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Essential Gluten-Free Shopping Guide

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff

Most gluten-free shopping guides I’ve had the privilege of trying over the years are either not very good, or they are so thick that you can’t really take them with you when you are “on the go.” So, what is the solution?

My recommendation would be for you to check out the Essential Gluten-Free Shopping Guide by the team over at Cecelia’s Marketplace. This book is considered a “must have” among the Celiac community and many people have come to rely on it while doing their shopping.

Here is the description of the Essential Gluten-Free Shopping Guide, according to Amazon:

Voted the ‘Best Seller’ on gluten-free Mall and the Celiac website. Frustrated in trying to find gluten-free Products in your grocery stores? Tired of calling food manufacturers and guessing on nutrition labels? Well, help is here! Introducing Cecelias Marketplace gluten-free Grocery Shopping Guide! This easy to use 4.5″ x 6.5″ book is a list of over 25,000 gluten-free alphabetized products. Popular brands like Heinz, Kraft, Del Monte, Frito Lay, as well as supermarket chains, such as Kroger, Wal-Mart, Publix, Safeway, Walgreens, and more. Just pick a product, look it up, and all the gluten-free brands are at your fingertips. Unlike CD-ROMs or gluten-free computer software, this book is easy to carry to the grocery store for easy product confirmation anytime, anywhere. The book easily fits in one’s purse or back pocket. Either take this book with you or make your grocery list before you leave the house. This guide is not only designed for people with a celiac disease, gluten intolerance and gluten sensitivity, but excellent for family members, friends, chefs, dieticians, or others that needs to prepare gluten-free meals or learn about gluten-free products. In addition, Cecelia’s Marketplace gluten-free Grocery Shopping Guide includes ‘gluten-free Kitchen Tips’ which gives family members, friends or chefs specific tips on how to avoid gluten contamination in the kitchen. As an added bonus we have also included 1,500+ ‘over-the-counter’ pharmacy products which included antacids, pain relief, hair care, supplements, vitamins & minerals, and more. This book is a must have in making gluten-free living easier!

If you spend a few minutes looking through the book reviews on Amazon, you’ll see what I’m talking about.   I’m not sure a book could possibly get better reviews!

Note:  It looks like the 2009 version of the Essential Gluten-Free Shopping Guide will be out shortly, but as of today it has not been released.  We will update this post with a link to the newest version once it is available.  In the meantime, you may want to add it to your Amazon wish list or pre-order it so you get it once the newest version becomes available!

How To Find a Gluten-Free Bread Machine

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

Following a diagnosis of Celiac Disease or another form of gluten intolerance, one of the first things you will want to look for is probably a bread machine that supports making gluten-free breads. Unfortunately, because of the toughness of most gluten-free flours, this is often much easier said than done! Many bread machines can’t handle making our breads.

So, where can you find a bread machine designed for people with a gluten intolerance? My personal research uncovered a gluten-free bread machine over at Amazon.com called the Breadman TR875 2-Pound Breadmaker. This bread machine is a little pricey (currently around $100.00), but it specifically lists gluten-free breads in its feature listing:

  • gluten-free-bread-machineProgrammable bread machine bakes 1, 1-1/2, and 2-pound horizontal loaves
  • Housed in stainless steel; easy-to-read LCD display; viewing window
  • Cycles include super-rapid, 100-percent whole wheat, gluten-free, and more
  • Helpful “add in” beep; pause function; detachable lid; hand wash only
  • Measures 18 by 11-1/5 by 14-4/5 inches; 1-year warranty

As an added bonus, buying through Amazon will get you free shipping!

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.