HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!!!
Trader Joe’s gluten free english muffin
Ground beef
Roasted red pepper & onion
Extra sharp cheddar
Sriracha mayo
Jalapeño peppers
Louise d’Estat Brut sparkling wine (Trader Joe’s $9 bottle)
Treat yourselves right this year xo
What a useful chart for the holidays!!
Scenario: you’re a gluten free guy or gal at an awesome christmas party where champagne and hot toddies are flowing. Dessert time comes around… pies, cakes, cookies…. FML. This is EVERY gluten free person’s nightmare. Some may deny it, but it’s their nightmare too. Seriously though, every child and adult wants to pig out during the holidays and if they say they don’t they are straight up LYING. I truly believe it’s even worse for gluten free people because we can’t normally eat all the delicious and fatty nom noms that normal gluten people can have on a daily basis.
And so I find this chart useful so that gluten free people can bring their own desserts and either 1. share with everyone even though they are capable of digesting everything else (fatties!!) or 2. stuff into your bag and secretly eat it in the bathroom so no one else can get it (muahahaha).
MERRY CHRISTMAS HOHOHO :)
According to celiac.com, you can claim medical tax deductions from the IRS if you are diagnosed as having Celiac Disease. This means that the government is totally aware that gluten free food is mad pricey and they let you claim the extra cost of gluten free items. Example: a loaf of bread costs $2.50. A loaf of gluten free bread costs $6. That means $3.50 (the difference) is tax deductible. “You can also claim mileage expense for the extra trip to the health food store and postal costs on gluten free products ordered by mail” (Scott Adams, celiac.com). Hell yes, hell yes, I hope everyone reading this is just as stoked as I am.
Stipulations:
1. You have to be a Celiac. It can’t be an intolerance/sensitivity to gluten.
2. You need a doctor prove that you are Celiac.
3. You have to save your purchasing proof (online bank records/receipts from stores).
I LOVE PASTA. I love how versatile it is, I love how quick it is to cook up… and I think I love it so much because it’s not a regular option for me at restaurants. ***In Boston however, I’ve discovered an awesome pasta place called Black Jack Pasta that serves gluten free pasta!! I sometimes order it on Foodler.com.
Most gluten free pastas are twice as expensive as regular. I hate to be an ass and call out certain companies, but I’m gonna do it anyway. Tinkyada really chuffs my nuts. All of their pastas are made from brown rice and if you go into your local supermarket you’ll find a 12 oz. bag about 2/3 full for $3.50. “Okay, that’s not the worst” you might think. BUTTTTTTT if you go to Trader Joe’s you will find penne and fusilli brown rice pasta (taste and texture the exact same as Tinkyada) for $1.99 and the bags are (large-16 oz.) and filled to the brim! LOOK:
Enough of my ranting. I do really enjoy Bionaturae gluten free pasta. It’s from an Organic Italian company, comes in 12 oz. bags, costs about $4.50-$5.00 a bag, and resembles gluten-full pasta more than any other gluten free pasta I’ve tried. It’s expensive and I only buy it when I can/feel like treating myself.
Some of my favorite pasta accompaniments/dishes (random order):
→ Newman’s Own Sockaroo Pasta Sauce, my go-to
→ Olive oil, parmesan, garlic, crushed red pepper, PESTO
→ Tuna pasta salad (served cold or room temp)
→ Veggies: broccoli, mushrooms (omg yes), spinach, sundried tomatoes, asparagus, eggplant
→ Meats: ground beef/turkey (duh), spicy italian sausage, shrimp
Artist cred: Anthea Hamilton
This morning I downloaded an app, ShopWell. You start by giving the app details on your eating habits and the app helps you find foods right for you. ShopWell gives you choices you can select. For example, under ‘Goals’ I put Gluten Intolerance. For my preferences I put: high in fiber, iron, protein, vitamin c, etc. For specifications I want to avoid I put: refined grains, color additives, trans fats, etc.
This is cool and all, but my absolute favorite part is the scanner. Whether at home, a grocery store, or at a friend’s place, you can scan the barcode of the product you have interest in consuming and the app will rate the food on how well it matches your goals and preferences!! For fun I scanned a loaf of bread my roommate eats and the app immediately said: Avoid. Contains gluten.
Some items will be rated so-so, such as Philadelphia cream cheese. The app tells me it’s high in saturated fat yet has low sodium. (I still eat it; it is gluten free and super tasty after all).
A screenshot of my mini profile on ShopWell.
A screenshot of the products I’ve scanned. Each one has a rating for how good it is for me. Notice the chocolate covered walnuts have a stop hand; they aren’t gluten free.
You can also search for products and the app will let you know the closest place to get it in relation to where you are- also gives the price.
I will be using this all the time. Hope this was helpful!
Unfortunately for those in dire need of gluten free breads and pastas, that shit is super expensive. Sure, it’s great our supermarkets have a gluten free section… but why is a loaf of gluten free bread HALF the size of a gluteny bread yet costs twice as much??
The industry that capitalizes on our unfortunate souls provides an increasing supply of gluten free food porn (a feast for the eyes and stomach) because of an ever increasing demand- YET the gluten free industry is still considered a novelty and is not nearly as high in demand as the gluten industry.
And so, my goal is to encounter the best deals for gluten free food and share with those who have discovered this blog. Seeing as this is my first blog ever and I will be doing extensive research in order to improve my blog and the information it contains, I ask that you bear with me. Useful content will ensue.
CHEERS!
These are a few of my favorite things !!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikpj24WMOLw Special shout out to Kinnikinnick, Bionature, Tate’s Bake shop, Johnsonville, and Mary’s Gone Crackers.
What the hell is gluten?, my parents asked.
As an infant I quickly grew ill after my mama and pops began feeding me normal baby beginner foods: graham crackers, cheerios, etc. After running from doctor to doctor confused and terrified, my parents discovered my inability to eat gluten via becoming fervently ill. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. It can be found in bread, pasta, pastries, soy sauce, cold cuts, and EVEN envelope glue. Lucky for me, the only change I had to make was my diet. I’ve been gluten free since, except for minor slip ups/mistakes (which I have paid for dearly).
Here is a pic of my dear dad and myself. I was being fed through a tube at the time because the evil gluten protein had so thoroughly destroyed my small intestine that I was unable to digest solid food…
and yes I know my outfit was boss.
More Plants, Less Gluten 