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Review: Jason’s Deli Gluten-Free Options

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 4 Comments

Yesterday I had the pleasure of dining at Jason’s Deli, something I have been meaning to do for a long time. Jason’s Deli first announced that they were adding gluten-free bread to their repertoire over a year ago.  Hannah and I spent the day together and set out to find something new for us for lunch. We wanted something fast, but not your typical fast food restaurant.  That is when we decided on Jason’s Deli.

Jason’s Deli is all about healthy – no trans fat, no high fructose corn syrup, and no MSG in any of their food, and much of it is organic to boot.  They have a wide range of choices from salads to sandwiches to soups & stuffed potatoes.  There are even several different choices for kids!  The gluten-free menu is one of the largest I have seen at a place like this.

I was honestly overwhelmed by the menu, which is not something that has happened to me in a long time.  Often times there are only a few choices, so it is easy for me to decide what I want.  I had a very hard time deciding yesterday but settled on half a sandwich & salad bar.  The sandwich was made on Udi’s gluten-free whole grain bread (they use the restaurant size, so the slices are larger – half a sandwich was the size of a regular slice of Udi’s bread) and stuffed with deli oven-roasted turkey, field greens & spicy mustard.  The employee who made my meal changed his gloves & was the only one to touch my food.  The salad bar was very clean & the foods that were gluten-free seemed to be a good distance from those that weren’t.  I am not sure if this was intentional or not, but it worked for me.  There were several salad dressings to choose from, in addition to various kinds of vinegar & olive oil.

For dessert, there was chocolate mousse on the salad bar or soft serve ice cream.  The mousse was positioned in a precarious spot, surrounded by things not gluten-free, so I would probably stay clear of that unless you could have them get some from the back.  I didn’t try the ice cream this time around, because we had plans for frozen yogurt later on.

The lunch we had was excellent!  The food was fresh & flavorful and Hannah is begging to go back (not something she does regularly).  I love that Jason’s offers an amazing variety of gluten-free food.  In addition to fast dining in the restaurant, they also have carry-out, drive-through & catering.  Being gluten-free, I am not sure how comfortable I feel with those options, but it is nice to know that they are there.  I am looking forward to going back to try a stuffed potato or some soup on a cold day!

Have you dined at Jason’s Deli? What was your experience like?

Celiac Disease – Annual Screening?

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

Once you have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, the treatment is a life-long adherence to the gluten-free diet. There are currently no other treatments. No medications. Nothing. Some doctors believe in yearly screenings to see if the patient is complying with the diet, while others feel that such screening isn’t necessary. There are a couple of different reasons for yearly blood tests that I will discuss below.

First, a child who has been diagnosed with Celiac Disease may feel like he/she does not need to adhere to the diet.  They may cheat when at school or when out with friends. This is more likely in older children/teens who are on their own more than kids under 12. Routine yearly (or even quarterly) testing can alert the parents and doctor to any potential problems. We are having quarterly testing done with my son (who will be 16 in April). While my son follows the diet for the most part, he has admitted to eating a regular Pop-Tart on a dare and he isn’t necessarily as cautious as he could be when eating out.

Secondly, an annual screening may be performed to ensure that no hidden gluten is being consumed.  Some people have a problem following the diet for whatever reason.  There may be cross-contamination issues at home, the individual may travel a lot for work and have to depend on restaurants to safely feed him/her, or they may be new to the diet and learning what is safe & what isn’t.  This is especially important for those who are asymptomatic.  There are many people out there who don’t get sick when they consume gluten or they may not get sick when they consume trace amounts.  For this reason, annual screening can help the patient & the doctor gets a clearer picture of what is going on.

To those who have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease: Do you get your blood tested yearly?  Weigh in below in our poll and feel free to discuss in the comments section.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Fall Applesauce Cake

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If the weather hasn’t changed yet where you are, count your blessings. I woke up yesterday and the temperature outside was 49 degrees!  No complaints from me, though, I am done with the heat. Not only that, but fall is my favorite season!  I love the the brilliant colors, the crisp days, the pumpkin treats and apples. I have 2 words: Honey Crisp.  I have had my eyes open each time I weave through the produce department of my local grocery stores and I haven’t spotted any yet. I am sure that it won’t be long now!

Speaking of apples, I love to make homemade applesauce.  When I make it, I always have a bunch and while we all love it, I also love to bake with it!  I love applesauce cookies, but I also love applesauce cake. My grandmother (Grandma Marbles as Jon named her when he was a toddler) used to make applesauce cake when I was a child.  I have finally come to terms with the fact that I am no longer a child, but I will not go without my applesauce cake!

