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Gluten-Free Diet

Finding Gluten-Free Food at Airports

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During a recent trip, we made an unplanned detour to JFK airport in order to get back to Atlanta. Because I knew that finding a safe lunch at the first airport we were at that day might be tough, I had my own food in my bag and had plenty to eat for that meal. However, I had no way of knowing I’d also need to find something to eat for dinner later on. To add a little extra stress to an already horrifically stressful travel day, we had very little time to get from the gate we arrived at to the gate our last flight was departing from at JFK. I knew I still had some tiny snacks in my tote bag and assumed they would have to suffice for a makeshift dinner.

As we rushed by The Healthy Gourmet kiosk just before getting to our departure gate (and finding out our flight was delayed due to no pilot), a sign caught my eye. There on the corner was a round display of Food Should Taste Good chips. This line of chips is not only nutritious, but the flavors are also totally unexpected. I have not tried them all yet, but so far I’m partial to the delicious Olive chips. Since we now had some time before boarding, I decided to check out the offerings at The Healthy Gourmet.

The fact that the Food Should Taste Good sign listed gluten-free for every passerby to see delighted me on a trying day. It was a little like seeing a rainbow after the rain. I grabbed a bag of chips and proceeded to check out the rest of the items at the kiosk. To my surprise, there was a very fresh-looking salad (several of them, in fact) that clearly listed every ingredient and allergen info to boot. I chose a salad that included salad greens, turkey, cheese, sliced almonds, dried cranberries, and mandarin oranges.

When I went to pay for my airport dinner, I was offered a packet of dressing, but I was not in the mood to read the label so I declined the offer. Not only was the salad gluten-free, but it was also shockingly delicious for airport food. Our flight ended up leaving even later than first expected so I had time to check out some other things at various kiosks and there was a shocking amount (to me) of gluten-free labeled items. Various types of chips and bars were among the offerings.

At the Atlanta airport, there were also several options such as bars from Oskri and yet more Food Should Taste Good chips. I’d noticed them on the way to our gate over a week before. Even though I was not in need of any safe food at 9 am that day, I appreciated the fact that they were available. And even better, I like knowing that most people buying the items are not in need of gluten-free food. They just want a snack and buy items they either know they like or that look good to them.

To say we’ve come a long way in the past five years is quite an understatement. Gluten-free options are growing every month and more mainstream consumers are embracing them for whatever reason. While it annoys me that trendy gluten-free diners are out there who would not know if they were served gluten by mistake, on the retail side of things, the more gluten-free purchases made the better for all of us.

As an aside, I’d like to thank Delta Airlines. The Atlanta-based company came through for us in a big way and we arrived home safely because of their excellent customer service. Their help was greatly appreciated considering the fact that we were using frequent flyer tickets for the trip and the fact that we missed our departing flight was not related to Delta in any way.

Mother’s Day the Gluten-Free Way!

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Mother’s Day is this Sunday already! That means this year is almost half over already. I really do not know where the time goes. Do you prepare a meal for Mother’s Day or do you go out?  There are many places that are doing special meals or hours for Mother’s Day. Some of those places include:

  • Bonefish Grill – They don’t typically open until 4:00 PM, but will be opening for lunch at 11:00 AM on Mother’s Day.  They have a nice variety of gluten-free items on their menu.
  • Mimi’s Café – Open for breakfast through dinner and they are accepting reservations now.
  • First Watch – Breakfast – lunch.   They don’t accept reservations, but have a nice gluten-free menu & a knowledgeable staff.
  • Pei Wei – Great for gluten-free take-out if you don’t feel like going out or cooking
  • BJ’s Brewhouse – Not only do they have gluten-free pizza, but you also can enter to win a $1,000 shopping spree at Nordstrom for Mom!
  • Carraba’s – Nice gluten-free menu that is a little more upscale than some of the other places listed.
  • P.F. Chang’s – Always a good choice – open for lunch  – dinner with many gluten-free options.  Don’t forget the incredible Chocolate Dome!

