Things You'll Need:
- Nothing, just read!
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Step 1
Know What You Can Eat
You want to be sure you know which foods are safe and which foods are not. See the link for a list below. Remember, these lists are not intended to be 100% accurate, as manufacturers change ingredients from time to time. Under circumstances where you question the safety of a product, avoid it or call the manufacturer to be sure. -
Step 2
Get the Gluten Out of Your Kitchen!
At first, it can be extremely tempting to go back to your "old" way of eating. The best way to combat the urge is to be sure that glutinous products are not around. Start off with your pantry. Clear out any packaged goods that you can no longer use, such as: pasta, cookies, cakes and cereals. You may want to give these items to family, friends or donate them to your local church. Be sure to check any candy that you have as well. I was surprised to learn that twizzlers contained wheat flour when I first went GF. Don't worry, overtime you will replace your old favorites with yummy gluten-free counterparts. -
Step 3
Check Your Canned Items
Go through all of your canned goods, mainly soup, broth, gravy and stock. Many of these items may have gluten hiding inside. Most people would not think soup contains gluten. I sure did not. However, many soups and sauces can be thickened with wheat flour, an ingredient on the "no-no" list. Be careful! -
Step 4
Check the Refrigerator
Look for dairy products that contain gluten like sour cream and cheddar cheese. Most of these foods will not include gluten on the label, so unless you are totally positive they are gluten-free, you want to call the manufacturer. -
Step 5
Search Your Spice Cabinet
Spices can contain wheat as a binding agent, thus you want to contact the company and check that they are safe for you to consume. -
Step 6
Check out Your Local Supermarket
See if they carry any gluten-free items. Do your self a huge favor. Make friends with the store manager or who ever is in charge of ordering. If you want something that is gluten-free, but don't see it in the store. the manager should be happy to order it for you. Don't be embarrassed or afraid to ask. The store wants to please you, the consumer, because without you, they will lose business. Fortunately, most grocery stores today are starting to feature gluten-free sections. -
Step 7
Stick to the Outer Perimeter of The Store
This is helpful if you are in the grocery store that has very little gluten-free offerings. The outer perimeter of the store consists of the produce section, dairy case and meat case. With few exceptions, these foods are most likely going to be safer items and don't require time read labels. -
Step 8
Health Food Stores Can be a Great Resource for Specialty Items
Check to see if your health food store has any celiac related events, like health food store tours or lectures that can help you. Additionally, some health food stores have a nutritionist on staff who can assist you with any questions that become up while shopping. If you happen to live by a privately owned health food store, talk to the owner. The are generally well schooled when it comes to gluten and can be a fantastic resource. -
Step 9
Some Households Have One Person on a Gluten-Free Diet...
while others are not. If this pertains to you, be sure to purchase an additional toaster. You want to avoid sharing a toaster with a family member who is toasting gluten-laden bread. Their "gluten-y" crumbs could cling onto your bread and cause cross contamination. Since you don't want to become ill, this is important. -
Step 10
Stay Organized
The easiest way to stick to being gluten-free with great success is awareness. Take the time to determine what you are eating on a daily basis. This may seem like a hassle at first, but in the long run, it makes life much simpler. For example, set aside time to write out a food each week. For each day, pick out pick out a recipe to make for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Try and store some gluten-free snacks like fruit and cheese in your bag for days when you are on the go. No matter where you are, you will always have something safe to eat!
Comments
harvard said
on 5/27/2009 Well written article on surviving a gluten-free diet. You offer many ideas and know what you're talking about. Thank you.
SimplyFree said
on 2/16/2009 Great Article.
kaseysviewblog said
on 9/13/2008 Very good info, thanks for sharing it.
Thims said
on 9/9/2008 You got to try Against The Grain Goumet Food. They make grat gluten-free bagels. They literally went from $0 to 80K inless than a year. Straight out of Vermont, so not only are they Gluten-Free but about as green-thumbed as you can get! Great How To!