and that they were enduring an extra burden because they probably could not find gluten free food. Let’s face it friends, this sort of tragedy could befall us, and it would be even more unbearable if we were starving and/or ‘glutened’ because we could not ‘find’ safe food. Our rescuers would have higher priorities than locating gluten free food. We’d be on our own.
I did some soul searching and a bit of on-line research before I wrote this post. I’ll share them tomorrow. But I wanted to get this out as soon as possible.
Gluten Free, Gluten Free Cooking
Peanut Butter Cookies…Gluten Free Cooking School
Here are three video baking demonstrations involving gluten free peanut butter cookies.
♦ The first recipe is flourless. That’s a key technique in gluten free cooking. Using no flour helps people resist the temptation to compare your creation to something made with wheat flour.
♦ The next demonstration is both gluten free and casein free.
♦ Finally, enjoy low-carb gluten free cookies prepared with coconut flour.
This is the first part of a series that I am calling THE GLUTEN FREE COOKING SCHOOL which I will be publishing every Friday. YouTube and similar sites are great for learning skills like cooking. The demonstrators are usually well-prepared, enthusiastic about their craft, and their recordings are well done and very clear. (Well, they are not all that way. I won’t use the ineffective ones on my site.)
A New Look for our Gluten Free Newsletter
I’ve added new features to our weekly gluten free newsletter. Beginning today, each newsletter will contain three sections:
♦ SEARCH STRATEGIES. The internet has more than seventeen million articles that refer to the term “gluten free”. How in the world do we find the information we need? What happens when want to find that same information again and compare it to other data?
♦ CELIAC STRATEGIES. When we visit a restaurant, how do we know that the restaurant is set up to provide gluten free meals? How do we know that our food server has the knowledge, the skills, and the motivation to meet our needs? How do we explain the gluten free diet to our friends and relatives and friends and earn their understanding and their support.
♦ SHOPPING STRATEGIES. How do we purchase the gluten free foods that we need without spending an excessive amounts of money? How do we know that what we buy is ‘safe’?
The weekly newsletter will include tips in each of these three areas. I will write some of the tips. Hopefully, others will come from the people who e-mail this site or make comments on its articles. The e-mail address is gfceliac@gmail.com. Please keep in mind that signing up for an e-mail newsletter is not a life-time commitment. It is easy to un-subscribe. Look at the top box on the right side of the page for more ideas about our e-mail newsletter,
Gluten Free Diet, Living Gluten Free
Living Gluten Free…the First Year…a Book Review
This book “walks you through everything you need to learn and do” during your first year living gluten free and experiencing Celiac Disease. It’s well written, has all the detail it needs but nothing superfluous. One great thing about this book is that it has a time-line; you can’t expect to master the gluten free lifestyle instantly. There are milestones that allow you to judge your own progress. There are many case studies to broaden your understanding of what all new celiacs experience.
If you can’t find this great guidebook locally, click on the graphic at the top of the article.
Udi’s v. Rudi’s..the Gluten Free Smackdown
Udi’s gluten free bread and Rudi’s gluten free bread are both great! I experienced both of them for the first time this month and all I can say is that they are the two best things that I have happened to my gluten free diet since I was diagnosed in 1999.
Rudi’s is the best choice for people who eat a lot of sandwiches. The slices are not quite as large as traditional bread, but they definitely bigger than Udi’s product.
It seems to me that Udi’s bread tastes better untoasted. I didn’t realize how important that was to me until I tried this bread. I really missed the taste of just plain bread.
I read several other articles comparing the two products (after first making up my own mind.) Most of my colleagues agree that the decision is a ‘toss-up’. It all a matter of personal choice, local availability, and price.
Many of the posts that I read ask the same question: are Rudi and Udi related. No one seems to have a definite answer. Perhaps I will be able to help here. Both companies are headquartered in the Denver area and I will be there during the last week in March. I’ll definitely be checking these places out. I’ll report to you what I find.
More Gluten Free Pizza and Bakery Possibilities
Thanks to your comments and e-mails, I added Joan’s G.F. Great Bakes to my power page “Gluten Free Restaurants” power page. Joan’s provide gluten free pizzas in 18 states. Headquarters is in Bellmore, New York.
I also added Eleanor’s Bakeshop in Sandy, Utah, to my power page “Gluten Free Bakeries“. This bakery is 100% gluten free.
Two people commented on my recent articles about the hassles involved in following a diet that is both low-in-calories and gluten free. One of these writers asked for ideas on how to begin. Her comments were extremely interesting. I hope my response to her was helpful.
Gluten Free Supermarket Shopping
Gluten free shoppers will soon have access to every ‘safe’ supermarket in the nation. They will be able to locate the supermarkets, read their gluten free products lists, and determine what coupons or other incentives-to-buy are available. This is the most difficult task I have attempted in my ten years as a gluten free blogger. It is also the most important. My new power page is called Gluten Free Supermarket Shopping or use the tab at the top of the page. Right now, there are only eight supermarket chains listed and and is not yet possible to search-by-state. ALL THIS WILL CHANGE!
