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Costco Gluten-Free Options

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

There are a few gluten-free items that I have recently discovered are considerably cheaper at Costco. My membership expired a year or so ago, so I signed up again and headed out to explore the store. One of the items I knew would be a steal is Udi’s Gluten-Free Whole Grain Bread. The commercial-size loaf is sold for $11.99/loaf at Jason’s Deli. The same exact thing is only $6.79/loaf at Costco.

I started in the pharmacy area. There are a few over-the-counter medications we keep on hand in our house. One of those happens to be generic for Zyrtec for Jon’s allergies. The bottle of 365 pills (a whole year’s supply) cost $14.99 and is labeled “gluten-free”. I was paying $19-$22/month for another generic from my grocery store, meaning I saved roughly $200 right there.

As I moved onto the snacks and dry goods sections, I ran across many gluten-free items, including these:

  • Coconut Macaroons (certified GF)
  • Namaste Spice Cake Mix
  • GF All-purpose GF flour (contains xanthan gum)
  • Corn pasta
  • 180 Snacks
  • Pancake mix

Of course, there is so much more, but these are the specialty items that really stood out. I especially enjoyed the samples of Udi’s gluten-free bread with gluten-free deli ham and the employee serving them who really understood what “gluten-free” means. In fact, she follows a gluten-free diet herself! The non-food items, paper products, etc are also a great deal compared with the prices at our local grocery stores.

Do you have a Costco membership? What are your Costco staples?

Gluten-Free Meal Plan – Simplify Weekly Meal Planning

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Do you struggle with gluten-free meal planning? If you are just starting out on a gluten-free diet, planning meals may be a challenge for you. Even though I have been following the diet for years, I still have weeks where I draw a blank when it comes to meal planning. Finding something that everyone likes is my biggest challenge.

GF Meal Plan is a service that takes all of the stress and guesswork out of planning your meals for the week. Imagine just having to shop for the ingredients and throw them together instead of planning every last detail. GF Meal Plan has several different plan options:

  • Gluten-Free Dinner Plan
  • Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Dinner Plan
  • Gluten-Free Breakfast Plan
  • Gluten-Free Lunch Plan
  • Gluten-Free Dessert Plan

The plans range in price from the Standard Plan $5/month (yearly membership) or $9/month (3-month membership) or the VIP All-Access Plan $12/month (yearly membership) or $9/month (3-month membership). The plans can be printed or accessed from your phone or tablet. There is a 90-day satisfaction guarantee and you can cancel anytime. Samples of the meal plans can be viewed here.

Do you plan your meals in advance? Do you do weekly shopping or do you go several times a week?

Review: First Watch Gluten-Free Menu

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There is nothing better after a Saturday morning long runs than a warm breakfast out with the running group. Our local running group, Marathoners in Training, meets at 8:00 AM, and after our planned mileage, we need to refuel as soon as possible. The easiest way to do that is to hit up one of the local breakfast spots, which happened to be First Watch this past week.

First Watch offers a wide variety of gluten-free menu items, though I found the menu a little confusing at first glance. Usually, when you see a gluten-free menu it lists the menu items that are gluten-free and what modifications (if any) need to be made. This menu had some of that, but also listed menu items that “contain gluten”. It seems confusing to include those items on the menu and I feel it would be easier to decipher if those items were left off of the menu. First Watch has two different quinoa bowls on the menu, but they both “contain gluten”. I asked the server what the source of gluten was in the quinoa bowl and was told the broth the quinoa is prepared in contains gluten. She went on to tell me the quinoa could be prepared in water to make it gluten-free.

I decided on the Avocado, Bacon & Tomato Hash, which is basically a bowl full of hash browns, tomato, bacon, avocado, and cheese topped with 2 eggs of your choice. As much as I love eggs, they upset my stomach, so I ordered the dish without the eggs.

