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Gluten-Free Diet

What is the Gluten Myth?

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

Have you ever heard of the gluten myth? Gluten-free myths I’ve heard plenty about it, but the gluten myth is a new one for me. Recently, on the TV show Dr. Oz, almost half the air time was taken up by the good doctor busting the gluten myth. While some of the information shared in the two segments about ‘the gluten myth’ was correct, some of it was either incorrect or outdated. It also seemed like a spot the National Wheat Association would sponsor.

Dr. Oz mentioned that the grocery store shelves are lined with gluten-free products. That’s a bit of a stretch, but there are plenty of gluten-free products to choose from now – maybe five times as many as there were five years ago. The doctor went on to say that gluten-free foods were making people gain weight. Again, that’s true for many of us (myself included) who sometimes overload on gluten-free replacement foods like cookies, crackers, muffins, bread, etc.

The guest doctor, Mark Hyman, MD, agreed with much of what Dr. Oz was saying about how people with no problems with gluten should not be on a gluten-free diet. They spoke about how gluten-free foods were two to three times more costly than the foods they are meant to replace. There is no arguing that fact, at least.

Eventually, both doctors moved over to a table with food on it and they showed gluten-free and gluten versions of things like crackers, waffles, and English muffins. Each item had the calories listed and of course, all the gluten-free items had a good amount more calories than the gluten items. Comments about how much fiber was in some of the items were also noted, and again, the gluten-free items fell short compared to the gluten-filled version.

The conclusion seemed to be that no one should be on a gluten-free diet unless they had issues with gluten and that’s likely true. Dr. Oz mentioned that many people who can’t tolerate gluten don’t know they have any problems with it. The guest doctor went on to explain that to find out if one has issues with gluten, they should try the gluten-free diet to see if they feel differently off of gluten. That’s pretty bad advice, according to pretty much celiac experts in the world. If someone wants to be tested for celiac, they need to be eating a normal diet.

Dr. Oz went so far as to say he was upset that people were being led to believe the gluten-free diet could be used as a weight loss tool when there are statistics (according to him) that 80% of people with celiac gain weight on the gluten-free diet. He didn’t mention the fact that many of those people are underweight to begin with due to them having untreated celiac and not absorbing the foods they eat. That was kind of an important fact to leave out of the segment, I think.

While we are all interested in getting more publicity so that people suffering needlessly will get tested and hopefully helped, more bad information being spread is the last thing we need. Most of the companies that make gluten-free products do so because someone in the company can’t eat gluten – not to push food on unsuspecting people who don’t require such foods as Dr. Oz would have us believe is the case. As we all know, most of the large food companies in the U.S. are not necessarily jumping on the gluten-free bandwagon – probably because many of them hired marketing consultants who insist the gluten-free fad it about to fade away. That is definitely a myth that needs busting!

In the end, though quite a bit of the information shared was correct, the parts that were not only add confusion to an already confusing topic. For instance, during the segment, one of the doctors mentioned that there is gluten in the glue on envelopes. And that is what you call a gluten myth. I’m not sure I understand yet, exactly what the gluten myth is, but my guess is that now that it’s been on a popular show like Dr. Oz, we’ll all be hearing much more about it in the near future.

Gluten-Free Quick Service Dining at Disney World

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During our recent trip to Walt Disney World, I planned many of our meals in advance by making dining reservations and noting my gluten-free requirements so I could be sure that one, we were able to get a table; and two, that they were prepared for me.

So tackling the quick service environment felt a little bit more unpredictable since there were no reservations made, and they are pretty packed with people wanting their food fast.  Not the environment you think of as being able to serve you safely and cross-contamination friendly.

Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe

For our first lunch, I was prepared with a list that Disney provided me ahead of time, of certain items that would be safe around the park from snack cart items to sit-down restaurants.  We decided to eat at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe in Tomorrowland.  I went to the counter and told them I needed to eat gluten-free and they told me a manager would be right out to speak with me.  Even though it was during a busy lunchtime, the manager was out within minutes.  He explained most of the sandwiches would be safe with a gluten-free bun, and that the fries were not safe as they are fried with gluten-containing products and they have gluten-free brownies.  I decided to get a veggie wrap, but on a gluten-free bun, rather than in a flour wrap, the Greek salad, and a gluten-free brownie.  The manager placed my order personally and made the kitchen aware that it was a gluten-free order. They all seemed to take it very seriously.

