Well, my goal to keep up with this blog and post several times a week did not go as planned. There have just been too many things going on and by the time I think about writing I am just too tired! However, I have put together a good sized list of topics and have plenty of material to keep me going for a while, so let's try this again...
One of my favorite things in the food world is sauces. Anything you can pour on, dip in, or marinade with, I love. There is a limitless assortment of these in any grocery store, but of course a ton of them have wheat and are off limits. Before I found out that I had Celiac's, we were searching for a really great marinade to use on grilled chicken and came across Allegro Soy and Lime Marinade. It sounded great, so we gave it a try. It was everything I ever could have asked for. With a soy sauce base, a little tangy lime, and some horseradish for spice, I would drink the stuff if that was not a little bit weird. I found basting chicken with it on the grill to be delicious, but probably my favorite use of it would be to saute mushrooms in it for a steak side dish.
After going gluten free I knew that this was just one of those things that I could never completly give up. I just loved it too much. One day I started looking through marinades at the store and noticed that some of the other Allegro flavors listed that they were gluten free. After comparing the ingredients I could not figure out why the Soy and Lime was any different, so I emailed the company and was told that, indeed, it is gluten free and that this was a labeling error. It has been about a year since that email and the website still does not show it as gluten free, so I wrote them again this week. Their response - "I apologize for it taking so long to update our nutritional information on the web site. Yes, the Soy & Lime is gluten free. This is reflected on the label. I have sent our webmaster all of our updated nutritional information and hope to see the site current soon."
So, there you have it. This really is one of my absolute favorite things in the world and I highly recommend trying it out. There are a variety of other flavors which are listed on the website http://www.allegromarinade.com/. If you are wondering where to find it, I have seen several stores that carry 1 or 2 flavors, but my Homeland in Norman has most of them.
Since this is a post about sauces, I figure I should also give a couple of honorable mentions. In the plain 'ol soy sauce category I was very happy to find that Kikkoman now has a gluten free variety which tastes just like the original, as well a gluten free teriyaki (I have not tried this one). And if you are looking for BBQ sauce, hands down Stubb's brand delivers. In fact, ALL Stubb's products are gluten free and do not have high fructose corn syrup!!! http://www.stubbsbbq.com/
If anyone else has found some delicious gluten free sauces, please fell free to share!!!!
One of the first things I did after going gluten free was to run out to every health food store I could find and start buying up every gluten free thing in site. Gluten free chips, check. Gluten free pasta, check. Gluten free tv dinners, yes, check. This was all part of the sudden uncertainty of what gluten free eating really entailed. I have since become very aware that none of this was necessary and that it can be a very unhealthy option.
That being said, I do still buy gluten free products. They are not all bad and some can be lifesavers. But there are just as many that do nothing but drain the bank account and add a billion grams of salt to your daily diet. There have been several shows, including Dr. Oz, that have stressed the downfalls of gluten free products, specifically frozen dinners. Making those things tasty takes a lot of unhealthy additions. Frankly, I have yet to find a gluten free frozen meal that I would actually eat again. But, why should I have to......
A lot of regular products in our grocery stores are naturally gluten free. Those gluten free chips that you saw a Whole Foods, totally unnecessary!!! Frito Lay has a full page of all of their products that are gluten free. (http://www.fritolay.com/your-health/us-products-not-containing-gluten-ingredients.html). Another great example is soups. While I have found the gluten free cream of mushroom and cream of chicken to be invaluable for cooking, Progresso has a handful that are listed as gluten free on their website (http://www.progressosoup.com/healthy-soup.aspx).
There are plenty of other products out there that are not branded as gluten free specifically, but a look at the label will tell you exactly that. (I will be reviewing a few of these in upcoming blogs). These are all things that are learned in time after getting a grip on how the diet works and by networking with others who have the experience to share. Of course, reading labels and knowing what to look for becomes the key to easy shopping, but it takes practice!
So, before you become best friends with your local health food store, take some time to look into what you are really buying and whether or not the same thing is available on the shelves of your local grocer. You will likely be surprised by how many things you have already been buying that are still ok!!!!!
My name is Brenda and I have Celiac's Disease. Like many people, I spent years trying to figure out why I was sick all the time and was told repeatedly that there was nothing wrong. After a million tests and no answers I started looking for the answers myself. After some changes in my diet, which were not aimed at removing wheat, I thought that I might have an allergy to yeast. I went back to the doctor, asked to be tested, and she included a Celiac panel which came back positive. I have never gone on to have the biopsy done, which I should just to be 100% certain, but I think that the outcome of the diet says enough. **(As a note, I have also found that I have a vitamin B deficiency and take a monthly shot. Not all of my issues have been resolved with my diagnosis and I am still seeing doctors in an attempt to find the answers.)**
Right after my diagnosis, which was almost 2 years ago, I was actually set to go on my first vacation in about ten years, so the diet had to wait for a few weeks!! But once I got going it made a huge difference. No more stomach issues, no more rashes, and my mental clarity improved. However, like I assume many people struggle with, the diet can be hard to keep on track. My biggest issue has been dealing with my fiance ordering pizza or bringing home a burger that I am not suppose to eat. Unfortunately, I do not have the greatest willpower in the world and have gone through some pretty bad binges from time to time. Of course I pay the price for it and always feel guilty, but that is just one of the downsides of living with this.
My reason for starting this blog lies in some of the stories that I have heard on a local Celiac support group's Facebook page. While many of them are well seasoned in the ins and outs of being gluten free, there are always the newcomers who are lost and feel like their world has been turned upside down. Many ask for gluten free recipes while others say that they don't have time to spend making special meals. The reality is that you can still eat and cook the same meals that you love and are familiar with, it just takes minor modifications. That is why I named this blog "Real Life Gluten Free". I am not a fabulous cook and I struggle with time management just like everyone else. But, over time, I have figured out that eating gluten free does not have to mean spending ridiculous amounts of money on specialty products or missing out on delicious dinners that I have eaten all of my life.
My plan for this blog is to share my recipes as well as the products that I have found to be the best. Many of my recipes are naturally gluten free, and many are very basic meals that people just don't think about. And although I have been trying to eat healthier, I am from the South, so there will be plenty of those homestyle favorites as well!!
I hope that at least one person will find one thing in this blog helpful and I would love to hear about your experiences with my recipes and product suggestions, good or bad! Thanks for reading and the best of luck to you on your gluten free journey.