Applesauce Cake

  • 2 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (I like to use Jules gluten-free Flour)
  • 1 ½ cups applesauce (unsweetened, but I am used sweetened)
  • 1 ¼ cups sugar
  • ½ cup stick butter, softened
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice (if you don’t have this, use this as a substitute)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¾ tsp baking powder
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup raisins (I leave these out b/c my kids won’t touch the cake with them in it; may add chocolate chips instead)
  • 2/3 cup chopped nuts

Maple-Nut buttercream frosting or cream cheese frosting if you want instead.

  1. Heat oven to 350. Grease bottoms & sides of 13 x 9 x 2 pan or 2 round pans, with shortening; lightly flour.
  2. Beat all ingredients except raisins, nuts and frosting in a large bowl with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in raisins & nuts. Pour into pan(s).
  3. Bake rectangle for 45 – 50 minutes, rounds 40 to 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool rectangle pan on wire rack. Cool rounds 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
  4. Frost rectangle or fill and frost layers with maple nut frosting.

Maple Nut Frosting

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup stick butter, softened
  • ½ cup maple flavored syrup (if you choose to use real maple syrup, cut back a little or the frosting will be too sweet.  You may need to add a little water or milk to make up for the lost liquid)
  • ¼ cup finely chopped nuts
  1. Mix sugar and butter in medium bowl. Stir in syrup.
  2. Beat until smooth & spreadable. Stir in nuts.
  3. Frosts one rectangle cake or fills and frosts one 8 or 9 inch layer cake.

Now, try not to consume this all in a period of a day or 2 without sharing.

Thirty Minute or Less Gluten-Free Meal Ideas

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 2 Comments

We are all busy.  Before the gluten-free diet it was easy to swing by the closest fast food restaurant and pick up dinner.  Now, though it is possible, I try to avoid it.  Following the gluten-free diet forces me to think more about my food choices.  If I choose to eat out, whether it be fast food or a sit-down restaurant, I have to consider whether or not I can eat safely.  Safely means gluten-free, it doesn’t take into account any of the other health problems that may result from frequent dining out on higher sodium, higher calorie or higher fat foods.

One way I try to avoid falling into the trap of picking something up on the way home is meal planning.  I try to meal plan on Sundays before I head out to the grocery store so I have everything I will need for those meals in the house.  Once that step is complete, I try to prep as much as I can on Sunday or Monday so that I have less steps to prepare the meal on the day it rolls around.  If meat needs to be defrosted, I use our second refrigerator for that.  Notice that I used the words “I try”.  There are times that this doesn’t happen and there are times that it does, but I don’t follow through on the plan.  I am not perfect – none of us are.

I try to have a back up plan in place for those days when I have failed to follow my plan.  Keeping supplies on hand that are shelf-stable or can be frozen is one way to be prepared.  Here is my list of pantry and/or freezer items that I try to keep on hand:

  • Ground beef or turkey
  • Prego three cheese spaghetti sauce
  • Gluten-free pasta
  • Brown rice
  • Quinoa
  • Black beans
  • Garbanzo beans
  • Chebe foccacia or pizza mix (can easily be made into a pizza crust)
  • Eggs
  • Potatoes
  • Hormel chili with beans
  • Edamame
  • Diced tomatoes
  • Udi’s gluten-free pizza crust (freezer)
  • Taco seasoning (or a blend of your own – cumin, chile powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, etc.)
  • corn tortillas

Several quick meals can be created from the ingredients I listed above.  Dinner doesn’t have to be elaborate, just enough to get the tummy full and the body refueled.  Some of our quick, go-to gluten-free meals that take 30 minutes or less are:

  • Tacos – Brown ground meat, season & serve in corn tortillas with a side of salad and corn
  • Spaghetti – Brown ground meat & dump in a jar of Prego; boil pasta and toss with meat sauce.  Serve with green salad.
  • Chili with brown rice/quinoa.  Serve with a green salad.
  • Breakfast for dinner – fried or scrambled eggs, frittata or omelet.  Serve with fried potatoes and a large bowl of fruit.  Add fresh spinach to scramble for extra nutrients.
  • Pizza – Spread diced tomatoes (or Prego sauce) on an Udi’s gluten-free crust.  Top with mushrooms & cheese (or whatever you like).  Serve with a green salad.
  • Rice/quinoa bowls made with beans or edamame.  Add roasted vegetables to the mix.  Serve with a side of gluten-free garlic toast.

Some things I do on Sunday to make my week easier:

  • Cook enough rice or quinoa for a few meals & keep in the refrigerator or freezer
  • Slice vegetables for salads
  • Clean & slice fruit for salads/sides (some fruit goes bad faster when cut, so use caution)
  • Clean & cut vegetables for sides or use in meals.  Roasting vegetables brings out a unique flavor.  Store roasted veggies in the fridge for adding to salads, omelets, rice bowls or pizza.
  • Occasionally I will buy a rotisserie chicken (or even roast one myself) to use in lunches & dinners through the week.

