Is there gluten in oats?

This question - is there gluten in oats - is very common among people trying to follow a gluten free diet. It can be confusing since oats are a gluten-free grain, but many oatmeal products sold in stores are not labeled as gluten free. There's a reason.

The problem with oats is that they can easily be mixed, or come into contact, with gluten grains, like wheat. And if that happens, then the oat product you're buying would not be gluten free. 

So, this essentially boils down to companies that are willing to ensure the oats they buy and sell remain gluten free - or that steps are taken to eliminate any cross contamination.

This is why that question - is there gluten in oats - is sometimes tricky to answer.

The good news is that there are companies doing this and you can find gluten free oatmeal on store shelves. So, oatmeal can be gluten free. You just need to be aware of the product your buying, read the labels and look for a brand you trust.

I'm not personally endorsing any products here, nor is this a product review, but I want to point out that there are affiliate links in this post, which means I may receive a small commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Please know that I only promote by name and link products that I've personally tried and endorse. I never promote any product that I personally would not feed to my family or endorse to friends. The compensation received is used to support the blog.

To give you a sense of what's out there, I've listed a few examples below. You can also find a wide range of gluten free oatmeals available online through Amazon or through The Gluten Free Mall.

• Quaker Gluten Free Oats: In the familiar cylindrical container, Quaker offers a quick-cooking gluten free oatmeal.
  
• Quaker Instant Gluten Free Oatmeal: If you prefer the instant oatmeal packets, Quaker offers this as well in a variety of flavors.

• 
• Bob's Red Mill Old Fashioned Gluten Free Rolled Oats: You'll find Bob's in stores that offer
organic foods and in store aisles featuring gluten-free products. This is pricier, but respected.
• Live G Free Gluten Free Quick Cook Oats: Lower cost options? Yes, if you have an Aldi's near you, look for gluten free oatmeal there under the
  Live G Free brand.

Like many gluten free products, the variety and pricing for gluten free oatmeal has greatly improved. If you like oatmeal, you should find one of these options near you or order online. I hope this post has helped you better understand the question - is there gluten in oats?

Gluten free "Rice Krispies" treats - Glennys product review

I came across this treat in the store the other day. It's expensive -- I think about $5 a box. But, it was a nice surprise for my kids and will be an every-so-often treat for them. I'm going to try and replicate this recipe. If I do, I'll post it here.

 

The treat -- a gluten free marshmallow treat similar to Rice Krispies Treats -- is made by "glenny's." And, it's gluten-free and casein-free. 

Note that the box says there's the possibility of trace amounts of tree nuts.

These are very good and really provide a nice option to give kids their own gluten free rice krispies treat. And, the kids love the colorful wrappers.

I've noted the Glenny's website is not very thorough or up to date and the Facebook page is dated as well.

GFCF Rice Chex

So, hello everyone. I've been lax in posting for a while, but I'm still here. I realize I'm likely very behind on this one, but I didn't find out that General Mills made its Rice Chex cereal gluten-free. I popped in the supermarket today to check. They did. So, if your kids like cereal, this is a great option that you can grab in a bind. However, I noticed it's priced higher than the Health Valley Rice Crunch Ems I normally buy for my kids. So, which should I buy? With health value in mind, I'm sure the Health Valley is better, with no preservatives, etc. Pricewise, the Health Valley is less expensive and thru my food co-op, I can buy it in cases at a 20% discount. But, there's also some value in supporting a mainstream company -- General Mills -- that's willing to offer a gluten-free product on my supermarket shelf. Hmmm. Maybe, I'll buy one of each.

A GFCF offer, from me

Just a note that you'll soon notice a small ad -- for myself -- on this blog. I've been asked several times now how to convert recipes to GFCF or to develop GFCF meals that children will eat -- especially for kids with other food allergies and intolerances.

It's no problem -- I enjoy doing it. It just takes time and I've decided to offer it on a regular basis to those visiting my blog. The fees will be very affordable, but enough to cover the time it takes to do it. Payments would be accepted thru PayPal or check. I'll post those details later.