IMG 1006

Boy did this hit the spot! I drizzled a little bit of 100% maple syrup (make sure to ask specifically for this, as it isn’t the syrup left on the tables) on top, as I have really been digging the sweet & salty combo of bacon and syrup lately. The side of the fruit is a nice touch and is refreshing while waiting for the hash to cool down. This was the perfect way to refuel after a run! I especially like the coffee carafes placed right on the table.

First Watch has over 100 locations in 13 different states. Click here to find the location closest to you.

California Pizza Kitchen Gluten-Free Menu

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

Earlier this month I shared the great news that California Pizza Kitchen re-released their gluten-free pizza, but this time, the right way, with the guidance and blessing of the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG). When I had to go to the mall over the weekend to pick up a book at Barnes & Noble for a book report, I planned a stop at CPK since it is located at the other end of the same mall.  Since this was going to be the first time ordering the new gluten-free pizza, I wanted to do so in person to get a feel for how well the restaurant employees were trained.

Official Website Menu Information: California Pizza Kitchen Gluten-Free Menu
Location Finder: Find a California Pizza Kitchen Location Near You

This is the sign placed right out in front of the restaurant to lure people inside. I was thrilled to see this! To me it was definitely a good sign, pun intended, that the staff had been educated about the gluten-free pizza and procedures. I made my way over to the “To-Go” order counter and saw another good sign.

photo 2The tabletop sign talked about the strict procedures approved by the GIG and listed the four varieties of gluten-free pizzas offered:

  • Margherita
  • The Original BBQ Chicken Pizza
  • Mushroom Pepperoni Sausage
  • Pepperoni

I ordered the Margherita for me and the Pepperoni for my son. The pizzas only took 15 minutes to prepare and were presented to us like this:

Another indication that CPK got it right this time.  Only one question remains…how does it taste?  The gentleman that was working the “To-Go” counter said he liked the new version better than the old.  He went on to tell me the base ingredients, which really impressed me!

The pizza was a little overcooked at the edges but didn’t taste burnt, so it didn’t bother me at all.  The texture of the crust and the overall taste of the pizza were outstanding, so much so that I forgot about the edges until I looked at the pictures before sharing them here with you guys. The pizzas are roughly 10 inches in diameter. I stretched mine out into 2 meals by adding an arugula salad when I got home.

If you haven’t figured it out already, I am beyond ecstatic with the new gluten-free pizza at CPK.  I definitely see it being added to our “safe” list of restaurants in the Columbus area. To see where the closest CPK restaurant to you is, visit the website store locator.

Well done California Pizza Kitchen, well done.

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.

Review: Udi’s Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

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I love portable food.  It was just a couple of months back when I first found and tried Udi’s gluten-free Soft & Chewy Granola bars.  At the time I was unable to find the Chocolate Chip variety, but have since had the opportunity to try them.

I wasn’t the only one who quickly fell in love with these – Jon did too!  He isn’t typically a fan of granola bars, so these must be extra-special good if Jon approved them!

INGREDIENTS: gluten-free OATS, HONEY, BROWN RICE SYRUP, RICE CRISP (BROWN RICE MEAL, WATER), ALMONDS, RAISINS, EVAPORATED CANE SYRUP, NON-GMO CANOLA OIL, INULIN, TAPIOCA MALTODEXTRIN, MILLED FLAXSEED, PALM OIL, AMARANTH, QUINOA, WATER, VEGETABLE GLYCERINE, Bacillus coagulans GBI-30 6086, NATURAL FLAVOR. CONTAINS: ALMONDS

IMG_7154In addition to being certified gluten-free and non-GMO verified, these bars are also rich in antioxidants Vitamin E and Zinc.  The bars are a decent size and don’t leave you feeling hungry for more.  Perfect for a quick bite before heading to the gym, work or school in the morning or to hold you over until dinner.

Udi’s gluten-free granola bars can be found on the Udi’s gluten-free website or in stores across the US.  To find the store closest to you, check the store locator on the left side of this page.  Have you had an opportunity to try Udi’s gluten-free granola bars?  What do you think?

*These bars were provided to me free of charge for review purposes.  The thoughts and opinions shared here are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything.