Gluten Free

[imoldernu]

The subject came up when DW brought home some new (to us) foods, with the comment "Look... gluten free... and only a little bit more expensive than the regular foods that we buy."
"more expensive"... always makes me suspicious, as does the comment...
"well, it can't hurt to be safe".

The local HY-Vee market (equivalent to Whole Foods) now has a gluten free section that may be measured in several thousand square feet.

I try to keep an open mind on subjects like this, but when I found that my local Aldi's just introduced a new "gluten free" section, it was time to look harder at this new rapidly growing segment of the food business.

Skipping over the top Google sites about gluten free, I started out with Wikipedia... to see that the benefits of gluten free foods are for people with Celiac Disease... and further that those who have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease represent 1% of the popuation.

I followed up on this with visits to the major heallth clinic sites, to find that they basically disregard the instances of celiac disease but go to the benefits, never quite making any definitive connection between the claims made by the "wow" sites... that suggest cures for everything from old age to ingrown toenails.

This website seems to have a pretty good, balanced outlook.

Unraveling The Gluten-Free Trend - Food and Environment Reporting Network

I did a quick look here on ER, and found some older sites that did deal with celiac disease and gluten, but thought that given the rapid growth in the gluten free food market, the subject might benefit from a new look at the markting phenomenom.

 

[Nemo2]

But, but......it's "Fashionable".

 

[MichaelB]

Poor little glutens. I say stop eating them and set them all free, even if we have to pay a little bit more.

 

[rgarling]

Gluten free can (easily) be junk food in a 'healthy' wrapper.

Despite the protestation of the US Department of Agriculture, grains have never been a healthy food choice. Just eat real foods and avoid anything in a package that has an ingredients list.

 

[Chelhxi]

Yes, most packaged gluten-free foods are quite unhealthy, and gluten-free for most people isn't necessary at all. If you need gluten-free (as do my sister and I do) it's better to just eat naturally gluten free and minimize the processed food all together.

Though I do like being able to have bread or crackers once in a while so I do appreciate the increased availability of gluten-free products.

Most people do eat way too many carbs for their exercise levels. If only people would go sugar free, instead of gluten-free, I think that would help the health crisis more.

 

[Nunthewiser]

Just another excuse/opportunity for the food/marketing industrial complex to shaft us.

For example, years ago we had food with real ingredients like sugar and natural flavor. The manufacturers, in our best interest, undoubtedly, "improved" their foods with high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavor, hydrogenated oils etc.

Did they charge us less? If so, I didn't notice.

When we finally complained and started wanting the real (or more real) food that we used to have, they raised their prices yet again (?) or shrunk package sizes.

I noticed the same excessive display in Aldi and I am wondering what they had to take off the shelf to accommodate this latest fashion trend for the 1%?

 

[bld999]

Ford Motor had a billboard advertising one of their models here last fall.
At the bottom was the phrase "Gluten free"
Couldn't hurt, I guess.

My guess is it's just another fad for non-celiacs.

 

[audreyh1]

There are some of us dealing with auto immune disease, and gluten can be a troublemaker.

I have been gluten free since Nov 2014 as instructed by my doctor. I face even more severe dietary restrictions once I return from my overseas trip as we try to nail down the culprits.

But I agree, gluten-free not necessary for most folks, and some food manufacturers are taking advantage of a fad - just like all those unhealthy fat-free and sugar-free foods.

But note that many natural whole foods are naturally gluten-free, and a manufacturer labels that on the packaging so that the folks who are severely gluten sensitive, like people suffering from celiac disease, can know it's OK to eat the product.

I appreciate the clear labeling.

 

[Fermion]

I bought pineapple juice at Haggen and they had a sign that said "Gluten Free"

People are so crazy now with marketing.


After seeing that, I tricked my wife by pointing to the bottled water and saying "wow, gluten free water"!

 

[bld999]

There are some of us dealing with auto immune disease, and gluten can be a troublemaker.

I have been gluten free since Nov 2014 as instructed by my doctor. I face even more severe dietary restrictions once I return from my overseas trip as we try to nail down the culprits.

But I agree, gluten-free not necessary for most folks, and some food manufacturers are taking advantage of a fad - just like all those unhealthy fat-free and sugar-free foods.

But note that many natural whole foods are naturally gluten-free, and a manufacturer labels that on the packaging so that the folks who are severely gluten sensitive, like people suffering from celiac disease, can know it's OK to eat the product.

I appreciate the clear labeling.

For celiacs, the deep, dark jungle filled with landmines is the average restaurant. Wheat gets into everything, even soy sauce...

 

[HFWR]

Steak is gluten free!

I see so much weird "science" on Facebook: gluten this, GMO that, "natural" the other, anti-sugar but replaced with chemically identical sugars, "OMG, five foods to NEVER eat"...

There's a worldwide conspiracy to poison us, often brought to you by the same people who don't believe we landed on the moon...

 

[Amethyst]

Right up there with "Fat-Free Food!" on the bag of Peppermint Patties, and "Naturally Gluten Free!" on bottled water. (I am not making these up). Gosh, you could put anything on water: sugar-free, fat-free, allergen-free, nitrogen-free....and "naturally" is the adverb of the moment.

I know a couple of people with celiac disorder. Gluten is poison to them. They love the anti-gluten fad because it's greatly expanded their food choices.

Last but not least: I love her dearly, and she's otherwise intelligent, but a friend is driving me up the wall with coconut this-and-that. Coconut oil prevents and cures Alzheimers, no less! Replace flour with coconut flour, and sugar with coconut sugar! The Philippines must be going nuts planting coconut palms these days. Why is the nostrum-du-jour always an oil, and a tropical one at that?

 

[HFWR]

Naturally...

 

[Totoro]

Rice and beans.

If it's good enough for Kung Fu masters and Lord Buddha, it's good enough for me.

 

[haha]

For celiacs, the deep, dark jungle filled with landmines is the average restaurant. Wheat gets into everything, even soy sauce...

Wheat has been part of classically brewed soy sauce for at roughly 1000 years.

Ha

 

[Tadpole]

What about bacon?

 

[audreyh1]

What about bacon?

Bacon is gluten-free!!

Just don't bread it to deep fry it.

 

[bld999]

Wheat has been part of classically brewed soy sauce for at roughly 1000 years.

Ha

No doubt, just a bit surprising when you first notice it. Soy sauce it says, not wheat sauce...

 

[audreyh1]

For celiacs, the deep, dark jungle filled with landmines is the average restaurant. Wheat gets into everything, even soy sauce...

No - they simply can't eat out. Cross contamination is a real problem, even if the food items you order are naturally gluten-free.

We use Tamari at home - soy sauce without any wheat.

Most foods warn about soy, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and some other foods on their labels. They even note if the food was manufactured in a facility and might have trace amounts of those things. This is really important for people with severe food allergies.

 

[bld999]

No - they simply can't eat out. Cross contamination is a real problem, even if the food items you order are naturally gluten-free.

We use Tamari at home - soy sauce without any wheat.

Most foods warn about soy, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and some other foods on their labels. They even note if the food was manufactured in a facility and might have trace amounts of those things. This is really important for people with severe food allergies.

Mexican is pretty safe.

 

[athena53]

Bacon is gluten-free!!

And low-carb, too.

I agree that for most people who aren't trying to manage celiac disease, gluten-free is another trend that's not really going to make them thinner and better-looking. A friend from HS made an interesting observation, though: she doesn't have celiac disease but claims that she feels much better on a gluten-free or low-gluten diet. When she went on a trip to Slovenia, she found that the baked goods there didn't aggravate her system like the ones here. Count me among the Food Conspiracy Theorists if you will, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were due to less processing and simpler ingredients in the food in Slovenia.

For example, years ago we had food with real ingredients like sugar and natural flavor. The manufacturers, in our best interest, undoubtedly, "improved" their foods with high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavor, hydrogenated oils etc.

Did they charge us less? If so, I didn't notice.

When we finally complained and started wanting the real (or more real) food that we used to have, they raised their prices yet again (?) or shrunk package sizes.

Yeah, I have to laugh at the proliferation of "No High-Fructose Corn Syrup!" and "No Trans Fats!" labels from manufacturers who quietly started using those ingredients years ago and are now removing them. It's not that they were doing anything wrong before, mind you, just that customer preferences have changed. Sure.

 

[ERD50]

...

Did they charge us less? If so, I didn't notice.

...

I think if you do some research, you'll see that the percent of US household budget that goes to food has declined through the years. So yes, I think they did charge us less, regardless whether you noticed or not.

Please note, I'm not defending nor promoting any of their actions, just pointing out what I believe is a fact. Here's a reference:

http://www.bls.gov/opub/uscs/report991.pdf

BTW, what's wrong with HFCS, as opposed to other sugars (which I do think we should limit in our diets)? The ratio of fructose to glucose in HFCS is about the same as in honey.

-ERD50

 

[haha]

BTW, what's wrong with HFCS, as opposed to other sugars (which I do think we should limit in our diets)? The ratio of fructose to glucose in HFCS is about the same as in honey.

-ERD50

And about the same as table sugar.

Some biochemists, who unlike most MDs and epidemiologists are able to understand metabolism, feel that the new demon of sugar is just a ploy to take attention away from overall carbohydrate in the diet. The phrase "healthy whole grains" is just like "artery clogging saturated fats"- mainly intended to manipulate, not to illuminate. Another great one is "industrially processed oils". I think it depends on exactly what we are talking about, but it is likely that industrial processing of foodstuffs has saved a lot of lives that bacterial and other contamination took a century ago. Add this manipulative phrase to the list- "real food". Do these people think that sugar is not real? They should go to any humid tropical lowland and look at sugar cane growing. Sure looks real to me. As do the limitless expanses of sugar beets seen in eastern North Dakota.

Ha

 

[audreyh1]

Mexican is pretty safe.

Except for those flour tortillas!

But yes, in general, you it's easier in a Mexican place than most.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

The "Gluten Free!!!", "GMOs..NO!!!" craze just makes me laugh. My grandparents cooked EVERYTHING with a dollop of bacon grease for "added flavor". My Grandmother did die at 80 (COPD) but my Grandad is still going strong at 88.


Anyway, there is a talk show host that is on a tirade about food....he's all about gluten free and has all but DEMANDED that Waffle House make their waffles gluten free. Somehow, he doesn't seem to understand EXACTLY what he is asking for.