Friday

Celiac Disease Explained For Kids

Has your child been diagnosed with Celiac Disease? Want a stress free, entertaining way of explaining the condition to your little one? Check out the video below! It's produced by Kumquats (named so because the original puppet was orange like the fruit).




Tuesday

Kinnikinnick Gluten Free Pizza Crust Review






Being a square is pretty awesome thanks to Kinnikinnick's Gluten Free Pizza Crust. This is by far  the best GF pizza crust I have ever eaten. Well worth the price in my opinion.


Why Do I love Kinnikinnick Gluten Free Pizza Crust?

  • 4 individual size crusts per box
  • Bakes in about 17 minutes via my toaster oven
  • Once created, these pizza's freeze beautifully.
  • The crust is tender with the right amount of crunch and feels light in your mouth. Not dense or cracker-like.
  • My non-GF hubby will eat this...happily!
  • Cost's about $8.99 per box




 The  holes in the top of the crust are not an imperfection. They  are there to help the pizza rise by creating air flow. The bottom of the pizza crust is dusted with cornmeal to prevent sticking to pan.


My favourite GF pizza sauce to use is Primo Pizza Squeeze. Just the right amount of tang and sweetness. I prefer the squeeze bottle to the canned sauces for convenience.


Kinnikinnick is one of the largest gluten-free / nut free  manufacturing facilities in the world. Please visit their website for a complete product listing or to shop online. 




Friday

Air Canada Centre's Epic Fail Response To A Gluten Free Inquiriy



Thank you for your email. Unfortunately, we are not able to send out autographed items or pictures. Autographs are done at the discretion of the players/staff, so you would have to write to them individually at the following address. We do not encourage fans to send in items to be signed as we cannot guarantee there return. 


Name 
50 Bay St, Suite 500 
Toronto, ON 
M5J 2L2 



Thanks again,
Fan Services
Your Comment @ 2011-09-14 13:30:40 
Subject Category: Fan Services
Good Afternoon,
Can you please tell me if there are any Gluten Free options available at the ACC. As a fan with Celiac Disease I would like be certain that there are Gluten Free options myself (along with other Celiac's) as well as staff trained about cross contamination.
1 in 133 Canadians have Celiac Disease. There is no cure and the only treatment is a strict Gluten Free diet.





**********UPDATE************

Below is a response (09/17/11) I received one day after 
 the one from above. Clearly someone ended up reading my email this time. Although ACC does not offer much, a proper response is a nice gesture.



Dear SANDRA,
Thank you for your email.Unfortunately there are not a lot of options at the Air Canada Centre in regards to gluten-free food items. Jamie Kennedy fries and our fruit cups are gluten-free and are available for most events. In addition to those, there are modifications we can make to accomodate you. Take for example we serve a prime rib sandwich, we could serve you prime rib without the bread. Also if you let us know ahead of time of when you are attending an event then we can prepare something in advance for you.Thanks for being a fan and hope to see you at the ACC soon!Fan Services   

Wednesday

How To Survive Halloween Gluten Free


It's best to discuss any school Halloween activities with your child's teacher. Prepare a special snack (ie: a cupcake or decorated cookies) for your child to eat during the celebration. 
I would also suggest giving the teacher a loot bag containing  Gluten Free goodies. This prevents temptation and the feeling of being left out as there can be a lot of that darn gluten at school.


There are numerous Gluten Free "safe" candy lists published online.  Although I had thought about researching and creating an updated list, in the end I decided not to. My reasoning for this is to encourage the constant checking of ingredients and not to create a so called safety net of sorts, that may inadvertently give a false sense of security. Sounds over the top right? 




  • Ingredients can and do change frequently
  • There may be confusion between a full size product and it's miniature counterpart as they often have different ingredients
  • American and Canadian versions of the same product tend to have different ingredients

It may be time consuming but reading the ingredients on the package is key to having a successful trick or treating experience. Keep in mind that some companies do post a Gluten Free label on their candy which can be helpful. I would still advise reading the label in it's entirety to be sure that there is no risk of cross contamination.  


