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Top 10 Gluten-free Baked Goods a Restaurant Brunch Menu Should Offer

Breakfast is one of the easiest meals to make at home, but it also the one this Examiner used to enjoy ordering out.  It seems now that breakfast is the one meal with limited gluten-free choices, so we tend to eat this meal at home.  Who can afford to spend more than $10 for eggs, bacon and potatoes when they can be prepared at home for a fraction of the cost. 

Brunch menus tend to vary, but when we go out to brunch we are looking for more than just egg dishes, meat, potatoes and fruit.  A traditional brunch menu should offer a gluten-free version of what you would normally expect: pancakes, toast, French toast, eggs Benedict,

Gluten free snacks news: Larabar introduces new flavors

Larabars are simple, quick bars that are great to grab for any on-the-go lifestyle.  Larabars are made from unsweetened fruit, nuts and spices.  It doesn’t get any simpler than that.  They are gluten-free, vegan, kosher and non-gmo. 

This spring Larabar introduced 4 new flavors to their line: Carrot Cake, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough & Chocolate Chip Brownie.  The ingredients in each are as follows:

Dining out gluten free: How to avoid an allergic reaction

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Recently, I had lunch at PF Changs in Irvine.  Unfortunately, my lunch did not go as planned as I ended up having an allergic reaction after dining there.  This was quite unfortunate, considering about a year ago I gave PF Changs a glowing review for their committment to catering to food allergies and developing a gluten-free menu that would be free of any cross contamination. 

It’s inevitable that every now and then when dining out you will run into something that may cause a reaction, so the key is to take as many preventative measures as possible to reduce the risk.

Top Ten Gluten Free Tips for Safe Outdoor Parties and Barbecues

Barbecue and outdoor party season has arrived.  It is the time of year when we want to relax and enjoy time with friends.  But having food allergies and issues can put a damper on your party plans.  Here are ten ways to dine safely at an outdoor party.
Outdoor Gluten-free Grilling Courtesy: dreamstime.com

1. Never show-up without something safe to eat
Always make sure there is something safe for you to eat at any event. offer to bring a salad or side dish. Make a quinoa salad that everyone will love.   That way you know there is something with protein to eat that will keep you full.  If you bring a dish that is just carbohydrates, you’ll be hungry before the party is over.

iPHONE App scandal Rocks the Gluten-free Community

I reported this week on a new iPHONE application, My Grocery Master, which allows users to locate gluten-free foods and brands according to zip code. The application claimed to not only allow users to locate gluten-free and lactose-free food items in popular grocery stores nationwide, but it also claimed to help users locate the product via detailed driving directions, all for an annual fee of $4.99.

While this iPHONE application (also available for iPAD and iTOUCH) purported to aide gluten-free consumers in their quest for all things allergen-free, it seems the app isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Gluten-Free 101: How to Pack Food for Trips

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Many places in the U.S. are not gluten-free friendly and many places are great to visit if you’re gluten-free. New York City and Atlanta are fantastic in terms of gluten-free shopping and dining, while Panama City Beach, FL is horrid. For this reason, many people who can’t eat gluten pack an extra suitcase full of food for any trip.

Taking your own food on trips is often a good idea. It is a terrible feeling to find yourself without something safe to eat – even if it’s just a cracker to nosh on when others around you are dining on gluten filled appetizers. It’s a good idea to keep a survival pack of food in your car, even if you’re not leaving town. There is something comforting about knowing there is safe food available, should a need for it arise.

If you are traveling from the U.S. to some parts of Europe, you might want to rethink your packing habits. Planning our first visit overseas after my celiac diagnosis was scary. Through much research I knew that it seemed easier to eat out outside the U.S. than at home, but until you experience that for yourself you’re a skeptic.

Gluten free diet cards from Glutenfreeworks.com

Glutenfreeworks.com has comprehensive gluten-free diet cards that lists unsafe foods and ingredients (including hidden) broken down by categories: whole grains & cereals, flours, thickeners, sweeteners, distilled spirits, fermented, cooked products, baked products, protein polymers, brewed,… 

Tips For Dining Out On The Gluten-Free Diet

By Melinda Dennis, MS, RD, LDN Nutrition Coordinator, Celiac Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Avoid ordering fried foods, such as French fries or taco “basket” shells at a Mexican restaurant, which are fried in…