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How To Gain Weight with Celiac Disease

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff Leave a Comment

For most people with Celiac Disease, switching to a strict gluten-free diet will help someone to naturally regain their normal weight. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. If you eat calories which balance out your physical activity your weight will remain the same.

In order to gain weight with Celiac Disease, just like anyone else, you need to consume more calories than you burn up in daily activity including exercise. However, if you are trying to gain weight you need to think carefully about what you eat and what you do. It is still important to take healthy exercise to ensure you do not develop other problems.

Even when trying to gain weight it is important to eat healthily and stick rigidly to a gluten-free diet. Although fats and oils contain the most calories ounce for ounce make sure you eat a sensible amount of fat and as far as possible eat fats found in oily fish, vegetables and nuts. You will need to be consistent and look for results over time rather than quick gain, which is lost as soon as you stop the eating regime.

Some healthy ideas for putting on weight:

  • Eat regularly throughout the day making sure you have a good breakfast.
  • Enrich the milk you use with a spoon of extra dried skimmed milk, use full fat milk and add 2-4 tablespoons of dried milk powder to a pint of milk.
  • Eat a snack of dried fruit and nuts or full fat yogurt between meals.
  • Use build up meal replacement milkshakes and drinks to supplement your diet.
  • Avocados are rich in nutrients and calories – they taste good too.
  • Eat complex carbohydrates rather than lots of sugar but eat them regularly.
  • Eat lots of fruit and vegetables but you can enjoy them with butter, grated cheese a dressing or sauce.
  • Eat protein with each meal – fish, meat, eggs, cheese, pulses etc.
  • Add ice cream, cream or evaporated milk to all cold puddings and add fortified milk to hot puds.
  • Add a beaten egg and or grated cheese to mashed potatoes.
  • Make a smoothie using fortified milk, a banana, strawberries or any other fruit you have available, add a yogurt or a scoop of ice cream for extra calories. Ring the changes with the fruits or add some chocolate for a change.
  • When making up packet soups or sauces use fortified milk rather than water.
  • Use a gluten-free protein powder to sprinkle into sauces, shakes, and sauces.

Is Vinegar Gluten-Free?

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 8 Comments

Is vinegar gluten-free? One of our readers recently sent us this exact question, so I think it is likely that there are others out there who are also wondering the same thing.

Is vinegar safe to eat for people with Celiac Disease?  The answer is yes…for the most part! Like most ingredients, vinegar is naturally gluten-free, as the gluten it is made with is lost in the distillation process (just like alcohol).

While checking for additional information, I found this post by Dr. Stephen Wangen which goes into greater detail:

Other vinegars, such as red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and balsamic vinegar also do not contain gluten. They are not derived from a gluten grain, therefore they never had gluten to begin with.

The primary exception to all of this is malt vinegar. “Malt” can almost always be assumed to mean “barley malt.” Barley is of course a gluten grain, and malt vinegar is generally not a distilled vinegar. Therefore there is gluten in malt vinegar. The other exception is when malt has been added into something after it has been distilled. This is sometimes the case with hard alcohols, but you have to check with the manufacturer.

Hopefully, that clears up any potential confusion!

Chick-Fil-A’s Gluten-Free Menu

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff

Have a Chick-Fil-A restaurant in your area? This national chicken fast-food chain seems to be sprinkled pretty much everywhere throughout the United States, so chances are with a little work, you can find one in your area.

Official Website Menu Information: Chick-Fil-A Restaurants Gluten-Free Menu
Location Finder: Find a Chick-Fil-A Location Near You

Below we’ve collected what foods are currently safe to eat at Chick-Fil-A restaurants for your convenience:

Chick-Fil-A Gluten-Free Menu

After browsing through their current gluten-free menu, it looks like they do have quite a selection of Celiacs to choose from.  Their list includes a number of entrees, breakfasts, sides, desserts, sauces/dressings, and even condiments!

Entrees (ask for a certified gluten-free bun):

  • Grilled Chicken Sandwich
  • Grilled Chicken Deluxe Sandwich
  • Chick-fil-A® Grilled Market Salad (not including toppings)
  • Grilled Chick-fil-A® Nuggets (8 or 12 count)

Dipping Sauces and Dressings:

  • Barbecue Sauce
  • Honey Mustard Sauce
  • Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce
  • Polynesian Sauce
  • Buttermilk Ranch Sauce
  • Chick-fil-A® Buffalo Sauce
  • Spicy Dressing
  • Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing
  • Zesty Apple Cider Dressing
  • Light Italian Dressing
  • Fat-Free Dijon Honey Mustard Dressing
  • Reduced-Fat Berry Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
  • Chick-fil-A® Sauce

Sides:

  • Fruit Cup
  • Side Salad*
  • Superfood Side
  • Chick-fil-A Waffle Potato Fries®
  • Yogurt Parfait*

Condiments:

  • Ketchup
  • Mustard
  • Mayonnaise
  • Light Mayonnaise
  • Apple Jelly
  • Grape Jelly
  • Mixed Fruit Jelly

Breakfast:

  • Bacon slice
  • Sausage patty
  • Hash Browns
  • Eggs (no biscuit)

Kid’s Meals:

  • Grilled Chick-fil-A® Nuggets (4 or 6 count)
  • Buddy Fruits® Pure Blended Fruit To Go applesauce
  • Honest Kids® Apple Juice

Beverages:

  • All Beverages

Desserts:

  • Ice Dream® Cup
  • Chocolate Syrup
  • Blueberry Topping

As always, when dining out gluten-free, do your due diligence and make sure the staff understands your needs. There are very few restaurants that are 100% gluten-free, so cross-contamination is always a risk. If you don’t feel comfortable with what you are hearing from the staff, perhaps it is best to dine elsewhere.

