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P.F. Chang’s Gluten-Free Menu

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff

Looking for some gluten-free Chinese food? Here in the United States, there is a large Chinese food restaurant chain named P.F. Changs which offers quite a few gluten-free foods on its menu and is available in just about every state.

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

Their gluten-free menu is pretty good, with the real gems on the appetizers menu. P.F. Chang’s famous Chicken Lettuce Wraps are mixed in a delicious sauce and stuffed into cool crisp lettuce. Add a cup of the egg drop soup, and you’ve got a meal in itself right there.

If you are instead in the mood for a feast, there are plenty of delicious entrees that are sure to delight anyone’s palate. Some of the most popular ones are the Singapore Street Rice Noodles with shrimp and chicken, the Ginger Chicken with Broccoli, and for a vegetarian option, the Buddha’s Feast, which is a mixture of steamed vegetables.

What’s a great meal without a tasty dessert? If you are a chocolate enthusiast, the Flourless Chocolate Dome is simply too delicious to pass up.  Served with fresh berries and raspberry sauce, the Flourless Chocolate Dome is the perfect finish to a perfect meal.

Overall, P.F. Changs is a great place for anyone with Celiac Disease. 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.

For additional information, you can check out our review of a recent visit to PF Changs!

How Does Celiac Disease Affect Your Fingernails?

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 3 Comments

Celiac Disease is a digestive disease that occurs to the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of the nutrients from food. This disease makes impossible the toleration of gluten, a protein which is found in foods or in everyday products such as medicines, vitamins and lip balms.

People with Celiac Disease usually get it from the family because is genetic and becomes active for the first time after surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, viral infection or severe emotional stress. This disease stops the nutrients’ absorption and manifests with an abnormal immune reaction to gluten. There can be no symptoms but can still develop complications of the disease over time. Long term complications include malnutrition, which can lead to anemia, osteoporosis, and even liver diseases, or cancer of the intestine. Fingernails are the first indicators who show the overall health of the body. Celiac Disease is also shown on the Fingernails appearing on their surface some white flecks.

Currently the only treatment for the Celiac Disease is a gluten-free diet. To remain healthy, people having this disease must avoid gluten for the rest of their lives. They are advised to work with a dietitian on a gluten-free diet plan. The dietitian is specialized in food and nutrition and the persons having a Celiac Disease who to read ingredient lists an identify foods that contain gluten in order to make informed decisions when they decide to buy some products or when eating out.

For most of the people with Celiac Disease such a diet will stop the symptoms of the illness, heal existing intestinal damage and prevent further damage. Improvements begin within the first days of starting the diet. The small intestine usually heals in 3 to 6 months in children but can take several years for an adult to heal. Some problems that can occur when having this disease will not improve, depending on a person’s age at diagnosis. There are symptoms such as short stature and dental enamel defects that will remain for the rest of the life.

Carl’s Jr Gluten-Free Menu

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff

Looking for a gluten-free menu at Carl’s Jr. locations? Although I don’t have a Carl’s Jr in my area as I live in the Hardees footprint, this has probably been our most requested gluten-free menu to date, so I figured I should see what I could find for our readers.

Official Website Menu Information: Carl’s Jr. Gluten-Free Menu
Location Finder: Find a Carl’s Jr. Location Near You

Below we’ve collected what foods are currently safe to eat at Carl’s Jr for your convenience:

Carl’s Jr. Gluten-Free Menu

Burgers:

Just make sure to ask for the lettuce wrap in place of the bun on any of these burgers..

  • Famous Star
  • Famous Star with Cheese
  • The 1/3 lb. Low Carb Thickburger
  • The 1/3 lb. Guacamole Thickburger
  • The 1/2 lb. Low Carb Thickburger
  • The 1/2 lb. Guacamole Thickburger

Sides:

  • Natural Cut Fries (May have some fryer cross-contamination so ensure you confirm each time)

Dressings / Dipping Sauces:

  • House Dressing
  • Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
  • Blue Cheese Dressing
  • Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
  • Sweet & Bold BBQ Dipping Sauce
  • Buttermilk Ranch Dipping Sauce
  • Spicy Buffalo Dipping Sauce

Ice Cream Shakes:

  • Chocolate shake
  • Vanilla shake
  • Strawberry shake

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 Fried Chicken

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff

Chicken is naturally gluten-free, but it isn’t easy to find a good gluten-free recipe to make the breading for fried chicken. With a little research, I was able to locate the following recipe. Here is the information you’ll need to try this gluten-free recipe at home.

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

Gluten-Free Fried Chicken Recipe

Chicken Ingredients:

  • 1 chicken, cut into pieces
  • 1 quart of buttermilk
  • 1 cup of gluten-free breadcrumbs
  • 2 1/2 cups of corn flour, divided
  • 3 tablespoons of Creole seasoning
  • Sea salt
  • 2 eggs, beaten

Chicken Directions:

  1. Place chicken in a large glass dish or bowl. Cover completely with the buttermilk and then cover the dish or bowl. Place in the fridge and let “marinate” for at least 4 hours, but overnight is preferred.
  2. Cook the chicken preheat oil to 375 F.  You want several inches of oil in the bottom of your pan.
  3. Preheat oven to 425 F.
  4. While oil and oven are heating get the chicken and “breading” ready.
  5. In a small dish place 1 cup of corn flour. Set aside.
  6. In a large dish mix 1 1/2 cups of corn flour with the bread crumbs. Stir in Creole seasoning until incorporated. Set aside.
  7. Beat two eggs and pour into a flat dish like a pie plate. Set aside.
  8. Remove chicken from the fridge and drain off most of the buttermilk. You want a little coat of buttermilk to help the first coat and salt stick. Place on a plate.
  9. Now set up an assembly line. First you want the chicken. The next step is the corn flour. Next up is the egg and finally the corn flour/breadcrumb mixture.
  10. Once the oil is heated first sprinkle the piece of chicken with a little sea salt all over. Coat with the plain corn flour.
  11. Dip the chicken in the beaten egg.
  12. After the egg give them a nice roll in the corn flour/breadcrumb mixture and then fry each piece for roughly 7 minutes or until a very nice golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels and then place in a baking dish.
  13. Once all the chicken is fried, place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. I like to do this to make sure the chicken is done all the way through. After baking serve immediately.

Keep Your Dog Healthy with Gluten-Free Dog Food

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

While doing research for a related article, I noticed a lot of great information about gluten-free dog food, so I decided to share my findings with our readers.

Protein provides the basic building blocks for any diet that is meant to generate strong, lean muscle. But too many pet foods are loaded down with gluten, which adds heaviness and bulk that is harder on the digestive system but does not convert into naturally useful proteins. Rather than tax the digestion of a dog, many educated pet owners are instead switching from ordinary dog food to special gluten-free dog food. It is easier for the dog to digest it is also better for the animal’s overall health.

Reputable brands of gluten-free dog food provide all the necessary and essential amino acids, proteins, and other key ingredients that go into a balanced and nutritious doggy diet – without the potential harmful and physically taxing levels of unwanted gluten found in inferior dog foods.

These healthier dog foods might use, for example, healthy ingredients such as sunflower oil, fish, and fish meal that is rich in beneficial omega three fatty acids. Other main ingredients in better dog foods are chicken and lamb, which can be complimented by flaxseed, alfalfa meal, and various herbs such as rosemary.

Gluten is the elastic part of the wheat or other type of grain that feels thick and starchy. Many animals are sensitive to it, and because it is rather gummy in its texture gluten can be much harder to break down and successfully digest within the body. Gluten is actually commonly used as a powerful binder and thickener by manufacturers of products like soups and artificial cheeses. So some people say that eating it is like eating a paste or adhesive, and that has obvious drawbacks for your dog.

Some canines also suffer from diseases like Celiac Disease, and for those dogs gluten in any form can be toxic, creating an adverse reaction within the digestive tract. To avoid this kind of problem while also ensuring that your dog has a first-class diet, ask your local pet store to show you their gluten-free dog food selections and offer recommendations for your pet.