Insist on Your Choice of Restaurant

Do you really need to be selfish when it comes to eating out? YES, mainly if you have limited choices because of your dietary restrictions. Feeling bad because you think others are loosing out? Drop that feeling of guilt because that other person wouldn't feel the same about the situation if they were in your shoes. 

People who aren't GF don't understand what we go through, they think it's silly or our digestive discomfort isn't that bad, and we should just put up with it. Seriously? When is the last time anyone enjoyed having pain and stomach cramps for three days because they ate a doughnut? Maybe some twisted masochist, but for the rest of the living comfortably crowd, we would instead feel good and eat good food, just like everyone else.

Take that gluten-free app, your restaurant guide, or your friend's advice and insist you eat at the restaurant which you CAN eat. The person that says "Well, hey, they have salads!", tell them the last time you checked you were not a manatee. 

Be your gluten-free selfie-and own your GF status! Be bold, fearless and insist on your choice of eating establishment because, after all, your tastebuds need to be satisfied just like everyone else!

​For great advice on how to travel gluten-free, grab my Guide to Traveling Gluten-Free on Amazon today!

#2 Find a Gluten-Free Restaurant

Finding a GF restaurant may not sound hard, until you try to look for one, especially in a rural area. Cities have more food choices, and you can easily find a gluten-free option in a town, but what about less populated areas?

One of my favorite tools to find gf restaurants is Find Me Gluten Free App. Jason Elmore, creator of this app, is celiac. He decided to make the app after being frustrated about the difficulty of finding food that is safe to eat when you are eating out.

To find out more about Jason and how he created the Find Me Gluten Free App,

I really enjoy a great road trip. This means an extended weekend or a planned multi-day trip which involves stopping and eating at places I've never heard of. That can be as easy as brushing a furry knot out of my long-haired cat when I'm not sure what's available in the next town, especially when I'm in the middle of nowhere. I've found a few ways to lessen the hardship of gluten-free on the road.

#1 Carry food with you at all times. Yes, and bring a superhero along with you as well (is Captain America available?). This can be easy if you find out what you like and keep it on hand. My suggestion: gluten-free protein bars and cookies. I really like protein drinks (single-serve powder is most accessible, although it can be costly). I take the protein from my bulk container and double bag the protein. This keeps costs down but gives me a few meals to hold me over until I find a safe restaurant to eat at.

Always bring yummy snack foods with you for the ride. Gas Stations do not have many gluten-free offerings, except for Oregon and California. These are the only two states which I have found more than 2 or 3 safe snacks to eat.

My favorite gluten-free snacks are KaPop Snacks, Deliciousness Foods, and Jai Mix. I've interviewed each of these owners on my podcast, and I would feel safe eating these snacks, even on vacation! They are reliable and do not use any gluten in their products or their process.

Remember to not carry chocolate with you on your road trip, chocolate melts, and makes a mess. Be cautious of coconut oil, as this will quickly melt in your car!

Check back for your next gluten-free on the road trip next blog!​

​For great advice on how to travel gluten-free, grab my Guide to Traveling Gluten-Free on Amazon today!

What comes to your mind when you think of gluten-free? Maybe you think of eating tasteless bread or not eating bread at all! Your mind may flurry on all of your favorite desserts that which contain piles of gluten and can never be eaten again! You may feel that if you have to lead a life of being gluten-free that your life would be over for good.

You'll be happy to know that’s not the case! You can lead a gluten-free lifestyle and still eat your favorite desserts with some of these tips and tricks to make your new experience a good one.

When you first embark on your new gluten-free life, you may feel a little let down because many items contain gluten. Now, it will be necessary to do a little searching around in order to find foods which are gluten free. Here are some easy food choices to start with on your gluten-free journey
Breads
Gluten-free breads are easy to find and are plentiful even in regular supermarkets. Some brands which I have a fondness for are Canyon Bakehouse, B Free, Udi's and Franz.  Look around the bakery of your local market - you may even find some local gluten-free breads on your supermarket's shelves. There are also many different flavors of gluten-free bread including white bread, multigrain, and Hawaiian bread. You are sure to find a flavor in the varieties of gluten-free bread to choose from.

Pasta
There are literally dozens and dozens of gluten-free pasta brands on the shelves today! Such a variety to choose from, and 

One afternoon while driving home, it came to fruition how finding a good restaurant with options is similar to finding a good guy to date. At first glance, you may wonder how I came to connect these two (you may also wonder about my sanity, but that's a subject for a different kind of blog). 

No. 1
Comfort
When looking for a good restaurant, you want to find a place that makes you feel comfortable. Your date should also make you feel comfortable as well, because, if he (or she) seriously isn't then you're not going to go back out with that person again, at least you shouldn't. Who wants to spend time at a restaurant (or on a date) in an uncomfortable situation? Only masochists, and I for sure, do not fall into that category!

No. 2
Smell and Taste
One of the very first senses that picks up good food is your sense of smell. If the food smells good, then for the most part, it will taste good. We all like to eat food that tastes good, no matter what foods we cannot eat. For those of us who are gluten-free, we are limited, but still look for yummy food! Like your food, your date 

Gluten is the protein found in many varieties of grain. Gluten can be found in  wheat, rye, barley and triticale. Just in the category of wheat alone, there are several sub-categories of grains: wheatberries, durum, emmer, semolina, spelt, farina, farro, graham, KAMUT® khorasan wheat and einkorn. Gluten is the glue that helps maintain the shape of your dough when baking. Gluten is sticky and keeps moisture locked into that yummy loaf of bread that you're making. This is the reason why gluten-free baked goods are more dry and fall apart easier than their gluten counterparts. 

Yes, there are foods you can commonly find wheat (and other gluten containing grains). Here is a list of common gluten-containing foods: