Gluten free… the first year
10 things I wish I knew in the beginning of being gluten intolerant.
Hello peeps, @GlutenAl here. I don’t know about you, but my first year as a gluten freak was painful…in more ways than one. It was a tough ol’ learning curve and to coin The Faces’ ‘Ooh La La’ track “I wish I knew what I know now”. So if you’re newly diagnosed, or still struggling with ‘the change’, read my top ten tips to help you get through the first year, relatively, unscathed.
If you don’t feel like reading, I’ve filmed a version of this blog (for those who want to sit back and watch me do the hard work). So scroll to the bottom of this article and get the GF popcorn out!
“Yes Madam, the chips are gluten free*”

The chips may be gluten free, but don’t let that be the end of question time. Remain in ‘Dimbleby’ mode and ask if the chips are cooked in the same fryers as gluten-containing dishes like onion rings and battered fish etc. If they are, steer well clear. GF friendly restaurants are aware of this cross contamination, but most pubs (yes even the little cute ones) won’t be.

“Yes Sir, we have gluten free toast*”
Similar to the pub chips scenario, many hotels do provide gluten free bread for toast. The problem is, most of them (certainly in my early experiences) pop the gluten free bread in the same toaster…resulting in cross contamination and a day trip to the loo. Those crumbs might look innocent to the hotel staff. To you, it’s kryptonite! It’s ok to ask where it’s being toasted.

Not everything GF is in the FreeFrom aisle
Supermarket’s free from aisles are getting bigger and better. But don’t be duped into thinking that this aisle is your food utopia. Many tasty treats and healthy foods that aren’t stocked in these aisles can be found elsewhere in store. For instance, some free from Pesto can be three times the price of normal Pesto. But most Pesto doesn’t contain gluten, so why pay more? If you have other allergies beyond gluten, then yes you’ll have to buy the free from Pesto. But you see my point. Get yourself label and ingredient savvy and don’t feel monopolised by the free from aisle.

Dietary cards for travelling abroad
We all know that traveling can be a pain when you don’t speak the local lingo. But most of the time we get away with pointing at the menu’s dishes and signalling quantities with our fingers. Add to this the impossible task of explaining you can’t eat “gluten”. Instead of shouting “GLUE….TEN” slowly, get yourself some dietary cards. These handy cards explain your allergy (and what you can and can’t eat) and are translated for the country you’re visiting. Download to your phone (or print them out) hand to the waiter before ordering and bon appetito!!!! http://www.celiactravel.com/cards/

“It’s an allergy not a choice”
I hate myself every time these words leave my mouth. But the truth is that sometimes it needs to be said. There are many people who avoid gluten (to lose weight for instance) but wouldn’t know if they were eating it. Unlike them, you will! If you mutter these words (or words to this effect) to the restaurant’s waiting staff they can help cater for you better.

Going for a day out? Think Paddington Bear
That’s right people, pack yourself a lunch box. If you like channeling your inner Anneka Rice and racing around tracking down gluten free sandwich stockists, then be my guest. But unless you’re in a large metropolitan city, you might struggle. If you’ve packed yourself a lunchbox and you do find a gf pub, stall or cafe, then tuck in. But there’s nothing like the smell of a glutenous burger van to heighten your hunger and press your angry button.

Fancy a tipple? Remember ‘The Highlander’
The Highlander is a cocktail featuring scotch whiskey, vodka and gin. And yes my gluten-avoiding chums, you can drink it. The common misconception with malt-based alcohol — especially scotch whiskey — is that it can’t be gluten free. The truth is that distilled alcohol is inherently gluten free. The distilling process removes the gluten proteins. It’s proven by the National Institutes of Health’s Coeliac Awareness Campaign.

“Can I get you any condiments?”
Like all foods, if gluten is present in a condiment it must be listed. But most restaurants don’t give you the bottle. So whether you’re home or away, here’s what you need to know about some of the more common condiments…
Ketchup: Many well known branded ketchups, like Heinz, are gluten free. Most supermarket own-brands aren’t. If the ingredients list malt vinegar (and depending on your sensitivity) barley, avoid!
Vinegar: This is a tricky one peeps, pay attention. According to The Vinegar Institute, the most commonly used starting materials for vinegar are apple, grape, corn, and rice. If non-distilled vinegar uses wheat, barley, or rye as a starting material, the vinegar is not gluten free. Basically, malt vinegar is not gluten free because it contains malt …which contains barley!
Mustard: Mustard seeds and mustard flour are gluten free. BUT… traditional English Mustard (like Colman’s) contains wheat flour. Some mustards can even contain malt vinegar. Many wholegrain mustards (like Maille) are gluten free, they just don’t always feature ‘gluten free’ on the label.
Mayonaise: Hellman’s mayonnaise is gluten free. Again, as mentioned before, it just doesn’t label itself as. The ‘free from’ mayo is more expensive than everyday mayos, but if you only need to avoid gluten and don’t need to avoid other allergens (like eggs and milk) then you won’t need to buy the free from mayo.
Gravy: Unless you make your own gravy (with gf gravy granules, or gf stocks from brands like Knorr) be very cautious. Many restaurants (and home chef’s) thicken up their gravy with ‘normal’ flour rather than corn flour. Posh restaurants will even thicken their sauces with what’s called “Beurre Manie” but don’t be fooled by this fancy sounding thickener. It is simply equal parts butter and flour. Prior to my GF days I used to love thickening and glossing up my sauces with this awesome trick. Nowadays, errr no!

Get yourself online
You’re already reading this blog, which is a great start! But keep going. Get yourself on Twitter and start following as many bloggers and vloggers as possible. The good ones (like me) aren’t affiliated with any brands, therefore we’ll be honest about what’s hot and what’s not. There are so many artisan bakeries and GF producers out there that simply don’t have the deep pockets and marketing budgets as the big boys. So it’s our aim to bring them to your attention. Here’s a few highly recommended bloggers and vloggers to get you started @GFBlogger @beckyexcell @wutheringbites @gfreeb @GFGuerrillas @freefromfairy @gfreviewsuk @DavidJ_GF @CoeliacAbroad @tracyattridge and me of course

And finally, my last tip
…and probably the most important, is to ask. Don’t be afraid to be ‘that person’. It’s better to ask and be sure, than to sit in silence and suffer. Trust your gut. If someone says “I think it’s safe” ring those alarm bells. My ol’ dear always says “If in doubt, don’t!”.
These are my personal experiences, but please proceed with caution, always ask and/or read the labels. If you have any other tips, or corrections, then do please let me know and I’ll update this blog or publish a new blog.
Cheers peeps
Al
Gluten Al is the Tummy Saving Expert.
He chews. He Reviews. He brings you the #GF news. Keep him close by:
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Remember the video version I mentioned earlier? Here it is…
Gluten Al is the Tummy Saving Expert.
He chews. He Reviews. He brings you the #GF news. Keep him close by:
Follow him on Twitter
Subscribe to him on YouTube
Like him on Facebook