The CeliAct Blog

If you’re anything like me, finding the perfect gluten-free pie crust recipe has not been an easy task. Gluten-free baking and pies, as I’ve written before, require a lot of experimentation! It’s not just about replacing gluten-free for regular flour. We all know that great pie crust requires that perfect combination of flaky and moist, but I personally have baked many a pie where the crust is either too hard or crumbles instantly! And it just leaves you so unsatisfied. Well, after lots of searching, buying, trying, tweaking, and fixing, here is my 7 step process for coming up with the perfect gluten-free pie crust… Before we get started, a quick note: after getting comfortable […]

Read more

As awareness of celiac disease and gluten-free diets grow, so does our list of options when eating out. It never ceases to excite, and hopefully never will! While most fast food joints and mall food courts still leave us with slim pickings that usually revolve around cold iceberg lettuce, Chick-fil-A has come forward to fill the void when it comes to gluten-free dining on the go. Chick-fil-A has offered a handful of gluten-free menu items for a while now, and they just recently launched gluten-free chicken nuggets. Just for you, we’ve checked out the scoop and have all of the info on these heavenly little morsels… Chick-fil-A’s new nuggets are bite-sized, marinated pieces of boneless […]

Read more

Sorghum, xanthan and amaranth, oh my! Without a doubt there is a surge of gluten-free baked goods that are now available. It’s no longer such a headache to grab a frozen pizza or a birthday cake. But making your own baked goods is not only a lot healthier, it’s also cheaper and allows you to customize your dish. With that said, learning how to bake gluten-free can be overwhelming even to the most experienced chef. Things like amounts, desired consistency, and time in the oven all change. We’ll be tackling some of these other challenges in future posts, but for now we are going to focus on the first and most important new gluten-free baking […]

Read more

I think this is the most excited I’ve ever been for the development of a product to help us folks who eat a gluten-free diet. Do I have you on the edge of your seat now? A company called 6SensorLabs is currently building a device which will allow you to check your food for gluten and see the results in real-time on your mobile phone. This is huge news, because I (and many of you) get sick and worry about getting sick far too often. Even the most well-intentioned wait staff and chefs are sometimes unaware of gluten hiding in things like spices, mixes, and sauces. I’ve had way too many experiences with waiters telling […]

Read more

The gluten-free diet has been widely adopted by people that don’t have celiac disease or gluten intolerance. Why? Well, in many cases there is a good reason to try it out, but there are also many misperceptions that lead people down the wrong path. Can eating gluten-free really make you lose weight? Are all of the processed gluten-free foods healthy, and, are they healthier because they don’t have gluten? Why are gluten-free items located in the “health food” section of my grocery store? There’s certainly a lot to discuss, so let’s look at these questions and more. I can still clearly remember the feeling I got when I was diagnosed with celiac. I remember feeling […]

Read more

What if a simple vaccine and a few booster shots could allow you to eat all of the gluten-filled treats that your heart desires, without any of the painful side effects? It’s not as far off as it sounds. Boston-based biotechnology company ImmusanT is trying to do just that – and has begun early-stage clinical trials for a celiac vaccine. Their aim is to replace the gluten-free diet. Whether you’ve been gluten-free for years, or you just got started on your gluten-free journey, this is probably really difficult to imagine. So, let’s jump in and take a deeper look at what they’re developing. ImmusanT’s vaccine is called NexVax2, and let’s be clear: there is a […]

Read more

Fruits are an important part of anybody’s diet, but for those of us on a gluten-free diet, they’re even more important. Why? If you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance, years of gluten exposure have damaged your ability to absorb nutrients, so it’s important that you make sure you’re getting all the vital nutrients and digestive help you need. Now, research has shown that following a strict gluten-free diet leads to healing of intestinal damage and the return of nutrient and mineral absorption to normal levels. On the other hand, we also know that our bodies can take a long time to heal and things like constant cross-contamination and leaky gut are leaving our intestines […]

