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Gluten-Free Holiday Survival Guide

Healthy-Holiday-Survival-Guide

Despite the snow covered trees, glittering lights, smoke from the chimneys and the overall sense of Holiday spirit that store fronts and houses display, for people living gluten-free there is usually a little bit of gluten-free gloom that hangs over the Holiday season. Don’t get me wrong, we are far from gluten-free grinches, but we cannot deny the nagging sense of anxiety that takes over when considering all of the ways that gluten can complicate even the simplest of Holiday celebrations. Your work may host a Holiday party, you may be staying with extended family members during the Holiday season, there may be a slew of dinner party invitations in your inboxes (or mailboxes if you are classic like that). Don’t let the Holidays overwhelm you! This Gluten-Free Holiday Survival Guide should help make the Holiday season gluten-free and stress-free.

Abokado: Gluten Free Sushi in London

We were having a discussion at work a couple of weeks ago about how it’s very hard to find good sushi that doesn’t cost you an arm and leg in London.

Sliced duck sushiThen out of chance I stumbled across abokado the other day. I was looking for a small (cheap) snack to last me until I got home from my morning of sightseeing and so thought I’d go in and check the place out.

Philly: A Gluten-Free Friendly Town

Gluten Free Pasta by Ristorante Panormama. Credits: Emma Furino
Gluten Free Pasta by Ristorante Panormama. Credits: Emma Furino

Philly is one of the most gluten-free friendly cities in the country. So much so, it’s been called “the first gluten-free neighborhood in the U.S.”

It takes a lot of components to come together to make a great GF city.

It helps if your state is no stranger to the gluten-free way of life. Earlier this year, Gluten Free Travel Site named Pennsylvania the “World’s Most Celiac-Friendly Destination.” We examined this accolade in

Flying Gluten Free: An Experience of Note

With the recent announcement of the merger between American Airlines and US Airways, it seemed a good time to discuss how to be gluten free while traveling.  Based on my customer service experience, it honestly might be preferable if US Airways didn’t save American from their financial crisis.  Being gluten free is challenging even with the many dining options we have on land. If one restaurant doesn’t work, you can always hop in your car and try another. Take us up 30,000 feet into the air and we may be in for what will feel like a very long trip with very few options, if any at all.

Does being gluten free change the way I travel? Absolutely.  There are some things you should take into consideration before hopping on your next 757 to make sure you are prepared. The lesson I learned from traveling with American Airlines? Pack some snacks or starve.


customer_serviceI found that the flight attendants were ill-equipped to deal with gluten free needs.  Here was my experience with American Airlines on a flight from LAX to DCA on December 29, 2012:

New Gluten-free Travel App From Gluten Free Travel Site

GlutenFreeTravelSite.com launched the Dine Gluten Free iPhone app and Android app, which enables users to access the site’s dining and travel reviews when they are away from home. All of the reviews on the site (from the U.S. and around the world) are written by its users and include reviews of restaurants, bakeries, markets, hotels, resorts, etc.

Karen Broussard, Founder of GlutenFreeTravelSite said, “Whether you’re looking for a new restaurant to try in your area, a safe place to eat on a family vacation, or a venue for dining when traveling on business, you’ll have convenient access to detailed accounts of other people’s gluten free dining experiences. The reliable peer reviews found within the Dine Gluten Free app — complete with tips on how to make your meals as safe and enjoyable as possible — help steer you toward the most accommodating places to stay, dine, and shop. You’ll never again feel limited or deprived when eating out.”

Features of the app include:

  • A list of many restaurant chains that offer Gluten Free Menus, with

Gluten-Free Shopping in Paris

Gluten Free Works Jennifer Harris

gluten free paris monopOur recent trip to Paris, France was filled with lots of sightseeing, shopping and taking in the local cuisine. Traveling gluten free in Europe does require some research, so I wanted to share my gluten-free shopping experience.

It is important to know how to say gluten free in the appropriate language, so in French you ask for products that are ‘sans gluten’. I found it difficult to come by people who spoke English when we were in Paris, so make sure

Gluten-Free Shopping in Germany

Gluten Free Works Jennifer Harris

gluten free foods germany german
A plethora of gluten-free foods can be found when traveling in Europe. Photo Credit: Jen Harris

It has been a month since I returned from our European vacation. We visited many cities in Germany, Brussels, Belgium, Paris, France, and Prague, Czech Republic. By far the best place to shop for gluten-free groceries was Berlin, Germany.

It is important to know how to say gluten free in the appropriate language just in case you find someone who doesn’t speak English. In German, gluten free is pronounced glutenfrei (gluten fry). I have to say that English must be the second language in Germany because there was rarely

Gluten-Free Foods and Tools to Pack When Traveling Abroad

Gluten Free Works Jennifer Harris

Gluten free travel foods mrs may's cashew crunch
Mrs. May’s Cashew Crunch is filling and slightly sweet. Photo: Mrs. May’s

When we went on our trip to Europe I wanted to be realistic about what gluten-free foods I brought with me. I didn’t want to be in a situation where I had little to no food options, but I also didn’t want to bring my entire pantry with me, so I managed the situation by packing my favorite ‘staple’ items that did not need refrigeration.

I don’t know about you, but I tend to eat totally differently when I am traveling than I do at home, so I pack items I know will keep me full between meals and in place of meals. I also pack something sweet because that is usually the

Gluten-Free Product Review: KURDelights by KURSuperfoods

Gluten Free Works Jennifer Harris

KUR SuperfoodsSince I am always on the lookout for a sweet snack that is free of gluten, dairy, and soy, I was happy to receive samples of KURDelights.  So many gluten-free bars/snacks contain soy protein and/or dairy, or they are very high in sugar and carbs and low in protein and fiber, which is not the case with KURDelights.

These bite-sized snacks contain just enough sweetness to satisfy my sweet tooth and they come in three flavors: Brownie, Coconut Cream, and Dark Chocolate Mint.  My favorite flavor is the coconut cream followed by brownie and then dark chocolate mint.  These healthy snacks are: