Why I Am Going Gluten Free in July

Why I Am Going Gluten Free in July

So, with no warning to Mrs. WellDone at all, I have decided that for the 31 days of July, I will be completely gluten free.  It may seem strange since I made the decision in the blink of an eye, but it is not something that I am taking lightly because of what inspired it.

My Gluten Free Inspiration

My inspiration was this: several of my friends in real life and in Twitter are living with conditions which gluten (and in some cases, caffeine, dairy, alcohol, etc.) make far, far worse.  We’re not just talking Celiac disease.  In fact, for the most part, my friends don’t have Celiac disease, but they are still facing a life without breads, some pastas, etc.

And I can’t help them.  I don’t know enough.  Yet.

I can’t let that stand.  My mission in life is to spread joy through food and bad humor and I can’t do that for everyone if I can’t cook for them.  The solution: I am going to use the month of July to start to figure gluten free cooking out.  Will I be an expert?  Heck no.  I’ve talked to people who have been gluten free for a year or more who don’t feel they’ve mastered it.

But over the next month I will be cooking.  I will be eating out.  I will have clients in from out of town.  I will have holidays.  I will have to visit family.

In other words, I’ll be doing everything that someone who really CAN’T have gluten does.  Then I’ll blog about it.

My Gluten Free Fear

Here’s my one fear.  During this experiment, I don’t have the same shall we say “feedback mechanism” that my friends have.  If I mess up and eat gluten, it’s just fiber to me.  Others won’t be so fortunate.

So as I blog about this and as I think I am doing okay, I want people in the know to tell if me I make recommend eating something that is not, in fact, gluten free.  Can you all do that for me?

My Early Returns

So, I’ve only been at this for a day.  However, already I can say that I am finding a source of gluten free pizza or else I am going to crack!!  (Okay, not really, but it does sound good.)

Also, I’ve discovered two surprising things: both rice and beans are gluten free.  So is corn gluten (oddly enough.)  Given rice and beans, I can feed myself for years.  So, it’s not all bad.

My Challenge

Mrs. WellDone sent me an article yesterday about the challenges of being gluten free.  The article, from Tesh.com, makes some good points, mostly about ensuring I get the fiber I would normally have gotten from cereals.  Thus, I am resolved to eat more salads.  And fruit.

Anyway, yesterday went pretty well for day one.  Mrs. WellDone was great about fixing a gluten free meal so I could play with BWD, Jr.  Here’s what I had.  Not too shabby for something thrown together from what we had laying around.

Gluten Free Mexican Breakfast Scramble Recipe

This is a slight adaptation of what Mrs. WellDone made for me.  It adds more vegetables than we had sitting in the refrigerator, but other than that, is true to the original.

You will need:

  • 4 potatoes, peeled and sliced
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1/2 each red pepper, green pepper, orange or yellow pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 6 cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 can refried beans
  • 2 eggs

Blanch the sliced potatoes in well-salted water for 5 minutes.

Wait a minute or two after the potatoes start blanching and then get a skillet going over medium-high heat.  Add the olive oil and when it’s hot, start cooking the onions and peppers.

When the potatoes are ready, put them in the skillet with a pinch of pepper and the garlic powder.  Continue cooking until the onions are translucent, the peppers soft and the potatoes are cooked all the way through (another 8-10 minutes.)

About 5 minutes after you have added the potatoes, add the tomatoes and keep cooking.

When the potatoes are done, mix in the refried beans and stir gently.

Keep warm while you scramble the eggs in a separate skillet.

Serve and enjoy!

9 Comments

  1. Hey Chris,

    Awesome that you take on the challenge of going gluten-free without actually being medically required to do so. Unlike your friends you are most likely not even going to find out if you have been “glutened” unless you cheat knowingly.

    Wanted to share some advice on going gluten-free:
    1. Read labels. All of them.
    2. Wheat is relatively easy to avoid, rye and barley are the tricky ones. Best advice ever: only shop the perimeter of the store!
    3. Check the Gluten Intolerance Group and the Celiac Sprue Association websites for advice on what you can eat
    4. Follow some good blogs with gluten-free recipes

    And there is absolutely no need to give up on cereal!! Though it is somewhat of a pitch, I invite you to check out http://www.customchoicecereal.com and go crazy 😉

    Have a great 4th of July weekend!

  2. I think it’s awesome that you’re going gluten free. As a celiac, I am so appreciative and thankful when I meet a chef who understands the importance of a truly gluten free meal:cross contact issues and all.
    As you noted, many gluten free processed foods are low in fiber, although that is beginning to change with more new companies using more health conscious recipes. We can benefit from incorporating more vegetables.
    Welcome to living gluten free! I am looking forward to watching your journey!

  3. Still craving pizza? Lots of spots for g-free pizza in KC! Waldo, SPIN!, Pizza Fusion, Ingredient…Just ask for the g-free crust and you’re all set! If you want a quick pizza at home, the Udi’s crust is awesome and even works well for a grilled pizza.

    Good luck on your journey. Can’t wait to see what you come up with in the next month!

  4. You wanted notice on items you might accidentally consume with Gluten.

    Onion Powder typically has Gluten from some kind of wheat product to bulk it up. Maltodextrin, in the USA, is typically wheat based unless they note that it is derived from corn.

    Also I avoid any manufactured product (refried beans) that does not have a Gluten Free label of some sort.

    • Josh,

      Thanks a lot. Reading labels is one of the fun parts about changing your diet. I had no idea about Maltodextrin and I shudder thinking about what it might have been in that I’ve eaten over the past few days.

      Maybe I’m not doing as well as I thought.

      I’ll go back and read my refried beans label, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it had maltodextrin in it.

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