There is an older version of this page available if you need information about other markets. It is no longer listed on a tab at the top of the page, but you can access it by clicking on Gluten Free Supermarket Lists. Thanks for your patience. I’m enthusiastic about this project and wanted to introduce you to it even though it is not completely finished.
Gluten Free Food and Ingredient Issues
People living gluten free must read and understand the ingredients label on every food package they use. (I wish I had a gluten free cupcake for every time I have written about or done that.) However, the sad fact is that many of the terms on those lists are written to satisfy food service professionals and lawyers charged with making sure that their company is meeting all legal obligations. The person shopping gluten must understand these terms, but manufacturers are not obligated (and are seldom motivated) to explain those terms to us.
I’ve written dozens of articles about specific jargon that shoppers encounter. I’ve tripled the size of my power page Gluten Free Food and Ingredient Issues by listing all of these articles on the page and linking you to them.
There are two sets of articles on the power page. The first set is labeled ‘ingredient issues’, emphasizing those with strange sounding names . The second set is labeled ‘food issues’ deals with those problematical foods like soy sauce which are gluten free except when they are not. To read my article on a particular food or ingredient, click on the names listed in the article. If you want to move between articles, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the red “tag”. The computer will create a special page showing excerpts from other articles. Click on the excerpt to read the entire article. You can also, of course, come back to the power page and click on something else.
Gluten Free Hot Dog and Burger Buns
Using a gluten free bagel as a hamburger bun or as sandwich bread is a pretty obvious substitution. But, how can you use same approach to “creating” a hot dog bun? And I do mean “creating”, as opposed to “substituting” or “improvising”. We celiacs deserve excellent food and we can have it if we are sufficiently skillful and creative.
I’ll refer you to the blog “Gluten Free Survivor dot com” for her clear and well photographed answer to that question. I also salute her for the creative title for her blog. We are all gluten free survivors. The people who cook for us are also heroes. The article recommends using Udi’s gluten free bagels and I will certainly do that when I try this innovative idea, but any gluten free bagel that is not sliced completely through will do the job.
Gluten Free Cooking for Dummies…a Book Review
Gluten Free Cooking for Dummies is a great book for people new to the art of gluten free cooking as well as people like me who aren’t really proficient in any type of cooking. There are also simple, economical, and tasty suggestions such as S’Mores made from tortillas and a reminder that “sloppy joes do not need to be served on a bun”. All the recipes include calorie counts as well as other nutritional data. This is an important reminder for people like me who tend to fall for the false notion that gluten free food is OK in ANY QUANTITY.
Hopefully, you can find this book locally, but if you need to order it from Amazon, use the graphic at the top of the article for the regular edition or the graphic at the bottom to order the Kindle version.
I love everything about these books except for the title of the series. We are certainly not dummies, but I certainly felt that way when I was suddenly thrust into the gluten free universe. This book helped me make sense of what was going on.
Gluten Free Sesame Pretzel Rings by Glutino
I love pretzels, and I especially like gluten free snacks that are not clones of the snacks I used to eat in “the good old days” before my diagnosis — there is too much temptation to make comparison rather than to simply enjoy the snack. In this case, the sesame seeds give the pretzels a unique taste.
You’ll probably be able to purchase this product locally. If not, it can be ordered from The Gluten Free Pantry. People who have reviewed this product at The Gluten Free Pantry have awarded it a five star rating. I agree.
Gluten Free Food, Gluten Free Restaurants, Gluten Free Shopping
More Weight Loss for the Gluten Free
I received several comments last week about my series of posts on methods for losing weight living gluten free. One of you expanded on my idea of “gluten entitlement” by stating that she feels “gluten obligation”. This writer is the only celiac in the house and therefore feels obligated to “eat the rest of it”. We all hate to waste food, but….
Several of you sent me restaurant and recommendations. Just to remind you of my policy — I place comments after the appropriate article based solely on your recommendations. I then verify the information by checking the website and/or e-mailing the establishment. I place the “verification date” or the date I sent the e-mail after your comment. I am a disappointed by the fact that very few establishments answer my e-mails. How should I respond to that? Is a restaurant or bakery that does not respond to my e-mails seriously or mention gluten free options on their site seriously interested in serving the gluten free community? My personal opinion is NO! These establishments are off my personal list of places to patronize.
By the way, when you are sending a recommendation, be sure to include the city and state in which the establishment is located. That makes it simpler for all of us.
Buying Groceries for People Living Gluten Free
Everyone who shops for people living gluten free should be able to find a supermarket that has a wide variety of gluten free options and gives its customers access to a list of those options. Because of the relatively high cost of gluten free food, shoppers should be able to take advantage of every discount coupon or other other incentive to purchase.
