Gluten Free Advice

Hello Blog world! I havent updated this blog in a while becasue I've been a LITTLE busy taking care of baby Olive, and writing in my other blog Olivemygirl.blogspot.com

I've had several people in my life decide to try going gluten free, and have asked me for advice. I want to state first, I am NO expert, and I could be totally wrong on something here. This is intented to be advice, and all is my opionion.

I've been gluten free (GF) now for three years, and it was a HUGE shock and adjustment to my way of life. Before going GF I would eat gluten at almost every meal. I had NO idea. I felt like death most of the time. I had a hard time concentrating, maintaining energy, and digesting my food. These days I pretty much am used to it now, know what I can and can't have, and it is just become my way of life. Here are some tips and product suggestions. I tried SO many different brands, so I think my opinion is a good one.

What I eat for:

Breakfast: 
This is the easiest meal of the day. Eggs, bacon, fruit, ect are all GF. Easy.
When I want a carby meal, Bisquick makes the BEST mix. Even Adam likes it. Other brands are OK... but, less like the "real thing".
If you want something frozen Vans makes the best ones.
Chex also makes a bunch of GF cereals, but I dont eat cereal anymore. I need more substance.
Hot cereal? Bobs Red Mill makes this "Mighty Tasty Cereal", which is AWESOME with butter and salt (kinda like grits), and also good with brown sugar and rasins. If your watching your wasteline though, be warned. This stuff is very carb heavy.

Eating out? Easy. Get an omelet  meat, fruit. Ask for corn tortillas instead of toast. I'm amazed at how good this is, and how many places will actually do this.

Lunch:
Also, Easy to do.
If your looking for frozen foods Amy's makes some good GF ones. Gluten Free Cafe is ok, but... not super good for you, and not very filling.

I usually will have a sandwich or a wrap. I prefer Udis frozen bread. The slices are small, and the cost is high, BUT... It tastes real good. If you want a lower carb option, Rudi's makes a REALLY good tortilla. This tortilla is great because it doesnt break and crumble like corn tortillas do. I squirt it with a little water, and stick it in the microwave first.

Several brands of chips are "safe" to eat. Any potato chip is safe unless it has some weird powder on it. Cheetos are also good. I eat Lays.

Eating out? It gets tricky sometimes... Fast food is hard if your celiacs or really sensitive because the french fries are fried in the same oil as the chicken nuggets, and have gluten. (Im OK with them though) Wendy's and In and Out apparently are ok. I usually will order a sandwich, and bring my own bun, and swap it out, but again, if your really sensitive, you might not be able to do this. Also, there are always salads... (keep away from the croutons) You want croutons  Save the ends of your frozen Udis bread, chop into small squares, cover in olive oil, salt, garlic, sage, thyme, ect.. and bake. I do this and keep them on hand. 

Restaurants-
Most American-style restaurants will have a burger. Order without a bun and extra lettuce. Easy. You can order any sandwich this way. You can also bring your own bun (Udi's brand).
Again, salads are usually safe but watch out for the small crunch stuff they put on them. You might need to ask. Most of the time dressings are safe, but you might wanna ask just to be safe.

Mexican- Easy. Just stay away from Flour tortillas.

Italian- Good luck. You can do meats and cheeses.... otherwise, you might wanna check ahead of time to see if they offer a GF pizza or pasta. Places like dominos and macaroni grill have these options, but there are some great small, local places that do too. You just need to call or check out their website.

Thai- Apparently, real soy sauce from Thailand is made with soy, and not wheat. You can ask to be safe. I always order the spring rolls (made with rice paper) and pad thai. Thai has a lot of rice based items, but beware of the soy sauce, and any wheaty wrappered appetizers.

Chinese: This one is tough because they put soy sauce in everything. I have learned though if you bring your own like this one, they will actually use it to make your dishes. Stay away from dumplings and potstickers... so sad.

What else?....

Dinner:

I eat pretty traditional for dinner. Usually some protein, like chicken, some carb, like potatoes or quinoa (pronounced KEEN-WAH), and some veggie. These are all safe. If you WANT some chicken with a crust or make nuggets or something I find that I use a couple things.
To make chicken strips or nuggets:
coat chicken in egg, then roll in rice flour with seasonings, then fry. EASY
Rice flour can be a little... chalky though, so you can try the bisquick or these
super good.

Its easy to just cook your own food, but the products are easy and really good. I prefer Udi's, Rudi's, and Glutino.

Snacks:
Crackers? Glutino
Pretzels: Glutino
Muffins: Udi's
English muffins: Glutino

OK, one last thing. There are so many local bakeries that do a fabulous job! Around here, I can't say enough good things about Mariposa Bakery. They are AMAZING! Seriously. Amazing. They also ship.

Let me know anything else specific you want help with, and good luck!!!