If you talk to people in their early to mid-20s, they’ll likely be able to name two or three friends who have had to “go gluten free” in the past few years. While we aren’t yet sure why a gluten intolerance seems to be taking over, we do know that it has thousands of Americans avoiding anything with wheat.
As someone who had to cut gluten from my diet, here are five pieces of wisdom for anyone facing this new diet restriction:
- It isn’t as difficult as I expected.
Gluten-free food isn’t scarce in either the grocery store or my favorite restaurants. While I did have to say goodbye to some of my favorite food items, I was happily surprised to see a wide variety of food options. One side note ““ those gluten-free foods do tend to be pricier than their wheat-filled counterparts. - Gluten-free bread doesn’t taste as bad.
Bread was the thing I thought I’d miss the most. From fresh-baked French to a sandwich stuffed between slices of rye, I thought good bread would be a difficult item to find. In fact, most gluten-free breads taste like sourdough. That said, gluten-free pasta isn’t even close to the real deal. - Missing the occasion is more difficult than missing the food.
Whether I want to enjoy a slice of cake at a friend’s birthday, buy Girl Scout cookies, snack on an item a friend bakes as a gift or dig into the stuffing at Thanksgiving dinner, I miss sharing food with my family and friends. I even missed out on the cake at my recent wedding! - Educating friends and family is a journey.
I found many people just don’t understand the difference between having a non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and having celiac disease. While both conditions are marked by bloating, digestive tract pain and fatigue, celiac disease seems to be hereditary, while food intolerances are not. Additionally, people diagnosed with celiac are sensitive to wheat, while those with NCGS could have multiple food sensitivities. Bottom line: Don’t just assume your wheat-free friend has celiac disease. - Wheat likes to hide.
Many foods include wheat as a hidden ingredient ““ who would have thought? Here are a few surprising items you should avoid if you can’t eat wheat:
- Bottled sauces
- Chocolate
- Deli meat
- Gravy
- Ice cream
- Imitation crab meat
- Some marinara sauces and spices
- Soy sauce
- Twizzlers
If you’re starting to remove wheat from your diet, let us know!