Don’t feel like going out or are hosting family?  Here are some of our favorite things to make to share with family:

  • Pumpkin Raisin Scones
  • Lemon Bundt Cake
  • Catholic Potatoes
  • Glazed Ham
  • Buffalo Chicken Dip
  • Veggie Tray
  • Perfect Herbed Pork Tenderloin
  • Fruit salad or skewers

Of course a celebration can include any food that you like – as much or as little as you like.  Adjusting to holidays can be tough when you are new to the gluten-free diet (or any diet).  Can’t find a recipe to make an old favorite that is not gluten-free?  Try something new and create new traditions!  Never let the absence of a certain food dampen your spirit.  Open your mind and celebrate the occasion.  Appreciate the ones you love and the ones who love you.  Life is too short to mourn food.  Remember there is much more out there that you can eat than what you can’t.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Gluten-Free Mexican Rice for Cinco de Mayo

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Today is the fifth of May, also known as “Cinco de Mayo”.  Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army’s victory over the French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.  While celebration is primarily limited to the state of Puebla, many in the US celebrate by dining on Mexican fare & margaritas.

Dining out in a Mexican restaurant while following the gluten-free diet is fairly easy.  Many of the traditional dishes are naturally gluten-free.  Corn tortillas are more commonly used than flour tortillas; salsa,  guacamole, beans and rice are all usually safe choices.  Of course speaking with the manager and/or chef is the safest way to dine out.  Ask how the sauces are made, whether there is gluten in the marinades used for the meat and if the corn tortilla chips are fried in a dedicated fryer.  As in any restaurant, cross contamination can be a risk, so make sure to ask how they keep the gluten-free food safe.

If you prefer to make your own Mexican feast, the sky is the limit!  Some of our favorites include:

  • Tacos – fish, ground beef, chicken or turkey
  • Mexican pizza
  • Burritos
  • Chimchangas
  • Taco salad
  • Enchilada bake
  • Mexican rice
  • Fajitas
  • Horchata (this brand is gluten-free)

My son requests Mexican once a week, so we eat a lot of tacos in our house.  He prefers them on warmed, soft corn tortillas; I prefer a tostada shell or hard taco shell.  You can find many of our recipes in this post.  Here is our favorite recipe for Mexican Rice that my mom made for us when I was growing up.  I will never tire of this rice:

Mexican Rice

  • 1 cup brown basmati or jasmine rice
  • 2-3 tsp EVOO
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 onion (I omit this b/c I can’t eat them)
  • 1 large tomato
  • chicken broth (verify that it is gluten-free)
  • cumin
  • chili powder
  • red hot
  • salt
  • pepper

Directions:

  1. Drop tomato into boiling water for 60 seconds. Remove tomato from water and then remove the skin. Careful not to burn yourself as I have done too many times when I am in a hurry.
  2. Chop tomato, peel garlic, chop onion and place all ingredients in a food processor/blender. Puree until everything is liquid. Add cumin (about 1 tsp), chili powder (1/2 – 1 tsp), red hot (I like a lot, but use your own judgement), S & P. Blend.
  3. Place EVOO and rice in a 2 qt. sauce pan and warm over med to med-high heat. Brown rice, but don’t burn it.
  4. Dump tomato mixture into a glass measuring cup and then add chicken broth to equal 2 cups of liquid. Dump your 2 cups of liquid into the rice; stir and bring to a boil.
  5. Stir and reduce heat to simmer for 40-50 minutes, depending on what kind of rice you are using.
  6. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork & serve.

Here is a picture of the rice served alongside Mexican pizzas.

Tacos & Mexican pizzas are great for busy nights and letting kids “create their own masterpiece”.

Losing Weight on the Gluten-Free Diet

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We all know that the gluten-free diet is not a weight loss fad diet regardless of what some people in the media report. But I’ve figured out that one can lose weight while on the diet. Some of us just have to greatly limit our intake of gluten-free replacement items in order to do it. For instance, having ¼ of a bagel (instead of half of one) works well for me. Having a cookie instead of four is better and skipping gluten-free crackers with soup is a good idea.

With so many fantastic gluten-free dinner rolls available now, it’s really hard to pass on them and the same goes for fluffy gluten-free muffins at breakfast or brunch. One gluten-free specialty item that greatly aids in weight loss is (certified gluten-free) oats. That’s because they, like regular oats, are full of fiber which is a great aid when trying to drop extra pounds. Making oatmeal raisin cookies with oats might not be the best way to consume oats mind you. At least, not while you’re paying attention to the calories you’re taking in. I try to have oatmeal fairly often.

It’s possible to eat gluten-free replacement items as a regular part of a normal, healthy diet and maintain one’s weight, but the same can’t be said for some of us when working to shed unwanted pounds. The truth is that many delicious replacement food items out there are often times higher in calories, fat, and sugar than the items they were meant to replace. On that fact, I cannot disagree with Dr. Oz.

Some things I’ve found useful personally, besides greatly limiting gluten-free bread, goodies, and the like, are obvious things. Including plenty of the following things in my diet on a regular basis has really helped me a lot lately.

  • Vegetables
  • Fresh fruit
  • Chicken
  • Turkey
  • Beans
  • Fish

As you can see, there’s no rocket science to it. The truth is that eating naturally gluten-free is something that can help most anyone whether they can eat gluten or not. That’s why the Atkins plan works – carbs are the problem causing some of us to put on extra weight. While I don’t plan to greatly limit my intake of carbs forever, I will be paying more attention to how many replacement items I take in going forward. So, as thrilled as I am to have discovered hoards of fabulous gluten-free replacement foods, I have to watch how much I enjoy such things from now on.

Gluten-Free and Allergen Menus

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As someone who has always loved dining out and re-learned how to do it once living gluten-free, I’m always interested in supporting a new gluten-free menu. However, it seems that several large restaurant companies are now creating allergen menus. While that’s great news if you have true allergies, many of the new menus are not that helpful when it comes to gluten.

Some of the new menus only list the major allergens so we’re out of luck when trying to decipher what we can eat. Even when gluten is noted, it’s hard for me to get excited about a menu that offers me a baked potato and a salad without dressing on it. I simply don’t understand (and never will) why anyone would pay good money for a bland meal when they could eat more interesting and tasty food at home and save money in the process.

Of course, there are times when you can’t choose the restaurant like when you’re attending a family event and no one asks you to give suggestions about safe places that others might enjoy. High school or college graduation parties need to be hosted at a place the graduate likes to dine at. And funerals are the last place you can suggest that you want everyone to eat somewhere safe for you. For such events, we have to be nice and figure out the best plan of action. That might include eating beforehand or eating our own snacks at the event. Otherwise, I’m not spending good money to dine out at a place just because they have an allergen menu when there is nothing worth ordering on it.

We need to keep in mind that an allergen menu is not an indication that companies want allergic patrons to eat there. It’s a way for them to advise customers which items contain certain allergens and then it’s up to potential customers to decide if they want to risk dining there.

Some people who work at several locations or places that recently created allergen menus have no idea that said menus exist. We all know we have to advocate for ourselves when dining out and this is especially true when it comes to eating at places that don’t bother to do any allergen or food intolerance training for staff members or managers.

Even when examining restaurants with gluten-free menus, not all locations are created the same. Some do a fabulous job serving gluten-free patrons while others haven’t got a clue what gluten even is. I had read rave gluten-free reviews about a low-end burger joint that’s popular in the Midwest and Canada so I was tickled when opened up here a few years ago.

We went to eat there about a month after the location opened. After clearly explaining my needs and order, I was brought a burger that a bun had been pulled off of. The bread remnants were clearly visible and by the time my burger was re-made, my husband was long finished with his meal. To make matters worse, the manager offered me a coupon for my troubles. It was a coupon for fried, battered onion rings and nothing else. I explained that I could not have onion rings (and why) and she couldn’t do anything but apologize and walk away.

Patronizing places with gluten-free or allergen menus in no way ensures your needs with be taken care of properly. The location near you might know a lot or very little. As gluten-free patrons, it is our responsibility to determine which places get it and which ones we need to leave before ordering. Asking the right questions is key unless you’re at a gluten-free restaurant or are a regular customer at a place that has always served you safely.

*If you missed Kim Bouldin’s recent post about a horrible situation regarding gluten-free dining, you can read it here.