Ideal Bite

Don't forget Pamela's baking mix. You can make almost anything with this and it is easy. We make chocolate chip cookies, crepes, scones, waffles and muffins with Pamela's. I substitute it for almost all flour in regular recipes, it can even "bread" fish. There are also the great Namaste mixes that are free of nearly all allergens. Glutino has newly started making crackers..yes, you heard right, crackers that taste like real crackers. There is also a gluten substitue made by EnerG that actually gives gluten free baked goods a respectable texture. There are so many great tasting gluten free items that can be made healthier depending on your mood. Use organic cane juice instead of sugar and you can keep the refined sugar off your plate too.

In fact, Celiac Disease = you cannot tolerate gluten which includes wheat (kamut, spelt, durum semolina, farro), rye, triticale, barley and oats contaminated by wheat (There are certified gluten-free oat products out there.) and all their derivatives which are many.

Good morning, I wanted to clear something up, lest someone take incorrect info to heart. This morning's tip said that "celiac disease = you can't tolerate wheat." Actually, celiac disease = you can't tolerate wheat, rye, barley, and sometimes oats. Conventional oats are usually rotated with gluten containing crops, and cross contamination is the result. So people who cannot eat gluten need to eat oats labeled as safe for them. However, some people who cannot eat gluten have an additional problem with oats of any kind, regardless of how grown, and should not eat them. There are some great gf foods out there these days. I think Tinkyada makes the best pasta, and Really Great Food has the best all-purpose gf flour. Also, Enjoy Life has the safest foods on the planet, I think, for people with multiple allergies. :)

The best gluten free cookies in New York and CT are Glo Gluten free cookies. Buy them at Whole Foods and Stop and Shop. They were created by a mom and daughter who are both celiacs and they are INCREDIBLE! Chocolate Chip, Ginger Snap, Snickerdoodle, Double Chocolate. We devour these at my house!

I just wanted to take the time to say I totally appreciate this making it into the tips! Especially given the timing. I was a little bit last week with the Sun Chips advertisement and regular day old bread tips so close to each other. My roommate got to hear the, "but what about the celiacs, why doesn't anyone care about us!" rant and he will appreciate the tip too... Well maybe not, now he'll have to hear the "yay! they are aware of us" rave! ;-)

* frustrated, I was a little bit frustrated last week... Ugh, mornings...

Celiac disease is a systemic autoimmune disease, not an allergy. Also, many gluten free desserts are much higher in calories, fat, and sugar than conventional treats, so eating them is actually worse for you unless you really need it. Obesity is bad for the planet too!

Good morning. Thanks Laura for letting me know what you were a little bit of last week!! I had to read it twice. Thanks for second note! Personally, I prefer salty snacks over sweet. Give me chips and salsa, I can devour half the bag and half the jar, only because I make myself stop. thanks for the tip anyway.

You didn't mention Namaste Foods fantastic gluten-free chocolate brownie mix! These brownies look and taste like the "real" thing. They also make a spice cake mix that is wonderful.

Good morning, thanks for the info. I have had celiac for over 20 years and back when I was diagnosed, they knew very little. It's amazing what wonderful products are out there now. I had not heard of Pamela's products and would like to try them. Thanks. I just tried the carrot cake you mentioned and it really was good, plus I made it with applesauce. I get most of my gluten-free food from Glutenfree.com. and thru trial and error have found which ones actually taste good. Kudos to Ideal bite for this timely article.