Check ALL treats before they are consumed but have some fun with it. It's easy to make a game by grouping the candy into piles.
  1. Safe Candy
  2. Not Safe Candy - This group of treats can be donated to a sibling, perhaps as a trade or even designated as a treat pile for mom and dad.
If there is No Ingredient List-contact manufacturer or place in the Not Safe pile
    If you feel that there may not be enough "safe" treats handed out, create a Gluten Free goodie bag. Remember, not every treat needs to be candy. Think temporary tatoos, stickers, hair accessories, bracelets, glow sticks, Halloween themed story books and movie's. The possibilities are endless.



    Tuesday

    Spelt, Kamut, Ezekiel and Confusion



    Spelt, Kamut and Ezekiel bread.  There seems to be a mecca of people who just don't understand  grain. Although these grains may be easier for some people (who can maintain a normal diet) to digest, they are NOT and never have been safe for those with Celiac Disease.


    It is important to note that although an item can be labelled "wheat free", that does not mean it is gluten free as well. In order to be safe for consumption, a product must be both wheat and gluten free.

    Spelt and Kamut are a form of wheat.They are often referred to as “ancient grains,” which is just a fancy way of saying that they have not been modified.

    Ezekiel Bread contains a combination of wheat, spelt, rye, barley, and millet along with  great northern beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans. The only difference with this type of bread is that it is made from sprouted grains. Still a giant no for Celiac's.

    According to the Health Canada website - Gluten: any gluten protein or modified protein, including any protein fraction derived from the grains of the following cereals: barley, oats, rye, triticale, wheat, kamut or spelt.  The definition would also apply to the grains of hybridized strains of the cereals listed above.

    The below chart from U.S Dept. of Health and Human Services breaks down the different species of grains. It does a good job of showing the many different and often confusing forms of grain that are not safe. It also shows which grains are indeed safe to eat.

    Allowed Foods
    amaranth
    arrowroot
    buckwheat
    cassava
    corn
    flax
    Indian rice grass
    Job's tears
    legumes
    millet
    nuts
    potatoes
    quinoa
    rice
    sago
    seeds
    sorghum
    soy
    tapioca
    teff
    wild rice
    yucca
    Foods To Avoid
    wheat
    • including einkorn, emmer, spelt, kamut
    • wheat starch, wheat bran, wheat germ, cracked wheat, hydrolyzed wheat protein
    barley
    rye
    triticale (a cross between wheat and rye)
    Other Wheat Products
    bromated flour
    durum flour
    enriched flour
    farina
    graham flour
    phosphated flour
    plain flour
    self-rising flour
    semolina
    white flour
    Processed Foods that May Contain Wheat, Barley, or Rye*
    bouillon cubes
    brown rice syrup
    candy
    chips/potato chips
    cold cuts, hot dogs, salami, sausage
    communion wafers
    French fries
    gravy
    imitation fish
    matzo
    rice mixes
    sauces
    seasoned tortilla chips
    self-basting turkey
    soups
    soy sauce
    vegetables in sauce
    Do not feel obligated to try something just because someone tells you that it is safe. Well intentioned people make errors from time to time. I have seen two Canadian talk shows to date that have had (cooking and fitness) guest's speak about food being gluten free when in reality said food is not GF. 


    There are also those who don't have your best interest at heart and are just trying to make a quick buck. Unless you are 100% sure something is safe, don't risk it. In the end, your health is top priority.




    Disclosure

    This policy is valid from 23 February 2013

    This is a personal blog written and edited by me. All opinions are that of my own. I am not a healthcare professional or an expert. All information presented in this blog is purely that of my own experience and or opinion. Please consult a medical professional before making any changes to your diet.

    I write this blog as a hobby that I am passionate about. From time to time, I may receive monetary compensation for a sponsored post. I only work with brands that I trust and would use in my own home.

    This blog accepts complimentary products for review. The opinions I have of a product will never be swayed by a company sending me an item(s) for free. I take into consideration the opinion of family members who are gluten-free due to Celiac Disease and I also value the opinions of non-gluten free family members. Taste is a matter of personal opinion so please use your own discretion and don't take my opinion as a gold standard.

    Any ingredient or gluten-free claims should be verified with the restaurant/manufacturer as things can and do change.

    For questions about this blog, please contact: sandra@glutenfreedoll.com

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