So, if you're interested, just email me, let me know what you're looking for and we can agree on a price before I start.

jim

More Amy's pizza -- GFCF spinach

Ok -- here's another Amy's review. And, it's another pizza. I'm very impressed with the taste of Amy's Kitchen pizzas so far. This time, we tried the Rice Crust Spinach Pizza. This is a whole frozen pizza, perfect for two to share for a meal, or four kids at snack time. Not too spinachy. Not too gluten-free-ey and again, very good soy cheese flavor. Like the last pizza, this has soy. So, obviously, if you're avoiding so, this isn't for you. And, again, with the rice crust, anyone avoiding rice should stay away. Overall, this tastes like a real pizza. Very tasty. I'd recommend this. The pizza is GFCF, Vegan and Kosher. It contains soy and rice and also has some potato in it.

Amy's gluten-free, dairy-free pizza

Ok -- so this is the first in a handful of product reviews that I'll post. Amy's Kitchen has supplied a few items with no strings attached. If I offer a poor review, they likely won't do it again. I agreed to this because I thought it might help readers looking for good pre-made products to grab in the store.

The first item is called the "Single Serve Non-Dairy Rice Crust Cheeze Pizza."

The first bite of Amy's gluten-free, casein-free pizza surprised me because it lacked the cardboardy taste of soy cheese.

The folks at Amy's somehow found a fake, soy mozzarella that really passed my taste test. I forgot I was eating a GFCF pizza.

Pizza is a tough issue in GFCF land. First is replicating the crust, which is not easy using GF flours. Second is how to replace the cheese. The options aren't great. Some skip it altogether (I'm among those since I can't stand soy cheese). Others suffer through the bad taste of soy cheese.

Many GFCF folks also cannot handle soy, leaving them little option. For those people (my kids included), this product is not for you. There's definitely soy in here.

If you can handle the soy, this pizza offered a very nice experience.

I'm impressed with the cheese replacement and equally impressed with the simplicity of the rice flour crust and the taste of the crust. Many GF bread products smell GFy from store aisles away. This didn't. It was good.

This is a personal-sized pizza that would be great to split for a lunch or snack. It might not be enough for a dinner -- if you split it. I would hesitate to serve the entire pizza to my child because of the fat (28g) and carb content (46g).

My wife and I split this pizza for an evening snack and we both enjoyed it.

As for allergens, Amy's is great about listing ingredients on their products and offers a tremendous website that notes allergen issues. This item is listed as gluten-free, dairy and lactose free, vegan, corn-free and kosher.

Other highlights worth noting are that the product has no trans fat, no added MSG and no preservatives.

Other notes from the ingredient list:

- the flour used is rice and tapioca.

- tomato is used for the sauce.

- oils used are safflower, sunflower and olive.

- the crust contains yeast.

- potatoes are listed.

I would recommend this product. Very tasty.

Amy's Kitchen review coming

I'll be reviewing some GFCF foods from Amy's Kitchen in the next few days and I'll post my review for you to read. You might already be familiar with Amy's, but if not, the company makes quality vegetarian and organic foods. Many are GFCF and the company's website offers easy-to-use guides for allergens like soy.

A GFCF caution with Ball Park Franks

It's amazing to me how good some companies have handled the gluten thing and how badly others have botched it -- and blown it. After all, I won't buy anything that possibly contains gluten, especially with those mysterious ingredients like "flavorings."

So, I'm sure you'll appreciate this phone conversation I had tonight with a Sara Lee Corp. representative. Sara Lee makes Ball Park Franks.

See, I stopped at Sams Club looking for a pack of Best's Kosher hot dogs, which is what I always buy for the kids. It's definitely GFCF, and they're good. But they were out. Unbelievable! So, I looked to the other shelves and there were the Ball Park Franks. I checked for some indication of gluten, but found nothing, either way. I struggled to remember my GFCF lists as to whether they contained any. I suspected they were OK. But, I hated to buy it and find out later I'd have to return it. (I should not now that, indeed, most GFCFers consider Ball Park Franks safe -- I glanced at a couple online lists after getting home.)

So I called the toll free number on the package from the store. In a few minutes, the rep asked what I needed. I told her. She said she could help me. I read the UPC numbers to her. And, then (here's where it gets nuts)...

She said, "Well, if you could tell me what type of gluten you're trying to avoid, I can help you."

A little stunned, I said, "Uh, all types."

She responded, "But there are many different forms of gluten. It's in wheat, corn, rice ...."

I had to stop her. "Sorry, I don't know what you're reading to me, but it's incorrect. There is no gluten in corn or rice. The information you're providing is factually incorrect."

"Sir, we're just asking that our customers trust our labels and trust that we'd indicate clearly whether an ingredient contains gluten."

I said, "Well, then you can tell me whether there's any gluten in the ingredient named 'flavoring' in these hot dogs.'"

She stammered. I said, "I don't think you can tell me for certain whether these hot dogs have gluten or not. And since you can't, I'm not going to buy your hot dogs."

That's when she told me to hold for a few minutes while she consulted others. When she returned, she still could not tell me but promised to call back with an answer.

The point of this is not to pick on the poor lady on the phone. There's two important messages here.

First, companies like Sara Lee need to be more open about their ingredients. Other companies do it, and gladly do it. Until they do, they won't get my business.

Second, we need to be super careful about checking items for gluten. Just because you get some nice person on the phone assuring you that there's no gluten in your favorite hot dog doesn't mean that's good info. We need to ask questions, test the answers and push for clarity when the responses seem fuzzy. Otherwise, we -- and our kids -- will pay the price.

By the way, you can check out some good hot dog options at my previous Hot Dog Guide post.

Dairy-free, gluten-free ranch dressing in your grocery

That's right. You can buy this in your local grocery, or if not, online from anywhere at the Walden Farms site. It's pretty good stuff too. It's marked right on the label -- kosher and gluten free. I've sent the company an email with some questions. They assure me the ingredients listed are really what they are. Try it out.

Allergen listing for Herr's products

Hey guys -- just came across this today on the web and thought I'd share. It's the allergen listing for Herr's snacks -- chips, etc. Herr's products are mostly sold in the eastern U.S. The allergen page, which you can link to by clicking here, is very useful. Until now, I've relied almost completely on Frito Lay products because Frito Lay is very good about listing allergens. It's good to have choices.

Here's the direct link: http://www.herrs.com/Recipes/AllergyInfo.html.

A handy store-bought soup broth -- free of everything

As you know by now, I like to point out products I come across that help make our lives easier and healthier. It's so difficult finding food that you trust is free of the allergens and ingredients that we, and our kids, are intolerant to. I found Kitchen Basics broths one day at our regular supermarket as I looked for a soup for my kids. Couldn't find one in the organic section that I really trusted was free of MSG, gluten and dairy. (Amazing, isn't it?) So, I glanced without much hope at the soups in the regular soup aisle. And there it was. Clearly marked on the box -- no MSG, no glutens, no dairy, no soy. Wow! I bought it.

I generally make my own broth at home and freeze it for later use. But, it's good to know I can grab this at the local store when I'm in a rush.

Burger King wins the gluten-free test

So, I plan to post my results for finding restaurants that really can provide -- safely -- gluten and casein free food, and even soy free. Consider this an interim report as I've found something surprising on the fast-food front. I checked Wendy's, McDonalds, Burger King and Arby's to see if I could buy a burger (no bun) and fries for my kids at any of them. I'd always heard that you couldn't. Well, you can. Burger King specifically fries its fries in a dedicated fryer -- or the restaurants are supposed to. However, the chain has a policy and it's detailed on its website - find it by going here and clicking on 'Allergens'. The allergen listing online even shows potential cross contamination risks. I spoke with the company's nutrition guru. They are organized. Still, she -- and I -- recommend calling the store manager to make sure they really are doing this. She also told me a plain burger is OK on the gfcf diet -- they're cooked on a broiler. So is the grilled chicken, plain. They have Mott's applesauce and soon, will sell apple slices shaped like fries. I visited my local BK last night to test this out. I spoke with the manager. He clearly knew the policy and said his restaurant followed that setup. I visited his restaurant and indeed they were. I bought some fries for the kids.

None of the others are suitable. McDonalds fries have gluten. We all know that story. Wendy's has dairy in its fries. Arby's meat is OK but not the fries. I'll post my complete restaurant findings next week.

