New to the Gluten-Free Diet and/or Celiac Disease – Start Here to Learn How to Be Gluten-Free

This page is a GREAT place to start if you’re looking for information on how to be gluten-free.

Please note that some of the links on this page are affiliate links to companies I support wholeheartedly.

The Good For You Gluten Free blog is a record of my journey, struggles and triumphs as someone who was diagnosed with celiac disease and who now lives a healthy AND gluten-free lifestyle.

It wasn’t always that way.

I used to eat a lot of junk food. Too much pasta and pizza. And bread, well, let’s just say it was a love affair.

The bloating was unbearable, but I didn’t know it was from the gluten until… April 2012.

That’s when I got the dreaded call from my doctor. “You have celiac disease,” she told me.

At the time, this news really bummed me out. It put me in a funk… for a long time. I didn’t know how to be gluten-free. Nothing. What was gluten anyway?

But the truth is, over time, I got better at figuring out how to be gluten-free.

On top of it all, I learned so much about food that I changed – transformed – my diet to focus on healing and long-term health.

So, if you’ve been diagnosed with celiac disease, a gluten sensitivity, Hashimoto’s, any autoimmune disease and/or you are going gluten-free for health reasons, you are in good company. I have all the information you need to learn how to be gluten-free and to started on your new and exciting healthy life!

Gluten-Free Resources for Someone New to the Gluten-Free Diet

If you’re new to the gluten-free diet, you probably have a lot of questions.  Below are some resources to help you ease into the gluten-free lifestyle.

• A Beginner’s Guide to Being Gluten-Free: This is a fantastic resource for new people learning how to be gluten-free. Read it. Bookmark it. Print it. It will help you with everything gluten-free.
• What You Need to Know Before You Go Gluten-Free: If you’re not gluten-free already, you MUST read this article.
• Setting Up Your Gluten-Free Kitchen: A lot of people struggle with setting up their kitchen so that it’s gluten-free and celiac-safe. I’ll tell you exactly how to do it in this article.
• What You Need to Know About Celiac Disease:  I’ve linked to all my celiac disease-related posts in this article. It’s a must-read for anyone new to celiac disease (or if you think you might have celiac disease and are unsure of what to do next).
• Gluten-Free Recipes:  Visit my Recipe Gallery to find out what I’ve been cooking and baking. I only post gluten-free recipes I’ve tried and like. Many recipes have never seen the light of day on this blog!
• Recommended Gluten-Free Products: I’ve created a list of all the tried and true gluten-free products I know of – and I’m adding to this list often. A great way to get to know gluten-free products without having to spend a fortune is by subscribing to Urthbox. They send you a curated box of gluten-free goodies every month – then you can decide which ones you like and which ones to definitely avoid.
• Common Questions About Celiac Disease: This post contains the 12 most common questions I get from people about celiac disease. I tell the honest truth and nothing but the truth in this post!
• The Nima Sensor: I get a lot of questions about the Nima Sensor, a portable device that allows you to test your food for gluten. You can read all about the Nima Sensor and how Nima is a game-changer for celiacs and restaurants.
• Do you have a food sensitivity or gluten sensitivity – and how to get tested for a food sensitivity.
• What you need to know about cross contamination and how it can sabotage your gluten-free meal.

Gluten-Free Product Recommendations for Someone New to the Gluten-Free Diet

Below I share some of the most essential products that will help you get started on your gluten-free diet:

