Celiac Disease

Official Website of Celiac-Disease.com

You are here: Home / Archives for Gluten-Free Diet

Gluten-Free Diet

Gluten-Free Travel: By Road or By Air

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

Most gluten-free travelers know that the first rule of eating gluten-free is to prepare in advance. Researching dining options, packing snacks, and planning meals is a part of the gluten-free lifestyle. The holiday and travel season can present a special set of circumstances that may throw seasoned gluten-free consumers out of their safety zone.

The first key to any trip is planning. Anticipate the number of meals spent at trusted restaurants, at the home of a family member or friend, or at the kitchenette at the hotel. Consider the number of days the trip will last, including travel time, and then the number of meals that will be spent at restaurants versus at home or at the hotel. Research restaurants that look interesting or offer a favorite gluten-free meal, and ensure their ability to serve gluten-free customers by checking their website for allergen information. Contact restaurants during non-peak hours and ask to speak with a manager if you are concerned about their ability to accommodate a gluten-free consumer. When dining-out trips are planned, the remaining meals can be planned without packing too much food.

Large suitcases with firm shells are best equipped for carrying gluten-free bread products, such as sandwich bread, doughnuts, brownies, or other items that could become compressed. Gluten-free pretzels, crackers, cookies, trail mix, mini peanut butter containers, and snack bars can usually fit in smaller bags, such as small suitcases for carry-on only, or backpacks. Snacks can also be transferred into smaller baggies for travel.

Most major airlines are offering peanuts in flight, along with beverages. Some are also offering meat and cheese trays or salads, but these meals usually contain crackers or breadsticks. The safest snack on a flight is something packed in advance.

Airport dining can be tricky, especially when familiar restaurants appear to offer safe choices. Remember that airport restaurants have very small kitchens, and will usually share surfaces, equipment, fryers, and ingredients. Some newsstands or snack shops carry fruit, bagged nuts or chips, yogurt, candy bars, or other possible snack options. Always read the labels and look for foods that are naturally gluten-free, such as fruit. If dining in an airport restaurant, look for foods that hold the least possible chance of cross-contamination or accidental gluten. A steak without seasoning, baked potato, and salad may be a safe choice at many restaurants. Don’t forget to consider seasonings, sauces, and salad dressings when dining at a restaurant for the first time, or an airport restaurant which may use different ingredients than the regular chain.

Traveling by car can take longer than flying, but it can also offer better control over gluten-free food options. Gluten-free bread is less likely to be damaged in the car, as is fruit, chips, crackers, pretzels, and other breakable snacks. It is also easier to pack a cooler with cold snacks, like meat or cheese. Some gas stations sell fruit, and most have chips, nuts, and candy bars that are gluten-free. Gas stations with larger food selections usually sell popcorn by the bag and have a microwave available for customer use.

Fast food restaurants are a tempting option on the road, but remember that cross-contamination and hidden gluten can be a problem. Look for salads, which many restaurants offer with croutons in a separate bag. Some chains have baked potatoes, chili, ice cream, and other items that are gluten-free. Packing gluten-free hamburger buns can make stops at fast food restaurants a little more tolerable, but be careful to not assume that meats are safe just because there is no bun or breading. The McDonald’s Angus patty contains wheat (via soy sauce), as does their grilled chicken breast. Researching popular fast-food restaurants in advance is the best way to know what is safe to order while traveling. Visit the restaurant website for allergen and ingredient information. When ordering at the location, be sure to specify the need for gluten-free food, and care in preparing food without cross-contamination.

Quick Guide:

  • Snacks to pack: Gluten-free pretzels, chips, crackers, cookies, trail mix, energy or snack bars, fruit, and nuts.
  • Gas Station Options: Fruit, nuts, chips (Funyuns, Fritos, Lay’s Stax), candy bars (Snickers, Butterfinger, Hershey’s).
  • Restaurants: P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Outback Steakhouse, Chili’s, Bonefish Grill, and Carrabba’s are all national chains with gluten-free menus.
  • Fast Food: Possible options include
    • Wendy’s- chili, baked potato, grilled chicken, salad, and bunless burgers
    • McDonald’s- side and Cesar salad (no chicken), some bunless burgers (NOT Angus patty), hot fudge sundae
    • Taco Bell- tostada, pintos and cheese, Mexican rice (per Taco Bell website)
    • Arby’s- chopped Italian salad, chopped turkey club salad, (the grilled chicken on the farmhouse salad is NOT gluten-free), roast beef meat, milkshakes

This list is not all-inclusive, and ingredients can change or vary by location. Check out our gluten-free restaurants page for up-to-date information or ask for ingredient information at the specific restaurant location.

For additional information about safely traveling while gluten-free, check out our gluten-free travel page.