My husband ordered a regular veggie wrap, which was huge and looked pretty tasty.  However, in comparison, my version was much smaller, and my gluten-free bun – once again by Ener-G, was cold, sticky, and fell apart.  I can say that out of all the food I had at Disney, this was the most disappointing.  The veggie wrap was full of hummus and veggies, but with a cold bun falling apart, it just became a mess.  My husband really enjoyed his gluten-filled version.  The salad was much more enjoyable.  I ended the meal with the gluten-free brownie, which was made by French Meadow Bakery, and delicious! I did find though that nowhere in the restaurant was it noted they had gluten-free items or substitutes, you had to ask for them specifically, but thankfully, I was not charged an additional fee for the disappointing cold bun.

I think that by now, being on my third meal of having an Ener-G bun, I went from ecstatic to a bit bored with it, but all in all, I was thrilled it was an option. I also came to the conclusion that it is only enjoyable when warmed.

Sunshine Seasons Food Fair

We were in Epcot on our second day and decided to have lunch at the Sunshine Seasons Food Fair, the food seemed a lot more interesting than the quick service the day before, and I definitely wanted to order something that didn’t come with an Ener-G roll this time. We happened to get there right at the height of lunchtime, so that made me a bit weary, and there was so much available and it all looked really good, it was difficult to know where to start.  I asked someone at the counter to point me in the right direction and luckily it happened to be the chef, so she stepped aside and walked me through the areas and told me what was safe, and was extremely patient with me and all of my questions. I even went back to her at one point to ask her some more questions and she made sure I felt comfortable with her answers. There is a grilled foods section and I was surprised that she said it was all safe, even the gravy for the mashed potatoes, for which they use corn starch.  I decided on a roasted beet salad with goat cheese and candied pecans, and the Nicoise sustainable fish (again Mahi Mahi) served with an olive dressing on top of green beans and diced potatoes topped with pine nuts. And of course a gluten-free brownie, by French Meadow Bakery, for dessert.  The chef put it together personally, right in front of me.  The salad normally comes with flatbread, but she was careful to use clean gloves and to leave the bread away from my plate.    This time the brownies were on display, and I didn’t need to ask for them.

I was extremely impressed by this experience and the food.  My husband and I shared the two dishes and both were fresh, creative, and tasty and not what I would have expected from a quick-service restaurant at a theme park.  I would definitely have this meal again.

For more reviews on Disney read my introduction to gluten-free eating at Disney World,  my review on Kouzzina by Cat Cora, dinner at Kona Cafe at the Polynesian resort, dinner at Epcot’s Restaurant Marrakesh, our character breakfast at the 1900 Park Faire at the Grand Floridian, and my review of BabyCakesNYC at Downtown Disney.

Eating Gluten-Free at Universal Studios

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 5 Comments

It’s been several weeks since I got some very unfortunate news from a reader about an upsetting situation her family encountered at the Universal Studios theme park in Orlando, FL. Her young son cannot eat gluten and is a huge Harry Potter fan. He wanted to order some Butterbeer just as any other fan would. Obviously, the gluten-free status of the drink had to be checked before anything was ordered.

Before the family headed to Universal, the mother checked online to see if Butterbeer is gluten-free and it appeared that it was. Someone who worked in guest services at the park also confirmed this and mentioned how accommodating their restaurants are to people with special dietary needs. Once in the park, the family ordered the Butterbeer and once more are told it was gluten-free. The order is served and the child starts to drink it just as the manager comes running out and tells him to stop because it’s not safe. At least, it seems that the topping is not safe. Below is the rest of the story, posted with the reader’s permission.

