Doylestown Nutrition

Happy Memorial Day!  It’s the official kick off of the barbecue season.  Last week, I was sent some gluten free hamburger and hot-dog buns from a company called Udi ‘s and YUM- some gluten free snicker-doodle cookies.  You won’t see a picture of the cookies because my family of five scarfed them right down the minute they were opened.  Do I need to say more?  They really were delicious and you could not tell they were gluten free at all.

For those who have celiac disease or a gluten in-tolerance- backyard barbecues and eating away from home can be a challenge.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune digestive disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and can interfere with absorption of nutrients from food.  Every-time a  person with celiac disease consumes products made from gluten containing foods (such as wheat, barley or rye)  their body is attacks itself.  It is estimated that 1% of the population has celiac disease and another 10% have a gluten sensitivity or in-tolerance.  For that 10%, they may still have symptoms, such as headaches or fatigue, but they do not have digestive tract damage like those with celiac.

So what is gluten and what food have them-Click HERE.    Not only Consuming bread and pasta products, the mainstay of many American diets, can be tricky BUT also products like salad dressings, ketchup, marinades and soups can contain gluten from flour or other gluten containing foods used as thickeners.  Gluten is also used as a concentrated protein source in the vegan diet.

And here is a fun fact….Gluten is also found in the substance used to seal envelopes.  Remember the Seinfeld episode when George Costanza’s new bride to be died from licking all of those invitation envelopes?  Hmm…was it a severe gluten allergy?

If you are not gluten in-tolerant and have not tried gluten free foods, especially bread products, they usually do have a bit of a different taste and texture.  I will happily report though that when I toasted a Udi whole grain hamburger bun, I could barely tell the difference from a traditional whole wheat bun.  I made a sandwich with a little leftover Filet Mignon and Cheddar cheese- a perfect lunch paired with some local strawberries and a salad.  With 7 grams of fiber per serving, these buns can be enjoyed by everyone.  I will also report that Udi products are a favorite of one of my good friends who has celiac disease.

I was not compensated for this Udi review, but was sent a fun box of rolls and some yummy cookies to test out.