My job is to collect all the necessary information for you and place it in a usable package. I’ve written extensively on this subject, particularly during the past month when I published an article on discount coupons every Saturday. I don’t normally change my plans in the middle of a project, but I think this is an appropriate time to do it. I have begun a page titled “Gluten Free Supermarket Shopping“. The project is less than 10% complete right now, but there is enough to give you the idea of what I am attempting to do. Please move to that page now and give me feedback on what I need to be doing. My e-mail address is gfceliac@gmail.com..
Understanding Gluten Free Ingredients Lists
People living gluten free must be able to read the ingredients list that is on almost every package in the store. (I wish I had a gluten free pretzel for every time I have written about or actually done that.) Many of the terms on the list are written to satisfy food service professionals and lawyers charged with making sure that their company is meeting all legal obligations. The person shopping gluten must understand these terms, but manufacturers are not obligated and seldom motivated to explain those terms to us.
I’ve written dozens of articles about specific jargon that shoppers encounter. I’ve tripled the size of my power page Gluten Free Food and Ingredient Issues by listing all of these articles on the page and giving two ways to reach them.
WARNINGThe rest of this article is totally useless. I don’t usually screw things up this badly. Unfortunately, I have to leave this article on-line because the search engines are still referring people to it (that’s probably how you got here) and I want to share with you everything I know about this important topic. Click here for the article you should be reading. Sorry for the inconvenience. Thanks to the person whose e-mail alerted me to this problem.
♦♦♦ The first way is to use “tags”. Have a look at the right side of the page and find the section marked “Search using Tags”. Unfortunately, the computer gurus insist on not putting the tags on separate lines or putting commas between them. They also have the annoying habit of writing different in different sizes of type. At least this has a purpose — tags that have the most links are in larger type.
Anyway, click on the tag that says “gluten free food issues” and the computer will create a special page that includes the first two or three paragraphs of every article I have written on the subject. To read the complete article, click on the CONTINUE READING button. Click on the arrow in the upper-left corner of the screen when you finish.
The “food issues” tag links you to foods like coffee, soy sauce, or yogurt. These foods may or may not b e gluten free. The other tag ” ingredient issues” works the same way but links you to terms like hydrolyzed yeast, or annatto which are components of processed foods.
♦♦♦ The second and perhaps simpler way is to go the power page “Gluten Free Ingredient Issues“. You will see two sets of links. Click on the appropriate link to find an article addressing your question.
Good luck. We have two challenges here —
♦ getting an answer to your question about gluten free food AND
♦ finding that answer on the internet. The internet is a wonderful tool, but keep in mind that it contains over seventeen million references to the term “gluten free” . One of the most powerful computer systems on the planet can’t give you an exact number. My mission is to whittle down your choices to give you a chance for success.
The Gluten Free Diet for Those Wishing to Lose Weight
People who live gluten free, like everyone else, often need to lose weight. I began a series of posts on this subject three weeks ago with a general overview, wrote about the importance of attitude last week, and am now attempting to summarize the situation.
My main thesis is that celiacs who are attempting to lose weight are not at an advantage not at an advantage or a disadvantage when it comes to losing weight. As I said in my first article, “to lose one pound of fat, you must burn 3500 calories over what you already burn.” Famed athlete Lance Armstrong put it this way: “…you’ll only lose weight if your diet involves portion control and healthy foods to keep your calorie intake below your calorie burn rate…gluten free is is not synonymous with low-calorie or healthy.”
So how we proceed? Portion control is the only method that has ever worked for me personally. It also seems to me to be the simplest to juggle the gluten free diet and the low calorie diet — think ‘gluten free’ when you are deciding what to eat and
‘low calorie’ when you are deciding how much to eat. Remember that a ‘portion size‘ is whatever we say it is. Most of our restaurant meals are already super-sized. A serving size is what the experts recommend and the calorie count given on the food package refers to one portion.
All the information I have about weight control for people who live gluten free is summarized on my power page “The 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.
The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten Free
This cookbook gives the gluten free community the best of both worlds — the convenience of gluten free baking mixes and the great taste that comes when The Cake Mix Doctor adds her own special touches to those mixes. And its not limited to cake mix, this ingenious chef specializes in turning cake mixes, pie crust mixes, cookie mixes, and brownie mixes into gourmet treats.
If you can’t find this gem locally, click on the graphic at the top of the article to order it from Amazon.com. All of her books can also be purchased from the website.
Gluten Free Graham Style Crackers from Kinnikinnick
I enjoyed these gluten free crackers. I trust this company to provide ‘safe’ and tasty food. (I may not be able to spell or even pronounce their name, but they have earned their wonderful reputation.) I’m always a bit skeptical of any product with the word ‘style’ in its name. Is this product a successful imitation of the graham I ate in my pre-celiac days? They seem a bit sweeter. I would eat them right out of the box rather than adding sweetness and calories in the form of the marshmallows and chocolate shown in the ‘serving suggestion’ shown on the box.
