Easy Peasy Gluten Freesy




Hey there friends! As some of you may know, I have Celiac Disease. Which means I cannot eat any amounts of gluten (wheat, rye, barley also known as malt, contaminated oats). I was diagnosed with Celiac when I was fifteen (It will be 10 years this June!). The first year going gluten free was a struggle. Figuring out what I could and couldn't eat was a daily battle but it was one that I was determined to win. I basically lived off our garden, the meat we hunted and fished, and a few things from the store (I lived in Montana at the time). This was actually a very healthy way to eat and I saw improvements in my overall health very rapidly. It was hard but so worth it because I became a new me. I could do things that I wasn't able to do before because I was always sick in some way.
Oh and just for your information my mom, dad, sister, and 2 brothers all have it as well. CRAZY! More and more people are being diagnosed with it every day so it is important for everyone to be well informed. I bet most of you know someone with Celiac Disease or who is gluten intolerant.

Celiac Disease is not just an allergy (allergies are very dangerous as well so I probably shouldn't say just), it is actually quite different because it is an auto immune disease. Basically what happens is, when I eat even a crumb of gluten my body goes into attack mode. Seriously it does! It starts to attack itself and a number of different things happen. I become bloated, crampy, achy, and tired, I also usually get migraines and just some random things.

  But what happens on the inside? Well, the gluten goes into the small intestine and destroys villi along the way. Villi are the small "hair" looking things that absorb nutrients and aid in breaking down food. Without them a person becomes malnourished and all sorts of problems follow after that.

 So I decided to make this page to help people learn about Celiac and how to be gluten free. I won't be posting a lot of recipes on here, those will be on my food page, but I will post links to websites and blogs I have found helpful. PLEASE ASK ME QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM! I am here to help because helping people is what I love to do.

You can also follow me on Pinterest for recipes and information I find helpful

p.s. If you live in Utah and have recently been diagnosed with Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance, I would love to help you out and go shopping with you. There may be a small fee as I am pretty busy but just message me and I will see what I can do! :)

Tips and Must Knows:
  • Always Always Always check the label thoroughly!!! If you are unsure DO NOT EAT IT. A bite of food is not worth the damage you are doing to your body (even if you don't feel the damage happening, it IS!). I cannot stress this point enough.
  • Don't share cooking utensils with people that cook gluten
  • Don't grill on a grill that uses gluten (wrap it in foil first)
  • Picking food off a sandwich doesn't make it gluten free
  • Oats can be gluten free if they are Certified Gluten Free, but some people with Celiac still get sick from even the gluten free ones. If you are just starting out it might be best to stay away from ALL oats for a while
  • Shop the perimeter of the store. Buy produce and other whole foods
  • If something isn't Certified Gluten Free then it is a bit of a gamble because with Celiac Disease it needs to be no more than 10 parts per million. If something says 20 parts per million, DON'T EAT IT
  • Make food ahead of time and freeze it. Crockpot recipes will be your best friend. Make a bunch of food at the beginning of the week or whenever works and freeze some of it.
Labels can be misleading:
  • Unless it says gluten free I usually won't eat it
  • Spelt, couscous, malt, bleached flour, whole wheat flour, cracked wheat, wheat bran, barley grass, wheat grass, barley flour, oat flour, semolina, durum, spelt, farro, heritage grains, kamut, triticale are NOT Gluten Free
  • Beer, ale, and lager are not gluten free. Even foods that are cooked in them are not gluten free
  • Vegan protein called seitan, or vital wheat, and some tempeh are not gluten free
  • Natural flavors, spices, caramel colors, flavoring, maltodextrin (is sometimes corn but not always), flow agents, starch (sometimes corn, potato, rice or tapioca), sugar alcohol derived from wheat rye barley or oats, are all dangerous. Some can be gluten free but it MUST say it

Blogs I Find Helpful:
Against All Grain
Elana's Pantry
Janice Amee's Gluten Free
Beginner's Guide to Gluten Free Flours
Gluten Free Goddess
Gluten Free Girl