Another option to consider is using a crock pot.  I don’t do this a lot, but when I do I freeze some of what I make for fast go-to meals.  Some crock pot meals that freeze well:

  • Pulled pork – pork loin + 1 –2 cups of white vinegar, salt & pepper cooked on low for 8 hours.  Toss with your favorite BBQ sauce.  Serve and freeze leftovers.
  • Pork & sauerkraut – boneless pork loin or boneless chops + 1 bag sauerkraut + salt & pepper.  Cook on low for 8 hours.  Serve over mashed or baked potatoes and freeze leftovers.
  • Pot roast – boneless chuck roast + carrots + potatoes + onions + salt & pepper.  Cook on low for 8 hours.  Serve with a green salad and freeze leftovers.
  • Roast chicken – roll up several balls of foil & place on the bottom of your crock pot.  Season your chicken and place the chicken on top of the foil balls.  Roast on low for 8 hours.  Serve as you wish and eat leftovers for the week.

While using the crock pot obviously takes longer than 30 minutes, the prep should only take minutes in the morning before you head out the door for work and then you have most of your meal ready when you get home.  If you are looking to get more creative with your crockpot, check out Stephanie O’Dea’s “A Year of Slow Cooking”.

Gluten-Free on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

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Hilton Head Island, SC has been a favorite of mine since I was little, and now we go as a family at least once a year. It is a nice, easy getaway from Atlanta. Typically we cook our meals at the house, in addition to keeping costs down, I don’t have to worry or stress about cross-contamination at restaurants.

But on this recent visit, we decided to explore a little bit, and since going gluten-free this was my first time actually eating out there.  I tried to do some research before our holiday and ask for suggestions, but the only responses I received were for chain restaurants.  And while I appreciate that chain restaurants are expanding their gluten-free offerings, those are restaurants I can go to anywhere, whether I am in Hilton Head or on the west coast.  I really wanted to find something unique and local.

We happened to have some friends staying on Hilton Head at the same time and they suggested meeting at The Sea Shack for dinner. One look at the website and it looked like a gluten haven, but after calling and being reassured I could order fish grilled, I felt a little better.  When we arrived, it really did look like a shack in a very-unlikely area.  Nothing fancy, yet  had a line out the door at 7pm.  Seeing all the fried items, I was a little apprehensive…ok, a lot apprehensive.  It is the type of place you go to the counter and order, so I asked several questions, while holding up the line and placed my order.  I ordered plain, grilled salmon, with grits and cucumber salad.  I also asked them if they could grill my fish on a clean surface and not to add any seasoning. They seemed pretty knowledgeable and  pretty sure their seasonings were safe, but I didn’t want to risk it, especially on vacation.  This reminded me why going to a restaurant for the first time when it is packed is not the best idea.

Thankfully, the dinner was delicious.  I looked longingly at my daughter’s hushpuppies, but I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and left there feeling great.  I will definitely be back on our next visit.

Another night during our visit, I really wanted to take a break from cooking and do something easy. This time I went against my philosophy of “no chains” and decided to order out from Mellow Mushroom, which I have yet to try since going gluten-free.  I miss the days when I could eat the gluten-filled Mellow Mushroom crust and it smells so good, but I was happy I could still go there and order a pizza.  The gluten-free crust only came in a 12″, so I ordered a Mega Veggie on gluten-free crust, and a Greek salad (the dressing is gluten-free).  My husband and I were very pleased with the pizza, and sharing that and a salad was more than enough.  We even had enough salad for lunch the next day.

On our last night, we decided to go out one more time, and this time we tried Land’s End Tavern at South Beach Marina in Sea Pines. We choose this place based on the pirate theme…there was no planning or calling ahead for this one.  I figured I could order grilled fish if nothing else.

Luckily, before being seated, I asked the hostess about gluten-free options and she told me she also had celiac and went through the menu and marked everything that was safe.  And let me know anytime a dish has fried fish, it could also be done grilled.  She also told me they had a separate fryer just for fries, so I was exited about this.  But, then she went on to say how while she has celiac, she will sometimes cheat – my confidence just dropped.  When we sat down I asked the server to confirm about the fryer and he said no, they are all fried in the same oil. That nixed my chances for tasting my daughter’s fries.  I ended up ordering grilled fish (swordfish) tacos with crispy corn tortillas with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies.  The fish tacos were very tasty and I felt great after the meal.  My husband ordered the same as me, but fried, and after tasting mine, he said he preferred mine.  Plus, the grilled is much healthier.

All in all, my three experiences eating out while we were in Hilton Head were a success, and I would be happy to revisit all three of these places. My conclusion when visiting a beach side restaurant, stick with simple…grilled fish, grilled or steamed veggies and potatoes.  But always ask questions about exact ingredients and preparations.