1 Year of Gluten Free Eating

The last few weeks I've been marveling at how it's already been a year since I made the switch to eating the gluten-free diet. How time has flown and how much I've learned since I began to actually pay attention to the ingredients in the food I consume!

A few things about eating GF that I've noticed along the way:

• Gluten-free does not necessarily mean healthy when it comes to bakery items. Many gluten-free options try to re-create the texture that a baked item containing gluten would have, and they usually don't use healthy ingredients either. But if you're going to have a sugary baked item (regardless of its gluten content) you're probably not thinking about healthy options, anyways!
• Gluten-free food items are still expensive. While I've noticed that gluten-free foods are becoming more prevalent as more and more people are switching to a GF diet, it is still not quite mainstream. It is so helpful to know what tastes good and what doesn't! Hopefully this posting will help.
• It does get easier. When I first made the switch, the learning curve was extremely steep. Every meal was a mountain to climb. Can I eat this? Can I eat that? What is safe?! I began to see gluten monsters behind every food item. But as I continued along, it did get easier. And I console myself with the fact that I can still eat rice, corn and potatoes if I need a carb in a meal. The world is not over, after all. :)
• Going gluten-free encourages me to eat food in its most natural state - probably a step everyone should take in their diets, anyways. Fresh fruits, vegetables and meats (minus sauces and gravies) are ALL SAFE.

If you'd prefer not to navigate the world of gluten-free and experiment with every single brand to find out what is good, I've compiled a short list of a few options that I've found to be great. Several different companies produce a decent line of gluten-free options: Udi's, Canyon Bakehouse, Glutino, and  now even mainstream companies are starting to add a gluten-free line of products for those who have made the switch. Some GF products are not good. Some are okay. Some are excellent. If you are not going to go the all-natural, I'm going to make everything from scratch from here on out route, then here are a few great GF options.

5. Udi's Gluten Free Pizza Crusts (2 in a pack)

If you're in a hurry, but want a decent meal, this is a great way to go. I LOVE these pizza crusts. Simply layer your sauce and cheese and dump as many healthy toppings on as you want! Keep two things in mind: 1) Check to make sure your sauce is GF... or make your own! And, 2) Buy the block cheese and shred it yourself. The pre-shredded cheese you buy in the store often use wheat flour as an anti-clumping agent.

4. Udi's Gluten Free Muffins

For breakfast, Udi's GF muffins and cinnamon rolls are great! Udi's makes lemon struessel, double chocolate, blueberry, and cinnamon rolls. The lemon is great, though can be a bit dense. The chocolate is very chocolatey (in a good way!), though also a bit dense. The blueberry has a bit of an interesting texture (lots of air pockets), and the cinnamon rolls are great. All are delicious when you heat them up in the microwave for 20-30 seconds a piece. 

3. Canyon Bakehouse Gluten Free Breads

When I made the switch the gluten-free, I immediately began experimenting with GF sandwich breads. I love sandwiches, and the idea that I couldn't have a sandwich anymore was more than I could bear! But thankfully (and finally!), I discovered a brand that makes excellent GF bread. Most GF bread is best toasted, but this bread does pretty well cold, too. I love it, and I'd highly recommend it to you if you are making the switch to eating gluten-free food, as well. In the picture you can see that they make a 'Mountain White', a 'San Juan 7 Grain', and a 'Cinnamon Raisin' loaf. Canyon Bakehouse also serves a great hamburger bun, if you like to have the bread along with your burger.

2. Bob's Red Mill Corn Bread Mix

Since corn bread is primarily made of - you guessed it - corn (LOL), it would seem unnecessary to buy an expensive mix when the cheaper one will do. The problem is, there is this lovely issue called cross-contamination, and it affects a lot of gluten-free grain items like corn and oat products. So, to be on the safe side, it is recommended to stick with guaranteed GF items. And besides, this mix is phenomenal. Jody loves the corn bread mix, which goes perfectly with cowboy stew or any soup dish!


1. Betty Crocker's Gluten Free Brownie Mix

I'm sorry, but Betty Crocker has figured out how to do brownies, and that includes the gluten-free version. I love. love. love these brownies. In fact, when I went home to Virginia for Christmas, I made a batch so I could have something sweet to eat over the course of the two weeks we were there. Knowing my family, I put them aside so that they wouldn't be gone in five minutes. Well, my brother and his girlfriend found my batch and ATE half of it. They confessed later, saying they were amazing! I made them go buy me another mix... LOL! So, if you need a chocolate sweet fix, these GF brownies will do the trick!

Part II coming soon....