Being gluten free has its pros and cons. I really don’t mind it much, which is really saying something because before I worked up to it, I thought I’d die without pizza and bread and desserts. Nowadays I hardly miss them.
Like any other lifestyle change, you get used to it, and you find replacements for your old favorites. Plus, I wouldn’t trade the way I feel now for the way I felt when I was eating gluten for the tastiest artisan bread in the world.
Eating at home is no big deal. I know what to buy and what not to buy, and I prepare plenty of delicious gluten-free fare every day.
Eating out is a different story. It is a bit stressful to eat at a restaurant. I always have to inform the waitress of my food restrictions and pray the people in the kitchen get it right. Fortunately most restaurants are quite accommodating, and gradually more and more are getting on the bandwagon and learning to cater to a variety of common food sensitivities so even that isn’t such a big deal anymore.
There is really just one situation that makes eating gluten free almost impossible — the social gathering.
When I attend a general social gathering where food is served and you have no ability to order to your specifications, I usually don’t eat anything at all. It’s not fun, but it’s the safest way to ensure that I don’t get contaminated and spend the next week in pain.
I attend many events with my various blogging engagements, and I have learned to eat ahead of time and bring along a gluten-free bar in case I get hungry. I don’t really mind, but it takes some forethought and planning, and it can get expensive — especially attending conferences, when you need to eat out for all three meals a day.
You can imagine my excitement when I arrived at the Cheap Sally party at BlogHer and discovered that Udi’s Gluten Free Foods was one of the sponsors.
I’m a HUGE fan of Udi’s. They make some of the tastiest and highest quality gluten free foods around. I like them so much that I wrote a series of posts last winter for their Gluten Free Toolkit.
Their bread is actually palatable (no small feat for the gluten-free among us) and their cookies and muffins are delicious. I actually serve their cookies to company, and they never know they are gluten free.
At the Cheap Sally party, I was able to eat a hamburger ON A BUN for the first time in nine months. (Udi’s provided the buns!) Then I spent most of the night hanging out in the Udi’s booth noshing on Snickerdoodles and Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins (more like cake than muffins.)
My kids like their cookies so much that I have to hide them or they will be all gone before I get a chance to have my first one. These are ideal for sending to school if your child (or someone in his/her class) is on a gluten-free diet. Everyone likes them. Seriously. Everyone who stopped by the Udi’s booth at Cheap Sally remarked how good they were.
Nowadays with so many people living gluten free, it’s nice to know that you can pick up something yummy to serve that your guests can eat, even if you aren’t restricted to gluten-free foods.
If you have kids with gluten-free friends, be sure to pick up some Udi’s cookies when they are at your house for sleepovers and birthday parties. Trust me, sitting out while everyone else is eating dessert is no. fun. at. all. It’s hard enough as an adult, but for a kid, it has to be especially rough. You can also pick up some Udi’s gluten-free bagels or muffins to have on hand for breakfast, and they’ll love you for it.
Try them out and see what you think. Even if you don’t have to eat gluten free, Udi’s products are made with high quality, natural ingredients that you can feel good about serving your family.
This post is sponsored by Udi’s Gluten Free. As always, all opinions are my own.
We’ve been gluten free for about a year now and it does get easier. There are a lot of companies out there making delicious alternatives, you just have to find them. LOL! Like I JUST discovered GF English muffins. Why? Because they were in the FREEZER section. I never thought to look there, but they are really good.
So count me in girlfriend. I’d love to win the gift certificate!
Have a great day.
Kim
While we are not a gluten-free household, I would definitely like to try some of Udi’s products. Those Chocolate Chocolate Chip muffins look delicious!!
I have a 30 yo daughter who was just diagnosed with celiac, so this would be a perfect giftie for her!
I do miss those things because buying gluten free foods is expensive!
We don’t have gluten issues in our family, but I’d be interested to taste some of those Udi products. They look delicious!
We have been trying to find inexpensive gluten free food, it is so hard. I have never tried products by this company before, would love to try it. Thanks for a great giveaway!
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We buy Udi’s GF white sandwich bread on a weekly basis (our favorite). I haven’t tried the buns, muffins or granola yet, but would love to!
Mmm. Udi’s. I’ve been gluten-free for about seven months now, and for me that has been seven months with little-to-no bread products because it’s so hard to find GF versions that are actually good! I do like udi’s bread though. I can find a loaf of udi’s white rice bread in the supermarket freezer ….. IF I get there before the other gluten-free shopper has taken every last loaf to stock their freezer. I’ve never seen any other Udi’s products . . . maybe I’m shopping at the wrong store. :/
We are working on going gluten free for my son!
I had eczema for years before I figured out that gluten could be the culprit. I read and hemmed and hawed for months and months before I decided to do a test run. I was too afraid to give up cookies, bread and pizza. For Lent I decided to take the plunge and give up gluten during the week and eat it only the weekend to see if it really changed my eczema and foggy/tired yucky feeling. My rash went away the first full week of Lent and when I had pizza with the family over the weekend and I immediately started to itch. The next day I was dragging and grrrumpy…more so than usual, anyway. Every week was the same old thing. I finally caught on and decided to go completely Gluten-free right around Easter. I felt sorry for myself for about a week. Like you said, however, it’s simply not worth sacrificing precious time in which you feel awful just for a cookie or slice of pizza.
I have eaten a cheese sandwich for lunch since I can remember, so Udi’s bread has been a lifesaver and really made this change, “not so hard” at lunchtime. I would love to try their hamburger and hot dog buns! I eat their granola with some berries farm fresh yogurt (it’s the only way I can stand to eat yogurt) I’d love to try some of their desserts as well…I think…I have delved into g-free desserts…a little afraid to awaken that beast!
I am a happy follower!
Thanks to you, I’ve been wondering if a gluten intolerance is causing my headaches. I may be trying out Udi’s soon!!
Those sliders at the Cheap Sally party were amazing. I would have never known they were gluten free.
Oh, I hope someone who does have to be gf wins! I love Udi’s stuff, the muffins and the bread and especially the cookies!! My daughter has to be gf and I love being able to provide her similar foods “normal” people eat, though it can get incredibly expensive (why does gf food have to cost four times as much as the traditional food, yet made with fewer and cheaper materials?). This is such a wonderful giveaway. Thank you!!
Oooh, and I’m a subscriber. 🙂 Love reading you daily in my feed reader!
My hubby has a gluten sensitivity and gets headaches a lot. Would love this for him!
My 10 year old daughter is newly gluten-free… I am doing it with her in solidarity;) She has had asthma, allergies, terrible eczema and stomach troubles for years. We have allergy tested, treated, cut suspicious foods, and done just about everything we and the allergist can think of to help her feel better- to no avail-she just has these frustrating symptoms to live with…..ANYWAY-gluten-free is the one thing that seems to help, we have tried it on and off over the years,it is hard on her to avoid the foods she loves and hard for her to stick to for a child-but it helps tremendously.
Ooh me! Pick me!!! I would love this!!! I’m in the process of shifting my entire family over to eating GF, which I have been since this past November. fun times!
…and I’m a subscriber…read you daily either in google reader or click over from FB.
I always have a tough time packing lunches for my son who is on a gf diet. He does love Udi’s so that helps some. Yes, it was great that Udi’s was at the Cheap Sally party.
We are not gluten free but a couple members of my family have tummy issues. Maybe I should look into it!
This is my “I subscribe to Musings” entry!! Totally LOVE your blog JoLynne!!
We went GF when my daughter was diagnosed with Autism. She was officially diagnosed in November and by January I had decided to try the GF diet. It has worked SOOOO well I can’t help but recommend it to other parents with spectrum kids. Her attention span has improved so much that she mastered ALL of her education goals for NEXT school year during her summer therapy sessions. I couldn’t be happier. You can read about a fantastic French Toast recipe I made with Udi’s bread at my blog.
So excited to try their cookies-esp the snickerdoodles!!!
I wish I would make myself go gluten free but I’m just not motivated enough. I’d love to try some GF products.
I’m an e-mail subsriber
I have a good friend who has had go gluten-free while nursing her baby! She would love this!!
I wish I could find those snickerdoodlers here in town but no luck yet… they are SO good!!
I’m a subscriber as well… 🙂
My 9 year old has been gluten free for almost 3 years. I never expect others to provide food for him at parties BUT what a blessing would that be if they did?? Udi’s does make some of the best gluten free bread around! We haven’t tried the snickerdoodles but can’t wait!
Love your blog! Thanks for the gluten free encouragement!