Maneuvering Holiday Parties Gluten-Free Style

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

Going to holiday parties is fun for many people but for the gluten-free set, these events can be a bit like walking through gluten minefields. For this reason, a lot of people go to great lengths to avoid attending such parties. Believe it or not, in most cases, one can survive holiday events and remain gluten-free while doing so. It just takes a bit of research and pre-planning before the party.

Most of the time, the food served at company holiday events is catered. By calling the H.R. department of the company throwing the party, you can find out how to contact the event planners that were likely hired to take care of all party details. One more call to the actual caterer should put you in touch with someone who can eventually answer questions about the food being served at the event. After explaining your dietary needs, the caterer contact you’ve reached is likely going to have to get back to you with a list of exactly what you can eat at the party.

At the company holiday events I’ve attended, the list of items that were gluten-free was shockingly long. At the Georgia Aquarium, Wolfgang Puck Catering provides food. If people with special dietary needs contact the company before the event, they can be walked around to all the food stations to find out what is safe for them to eat, once they arrive. The pasta bar at the party we attended at the Georgia Aquarium was off-limits, but there were delicious gourmet salads (with no croutons), rice, potato, chicken, beef, and seafood dishes to be enjoyed. Almost all of the vegetable dishes were safe as well. The only area that didn’t offer anything tasty was dessert. Upon request, guests can have ice cream or sorbet but during 30-degree weather, frozen desserts don’t appeal to a lot of people.

The High Museum in Atlanta might have the best gluten-free fare at parties in the area. The party we attended there didn’t have as large a selection as the food at the Georgia Aquarium, but the creatively prepared holiday fare was exceptional in both taste and presentation. Strangely enough, the salad served was one of the few things that contained gluten at the party, besides the desserts. For whatever reason, the chef put croutons right in the salad instead of on the side. In any event, the amazing food that was gluten-free was more than enough to fill anyone up. It was fun to listen to party guests rave about the food, in particular the gluten-free offerings which were most of the meal, knowing they had no idea the things they thought were so delicious were actually gluten-free!

Since it’s likely that most desserts at catered holiday parties will contain gluten, consider taking in your own discreet gluten-free treat. Chocolate candy can be messy, but candied nuts can be packed in a baggie and placed in an evening bag very easily. Empty the contents of the baggie onto a dessert plate and then count how many times other guests ask you where you got the nuts. When people inevitably ask me about them, I explain that I brought them because all the desserts contain gluten, which I can’t eat.

The biggest mistake people make is assuming there is nothing safe for them to eat at large (or small) catered parties. At someone’s potluck party, there is probably not much, if anything, that will be gluten-free, except for what you take to the event. In contrast, at catered parties where the menu details are put in place long before an event, it is possible to find out what is safe before you even pick out what you’re wearing to the party.

Though it’s often said that buffets should always be avoided by people with food intolerances of any kind, there are ways to mitigate your risk when attending events where all the food is served buffet style. Review the layout of all the dishes and carefully inspect the serving utensils. It is actually pretty easy to tell when the serving pieces have been mixed up. When you find evidence that dishes have been contaminated this way, find a staff person and ask them to either bring you some food directly from the kitchen or to notify you when the items in question are going to be restocked with a clean serving utensil. Be first in line to get your serving from the new pan of food and enjoy!

As someone who has successfully eaten at many weddings, company parties and other events where not all of the food served was gluten-free, I highly encourage others to do a little recon about the food at parties they’ve been invited to, before flatly deciding it’s better to stay home. These days, there is simply no reason to turn down fabulous party invitations just because we can’t eat gluten.

Is Olive Oil Gluten-Free?

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff

Yes – olive oil is gluten-free as long as it is made only from olives, as most are. Read the label because anything is possible, but so far I’ve not run into olive oil that contains gluten. Light olive oil, extra virgin olive oil, and plain olive oil are all gluten-free. Flavored olive oils are generally safe but remember to read the label, as always. Cooking oil labels, even when several ingredients are listed, are usually quite easy to read and understand.

Plain canola oil, soybean oil, and vegetable oil are all gluten-free. Other safe oils (assuming they are just made from oil – read the label) are grapeseed, sesame, safflower, coconut, corn, and peanut. Vegetable shortening, such as Crisco, is gluten-free – both the butter and original versions.

Annie’s Naturals makes some gluten-free herb dipping oils and flavored olive oils. All of the items in their line that are gluten-free are labeled as such. The company maintains a gluten-free product list on its website. Annie’s Naturals sells travel-sized salad dressings, including an olive oil packet. The travel-sized olive oil and many of the dressings are gluten-free, making them handy when traveling or eating out at a place that can’t confirm the safety of their dressings for you.

Most cooking oil sprays are gluten-free, but both Crisco and Pam brands make a cooking spray with flour. On those products, wheat is listed clearly on the label, as required by law. Some store brands might have a version of the cooking spray with flour but they will also list wheat on the label if present.