Coming -- a GFCF restaurant guide

Sorry for not posting much this week. I've been busy at home with some personal things. I had a recipe failure -- a pumpkin recipe really flopped. But, I'm in the process of doing something very exciting that will benefit many of you. I've been discouraged trying to find a restaurant that I could take my kids to eat -- just a burger and fries. I know it's not the healthiest nutrionally and some may object to that. But, I think it will be very healthy mentally. They've not been to a restaurant and most places, just like the supermarket, don't make it easy. So, I've set out to research all of the restaurants in our area just like I researched food products a couple of years ago. I called, wrote and badgered every company that makes the foods my kids eat to determine exactly what's in them. I made them back up their ingredients. I'm doing the same thing with the restaurants. And, I have some surprising results. So, what I plan to do in the next week is post a listing of all the restaurants and tell people whether they provide detailed allergen/gluten info online, if they provide a phone contact for nutrition info, and what food items they say are OK for BOTH gluten and casein. I'm also asking about soy. There are a few lists online that you'll easily find but they don't really include a lot of places. I'll provide links to those lists also.

I'll provide the basic results from my searching. You'll need to do the rest. And, I'll mention now, that I think it would be an excellent idea to double-check with your local restaurant as to how they handle the foods. I think they all do it differently. It appears to me that some are more mindful than others and may actually train employees. I personally will not take my kids anywhere until I've spoken with the local manager and walk away satisfied that they really know what they're doing. At the least, the list will help guide you in the right directions and give you quick links to helpful info. I hope you too can enjoy a night out with your family. Look for the list sometime after the weekend, maybe on Monday.

Yummy gluten-free sausage

I don't mind, every so often, promoting a product that I come across. I found a pretty good brand of sausage that not only offers gluten-free varieties, but also states that it's gluten-free ON THE FRONT of the package. And, because they did so, I bought a pack of their sausage. This is Aidells sausage. I bought the chicken-apple flavor. It is gluten-free, no MSG and made with chicken not injected with hormones. Perfect! The kids liked it but I had to explain why there were small pieces of apple in the sausage. I told them it was potato, which they would prefer over apple. Anyway, great product.

Check Aidells out at its Web site. They also have this to say about gluten: "Gluten is an ingredient in soy sauce which we use in some of our sausages. These are Thai, Lamb with Rosemary and Lemon Chicken. As for dairy products, our Pesto Sausage contains Romano cheese. Our spice blends are our trade secrets. However, if you are allergic to any particular spice, please contact us. We will happily tell you if it is in any of our products."

Gluten free food industry is booming

I know, this is a press release. But, it has some eye-opening information in it about the gluten-free food industry. Worth reading.


Gluten-Free Just Keeps Getting Easier, Tastier, and More Affordable

Coeur d'Alene, ID, September 10, 2007 --(PR.com)-- The popular gluten-free manufacturer, Namaste Foods, has released their first edition cookbook and a new website with more discounted offerings for customers.

Demand in the gluten-free market is showing no signs of slowing down. While sales in 2001 were valued at $210 million, the most recent figures show it has escalated to roughly $700 million. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, by 2010 they are expecting the market to reach a whopping $1.7 billion, primarily due to the compounding growth in the diagnosis of Celiac Disease. It has been estimated that 97% of people living with Celiac Disease still remain undiagnosed.

Yet as this special diet niche flows rapidly into the mainstream, so few companies have gotten it right. Crumbly, dry, and tasteless are terms often associated with gluten-free foods. Thankfully there is one small manufacturer tucked away in a scenic mountain town that just keeps on giving to the gluten-free community. Since 2001, Namaste Foods has been building upon their product line of gluten-free foods that actually taste good. They now boast a selection that includes eleven baking mixes (from muffins to pizza crust) and three pasta mixes.

As their products have grown significantly in popularity, appearing on grocers’ shelves nationwide, the people at Namaste have decided to expand the versatility of their mixes. Responding to customer requests, they have authored the Simple Pleasures Gluten-Free Cookbook, packed with 60 new ways to use Namaste Foods. Recipes such as the Taco Pasta Salad that follows dot this easy to use resource.

Catering further to their high level of repeat business, Namaste Foods has also redesigned their website for a new look and ease in purchasing direct, along with a host of ordering options. New customers will like the selection of trio packs, which allow you to purchase groups of three different products at a discount, while loyal customers will enjoy the bulk offerings. Every baking mix is now available in bulk sizing for significant cost savings.

