Gluten free living: labels labels labels

Hey, I'm back! Sorry for a little while without posting, I've been doing normal fun summer kid stuff. like swimming every day, scaling some rock climbing walls, jumping on trampolines, and other fun activities! 

Today I'm talking about ingredient warnings. Usually, products have a warning like WARNING: CONTAINS WHEAT. Now, just because a label does not say this, doesn't mean it's GLUTEN-free. Read through the ENTIRE list of ingredients to make sure it also doesn't have barley, rye, oats, or granola, all gluten-containing. Some packages don't have ANY warning, so, if you don't know, check. If you're unsure, check and double check. If you're sure, but it's not one of the listed GF brands with which you are familiar, check again, because sometimes ingredients change.

That's not the only warning  ('contains wheat'). There are also the warnings MAY CONTAIN and MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF. Here's what you should do:

MAY CONTAIN: Best not to risk it. Don't have it, unless you have some gluten enzyme pills and you do not have severe symptoms from being glutened. These pills help break down gluten before it reaches your stomach. HOWEVER, don't go thinking, “Gluten-free? Whatever. I have these pills, so now, once again, I CAN EAT ANYTHIIIIING! MWAaahahahahah...” No. They are not 100% confirmed and still in the works, so only use them on the “may contain” warnings, if you really want to eat the product or have no other choice. They're expensive, though...just to warn you.

MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF: Again, best not to risk it... you still want to keep your risk of ingesting gluten to zero.

Keep in mind this definition from Celiac.com:

Celiac.com 03/29/2006 - "Gluten-free" as defined by the Codex Alimentarius, a Geneva-based international organization that is jointly run by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, is defined as follows:
Section 1.1: “This standard applies to foodstuffs and ingredients which have been especially processed or prepared to meet the dietary needs of persons intolerant to gluten".
It goes on in section 2.1 to state that “Gluten-Free” foods are food stuffs so described:

• a) Consisting of or made only from ingredients which do not contain any prolamins from wheat or all Triticum species such as spelt, kamut, or durum, wheat, barley, oats, spelt or their crossbred varieties with a gluten level not exceeding 20 parts per million (ppm): or
• b) Consisting of ingredients from wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt or their crossbred varieties, which have been rendered “gluten-free”; with a gluten level not exceeding 200ppm: or
• c) Any mixture of the two ingredients as in a) and b) with a gluten level not exceeding 200ppm.

That's all for this post, hope it helps clear up some label confusion next time you are shopping! ;)

Gluten Free Lunch Ideas for Kids

One question that I get asked all the time is: What do you take in your lunch?  

One thing about being a Gluten Free Kid, as you know, is that you pack a lot of lunches for school. I have never had anything from the school cafeteria! This means what I like to take for lunch goes in cycles. I get bored with some thing, try new things, and of course new cool products come out all the time in the gluten free world. {See a list here of Gluten Free products}

This last year, some things I like to take include Cheetos, a sandwich on gluten free bread (Rudis or Udis), gluten free chips, Stagg chili in a thermos, a Tillamook yogurt, Motts applesauce, an apple or banana, and a couple of Glutino cookies. 

But there are many more products, like pretzels, soup, crackers, and other things you could take. You could take frozen yogurt, Gogurt, soup or chili in a thermos, make your own gluten-free lunchables, pack some carrots and other vegetables/fruits, leftovers...there's tons of things you could take...here's a list of categories with examples of food you could take in a lunch.

Note: Remember to always check ingredients, even if you've bought it before, because sometimes ingredients change. Also, if it says “produced in a plant that also produces wheat” or something along those lines, it is not guaranteed to be gluten-free, unless it says something like “product contains less that 500 ppm of gluten,” meaning that 1 particle in every 2,000 can be a gluten particle, which is safe. Some things are also never gluten-free unless you buy gluten-free varieties. For example, only gluten-free labeled soy sauce is actually gluten-free, and for some reason, blue cheese is also not on the Celiac approved list.

Dairy (keep cold with an ice pack)

• Yogurt
• Greek Yogurt
• Frozen Yogurt
• Cottage Cheese
• String cheese
• Sliced cheese

Chips, Crackers, and Stuff

• Pretzels (Glutino ones are good)
• Cheetos
• Chips like Lays
• Crackers
• Cracker “Sandwiches” with peanut butter, or meats/cheese
• Cookies (Pamelas, Glutino, Mi-Del)

Hot (In A Thermos)

• Soup
• Chili:
• Baked beans

Cold (Can Be In A Thermos or other container with an ice pack)

• Enchiladas (See the recipe here)
• Other leftovers

Gluten-free “Cheats”

• “Lunchables” made with gluten free crackers, meat, cheeses and add a Glutino oreo-like cookie

Produce

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Salad with the dressing in a separate container

I hope this gives you some ideas to start packing your own gluten free lunch. There are so many more options than the ones I list here, so these are just a few to get you started. They work for camp or school. Having Celiac does not mean you have to miss out on great, yummy lunches.

Guide to Gluten Free Brands

     Today I thought I would switch gears and answer some reader questions. I have been asked what brands are the best gluten free brands or are even gluten free at all. Here's a list of my favorites (this doe not include every gluten free product on the market, just the ones available to me and that I like):

Source

• Glutino
• Rudi's Gluten Free Bakery (Not all products are gluten-free but all are organic!)
• Enjoy Life (All products are not just gluten-free, but also free of 8 different allergens like shellfish and peanuts!) I recently reviewed one of their cereals. See that here.
• Udi's
• Annie's (Not all gluten-free, but all organic!)
• Amy's (Not all gluten-free, but all organic) Read here for info on Celiac and how gluten free is measured in US products.
• Thai Kitchen (not all are gluten free, click here for allergen guide)
• Van's Natural Foods (Not all gluten-free!)
• Pamela's
• Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods (Not all gluten-free!)
• Larabar - now has gluten free bars
• Schar (European gluten free company with products also in the US and has an online store)
• Crunchmaster
• Tinkyada
• Lundberg Family Farms
• Popcorn Indiana
• PopChips
• EnviroKidz 
• MiDel
• Food for Life (Not all gluten-free!)
• Foods By George (online store, I have not tried yet but will!)
• Simpli

Now that I have shown you some of the gluten free brands out there, I will post next some ideas for lunches, since this is the most popular question I receive.