Five Guys Burgers has dedicated fryers and uses peanut oil for their fries. They are probably the best French fries I’ve ever had. Anyone who is allergic to peanuts would want to avoid the fries at Five Guys, but the oil is safe for people who can’t tolerate gluten. Remember to ask if a restaurant has a dedicated fryer for French fries before ordering. Many places use the same fryer for all fried foods and therefore all items cooked in the fryer contain gluten.

Is Rice Gluten-Free?

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff

Rice, in its pure form, is gluten-free. The problem you can run into with rice is the way it’s cooked, or rather what it’s cooked in. Many restaurants use chicken stock to cook their rice. Some chicken stocks contain gluten, so any rice cooked in such stocks is not gluten-free. Always ask about how rice is cooked when dining out unless you are ordering rice off a gluten-free menu. I’ve run into rice cooked in gluten-containing stocks when dining out more times than I can count. Since I always ask about rice before ordering, I’ve never unknowingly ordered any that contains gluten.

Another way to find gluten in rice in restaurants is in a sauce that is added to it. Sometimes it is possible to order safe, plain rice with no sauce and sometimes it’s not. It depends on whether the rice comes in a bag already in the sauce or if the sauce is made in-house and added to plain rice. Even when the latter happens, all the rice and sauce might be mixed up before each shift, so there is still no way to order plain gluten-free rice. It is quite annoying not to be able to have something as simple as rice when dining out, but it’s often a problem. Never assume anything is gluten-free when dining out.

Several rice products available at the grocery store contain gluten. At last check, every Rice-A-Roni product contained wheat. Don’t ask me why – the amount of products that companies add wheat to is mind-boggling. Lundberg Farms makes many wonderful gluten-free rice meals. Our house favorite is Creamy Parmesan Risotto. Tasty Bites makes several rice products that are gluten-free. They even make microwavable rice pouches that are ready in only 90 seconds. Both Lundberg and Tasty Bites’ gluten-free products are marked as such. Most of the Publix rice products are gluten-free but are not marked as such. Many of Uncle Ben’s rice products are gluten-free, but they were not labeled that way the last time I checked them at the store. As always, if the products are not marked gluten-free, a label reading is required.

Other brands that make some gluten-free rice products include (but are not limited to) Mahatma, Minute Rice, Thai Kitchen, Rice Select, and Ortega. Most of the gluten-free products from these lines are not labeled gluten-free so you have to read the labels to make sure you get a gluten-free product. When gluten is used in a rice product, it is generally in the form of wheat, which is legally required to be listed on the label. Therefore, hidden gluten is usually not a problem in rice products. There are a couple of items that list malt in the ingredients. The malt in these items is almost always barley malt, which should be avoided.

Labels on rice are some of the easiest to read and understand, in terms of what is and is not gluten-free. Rice pasta and rice noodles are also generally gluten-free and the ingredients in those are usually rice, rice bran, and water. Again, the labels for these are typically very easy to read and understand. Enjoy your rice, rice meals, and rice pasta. Luckily, these days there are plenty of safe options to choose from!

What Books do you Recommend for People New to the Gluten-Free Diet?

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff

That’s an easy question. For the best book about the gluten-free diet, check out Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide by Shelley Case. This is a must-read book for anyone on the diet for health reasons. Shelley has devoted much of her career to helping people learn how to follow a gluten-free diet. She is considered the foremost authority on our diet in North America – enough said.

If you’re like many of us and have a doctor that can’t tell you much about celiac disease, read Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic by Dr. Peter Green and Rory Jones. Dr. Green heads up the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University in NYC. His book covers which cancers untreated celiac can lead to, as well as a host of other invaluable information.

For a book with a sense of humor that explains that there is more to being gluten-free than following a diet, check out Living Gluten-Free for Dummies by Danna Korn. That book helped me understand that staying gluten-free is a lifestyle, which I was in denial about after my celiac diagnosis. Danna teamed up with accomplished gluten-free cookbook author Connie Sarros to create another fabulous Dummies series book – Gluten-free Cooking for Dummies.

If you’re looking for gluten-free cookbooks, there are a ton of those to choose from. Bette Hagman, who passed away a couple of years ago, was the pioneer of gluten-free cookbooks. Her books are sold on Amazon.com and many libraries carry them as well. Other terrific cookbook authors are Carol Fenster, Roben Ryberg, and again, Connie Sarros. Connie just released an updated version of an allergen cookbook that is full of gluten-free and dairy-free recipes. Elizabeth Barbone has a fabulous gluten-free cookbook and ‘gluten-free Baking’ by Rebecca Reilly is a lovely cookbook as well.

To learn how to eat out all around the world, check out Kim Koeller’s book “Let’s Eat Out with Celiac and Food Allergies!‘.

Have a question about the gluten-free diet which we haven’t covered yet?  You can now submit your questions here! (Note: All medical questions should be directed to your physician)