Informative Websites:
Celiac Foundation
Kicking 4 Celiac
Celiac Central

Grocery Lists From Specific Stores:
Costco: You can also call the company about things you are unsure of and they will give you pretty detailed information if you ask.
  • Pace Salsa
  • Kirkland Salsa (read the label but it is usually fine)
  • Almond Flour
  • Coconut Flour
  • Coconut Oil
  • Tuna Fish
  • Raw boneless skinless chicken breast/thighs/drumsticks
  • Ground Turkey
  • Rotisserie Chicken (check the label to make sure nothing has changed)
  • Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese
  • Frozen Blueberries
  • Coconut Oil
  • Almond butter
  • Skippy Peanut Butter
  • Any produce of your choice
  • Flax Seed 
  • Quinoa
  • Rice (there is a lot of it!)
  • Hershey's Cocoa Powder
  • Eggs ( I buy the no hormone/antibiotic ones)
  • Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Vanilla Almond Milk (unsweetened)
  • Pure Maple Syrup (Kirkland Brand)
  • Honey (Kirkland Brand)
  • Hummus (Sabra has a lot of gluten free ones)
  • Coconut Water
  • SNACKS
Harmon's - there is an entire "Natural" section that has a bunch of gluten free stuff just make sure you always read the label as the signs have been known to be a little misleading. I mostly just buy a lot of produce when I go grocery shopping.
  • KIND bars and granola (in cereal aisle)
  • Coconut Bliss Ice Cream (so yummy!)
  • Produce
  • Chicken Breasts (Harmon's)
  • Most of the unseasoned meats are ok, I would just ask the meat guy
  • Ground Turkey 
  • Lots of different salsa
  • Hatch Enchilada Sauce (Hispanic aisle)
  • Daiya Dairy free "cheese" (Natural Section)
  • Sweet Potato chips (Natural section)
  • Almond Butter (Natural section)
  • Peanut Butter - Skippy or natural ones in Natural section
  • Enjoy Life chocolate chips (baking aisle)
  • Guittard Chocolate Chips (baking aisle)
  • McCormic Seasoning - most are gluten free, just double check on the website
    • Paprika, Thyme, Parsley, Sage, Cinnamon, Cilantro, Rosemary, Red Pepper
  • Protein Powder - I don't buy mine here because they only have whey but if you can have dairy then they have some gluten free ones in the Natural section and the cereal aisle.
  • Hummus
  • Veganaise (vegan mayo)
  • Chex cereal (Rice, Corn, Chocolate, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Honey, Strawberry)
  • Pizza Crusts (depending on the store)
  • Mission Corn Tortillas (my husband likes the white corn that are extra soft)
  • SNACKS
Smiths - They have good priced fish and produce, they have some gluten free selections but not as nicely organized and not as many to chose from.
  • Produce - they have good produce for a good price
  • KIND bars and granola (depending on which one you go to)
  • Uddi's granola (not all are gluten free so check the label!
  • Tortilla Chips
  • Swai Fillets
  • Tilapia Fillets 
  • Mahi Mahi Fillets
  • Ground Turkey
  • Chicken Breasts
  • Hatch Enchilada Sauce 
  • Salsa - there are a lot of different brands, just read the label
  • Mission Corn Tortillas
  • SNACKS
Whole Foods - They have a ton of gluten free stuff so I won't be listing them all. Just go check them out.
Sprouts - Once again, A LOT of gluten free stuff. Here are just a few things I get specifically from there. The Sprouts brand isn't necessarily GF but they have lots of other brands that are.
  • Nutra Suma Pea Protein (I like pea protein a lot)
  • Daiya "Cheese"
  • KIND granola
  • Nature's Path, Vanilla Sunrise Crunch
  • PRODUCE - I LOVE their produce
  • Grass Fed Buffalo Burger
  • Ground Elk meat (on once in a great while)
  • Hatch Enchilada Sauce
  • Soups - sweet potato, lentil, vegetable, etc.
  • Sweet Potato Chips
Trader Joe's - I won't list all they have, you will just have to check them out yourself
Sam's Club - I know they have a bunch of GF stuff but I don't have a membership so I can't really tell you exactly what they have.
Walmart - I personally don't buy food at Walmart very often but they do have some gluten free stuff
  • Almond Breeze Almond Milk
  • Salsa
  • Tortilla Chips
  • Eggs
  • Mission Corn Tortillas
Online Stores
Nuts.com

Eating Out: Some of these places are just in Utah but some are in other states as well. Eating out is always a risky gamble, so I don't do it very much. I have gotten sick many times from places saying they have "gluten free" options when really they don't. The truth of the matter is, CROSS CONTAMINATION is the part that will get you, eat at your own risk.

  • Outback Steakhouse - this is one I really trust
  • PF Chang's
  • Zest ( Utah exclusive)




















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