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How to Live Gluten-Free on a Budget

Heather Dale — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 11:50:15 PDT

Learning that you have an allergy or sensitivity to products containing gluten - anything containing wheat, barley, or rye - can be stressful in and of itself, let alone trying to find the extra funds to support your new diet. If you've given up gluten, you've probably noticed after trips to any health food specialty stores that gluten-free food items are not cheap. Even though it's estimated that one in every 133 Americans is afflicted with celiac disease (that's roughly 2.8 million people), premade gluten-free foods are significantly more money than their gluten-filled counterparts. Which is why I've come up with some tips for how to live gluten-free without breaking the bank.

Buy the Basics: Rather than get caught up with all of the shiny, expensive new gluten-free items your local grocery store has started stocking its shelves with, stick to the basics. Vegetables, fruits, fish, meats, brown rice, potatoes, corn, quinoa, and nuts are all gluten-free, so try getting creative with foods that are gluten-free to begin with.

Keep reading for more tips.

8 Celebs Who Can't Eat Gluten

Heather Dale — Thu, 26 May 2011 03:06:01 PDT

Celebrities - they're just like us! Well sort of. For those of you who have celiac disease, or a wheat allergy or intolerance, you'll be happy know that there's at least a handful of celebrities who have to steer clear of most bread, cakes, pizza, and beer, just like many of us. Celiac disease is something that affects one out of every 133 Americans, which is roughly 2.8 million people. Let's find out who in Hollywood is part of that number.

Is It Really Gluten-Free? Reading Labels 101

Heather Dale — Tue, 03 May 2011 03:47:18 PDT

Unless you're shopping at stores like Trader Joe's or Whole Foods - grocery stores that indicate which products are gluten-free - it can be difficult to figure out what is and isn't free of gluten, not to mention, time consuming! Here are some tips to make gluten-free shopping a bit easier.

Become a label reader! This is the most important tip, which is why it's number one. Before you go to the store, print out this safe gluten-free food list, and this unsafe gluten-free food list, so you know what ingredients to watch out for. If you see the words wheat, barley, rye, oats, or malt listed in the ingredients, steer clear. And double check to make sure the item wasn't made on equipment or in a factory that also processes wheat - cross-contamination can be just as harmful if you are intolerant to gluten.

Keep reading for more tips.

6 Useful iPhone Apps For Celiacs

Heather Dale — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 03:08:00 PDT

Having celiac disease or an allergy to gluten can make simple things like dining out and grocery shopping much more challenging. You learn to become a label-reading whiz and know just the right questions to ask your waiter before ordering an item off the menu. But as much as we can try to be gluten ninjas, we still need a little help along the way. If you're an iPhone owner, here are some apps that will come in handy when you're on the go.

5 Tasty Gluten-Free Dessert Options

Heather Dale — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 00:26:17 PDT

When you first forgo gluten, the most difficult part is staying away from the delicious desserts you used to know and love - goodbye cake, brownies, pie, and cupcakes! I've already introduced you to some of my favorite gluten-free baking brands which allow me to re-create all of my favorite sweets - minus the gluten - at home. But what happens when you are away from your kitchen? Here are some mouthwatering options you are free to enjoy - just make sure you always read the labels for any traces of wheat or gluten and if possible, try to go the healthy route by selecting low-fat or fat-free options!

Surprising Foods That Contain Gluten

Heather Dale — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:43:15 PDT

For anyone with celiac disease - or an allergy, intolerance, or sensitivity to gluten - the six-letter word "gluten" most likely has a prominent place in their daily conversations. I try my hardest not to be that annoying friend who grills the waiter about every item on the menu. But gluten is no laughing matter, especially if your body can't process it and you are trying to adhere to a gluten-free diet - which is why you need to be armed with the right information before dining out or even going to the grocery store.

