A whole new world! With new horizons to pursue! So…You’re on a gluten free diet! Now what? There is so much information out there that it can be a little daunting to process and also a bit confusing! Here are my 10 tips to helping you on your way to a path of gluten free-ness!
Tip 1: Do your research
Coeliac UK is just one of many websites that was particularly helpful for me when I was first diagnosed with coeliac disease. It has lots of useful information as well as videos to guide you. Researching blogposts, youtube videos and pinterest definitely helped me and I am still pinning and discovering new bloggers very day! If you do your research, it will become a lot easier for you with your gluten free lifestyle. When travelling, it is extremely important to do your research first and find out about what you can eat and places to go. There are lots of gluten free travel bloggers out there, with helpful blogposts and youtube videos, so spend some time researching!
Tip 2: Get ‘appy’ with apps
Apps such as Coeliac uk and Food Advisr are very handy if you are trying to find out if certain ingredients in products contain gluten. They are also fun to use! There are also lots of apps to find recipe inspiration such as SuperCook, Cookpad and Allrecipes.
Tip 3: Get social and join some groups
I joined some facebook groups and was really amazed at how much information we were all sharing! It’s great to feel part of a community and share recipes, restaurant reviews, travel advice and even new gluten free finds! It’s always great to get advice on new places that cater for our needs!
Tip 4: Explore
Explore the world of gluten free! There’s a lot out there! Supermarkets have such a variety of free from products now. When I was first diagnosed, there was very little choice, so it is amazing to see how far we have come in just a few years. Do check the other aisles too as supermarkets can be very sneaky just to make more money out of us, when there are naturally gluten free products in the other aisles!
Tip 5: Labelling
Always check the labelling and ingredients of your gluten free items. Look out for the crossed grain gluten free product certification. If it says ‘may contain traces of…’ then it might not be an item that you want to buy.
Tip 6: Get Creative
You don’t have to be a chef to try out gluten free baking and cooking! Just have fun with it and experiment! You never know, you may just end up producing something absolutely awesome that you simply must share with the world!
Tip 7: Always Ask
Asking about the food you are ordering shouldn’t make you feel bad in any way. You want to ensure that your food is safe for you to eat, so don’t be afraid to ask!
Tip 8: Budget
Yes, being on the gluten free diet can be extremely expensive if you don’t set yourself a budget. Gluten free finds are exciting and sometimes you can get carried away and before you know it, you have spent all your money on gluten free snacks! Spend your money wisely, and don’t get sucked into the gluten free vortex because trust me, you will be broke!
Tip 9: Allergy and Free From Show and other free from events
There are lots of events that take place up and down the country throughout the year. We are pretty spoilt for choice when it comes to free from events. One of the main ones is the Allergy and Free From Show, in Olympia London, Liverpool and Glasgow, where you will be able to enjoy a whole day out meeting gluten free brands and free from brands who are showcasing their products.
Tip 10: Stay positive and don’t let gluten get you down!
Try and stay as positive as possible. I know that some days you will wish that you didn’t have to be on the gluten free diet, but after almost six years of being gluten free, I don’t even miss the non gluten free days anymore! The only thing I miss of course is my money, that is going down the drain faster than you can say gluten free! You may want to read my post how to stay upbeat when gluten gets you down.
♥