Read more

Preparing school lunches for our gluten-free kiddos is no simple task. While kids can oftentimes be picky eaters making mealtime complicated no matter the location, school lunches introduce even more challenges… Will the food keep until lunch time? What if his lunch is different from everyone else’s and he is embarrassed? What if the other kids make fun of him? What if he doesn’t understand the severity of his intolerance and is buying school lunch without telling me? This process can be really difficult, but luckily, there are some tricks on how to navigate this process (and I’ve also included suggestions for gluten-free lunch ideas that your munchkins will love!)…   What’s the Deal with […]

Read more

I have searched high and low for a good gluten-free pancake recipe, but it took me until finding this one to really be able to re-create the deliciousness of the original. Not only do these easily imitate regular pancakes, I dare say they are even better. Read on for my new favorite pancake recipe. I’ll write it up just after I finish this batch… Not only are these pancakes gluten-free, they are also vegan! If you don’t have a go-to gluten-free flour mixture or prefer to make your own, make sure you use one that has xanthan gum. My favorite gluten-free flour mixes are Pamela’s Artisan Blend and Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Flour. The Best […]

Read more

It’s summertime, and in this household that means one thing: barbecue season. With Labor Day right around the corner, we still have a few weeks of quality barbecue weather. There is nothing better than Sunday BBQs at the park filled with good food, family, and plenty of sangria. Coming up with a strictly gluten-free BBQ menu can be tricky, so we’ve compiled the four most important gluten-free BBQ tips…   1. Spice Up Your Chicken With This Award-Winning Marinade Recipe ¼ cup olive oil, 2 tsp gluten-free red wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp gluten-free Italian seasoning, ¼ tsp ground black pepper and a few shakes of ground red pepper if you’d like it spicy. I’d recommend […]

Read more

While most people think that gluten can only be found in food products, it is unfortunately also lurking in our makeup and toiletries. While this initially seems shocking as gluten is thought by many to only be dangerous when ingested, it can actually cause skin reactions in a lot of people. What makes it even more dangerous for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance is the risk of it running into your mouth when you sweat, shower, or wash your face. Is it time to toss the mascara and lip gloss? Lucky for us, there are plenty of cosmetic companies beginning to take note. Read on for more info on ingredients to avoid, as well […]

Read more

In this day and age, people use their cell phones for practically everything. Taking pictures, playing music, paying bills, ordering groceries, the list goes on. With more and more people adopting a gluten-free lifestyle, the cell phone app market has taken notice and responded to our need. You can now use your phone as your friendly guide to gluten-free living. Check out these great apps that can make your day to day life a bit easier and be a huge time saver, whether ordering dinner, grocery shopping, traveling or just curious about a product. Read on to see our favorite gluten-free apps!   1. Is That Gluten-Free? For Groceries This handy app includes info on […]

Read more

There’s nothing like a good pizza. The combination of melted mozzarella, spicy sauce and warm crust is enough to make me drool as I write this. Since cutting gluten out of my diet I have experimented quite a lot (and in my humble opinion, perfected) making gluten-free pizza crust. But to be honest, what I miss the most is coming home after a long day of work and being able to pick up the phone and order a pie when I don’t have the energy to cook. When first starting out on a gluten-free diet, a lot of people think they must bid farewell to pizza. But as awareness continues to grow, so do our […]

Read more

There aren’t enough words to describe the love that I have for Mexican food, and even more so since I began eating gluten-free. It’s the perfect gluten-free cuisine: easy to prepare, naturally free of gluten, and super versatile. I try to make Mexican food once a week and the more practice I get, the more I realize how many different options there are and how utterly customizable this food is. Since we all know how to make the typical taco, I’ve decided to share with you a couple of my favorite non-traditional Mexican recipes. These are a huge hit with my husband (who can blame him for getting tired of brown rice pasta?), are easy […]

Read more

Whether you’re gearing up to go to college, or you’re a parent sending off your teen, you’re undoubtedly going to experience a lot of excitement and emotion. This whirlwind of new beginnings and responsibilities can be demanding, and if you eat a gluten-free diet it certainly adds to the stress. If you’re going to college, you’ll be fully responsible for feeding yourself, possibly for the first time. Meal plans, cafeterias, food points?! As for parents, we are always concerned that our kiddos are well-fed and passing this duty on to someone else can be tough. Below we’ve provided advice, tips, resources and a list of colleges going the extra mile to help calm your nerves […]

Read more