So you're eating gluten free . . . reflections
Creative Commons image credit, below
You are at a concert, listening to a friend play viola in a community chamber orchestra. You love the energetic piece they just finished, but, wow, are you ever hungry! Good thing the piece was so loud and dramatic, or someone might have heard your stomach rumble.
Out of the corner of your eye you see a table with tempting delectables in the foyer, for the reception afterwards. When the last encore has been played and bow taken, you congratulate your friend and sidle over to the refreshments, where you find . . . . a mixture of gluten-laden brownies, cookies, crackers, and -- at the end of the table -- a few somewhat sad-looking carrot and celery sticks.
Well, looks like carrots and celery are your new best friend. Nutritious, fibrous, yes, but . . . You rummage around in your back pocket, for that squished energy bar, or in your purse to see whether a few almonds may have dropped to the bottom of the lining. Sure, you have a little gluten-free food in the car, but wouldn't it be nice to just . . . eat?
Whether you are eating gluten free because you have to or because you want to, I maintain that you should be able to eat gluten free anywhere. With estimates that celiac disease affects at least 1/133 people (and, of course, many people who eat gluten free do so because they are gluten sensitive, allergic, or intolerant for other reasons besides celiac disease) the option to eat gluten free food is not just a nicety, but a necessity.
That being said, I don't have anything against gluten. And, if I could eat it, I probably would, now and then. Particularly when I sit down with some people at a nice restaurant, and they bring a basket of still-steaming crusty artisan bread, with a little plate of balsamic vinegar and oil for dipping, I feel really . . . well, hungry(!)
But wouldn't it be nice if it became de rigueur to bring both GF and glutenized bread (did I just invent that word, glutenized?) ???
* *
This site is designed for you, the person who does not quite have the time or inclination to make all your own gluten-free food and take it with you everywhere, all the time.
Copyright, Karen Fleur Tofti-Tufarelli, 2010-2011, all rights reserved
Out of the corner of your eye you see a table with tempting delectables in the foyer, for the reception afterwards. When the last encore has been played and bow taken, you congratulate your friend and sidle over to the refreshments, where you find . . . . a mixture of gluten-laden brownies, cookies, crackers, and -- at the end of the table -- a few somewhat sad-looking carrot and celery sticks.
Well, looks like carrots and celery are your new best friend. Nutritious, fibrous, yes, but . . . You rummage around in your back pocket, for that squished energy bar, or in your purse to see whether a few almonds may have dropped to the bottom of the lining. Sure, you have a little gluten-free food in the car, but wouldn't it be nice to just . . . eat?
Whether you are eating gluten free because you have to or because you want to, I maintain that you should be able to eat gluten free anywhere. With estimates that celiac disease affects at least 1/133 people (and, of course, many people who eat gluten free do so because they are gluten sensitive, allergic, or intolerant for other reasons besides celiac disease) the option to eat gluten free food is not just a nicety, but a necessity.
That being said, I don't have anything against gluten. And, if I could eat it, I probably would, now and then. Particularly when I sit down with some people at a nice restaurant, and they bring a basket of still-steaming crusty artisan bread, with a little plate of balsamic vinegar and oil for dipping, I feel really . . . well, hungry(!)
But wouldn't it be nice if it became de rigueur to bring both GF and glutenized bread (did I just invent that word, glutenized?) ???
* *
This site is designed for you, the person who does not quite have the time or inclination to make all your own gluten-free food and take it with you everywhere, all the time.
- What are the best portable gluten-free snacks? See potluck
- Which restaurants make dining gluten-free a great experience? See friendly dining options
- How does one know whether it's gluten free? See can I eat it?
- What are the latest credentialing and labeling requirements? See nitty-gritty of gluten free
- Where can you find other people who also eat gluten-free? See safari cheer
- What is the best way to eat gluten free in social situations, such as lunch-time job interviews, big family events, potlucks, or first dates? See friendly dining options or living gracefully gluten free in a gluten-centric world
- What are some great gluten-free recipes to make for holiday potlucks, or just for you? See holiday/recipes
- What progress is being made in gluten awareness, so that it's easy to eat gluten free if you're out and about? See the home page or the blog.
- Can eating gluten free help one to lose weight? See gluten free for a healthy weight?
Copyright, Karen Fleur Tofti-Tufarelli, 2010-2011, all rights reserved