• Best Gluten-Free Flour:  I really love Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. You can use this flour as a cup for cup substitute in all your recipes. So let’s say your delicious cake recipe calls for two cups of flour; simply use two cups of Bob’s 1-to-t flour instead. (In the old days, you’d have to measure out our own gluten-free flour blend – not today – there are plenty of awesome options available that do the hard work for you).
• Best Gluten-Free Bread:  I personally love a local Colorado brand called Outside the Breadbox. It’s worth ordering online if you’re struggling to find a gluten-free bread you like. A lot of people really like Three Baker’s Breads (the white bread is the easiest to palate albeit not the healthiest). I rarely eat bread though. I wrote about how I broke up with bread in this article – it’s just not that good for you and it’s hard to find a good one. Some people like Bfree Foods, Canyon Bakehouse, Udi’s or Rudi’s. You’ll have to be the judge of those brands yourself. A good way to make sandwich bread taste better is to heat it up a bit. It makes the texture more bearable.
• Best Gluten-Free Cracker: I really love Milton’s Gluten-Free Crackers with Sea Salt. It tastes as good or better than the regular crackers you’re used to.
• Best Gluten-Free Pasta:  I learned how to make my own gluten-free pasta dough, from scratch, at home, with only two ingredients. If you want to buy a pasta with good texture, I recommend Tinkyada brown rice pasta. If you want to try some of the low carb, super fun pastas made with alternative flours and beans, check out my article about alternative gluten-free pastas.
• Best Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs:  I like both Ian’s gluten-free bread crumbs and Aleia’s gluten-free bread crumbs.
• Best Gluten-Free Lip Balm and Lipstick: Yep, you need to worry about what you’re putting on your lips. I love Red Apple lipstick, lipbalm and cosmetics. Give them a try – all gluten-free makeup is cruelty-free and vegan. Sign-up for Red Apple Lipstick’s newsletter* to get a 10% coupon code!

That covers the basics of the gluten-free products you’ll need the most. If you want to know more of my favorites, read my FAQ page – I conducted an interview with myself – ha!

How to Grocery Shop Like a Gluten-Free Pro

As much as you may love your conventional grocery store, you’re going to want to shop at a natural grocery store instead or in addition to the one you’re used to going to. You’ll find way more gluten-free and organic products. Try stores like Sprouts, Natural Grocers, Whole Foods and online at Thrive Market. Read these articles to get an understanding of how to better read food labels:

• Deciphering Gluten Free Certifications and Seals
• What Does May Contain Wheat Mean?
• Are Oats Gluten-Free?
• 10 Surprise Products that Contain Gluten
• Gluten-Free Products Available at Costco (and download my free report on Kirkland Gluten-Free Products – I tested 8 Costco products for gluten)

Eating Out While New to the Gluten-Free Diet and/or Celiac Disease

So many people ask me about eating out – in fact – it’s one of the hardest things to do on your new gluten-free diet. Waiters may not take you seriously. Gluten-free is so trendy that restaurants slap on the “gluten-free” label without even knowing what it means. Cross contamination is your enemy, especially if you’re celiac or allergic to wheat/gluten.  Here are a few articles to get you educated on how to successfully eat out as someone new to the gluten-free diet:

• Eating Out Gluten-Free (my ebook!)
• Why Gluten Free Patrons Should Matter to Restaurants
• How You Got Glutened Eating Out and What to Do About It Next Time
• Gluten Cross Contamination and the Deep Fryer
• 5 Ways Restaurants Can Better Serve Gluten-Free Dieters
• How to Host Your Gluten-Free Friend for Dinner (share this article with anyone that wants to host you)
• How the Nima Sensor is Changing the Way We Eat Out

Getting Help and Having Fun When You’re New to the Gluten-Free Diet

Learning how to be gluten-free and changing your diet and life is incredibly emotional and difficult to do. I was in a brain fog when I was new to the gluten-free diet (later realizing I was addicted to gluten and experiencing withdrawals!).  I learned how to Heal My Gut, which was incredibly hard to do but so worth it. (Take the Heal Your Gut Challenge if you want to heal your gut too.)

I took things a step further and decided to enroll in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to learn how to heal myself and help others (like you!) too.  I become a certified holistic nutrition and health coach and today work with others to help them heal their bodies from chronic disease. (Need help, apply for a free health and nutrition consultation here.) I also like to keep things fun, so I teach gluten-free cooking classes in my home. If you’re ever in Denver, let me know so you can attend a class!

I invite you to poke around the site to find what you need most, whether it’s Gluten-Free Recipes, Gluten-Free Product Recommendations, Gluten-Free Restaurant Listings, or just to find solace reading my Gluten-Free Blog.

I’m glad you’re here!

XO,

Jenny

PS:  Join my private Gluten-Free Diet Support Group on Facebook. I hang out there a lot answering questions from my readers.

PPS: If you like this page, please Pin the following image on Pinterest and leave me a comment below. I love hearing from my readers!