Beyond the gluten-free market, Namaste Foods caters to other food allergies and sensitivities. Their mixes are produced in a dedicated facility, which is free of gluten, wheat, potato, soy, corn, milk, peanuts, and tree nuts. Namaste Foods’ baking and pasta mixes are distributed to grocers nationwide. Individually packaged mixes, bulk mixes, trio packs, and the new Simple Pleasures Cookbook are available to purchase directly from www.namastefoods.com.

Frito-Lay friendly

If you haven't yet realized that not all chips are gluten-free, or soy-free, etc., you might consider Frito-Lay chips. No, I don't get money for saying this. I'm very impressed with this company. They don't make you guess about what ingredients are in the chips you're buying. It's all on the label. And, if you have questions, their Website is extremely helpful. They have an entire section on ingredient concerns that plainly shows you which chips have gluten, which have dairy, which are kosher, which have soy, etc. You can find that page by clicking here.

My kids only can eat the plain Lays, Ruffles and Fritos chips. No Tostitos because of the soy oil used in those. Until now! Frito-Lay recently started selling a Natural Tostitos chip that has no soy. It's in the photo above.

I'll also mention one other thing. No chip is healthy for you. I've tried many to find a good one, including Garden of Eatin and Bearitos -- both very good chips (I prefer the Bearitos). I should also note Terra Chips here for those that are corn and/or potato challenged. But do your own checking. The fat and sodium contents of those health-store chips aren't much less than Frito-Lay chips. Sometimes, the difference is zero. So, for my money, and because of all the saturated-fat snacks my kids cannot eat, AND because Frito-Lay makes it soooo easy for a family like ours to check ingredients, I'll buy Frito-Lay. Support the companies that help us.

What does this tell you? Enjoy Life Foods was named to the 2007 Inc. 500 list of fastest growing private companies in the country. Enjoy Life, as many of you know, makes gluten-free and allergy-friendly foods.

Its three-year sales growth was 783%.

You can read the full release by clicking here.

A meaty decision

So, no recipe today. Instead, I want to talk about meats, poultry and fish. And, where to buy them if you're following a strict diet made tricky by allergies and intolerances -- not just to ingredients, but preservatives and additives. I know, meat's not just meat, sometimes.

Everybody will have their own choices, based on where they live and how much they have to spend. I have to limit my cost and weigh that against providing my kids with choices. I also don't want to feed them too much beef, for example, because of its high fat and cholesterol content. Nor do I want to give them too much fish, because of health risks.

I buy meat both from a local farmer and from some national companies. And here's why. I hope it gets you thinking, too.

My local farmer lives about 30 miles away but sells each weekend at a local farm market, open all year. He sells beef, pork, poultry -- and that sometimes includes hot dogs, fresh turkey (for holidays) and both breakfast and dinner sausage. I also can speak with him face to face and ask him specific questions about how the meats are handled and made. I've been able to tell him about my daughters and the foods they cannot eat for medical reasons so he understands my concern. And, he's been able to assure me about most of his products. Some, as he pointed out, have some added spices, for example, that I might want to avoid. And, his prices tend to be even lower than the local supermarket -- not to mention that they are free of preservatives and hormones. What a deal.

Sometimes, my local farmer doesn't have hot dogs, and my kids love them. And, he doesn't sell lunch meat, and my kids are getting near to an age where lunch meat is handy. He also doesn't sell fish -- not running a fish farm. So, I look elsewhere. Some good companies I've come across that you might check out are Applegate Farms, Boars Head, Shelton's and Wellshire Farms.

These companies tend to offer foods I can use and they show exactly what's in their foods. They also make it easy to contact them with more questions. Boars Head is good for lunch meats. The others offer hot dogs, sausage, cuts of poultry, lunch meat, jerky and link snacks, etc. Many of these are uncured, with no preservatives and sometimes organic. Excellent stuff. You can order online or find these at a local food co-op or organic store. I buy the uncured, but not organic, hot dogs from Applegate Farms thru a food co-op in bulk -- cutting down the price. I buy Boars Head lunch meat from my local supermarket (I have them slice it first thing when they open so it's not contaminated by other meats). I buy Shelton's turkey dogs and am considering their breakfast sausage. Wellshire Farms makes a great dinner sausage that my kids love -- made from turkey, but you'd never know it.

Hope this helps.

So, I was asked a question the other day. The answer might be helpful to some.

The question: "Where do you buy your food?"

The answer: Lots of places.

