No need to look any harder!

Thanks for grocery stores taking part in the gluten free movement,
the work has been done for us!  

These four grocery stores have published lists of their gluten free products available for consumers.  Not only on the web, but also some are available in store.  There are several options to pick from- substituted and natural!  Hopefully everyone is able to find a store close to them and can do all their gluten free shopping in one place! 

The links above each stores' logo brings you directly to their gluten free shopping site.

Comment below if you know of any other stores near you that offer the same thing! 

GF @ Jewel-Osco                               GF @ Trader Joe's 



GF @ Whole Foods Market                 GF @ Meijer

Friendly summer cook-outs for all!

You can't have a summer without a great cook-out!

So here is a list of some naturally GF foods that are great for cook-outs and everyone can enjoy!

• Corn on the cob
• Fruit kabobs
• Baked potato bar
• Potato salad
• Fresh fruit and dip
• Veggies and dip
• BBQ chicken
• Grilled pork chips
• Steak
• Peanut butter cookies (several recipes do not include flour)
• Rice krispy treats
• Chocolate covered strawberries

              Feel free to add some of your favorites, too!

Get off the couch and get involved!

If you have some free time over the summer, you can make a huge difference!

Here is a list of ways to get your community involved in the gluten free movement:

1. Find other people in your community who are GF to get involved too
2. Hold a GF sampling party at local rec centers, day camps, public pools, community centers, etc.
3. Ask to host an informational session about the importance of GF awareness for community members to come learn and ask questions
4. Work with local colleges to add GF options on campus
5. Visit your old high school and ask about GF options available for students
6. Write a letter to the leaders in your community about the importance of GF awareness (school board members, hospital staff, cafeteria workers, restaurant owners, mayor, etc.)
7. Go to local restaurants and ask if you can look over their menu to figure out what (naturally) GF options they currently have available. Create a separate menu for them by just simply listing all the options that are naturally GF.  Afterwords, talk to them about adding more GF options and ordering GF ingredients

Good luck and have fun!

"Udi"licious

Udi's Gluten Free Foods is a GREAT company, 

not only for their food but also for their dedication to the GF community.

Udi's Gluten Free Foods

Based in Denver, Colorado- Udi's strives to spread GF and Celiac Disease awareness among college students and communities.  This company is growing very rapidly and it is time for you to join the bandwagon! They have a great list of products available and are usually easy to find in grocery stores and/or health food stores.  They seem to really take consumer's opinions into consideration and are always looking for ways to improve the GF community.

Most importantly, for all of you college students, make sure you contact Udi's company regarding their university outreach program!

Products include:

• Bread- White, Whole Grain, Omega Flax and Fiber, Millet-Chia and Cinnamon Raisin
• Dinner Rolls- Classic and Whole Grain
• Buns- Classic and Whole Grain (hamburger and hot dog)
• Bagels- Cinnamon Raisin, Plain and Whole Grain
• Pizza Crust- available in packs of 2
• Pizza- 3 Cheese, Margherita and Pepperoni
• Muffins- Double Chocolate, Blueberry and Lemon Streusel
• Muffin Tops- Chocolate Chia and Blueberry Oat
• Cookies- Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodle and Oatmeal Raisin
• Cinnamon Rolls
• Granola- Vanilla, Original, Cranberry and Au Naturel
• Brownie Bites- Dark Chocolate

The cost of the above products is similar to other GF products, but the taste is NOT similar at all!

Make sure you click on the link below for a coupon!

$1 any Udi's product!

                                                  

What is college without a good beer enjoyed with friends?!

If you don't want to feel left out when spending time with your friends on the weekends, try some of these yummy gluten free beers!

First, to clear things up- gluten free beer is made from sorghum, rice, millet and/or buckwheat (compared to regular beer which is made from barley).

A few of my favorite GF beers include:

• Redbridge- similar to Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch)
• New Grist Beer
• New Planet
• Green's GF Beer- similar taste to a craft beer (Belgian Brewer)

Cider beer is also a great alternative for drinking gluten free.  Cider is made from fermented apple juice and comes in dry and sweet varieties.

Some great cider beers include:

• Woodchuck Hard Cider
• Magner's Irish Cider
• Michalob ULTRA Light Cider
• Crispin Cider

Surprisingly I have come across some of these beers or ciders at different bars and restaurants.  Just make sure you ask the waitress or bartender what GF beers and/or cider beers are available.  Hopefully once you start looking you will find some too!

Understand Celiac Disease vs Gluten Intolerance

Allergy

“reaction in which the body’s immune system overreacts to a food and mistakenly produces antibodies to the food”

Intolerance

“adverse reaction to a food that does not involve the immune system; symptoms are less severe”

Celiac Disease

“gluten reacts with the small intestine and activates the immune system to attack the lining of the intestines”

Celiac Disease is not an allergy but it does involve the immune system and attacks the intestine. 

Gluten intolerance is someone who cannot consume gluten without facing the symptoms similar to celiac disease.  It does not damage the intestine and small doses of gluten may be tolerable.

Matt's Famous Banana Bread

This recipe is a must try! I was fortunate enough to enjoy this fresh baked bread one day in school that another student developed just for me and a few other gluten free people!  


I promise you that it will become one of your favorites and even non-GF eaters will love it too!

Mix together:
1 stick of butter
1 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of sugar


Combine:
2 cups of GF yellow cake mix- I've only used Betty Crocker's
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Add flour mixture to butter mixture

Add one at a time to mixture:
2 eggs
3 bananas (mashed)
1 cup of sour cream

Bake @ 350 for 45 minutes in a greased bread pan (batter makes more than one pan)

Enjoy!!