A protein found in wheat, rye, and barley, gluten is usually the main ingredient in grain-based products like breads and pastries since it allows flour to rise. When I first went gluten-free, my rule of thumb was this: the doughier the item, the more harmful it is for me. The usual suspects include bread, crackers, cookies, biscuits, breaded meat, croutons, pasta, pizza crust, noodles, muffins, noodles, and cake.

But I have found foods with hidden sources of gluten that I would never have guessed I needed to steer clear from. Find out what some of these foods are.

6 Hearty and Delicious Gluten-Free Breakfast Options

Heather Dale — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 02:33:38 PDT

Who said vegans get to have all the breakfast fun? I kid, I kid, but for people with a gluten allergy or celiac disease there are just as many yummy breakfast options, if not more. When I first found out that I needed to eliminate gluten from my diet, I panicked when I thought of breakfast time - what about the toast, the waffles, the croissants, the cereal, and the pastries? Oh my! Thankfully over the past several years, I've discovered just as many healthy and hearty breakfast options as I have baking products. Check out some of my top picks!

Source: Flickr User stu_spivack

Experiment With These 6 Gluten-Free Baking Brands

Heather Dale — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 01:00:48 PST

For those of you who have decided to go gluten-free for health reasons, or for those of you who have celiac disease or a sensitivity to gluten, I'm sure you'll agree with me when I say it's not always easy to go cold turkey on removing baked goods from your life. But, if you're like me and get really sick when you eat gluten, staying away from it is actually quite easy. I can still visit bakeries and cafés, sip on a hot drink and soak in the atmosphere, I just can't stuff my face with donuts and cupcakes. Fortunately, I've noticed more shops offering gluten-free baked goods, and not only that, but the selection of gluten-free baking products in grocery stores is on the rise as well. Here are some of my ultimate faves.

Purely Elizabeth Gluten-Free Cookies

Michele Bell — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 07:30:54 PST

Certain packaged goods companies make cooking unhealthy as simple as one, two, three - just think of Nestle's slice and serve cookie dough rolls and Easy Cheese. Now thanks to innovators like Purely Elizabeth, it's just as easy to be smart and heart healthy as it is to slice and bake. The New York based company is bringing a new face to the convenient cooking category by introducing yummy mixes suitable for those eating a gluten-free or vegan menu. Believers in the motto, "you are what you eat," they pour pure ingredients into their easy made mixes so consumers can proudly claim that they themselves are all natural and organic. 'Cause let's face it - nobody wants to be cheese in a can.

Curious to see if their taste lived up to their great expectations, I tried out the Oatmeal Cherry Cookie Mix ($9/bag). I won't lie - my expectations on the taste level were pretty mediocre. But, much to my delight (and to the delight of my children!) the mix was a hit in my kitchen.

Want to hear more of my review on the mix?

Tips to Loving a Gluten-Free Life

Michele Bell — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 09:00:23 PDT

For many of us, eating a sandwich is no big deal. For others, like celiac disease sufferers, it is a big deal. Gluten challenged, they can't just order up a sammy with any old bread. They have to make sure the loaf is free of gluten or get creative with their options. While some folks are diagnosed at an early age, some don't discover the dietary restricting disease until adulthood when changing lifelong eating habits becomes a major hurdle.

If you are looking to cut some gluten out of your diet or know someone who is, help them out by giving them these pointers.

Do your research. Make a cheat sheet of all the ingredients you cannot have and keep it in your wallet so you won't be paralyzed in the grocery store aisle.
Find out how to read a food label. Don't rely on the "Gluten-Free" stamp alone. You may miss out on valid options if you are soley dependent on that.
Go to a Whole Foods type grocery store to find all of the GF options available to you. Load up on a few cake and cookie mixes to brighten your spirits. Just don't eat the whole box!
Research what restaurants carry GF menu options and learn how to make non-GF meals work for you.
Get creative in the kitchen. Use your new ingredients to come up with innovative recipes. If you're not a chef kind of gal, sign up for a GF cooking class. You may get some good tips from other attendants, too!

Ready to see the rest of our pointers?