In addition to being gluten free, this product is also free of casein, lactose, peanuts, and tree nuts. If you can’t find this product locally, click here to order from The Gluten Free Pantry or click on the graphic at the top of the page to order from Amazon.com keeping in mind that the price shown is for a carton of six.
Why is it so Hard for Celiacs to Lose Weight?
Our gluten free diet has little to if anything to do with our problems losing weight. I wish I knew the answer to the question posed in the title. Two members of our gluten free community asked that question in comments this week. I need the answer for my personal use. My short answer is that weight loss diets are difficult and the gluten free diet is also difficult and combining any two difficult diets is an extremely difficult task. I have written a series of three posts dealing with the subject.
All the information I have about weight control for people who live gluten free is summarized on my power page “The 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.
An alert member of our community served us all by pointing out a typo is one of my articles. My wife helps me with proofreading occasionally but since she does not have celiac disease she misses technical errors such as my statement that the definition of gluten free is 20 parts-per-million (not 30 ppm as I had written).
I received several other comments this week and have added them as comments to the posts. Thank you for the support you give me and for your generous sharing with other gluten free people.
My article on gluten free soy sauce was written in 2006 and is one of the first posts on this website. It is still receiving comments and is by-far my most-visited post.
Gluten Free Supermarket Bargains and Incentives
Supermarkets provide coupons, special discount, and other incentives to attract shoppers to their supermarkets. They also publish lists of ‘safe’ foods to encourage shoppers who live gluten free. I have already published a power page entitled “Gluten Free Supermarket Lists”.
I am now in the third week of an effort to go back through that same list of supermarkets and advise you on how to save money shopping there. Bear in mind that today’s suggestions apply to all foods, not just ‘safe’ items.
Fresh and Easy Markets (enter your ZIP code on this page)
Gelsons (click here to see their weekly ad)
Trader Joe’s (doesn’t list coupon or disount information on its site)
Restaurants Serving Gluten Free Pizza
About five years ago, I reported to you that it was impossible to find a gluten free restaurant pizza anywhere in Portland, Oregon. (I can’t tell you the exact date of that post — apparently I deleted it in a fit of depression.) This evening, I chose among four or five local establishments and had a tasty ‘safe’ pizza delivered to my home. Gluten free opportunity is epanding at an amazing rate.
This week I updated and expanded my power page “Gluten Free Pizza Restaurants” list. The information of these power pages is vital to every eliac’s success. I will continue updating information every Friday. Next week, I’ll deal with my “Ingredient Issues” power page which provides information for reading ingredient lists.
Weight Loss for People Living Gluten Free…Attitude is Everything
Last Thursday, I began a series of articles aimed at people living gluten free who need to shed a few pounds. Today, I’ll get specific about attitude — diet is not “all in your head” but that is a good place start. I need to stress a few essential facts:
→ There is no significant difference in losing weight on the gluten free diet and the conventional diet. The gluten free diet is becoming more ‘chic’ these days, but, for wheat eaters and every one else, a person loses weight when they eat fewer calories than they burn through exercise and other activities. Here’s a great article that clarifies that subject.
→ 39% of all celiacs are overweight or obese on the day they are diagnosed. We have this stereotype that celiacs are underweight which makes it seem almost embarassing for us to face the fact that we need to cut calories. I know that happened to me. I was underweight when diagnosed. I welcomed the first ten pounds, ignored the second ten pound gain, and should have started to watch my calories much sooner than I did.
→ Celiacs have many advantages when they are cutting calories and losing weight:
♦ Most junk food is gluten toxic and high in calories. If we are watching our weight, we have two reasons for avoid this type of food. One of our members commented “guess what happens when we cut out burgers, pizza, and beer”. I don’t cut those things out, but I certainly reduce my intake.
♦ If we are calorie conscious and gluten free, we can occasionally reward ourselves with a sugary (but gluten free) treat.
♦ Celiacs are already used to the idea that we are what we eat. We read ingredient labels. We are used to planning our meals.
→There are a few disadvantages. For example:
♦ The benefits of the gluten free diet are immediately obvious. I felt 100% better after a few days. A weight-loss diet takes much longer.
♦ We need to be careful about what The Savvy Celiac calls “gluten entitlement”. This is the understandable feeling that gluten free food is OK for us in any quantity. I can’t eat the cupcakes at work, so I come home and console myself by eating a full bag of gluten free doughnuts. Since I am the only person in my household who lives gluten free, I feel almost proud of myself when i “finish up the whole bag before they get stale”.
This leads me into the topic for next Friday — calories count, quantities count. We have enough to worry about staying gluten. How do we keep track of what is happening on both the calorie and the gluten ‘front”?
All the information I have about weight control for people who live gluten free is summarized on my power page “The 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.
Lemon Streusel Muffins from Udi’s
Udi’s gluten free products are the best celiac-safe news I’ve received in my eleven years on the gluten free diet. I’ve written about their bread twice (click here to read the second post) and now I would like to rave about their wonderful lemon streusel muffins. What a wonderful way to start the day!
Hopefully, I have shared my enthusiasm for these muffins and I wish I could provide more objective information. These muffins are in a class by themselves. I’m speechless. My sister was diagnosed with celiac disease six weeks ago. She “likes them” but can’t possibly feel the enthusiasm experienced by those of us who have waited patiently for decade(s) for Udi’s to ‘happen’.
In looking up information for this post, I realized that I had made a small error. I assumed that all Udi’s products were sold frozen simply because that is the only way I had ever seen them. Actually, the Udi’s website states that “…we do not always sell our products in the freezer. Our products can stay in ambient temperatures for seven days and in the refrigerator for 21 days.”
Convenience Meals from Dr. McDougall
I recently tried the gluten free vegan tamale soup ‘meal cup’ from Right Foods. It’s amazingly easy to fix. Take the lid off the top, open the flavorings pack inside, and fill the cup with boiling water, and let it set for eight minutes to let the boiling water cool off. The flavor is great if you keep in mind that the product is designed to be ultra-convenient rather than to taste like gourmet food.
This official name of the company is ‘Right Foods’, but if your looking for it on the shelf the first thing you will notice is the words “Dr. McDougall’s” and a picture of a man who is presumably the doctor. Everything is well-labeled, but everything is not gluten free, so be sure to check. The company produces the ‘meal cups’ and also makes boxed soup in 2-serving packages. The website has an impressive list of stores that sell these products.
I always feel a bit uncomfortable writing product reviews. Everything I eat these days tastes better than the cardboard I was forced to swallow ten years ago when I was first diagnosed. I welcome ‘guest reviewers’. I’d welcome the opportunity to publish your thoughts on gluten free products. My e-mail address is gfceliac@gmail.com.
Gluten Free Updates
Visitors to this site continue to write rave comments about about Udi’s wonderful gluten free bread and bread products. I agree, Udi’s is the best thing that has happened to us since I was diagnosed with celiac disease in 1999.
They are also saluting Snyders of Hanover for its new gluten free pretzels and praising Subway for testing new gluten free products and striving to enter the gluten free market. But these comments seem to ask an important question — these firms can certainly prepare and sell ‘safe’ products, but can they handle the cross-contamination issues? I hope so!
Gluten Free Supermarket Coupons and Bargains
These supermarkets serve the gluten free community by publishing lists of the ‘safe foods’ they have provided tor us. They also provide coupons and other incentives to shop at their stores. The coupon pages that you will visit are not totally gluten free (after all, the managers are trying to lure customers of all types) but it is relatively easy to find the ones that you need.)
I began this list last Saturday, and will add to it each week as long as I have enough information. Most of these supermarket names also appear on my power page “Gluten Free Supermarket Lists“. Visit this page for a list of gluten free foods available. Eventually, I will consolidate all this information.
To make this list more useful, I have repeated the supermarkets that I featured last week and added four additional supermarket chains.
Meijer(new this week)
Raley’s and Bel Air Markets (new this week)
Trader Joe’s (doesn’t list coupon information on its site)
More Gluten Free Bakeries
Today I added four chains of gluten free bakeries to my power page “Gluten Free Bakeries”. (You may be able to reach this list by clicking on one of the tabs at the top of the page.) This page now has listings in 24 states and that number will grow.
My purpose in developing these power pages is to consolidate all the information I have on a given topic and make it easily accessible. My plan is to upgrade one power page each week and publish information every Friday. I’ve scheduled my “Gluten Free Pizza Restaurants” page next Friday, February 18.
Weight Loss for People Living Gluten Free
Celiacs and other people living gluten free must agree with wheat-eating experts that “Despite the way it feels, losing weight is not a mysterious process. To lose one pound of fat, you must burn 3500 calories over and above what you already burn…”
I recommend this slide show as an introduction to the weight-loss process. Then try these articles that discuss “tricks” that we can use to reduce the amount of food we consume. In these article, there is no distinction between the gluten free and the wheat eater. We are talking about ‘how’ we eat rather than ‘what’ we eat. The titles are so similar that they are humorous: consider “Ten Simple Tips…”, , Nine Diet Tips…“, “Five Ways to Trick Yourself…”, and finally “A Dose of Tips…”. Since there are twelve tips in the last article, you will be considering a total of 36 ideas. There is much repetition here, but that may help you grasp these essential ideas.
Next Thursday, I’ll write about our attitudes and how they affect our weight gain. Attitudes toward food are essential, and our feelings about foodhave been profoundly influtenced by our gluten free diets.
The final article in the series is scheduled for February 24 will deal with issues of calorie counting. Yes, despite what you may have heard, calories do count.
All the information I have about weight control for people who live gluten free is summarized on my power page “The 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.
Soft-Baked Gluten Free Cookies by Enjoy Life Foods
Enjoy Life’s soft baked gluten free cookies add pleasant variety to my gluten free snacking. Most gluten free cookies have a crisp and crunchy taste and texture and that’s OK, of course, but there are times when a soft and chewy taste is a welcome change. The taste is also great — I tried the double chocolate brownie cookies, the snickerdoodles, and (my personal favorite) the lively lemon cookies.
Enjoy Life’s products are produced in a gluten free facility and contain none of the eight major allergies. They are gluten and casein free. They are certified by the Gluten Free Certification Organization and tested to make sure that they contain less than 10 parts per million of gluten. (The FDA’s standard allows 20 parts parts per million).
The website has a great deal of reliable information that is easy-to-read but carefully written. The site also provides the opportunity to print out a 55 cents off coupon that is an incentive to try these products.
Gluten Free Updates
I’ve added your comments to four of my gluten free posts this week. Three members of America’s gluten free community shared my joy by reminding everyone that Udi’s Gluten Free Breads is the best news the gluten free world has ever received. I agree completely!!!!!!!
I also received and posted two comments about the tests currently being conducted by Subway restaurants. The second comment is attach to my followup article about Subway’s tests. Both comments dealt with the general problems (calories, etc.) of eating at fast food restaurants. I agree completely but I think I’ll stay on the sidelines of this discussion. My goal is to alert you to the availablility of gluten free food. There are obviously other criteria involved in chosing a place to eat. One of the writers also alerted us to a possible source of cross contamination at Subway.
l also enriched my posts “Gluten Free Pretzels from Snyders of Hanover” and “Seniors With Celiac“.
I’ll be publishing “Gluten Free Updates” every Monday. My update articles will include your comments as well as information that I have added to posts and pages.
Gluten Free Supermarket Coupons
These six supermarket chains offer coupons and/or other incentives to shop at their stores. You’ll find one or more gluten free items on each page as well as non-food items and wheat-based foods. I’ll leave it to you to sort through the offerings, perhaps using some of them to meet the needs of the wheat-eaters in your household.
I’ll publish a new coupons/bargains list until I have covered all the super-markets listed on my power page “Gluten Free Supermarket Lists“. Eventually, I’ll consolidate all the information I have about locations, food offerings, and bargains in one location.
Finally, here the links that I promised you. Expect more links to more stores next Saturday. Be sure to check these links periodically. These offers change frequently.
- → Albertson’s
- → Earth Fare
- → Publix Supermarkets
- →Trader Joe’s (doesn’t list this information on its site)
- → Walmart
- → Whole Foods
Gluten Free, Gluten Free Restaurants
More About Gluten Free Testing by Subway
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.
Seniors with Celiac
Yes, it happens. I was diagnosed ten years ago at age 61 and my sister Lynda was diagnosed recently when she was 67. I first heard the term ‘celiac disease’ during the office visit in which I had the disease so I was blissfully unaware that it was generally classified as a ‘childrens’ disease. Actually, about 30% of newly defined celiacs are at least sixty years old.
Both the Gluten Intolerance Group and the Celiac Disease Organization of Canada have published brochures for celiacs over sixty and the people who are for them. These publications are sketchy and incomplete but are good supplements to other resources for newly-diagnosed celiacs.
Gluten Free Pretzels from Snyders of Hanover
I recently sampled gluten free pretzels from Snyders of Hanover. Great. I totally agree with reviewers who have rated them ‘salty’, ‘crispy’, ‘crunchy’, and ‘airy’. Their most unique feature may be that they sell for about $3 for an eight ounce bag. I always feel a bit self-conscious when I review gluten free food — I last tasted wheat-based food during the last century and have no idea how gluten free items compare to their wheat-based cousins.
I discovered that I was in good company. The first three blogs I read praised these gluten free pretzels and made no negative or even luke-warm comments. Gluten Free Philly dot com compared these pretzels to the ones produced by Glutano and decided that the pretzels from Snyders were superior in every respect. Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom dot com, Gluten Free Works dot com and Ms Celiac Says dot com all praise this product.
Of course, everyone is pleased when a major company like Snyder’s of Hanover takes an interest in serving America’s gluten free community. Click on the company name to learn more about this company and its large selection of gluten free products.
More Cheers for Udi’s Gluten Free
I had my first taste of Udi’s gluten free bread ten days ago and it has radically changed my gluten free lifestyle. Even my non-celiac wife loves it, or at least the smell of it toasting (I seldom share it). Since then, I have tried the whole grain bread, two types of bagels (the first bagels I have enjoyed during this century) and the heavenly lemon strusel muffins.
I also began to wonder about Udi himself. I found out that he was born in Israel and opened his first shop “Udi the Sandwich Man” in Denver in 1994. Since then, his family businesses have grown to include a catering company, an artisan bakery, and five restaurants in the Denver area. He ventured into the gluten free world in 2009 after a gentleman named Chad White shared his secret recipe. Mr. White is now holds the title ‘Director of Product Development’. He’s certainly earned it!
I wish I knew more about him. I couldn’t even ascertain whether or not he lives gluten free. In my research, I saw his last name listed as Bar-On and Baron. Take your pick. Here are three links to information about him. Since the titles are so similar, I’ll just refer to them as this one, that one, and the other one.
Is Chocolate Gluten Free?
Chocolate is naturally gluten free. That’s the short answer. The problem is that we seldom eat chocolate that is not mixed with something else. For example, if we are trying to decide whether a chocolate chip cookie is ‘safe’, we are concerned about the flour and other ingredients used in making the cookie. I am not aware of any candy bars that are 100% chocolate. Please let me know if you find a bar that has no ingredients other than chocolate.
I could find no website that spells things out that simply. You’ll notice that there are no links in this post. But I can offer you this evidence:
♦ Neither The Gluten Free Pantry nor The Gluten Free Mall sells gluten free chocolate chips.
♦ Enjoy Life Foods markets chocolate chips labeled ‘gluten free’. However, keep in mind that they operate a gluten free facility and their products are free of all the officially-recognized allergens. I suspect that adding the ‘gluten free’ label was an afterthought.
♦ Chocolate is not listed on either the ‘safe’ or ‘unsafe’ foods list published by Celiac dot com.
♦ The Celiac Sprue Association lists chocolate as questionable because of possible additives. They OK the use of chocolate chips.
♦ I looked at dozens of recipes for chocolate chip cookies. Most of them remind us to use gluten free flour but said nothing about the said nothing about the chocolate chips. Let me know if you find any exception to that ‘rule’.
Savings at Gluten Free Restaurants
Our gluten free lifestyle makes many restaurants off-limits to us and makes us strongly loyal to others. We can save money by taking advantage of the of the ‘loyalty rewards’ offered by these gluten friendly restaurants.
Here are links to gluten friendly restaurants that offer discount cards and coupons or other incentives to drum up business and encourage customers to return regularly. These programs change so frequently and have so much ‘fine print’ involved that I will not try to summarize them. I’ll just give you the name of the restaurant and the name of their ‘loyalty’ program.
→ The Outback Steakhouse calls its program “My Outback Awards”.
→ P.F. Chang’s “Warrior Card” offers a 10% discount on all meals.
→ Red Robin’s “Royalty Card” offers significant discounts.
→ Austin Grill, with restaurants in and around the District of Columbia, operates a ‘loyalty program’.
→ Elephant Walk offers ‘loyalty rewards’ to patrons of their restaurants in the Boston area. The restaurants offer French and Cambodian cuisine.
Three Cheers for Udi’s Gluten Free Bread
Like many Americans, I have fallen in love with Udi’s gluten free bread. Why did I wait so long to try it? For the first time in twelve years, I enjoyed a sandwich that was gluten free, had slices that were approximately the same size as the sandwich meat, did not crumble, and did not have to be toasted to be palatable, Simple pleasures!!! Udi’s provides cinnamon-raisin bread as well as the sandwich bread I have been talking about. They also make muffins, granola, and whole grain bagels.
Even their website is fantastic. They will e-mail a $1 off coupon to encourage you to try their products. (In self-defense, they have set things up so that you can’t print more than two copies.) In a rare display of good customer relations, they have a button on the site that allows you to opt-out of any mailings other than your coupons. They have an extensive “store locater” list and you can order on-line. There is an excellent “party planning” section that includes menu and recipes.
Gluten Free Valentine’s Day
♦Valentine’s Day — like every holiday — revolves around people and food, thus presenting one more challenge to people who live gluten free.
♦ When I wrote about Valentine’s Day last year, I provided links to two articles giving specific suggestions for gluten free Valentine’s parties. I also provided a link to an article on Christmas parties, but the issues concerning school parties are exactly the same on any holiday.
♦ You may wish to check out this article called “Recession Romance” which accomplishes too very goals by suggesting ways to observe this day on a very limited budget. It includes menus and recipes for a romantic evening at home that could be done gluten free with only a few very obvious substitutions.
♦ There are many lists of ‘safe’ and ‘unsafe’ Valentine candies. I particularly like this list because the maker personally examined the ingredient labels of all the products listed. On her ‘unsafe list’ she gave she gave the specific reason for her decision. Thus, almost anyone with almost any definition of ‘safe’ and ‘unsafe’ can use the list.