I know, it sounds complicated already. It isn't that bad and I've kind of made it a challenge. Most of the time, it's fun.

I'm a bulk buyer. You should know that up front. I buy larger quantities than normal of foods to cut the per-unit (per pound or per gallon) price of products down. This allows me to buy healthier foods for my kids than I normally could afford. I've also researched foods to find stuff my kids really can eat without fear of getting sick.

For us, that means finding stuff free of gluten and casein, and also soy, rice, corn and a few others.

So, you see the challenge. I start with a menu -- what do my kids eat? What ingredients do I need to make them those foods (after all, with that many food issues, you can't find most of this stuff on the shelf). Where can I buy those ingredients and for how much?

I put these onto a spreadsheet and created monthly buying lists -- shopping lists. I try to maintain a steady shopping budget amount each month. If one month gets too costly, I try to move non-necessities into a month that I'm able to spend more.

The end result of this process answers the question of 'Where do I shop?' Now, I'm from Western Pennsylvania, but I'm convinced you could use this model almost anywhere. In rural areas, you'd have to rely more on mail order items -- still possible. I just bought 75 lbs. of flour from Bob's Red Mill, for example, and saved a ton from buying the same stuff four blocks away at the grocery.

Here's my list:

: East End Food Co-op -- this is a typical food co-op. You'll find them across the country. Search for one using this site - click here. Common buys: some produce, cold cereal, sea salt, baking powder (aluminum free), corn chips, rice milk by the case (20% discount), egg substitute, shampoo and soap (soy free), etc.

: Frankferd Farms -- this is a local food supplier with a focus on organics. I buy some produce, bulk rice, some bulk flour, nuts, dried fruit, carob powder (chocolate allergy), etc. Look around and you might find an organic wholesaler in your area. They often deliver long distances for big orders.

: Restaurant Depot -- this is a chain that serves the food service market. I joined after starting a very small business delivering foods from the places I shop to others. Most cities have businesses like this to serve local restaurants, etc. Find one. You'll find products in large sizes. I buy Heinz ketchup, Lays potato chips, tomato sauce, kosher hot dogs, potatoes, etc. from here, often at great discounts.

: Wal-Mart/Sams -- most of our day to day shopping is done at local community markets or Wal-Mart and Sams. Among them, I take advantage of specials on paper and plastics, cosmetics and other stuff.

: Kennedy Farm -- we buy our beef and poultry from a local farm. This farm north of Pittsburgh sells each weekend in the city. The product is not organic but I have talked with the farm and expressed our concerns regarding gluten, etc. The meat they sell is far better quality than supermarket stuff -- and believe it or not, less expensive. You can search for farms in your area at this website -- click here. Use the search engine function.

: Pacific Pectin -- this is my xanthan gum supplier. If you're going to bake gluten-free, you'll need xanthan gum. It's a binder. It's very expensive. Some places sell this for $10 a half pound. You'll buy it for half that at pacific pectin -- the wholesale supplier -- even with shipping costs. YOu have to buy at least 5 lbs. and store. This will last a long time.

: Miss Robens -- i buy some items from here, including gluten free shampoo and conditioner. also get corn-free baking powder. they also sell flours and candy.

: Bob's Red Mill -- flour, flour, flour. I buy tapioca flour, potato starch and sorghum flour here. I buy 25 lb. bags of each and have it shipped. I still pay far less then the store. I'd also buy my chickpea flour here but Frankferd Farms makes its own at a local mill.

So, there's a look at where I buy. It's a long list, but remember, with bulk buying, I'm not buying at every story each month. Some, I may only buy from twice a year.

Hope it helps.

The co-op shop

So I've talked a lot about good products to use in cooking special meals. Here's a good way to find these foods and others in your neck of the woods. Find a food co-op in your area by using the Co-op Directory Service, an online guide that lists food co-ops in each state. You'll find it at http://www.coopdirectory.org/.

At most co-ops, you'll pay an annual or quarterly fee to join the co-op. That entitles you to a discount, say 2 percent for example, on all purchases. At many co-ops, you can by products in bulk and save much more. At mine, I save 20 percent on bulk purchases, which is one way I can afford to buy special foods for my girls on a tight budget. I'll post more later about the other places I shop and find good deals. If money is not a problem for you, shop at Whole Foods all you want. If I shopped there for everything, I'd go broke.