Eating Out Part 2: Batch Cupcakes (and Tips for Taking Treats to Parties)

 

A couple of weeks ago, we went to a local cupcake bakery, Batch Cupcakes. The week that we went, they had made two delicious varieties of gluten-free cupcakes, Pumpkin and Chocolate. Usually, I have to get cupcakes from the frozen section at Whole Foods, but this cupcakery offers gluten-free cupcakes that are FRESH. They completely sanitize their equipment in order to be sure there is NO contamination. Then, they bake several batches of gluten-free cupcakes that they bake on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Once they are sold out for the week, you have to wait for the next week's complete kitchen cleaning and baking of gluten-free cupcakes.

 

If you are a Celiac kid like me, there are some great tips for gluten-free cupcakes. First of all, if you are lucky enough to have a bakery in town that can guarantee their cupcakes to be free from contamination, then you can buy several, and freeze them individually in plastic bags. Then, if you are invited to a birthday party or an event or restaurant where there is dessert being offered that is NOT gluten-free, you can take along a cupcake. Just be sure to defrost it several hours on the counter before you want to eat it. This way, you also get to eat dessert with everyone else! If you don't have a local gluten-free bakery, don't worry. Places like Whole Foods sell gluten free cupcakes and muffins {and they are really good} in their frozen bakery section for all gluten-free baked goods. Just put those in your freezer to keep on hand.

I would say that the Batch cupcakes were very very yummy. Even the people in my family that do not have Celiac really enjoyed them {although I hate to share. Also, we used a Groupon so we got a really good deal on a dozen}.

 

Here's me eating a cupcake:

Have a delish gluten-free day! School is out for the summer so I am sure every day will be a good day.

Breakfast Part 2: The Scary Part, Eating out in a Restaurant (and Eating Out in General)

      Today was Mother's Day, so we went out to eat breakfast at a restaurant. It was a small, local diner, that seated less than 50. It was clearly a family run joint, with Mexican running through the theme. 

     We don't eat out very often, but when we do, there are some rules I follow depending on what kind of restaurant it is. For example, at Chili's, they have a separate printed paper Gluten Free Menu, which I ask for right away when I'm seated. The menu changes so I don't count on the fact that something I ordered last time will still be gluten free this time. Other restaurants might have a whole section already dedicated to gluten free options (but you still have to tell the waiter/waitress you have Celiac as gluten free is not the same as Celiac Friendly, which I will cover later). In rare, cool instances, you might find a restaurant dedicated to gluten free, like Fireside Pizza, where we like to eat when we are in Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe, or some restaurants in Bend, Oregon, like another gluten free pizza restaurant. You can also check online before eating out for Allergen Menus, which not only mention wheat or gluten, but also dairy, soy, nuts, and other common allergens. You can print it out and take it with you. Some places like Boston Market have the Allergen Menu as a brochure near the cash register.

     So, today, we were at this cafe, and I was given the menu below. This restaurant did not have an online or paper Allergen Menu or gluten free menu, so I had to make my choices following this process:

Here is how I decided what I wanted to order:

• I first looked at all the sections and eliminated what for sure I couldn't eat. 
• If I did not understand an ingredient, I asked my mom, and then eliminated from there (like the Benedicts, which I found out have english muffins (EVIL wheat) and the sauce is thickened with flour (EWWY). 
• Once I figured out what I COULD have, I then decided what to eat. In this case, I decided between the two Mexican dishes: Huevos a la Mexicana and Huevos Rancheros (I like chilis (the spicier the better) and Mexican food. Many Mexican foods are tasty and can be gluten free, like tamales.)
• Then I begged my mom 
  
  for a large Chai Tea Latte to finish off the yumminess. I was EXREMELY full afterward, but it was yummiliscious.
• When I placed the order, my parents made sure to mention that I have Celiac and that nothing could touch wheat or gluten when preparing my meal. The waitress understood and affirmed it would be safe to eat (sometimes they don't what Celiac is and will go and talk to the chef directly first). 
• When my food came, I looked over it and made sure it was what I ordered and was safe to eat and what was described. 

So, to recap, when you eat out, first eliminate any items you know you can't eat, then ask questions if there are any ingredients or menu items you do not know, next narrow it down to a couple of things you might want to order, and finally ask the waiter/waitress/chef if they are safe options, and place your order once you verify it is gluten free.

The tortillas were wrapped first and then heated to avoid contamination.

If they bring you an order where they included bread, toast, contaminated fries, etc, don't be afraid to send it back. (Another good side note: don't ever assume french fries are gluten free. They often fry them in the same oil as chicken tenders and other breaded items, and some fries like curly fries contain wheat! :( ) 

Tomorrow is a school day so I will be back blogging again if I have free time from studying during the week or for sure on the weekend. And try eating out using the tips, and, if in doubt, ask ask ASK! Remember, gluten free is cool!

1: That IS how I held my mug, 2: My eyes are NOT red :)

(All these photos were taken on my HTC One phone, are not edited in any way, and uploaded to Dropbox)