♦ This party idea could be adapted to meet anyone’s needs, but it is obviously simpler if all the pizza crusts and tops are gluten free. Using the gluten free pizza mix of your choice, make pizza crusts and shape in the the traditional Valentine heart shape. During the party, the participants add their own toppings and bake their creations.
♦ The Betty Crocker website “Live Gluten Freely” provides 250 ‘safe’ recipes. I was particularly attracted to the recipes for snack mixes made from gluten free Chex cereal.
holiday celebrations, Living Gluten Free
Gluten Free Super Bowl
Super Bowl Sunday is a great day for food and parties and therefore a challenge for people living gluten free. I’ve written about Super Bowl Sunday each year since I began this site. My posts for the last two years are worth revisiting.
My post just prior to last year’s Super Bowl included video demonstrations of foods you might want to share as well as some suggestions for avoiding cross contamination.
My 2009 article emphasized the essential topics of gluten free pizza and gluten free beer.
Later this week, I will publish an article about gluten free opportunities in the Dallas area. For the rest of us, here is a video demonstration of cooking Garlic and Butter Clams Casino, a wonderful addition to any party. Be sure to use gluten free bread crumbs and make sure that your Worcester sauce is OK.
Subway Testing Gluten Free Products
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.
Gluten Free…the Definition Part 2
Yesterday, I wrote about the problems involved in writing an ‘official’ legally enforceable definition of the term ‘gluten free’. I talked about problems with the terms ‘gluten free’ and ‘cross contamination’. Today I will write about the fact that people live gluten free can be divided into at least three groups:
♦ People diagnosed with celiac disease who must follow a strict gluten free diet for the rest of their lives even if they are not currently showing any symptoms.
♦ People with ‘gluten intolerance’ or ‘gluten sensitivity’. These folks need to follow the diet only enough to alleviate their symptoms.
♦ People who follow the diet because they feel that it is a healthy diet, helps them lose weight, or for a variety of other reasons. Many experts argue that the gluten free diet should not be used for this purpose, but that is not the point of this article. These folks need to know the definition of gluten free.
There are also economic considerations. A severe definition of ‘gluten free’ increases the cost of producing gluten free food and that cost will ultimately be paid by the consumer. It also decreases the number of gluten products that will be available.
Gluten Free Diet, Gluten Free Food
Gluten Free…the Definition
“The Food and Drug Association (FDA) is in the process of developing standards for foods labeled ‘gluten free’.” This sentence was copied from a post published in 2007. Most of the people reading this article literally can’t wait for them to finish that process.
I understand the government’s problem here. They are working under several constraints:
♦ The terms themselves.
→ ‘Gluten free’ should mean the total absence of gluten. The experts agree that everyone can tolerate minute quantities of gluten. The finest instruments can’t detect the total absence of gluten. To complicate matters, we’re only talking about the gluten in wheat, barley, and rye. The glutens in corn, rice, and other grains are absolutely OK.
→ The terms ‘gluten free’ and ‘wheat free’ don’t mean the same thing. For example: wheat free beer is readily available. Barley is the culprit here. Many cereals are wheat free but are contain malt flavoring which is made from barley.
→ The term ‘cross contamination’ is unfortunate. ‘Contamination” implies that something is unclean or unsanitary. In the gluten free world, it simply means that otherwise gluten free food has come into contact with food that we can’t handle. For example: potatoes are a vegetables and therefore naturally gluten free. They are unacceptable if they cooked in a deep fat fryer that has also been used for cooking breaded onion rings.
We are stuck with these terms. They are part of our vocabulary. They are the words that people will use as when we are searching the internet.
I will continue this article tomorrow. There are still more hassles involved in making our personal decisions about gluten free living and in writing an official and legally enforceable definition. I will also include my personal definition in my weekly newsletter. If you’re interested in my newsletter, check out the first box in the sidebar at the right.
Gluten Free Food, Gluten Free Restaurants
Gluten Free Take-and Bake Pizza
Take-and-Bake pizza is available for people living gluten free in many parts of the nation:
→ All Godfather’s Pizza restaurants that serve gluten free pizza also provide a gluten free version of that wonderful product.
→ Sally’s Bakery, a dedicated facility in Atlanta, Georgia, provies six varieties of “safe” gluten free take-and-bake pizza.
→ Mama Mia’s sells gluen free take-and-bake pizza at their seven locations in the Columbus, Ohio, area. Their site enables you to print out a coupon that entitles you to a $1 discount.
→ The Pizza Kitchen in Knoxville, Tennessee has a take-and-bake pizza that has a gluten free crust. They stop short of promising that the entire pizza is gluten free.
→ The Bittersweet Bakery in Eagan, Minnesota, also provides “safe” take-an-bake pizza.
I have added all the information in this article to my “Gluten Free Pizza Restaurants“ power page.
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