For information about other gluten-free restaurants menus, check out our gluten-free restaurants page.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Jibarito Sandwich

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff

Here is an interesting gluten-free version of a recipe for a Jibarito. A Jibarito is a popular sandwich in Puerto Rico. It’s easy to make and if you aren’t a beef fan, you can even substitute chicken! Probably the best part about this sandwich recipe is that there is no bread involved. Tasty plantains take the place of a traditional bun.

If you’d like to check out other recipe ideas, check out our gluten-free recipes page!

Gluten-Free Jibarito Recipe

Jibarito Ingredients:

  • 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
  • 1 green plantain, peeled and halved lengthwise
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 4 ounces beef skirt steak, cut into thin strips
  • 1/4 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 pinch cumin
  • 1 pinch of dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • 1 slice processed American cheese, cut in half
  • 2 slices tomato
  • 3 leaves lettuce

Jibarito Directions:

  1. Heat 2 cups vegetable oil in a large, deep skillet or deep fryer to 350 degrees F.
  2. Place plantain halves in the oil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until they float.
  3. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
  4. Place plantain halves between 2 cutting boards and press to flatten.
  5. Place the flattened plantains back in the oil and cook for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown.
  6. Drain on paper towels.
  7. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet.
  8. Add the garlic, skirt steak, onion, cumin, and oregano.
  9. Cook, stirring frequently until the steak is cooked through.
  10. To serve, spread mayonnaise on one of the plantain slices.
  11. Top with cheese, steak, and onion mixture, lettuce, and tomato.
  12. Place the other plantain half on top to form a sandwich.
  13. Cut in half and serve!

Wendy’s Gluten-Free Menu

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff

Are you a fan of Wendy’s restaurants? Wendy’s has been widely successful over the years due to their great tasting foods, but did you know that its menu includes a number of gluten-free items as well?

Official Website Menu Information: Wendy’s Gluten-Free Menu
Location Finder: Find a Wendys Location Near You

Here at Celiac-Disease.com, we’ve managed to research and verify the following items at Wendy’s are indeed gluten-free and safe to eat:

Wendy’s Gluten-Free Menu

Wendy’s Meats:

  • Hamburger Patty
  • Ultimate Grill Chicken Fillet+

Wendy’s Condiments:

  • American Cheese
  • Buttery Best Spread
  • Natural Swiss Cheese
  • Cheddar Cheese Sauce
  • Bacon
  • Lettuce
  • Tomato
  • Onion
  • Ketchup
  • Mustard
  • Honey Mustard Sauce
  • Special Thousand Island Sauce*
  • Tartar Sauce*
  • Dill Pickles
  • Ranch Sauce
  • Reduced Fat Sour Cream*

Wendy’s Baked Potatoes:

  • Plain
  • Sour Cream & Chives
  • Bacon & Cheese*
  • Broccoli & Cheese*
  • Chili & Cheese*

Wendy’s Salads:

  • Caesar Side Salad (without croutons)
  • Garden Side Salad (without croutons)
  • Baha Salad – Seasoned Tortilla Strips+

Wendy’s Side Items:

  • Chili
  • Hot Chili Seasoning Packet
  • Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • Mandarin Orange Cup

Wendy’s Beverages:

  • Coffee
  • Tea
  • Coca-Cola®
  • Diet Coke®
  • Sprite®
  • Barq’s Root Beer*
  • Coke Zero®*
  • Dr. Pepper*
  • Fanta® Orange*
  • Hi-C® Flashin’ Fruit Punch*
  • Minute Maid®Light Lemonade*
  • Pibb Xtra*
  • Dasani® Water*
  • Nesquik® Low Fat Chocolate Milk
  • Nesquik® Low Fat White Milk

Wendy’s Dressings:

  • Avocado Ranch Dressing*
  • Classic Ranch Dressing*
  • Italian Vinaigrette Dressing*
  • Creamy Red Jalapeno Dressing*
  • Fat-Free French Dressing*
  • Light Classic Ranch Dressing*
  • Lemon Garlic Caesar Dressing*
  • Pomegranate Vinaigrette Dressing*
  • Thousand Island Dressing*

Wendy’s Frostys™:

  • Chocolate FrostyTM
  • Vanilla FrostyTM
  • Coffee Toffee Twisted FrostyTM
  • M&M’s® Twisted FrostyTM
  • Chocolate Fudge Frosty Shake
  • Strawberry Frosty Shake
  • Vanilla Bean Frosty Shake

Wendy’s Dipping Sauces:

  • BBQ Nugget Sauce
  • Sweet & Sour Nugget Sauce
  • Honey Mustard Nugget Sauce
  • Honey Nugget Sauce*
  • Wild Buffalo Ranch Sauce*
  • Heartland Ranch Sauce

* – Certain menu items may vary from store to store and may not be available at all locations.
+ – Contains maltodextrin.

As always, when dining out gluten-free, do your due diligence and make sure the staff understands your needs. There are very few restaurants that are 100% gluten-free, so cross-contamination is always a risk. If you don’t feel comfortable with what you are hearing from the staff, perhaps it is best to dine elsewhere.

For information about other gluten-free restaurants menus, check out our gluten-free restaurants page.