We are trying to become more open to gluten free, as many friends and family members are not gluten tolerant. We want to feel equally comfortable eating gluten free as non-gluten free. We have an amazing bakery down the street that is renowned for their pastries; Sweet Christines. Keep up the good eating, friend!
We aren’t gluten-free, but my husband has had some physical symptoms that has me wondering if we should try it. I enjoy reading your blog – thanks for the good reading.
My 6 year old daughter is gluten free and loves the hamburger buns. She will ask for a bun for a snack 🙂
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Almost my entire extended family is gluten free, so when we get together at our house (which is often), it’s challenging for me to have food around that they can eat. I would love to win this so I have things they can eat when they come by!
I am a subscriber as well.
DH and DD are both Gluten Sensitive. I’d love to try some new things like this, especially with school lunches now being an issue….thanks for offering!
I TOTALLY follow you on RSS!!!
I’m gluten free but I have a number of other restrictions at the moment so I barely eat anything out of a package (one flavor of Lara bars work OK for me) and it’s so sad. I’d take winning this as a sign I’m allowed to put a few things back into my diet..
Connie, check out their ingredients. Many of their products contain no dairy or soy or nuts – many of the common allergens.
It is really hard to eat yummy food when you have so many dietary restrictions. And I hate paying more for food, and finding its not even edible….
You are right. Eating at home is easy; eating at a social function is essesntially “not eating.” However, I have made such wonderful gluten-free, dairy-free desserts at home that friends with no such issues say they have never eaten better cake or even cheesecake in their lives. That being said, there is no reason to turn down great ready-to-eat products! I have not tried Udi’s, but would love to do so.
I subscribe to your blog via my google reader.
I started eating gluten free about 3 years ago because of health issues and i believe a bonus in eating GF is that I was able to get pregnant after 6 years of trying!! They do say that issues with gluten can cause infertility so it was a double blessing for me!
this is my “bonus” for being a subscriber. I love reading your blog. Thank you!!
My 4yo daughter was recently diagnosed with Celiac disease. We are trying to learn how to cook foods that she will eat – and that work for the rest of the family too. It would be wonderful to try some more of these products. We do buy the regular Udi’s bread for her already.
Just subscribed for an extra entry. 🙂
Love Udi’s! Especially the chocolate muffins. Have not seen the snicker doodles in the store yet though. Yes, eating out is a bit of a challenge but so many restaurants are so much more accommodating these days.
My sister is gluten free, and I know that it is hard for her sometimes. When she comes to visit my house or my mom’s house, she brings her own bars to supplement. I am really trying to learn more about it so that I can accommodate her better. She doesn’t want to impose, so she won’t give me specific ideas on what to serve. She’s also told me that the really good tasting gluten free food is expensive. I think I’m going to send her your post! It might help her, if even just a bit. Thanks for sharing, Jo-Lynne!
Thanks for this post! My 9-year-old niece was recently diagnosed with Celiac disease and it is very difficult to find options for her in their small community. I’m going to share this post with my sister and should I win, I’m hoping Udi’s would send the prize to her instead of me. Thanks again.
I’ve been gluten free for almost 2 years now, but just 3 weeks ago my oldest son, after seeing the change in how I was feeling first hand, decided to go gluten free. Since then, getting enough bread has been a struggle. I personally eat about 1 grilled cheese a month but he likes his sandwiches. Udis is the best. My favorite is their bagels.
I’ve been Gluten Free for just over a year. Some days it is easier than others. I admit I struggle with it sometimes. Udi’s is by far my favorite GF bread. I would love to try their buns! A REAL burger on a BUN – I can’t imagine!
We don’t have many Gluten Free items in our area. I would love to try some of these!
I’ll be hitting my one year gluten-free anniversary in few days, having been mis-diagnosed with fibromyalgia that was actually a gluten sensitivity. I love Udi’s – I even cut a loaf of their bread into cubes and toasted it to make my Thanksgiving stuffing last Thanksgiving. No one knew any different!
I have yet to try our gluten free test drive to see how my daughter reacts. I know, I’ve been talking about it for m-o-n-t-h-s. I need to get my rear in gear. I keep meaning to try Udis but I’d have to make a special trip since the bulk of my shopping is at Trader Joes. One of these days…
I’m a subscriber ( I feel like there should be a tune to that, it’s ringing a bell somewhere in the depths of my brain.)
I’ve been gluten-free for about 5 years now.
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I am a subscriber.