Having to eat gluten-free for medical reasons can be overwhelming. I joke that I will have to do a full investigation. It is exhausting! Sometimes you don't feel like researching everything you eat or spend hours researching before you go on a trip. Here are 3 helpful gluten-free resources to help make your journey less stressful.
1. Apps-My two favorites and the ones I use the most are: GF Scanner & Find Me GF
The gluten-free scanner helps when you are in the grocery store and want to find out if a product is gluten-free quickly. You can quickly scan the bar code to get an answer. Of course, not all products are in the app but many are. This makes searching so much quicker.
The second app Find me GF is fantastic when traveling. You can type in your location and find restaurants near you with gluten-free options. It will also state if the restaurant is 100% gluten-free. The best part of Find me GF is that the reviews are done by the gluten-free community. When you complete a review, you let them know if you have celiac, gluten intolerance, etc. I encourage you to submit reviews. It helps the whole community.
2. Gluten-Free Expos-My very first gluten-free expo changed my daughter's life. I had just been diagnosed and went to an expo to learn more about celiac and available products. As I stood in line I began speaking with a mom with her two children. In the course of the conversation, she explained that she had one child with celiac and one without.
It finally dawned on me that my daughter, who had stomach problems since she was an infant might also have celiac. I had taken her to specialists but never really got an answer. I was so new to celiac I didn't even think that my child could have the same issue I did. I'm so thankful that I wound up standing next to this woman. On a side note, I feel like things happen for a reason, and was so grateful that I stood next to this woman in line. I left the expo and had my child tested. The rest is history!
Gluten-free expos are fabulous because you can sample products to see if you like them before you buy them. Companies often hand out coupons so you can save a bit of money. As we all know gluten-free products are so much more expensive. I also like that they have different types of presenters. There is always more to learn!
This year I will be attending a few gluten-free expos. This coming weekend I will be attending the Wicked Gluten-Free Expo in Connecticut. I can't wait! If you are attending, please introduce yourself. I'd love to meet you!
3. Social media gluten-free bloggers/groups-These are a great place to learn about new products and read/watch reviews from other people. Many gluten-free events are posted online as well. It's nice to have an online community of people sharing similar struggles. Sometimes having celiac can feel isolating and lonely. Depending on where you live you may not know anyone or very few people that have celiac. It's nice when you read a post and can relate to it and know other people understand. Some are just plain funny, "Phil Hates Gluten," makes me laugh!
Gluten-free groups are also beneficial! There is a group for almost every city and many countries. When traveling you can ask about specific places and where you can get safe food. It's good to have other celiacs help you choose where to eat based on their experience. I tend to be pretty sensitive to cross-contamination so I always feel safer when a fellow celiac gives me a recommendation!
*As a disclaimer you always need to fact-check as not everything on social media or online is correct. As always your medical doctor should be where you get all your medical information.
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