She [the manager] says the drink topping is prepared in an area that there is a very high risk of cross contamination and it is not celiac safe–after she discussed it with her colleagues. So, she kindly offered him one without the topping, he was still delighted and furthermore–told my husband just to remember to ask for it that way whenever he returns.

The following day at the park, the following happened:

The staff tells us Butterbeer is a trademark item and can’t be prepared without the topping, sorry about your luck. We [the parents] spoke with management, went to guest services, and spoke with someone who said she was the head of food services.  No change.  They told us the manager on Monday was wrong to do what she did.

The family has since reached out to everyone in management at the theme park they could think of contacting and the answer is the same from everyone they’ve encountered. Butterbeer cannot be prepared gluten-free because it can’t be made without the topping due to the contract the park has with J.K. Rowling. My attempts to get a statement from Universal Studios have been unsuccessful. At first, I assumed the customer service representatives were just slow in responding to e-mail requests, but it appears that no one at the park has plans to reply to my question. As always, I let them know up front I’d be writing about the situation.

Contracts are legal agreements so if Universal Studios has one that states they can’t alter Butterbeer in any way, disappointing countless kids visiting the park, they have to abide by it. However, this seems like a very strange agreement to me, and one that limits the sales of Butterbeer which there is likely a huge profit on. How in the world does that make good business sense? In my opinion, it simply doesn’t.

If you’d like to check out Universal Studios, you can now check out the official Universal Studios gluten-free list and their parent’s guide to gluten-free eating at Universal Studios.

Gluten-Free Holiday at Walt Disney World, Orlando

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 7 Comments

Last week my family and I headed to Walt Disney World for a much-needed vacation to celebrate my daughter’s birthday. I had been looking forward to this trip for a year, which is how long we had been planning this.  But as with any adventure outside the comforts of home, one who is gluten-free will have validated concerns about cross-contamination and avoiding being sick, especially on holiday.  The last thing anyone wants is to get sick away from home and put a damper on a family vacation.

A few months before the trip I started to research about eating gluten-free at Disney World and tips and advice so that I could spend my time at Disney enjoying the rides and focusing on my family and not stressing about my next meal and getting ill.

It is not surprising that an abundance of information was available on this topic.  It makes sense since Disney hosts millions of visitors a year.  And with so many people, especially children, being diagnosed with gluten and other intolerances it is no wonder that Disney wants to cater to everyone to assure they really remain the “most magical” place to visit. There are endless blogs with posts that feature this exact concern.

A couple of months before our vacation, I contacted Disney at specialdiets@disneyworld.com and they made sure to mark all of my dining reservations as a “special diet”.  As a result, when you arrive at your reservation for a sit-down meal, the host/hostess will then alert your server, who will then have the chef come out and speak to you, personally, about what you can eat safely.  I found that all the chefs were very patient and extremely knowledgeable about the gluten-free diet and cross-contamination.  As a bonus, at every sit-down meal, when bread was brought to the table, I brought my own basket of gluten-free rolls or pita, depending on the restaurant where I was.  They would even offer to bring separate dishes of butter or olive oil for dipping. Usually, my husband would also take gluten-free bread, so we didn’t have to worry about any stray crumbs.

When eating a quick service meal, which does not require a reservation, it can be just as easy. When you arrive at the location, just mention to a staff (cast) member that you have dietary needs and they will get the manager or chef for you, and again, they will go over your options, and usually serve and bring you out your meal personally.  One thing to note is that most of the quick-service eateries do have gluten-free buns, rolls, and brownies, but they may not be listed, so you have to know to ask for them.  And the bonus, there is no extra cost!  The same at sit-down restaurants, you can eat gluten-free roll after roll, and you won’t be charged for it.

Lastly, there are the infamous character meals, which seem to be mostly buffet-style.  I don’t think since being diagnosed I have eaten at many buffets for fear of easy cross-contamination with shared utensils, or one dish spilling/dripping into another.  Thankfully at Disney, the chef will come to speak to you, personally, walk you through the buffet to show you what is possible for you to eat, and then make you your own plate from the back if that is what you would like, which is what I requested.  I even received some specially made gluten-free Mickey waffles, but more about that in a future post.

I also received many forms by email which helped me plan to eat for our trip, these included safe menu options for most of the restaurants; no gluten-added products used throughout Disney World at snack carts and quick service locations; a dietary request form where you can submit all your specific dietary needs; and where to find certain gluten-free items.  I found that most dining options have gluten-free substitutes such as, but are not limited to bread, desserts, soy sauce, chicken nuggets, mac n’ cheese, pasta, and pizza.

Reservations are not required to eat gluten-free, but it definitely made everything go smoothly and stress-free, and without a reservation, it may be difficult to get into a sit-down restaurant when many people make reservations up to 6 months in advance, especially for the character meals and some of the more popular eateries.

Since being diagnosed with celiac, traveling has always felt a bit tricky, trying to research the dining options at my destination in advance and stocking up on snacks.  So when I heard that eating gluten-free at Disney was easy, I was eager to learn more.  Of course, I was still a bit skeptical until I experienced it for myself.

Now, I can say with total confidence that it really is easy to safely eat at Disney World.  With a little planning, my trip was stress-free, and not once did I have to worry about getting sick.  It made the trip that much better I could once again feel like a “normal” person, it was truly a pleasurable experience.

I had a feeling it was going to be easy shortly after our arrival when I took a walk on the Boardwalk, next to our hotel, and came across Minnie’s Bake Shop gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, pictured above to the right.

This next week, I will be featuring a series of articles on my trip to Disney, and specifically reviewing certain eateries including BabyCakes NYC’s new outpost at Downtown Disney which is 100% gluten-free.

For more of my reviews on our recent Disney trip, read my review on dinner at Kouzzina by Cat Cora, dinner at the Polynesian’s Kona Cafe, Disney’s quick service gluten-free options, dinner at Epcot’s Restaurant Marrakesh, our character breakfast at the 1900 Park Faire at the Grand Floridian, and my review of BabyCakesNYC at Downtown Disney.

Gluten-Free Recipes for St. Patrick’s Day

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

St. Patrick’s Day is tomorrow and for many people, the holiday includes the ritual of making certain dishes. After doing some checking on various websites, I came up with some traditional gluten holiday recipes that others have converted to be gluten-free.

First up is the sugar cookie recipe from Jules gluten-free. The recipe instructions gives substitutions so that they cookies can be made without soy, dairy and even eggs, for those with multiple allergens. Jules also has a recipe for Irish soda bread. Her version of that is also very allergen-free friendly.

  • Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
  • Irish Soda Beer Bread

There is a whole list of interesting St. Patty’s Day recipes over at About.com on the gluten-free cooking page. From glazed corned beef and cabbage to traditional Irish stew, Teri’s got you covered. This video explains how the dish corned beef and cabbage came to be. I might even try making Irish fadge which is apparently a potato flavored roll. For a bread item, it looks fairly simple to make.

During holidays like St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day and all the others that are to come this year, it’s important to keep the traditions you’ve always enjoyed alive and well regardless of any diet restrictions. It’s easy to think that once you’re on the gluten-free diet, you have to stop eating all your favorite foods. That is true to the extent that you might not be able to eat some of them exactly as you always have, but there is hardly anything you can’t either buy or make an excellent gluten-free version of.

For over two years after my celiac diagnosis, I didn’t get a subscription to Southern Living magazine. I felt that it would be too depressing to look at all the recipes that I would not be able to make because they contained gluten. Eventually, I learned how to convert most recipes to be gluten-free and I once again ordered Southern Living. Every so often there will be a recipe that looks too difficult to convert, but they are far and few between these days.

If you need some gluten-free beer for the holiday, I recommend trying Bard’s Tale, Green’s (pun intended) or Daura by Estrella Damm. All are fairly different from each other and are excellent in their own way. If you want to enjoy some green-colored beer, make sure to get gluten-free food coloring. At last check, McCormmick’s was safe, but double check the ingredients.

Making the extra effort to enjoy the things you used to do on holidays will eventually become second nature. And then one day you’re realize that no extra effort is required. Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone!