This post features 21 foods and freedoms gluten-free people miss the most after going on a gluten-free diet due to celiac disease or gluten intolerance. This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.
Getting diagnosed with celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or another gluten disorder means we have to give up many of our favorite foods, including foods we are emotionally attached to and many foods we eat daily.
Food is center stage in life. We eat food to celebrate special occasions and holidays. We associate certain foods with our childhood. We eat certain foods to provide comfort and strength during difficult times.
To find out that the very foods we’ve been eating to soothe our sour tummies, or the foods we’ve been eating to celebrate joyous occasions, are the same foods that are hurting us really messes with a person.
It’s not easy to give up foods that are a part of our social fabric and religious or holiday traditions.
On top of giving up on our favorite foods, a gluten-free diet also limits our freedoms.
We can’t go to a restaurant and “find something” to eat. We can’t order a meal and not talk with the server about how our food is prepared. And we can’t accept a spontaneous dinner invitation to a friend’s house. It’s hard for us to just go with the flow.
At times, we fear food; other times, we feel anxious about where we’ll find our next meal. This is why a gluten-free lifestyle can lead to eating disorders like anxiety, hypervigilance, and orthorexia.
While most of us are grateful that we can manage and treat our “disease” with food and not depend on pharmaceutical companies to “fix” us, we can’t help but miss so many things about our pre-gluten-free lives.
What Do You Miss Most Now that You’re Gluten-Free?
I’m often asked what I miss most now that I’m gluten-free. This is a great question, and I could probably write a book on it.
However, today, I’ll share just 21 foods and freedoms I miss now that I’m gluten-free.
Please leave a comment to share what you miss the most, too.
(1) Ordering Pizza
Remember the good ol’ days when you didn’t feel like making dinner, so you ordered pizza from Pizza Hut or Little Caesars and called it a day?
While all the mainstream pizza restaurants offer gluten-free pizza, none recommend it for people with celiac disease or severe gluten intolerance. Geez, thanks for nothing!
(2) Costco Pizza
Along the same lines as take-out pizza, I miss Costco pizza and the Costco food court. The pizza was cheap and delicious, and I could always grab a slice on my way out of Costco in a pinch. Those days are long gone, unfortunately.
(3) Eating at a Buffet
I once loved a good buffet, but now buffets give me nightmares.
While I haven’t entirely shunned buffets, I eat only at ones that are well-labeled, and I avoid areas where buffets stash items like couscous and croutons.
(4) Paying Normal Price
Unfortunately, people on a gluten-free diet pay more money for less food.
Restaurants add $1-$2 for a gluten-free bun, gluten-free pasta, or gluten-free pizza crust.
Manufacturers do this, too. Compare any product to its gluten-free counterpart. Most brands are charging more money for less food. Ridiculous!
(5) Real Chinese Food (from a Chinese restaurant)
I love Chinese food and do a good job creating gluten-free versions of classic dishes like gluten-free sweet and sour chicken and gluten-free sesame chicken; however, nothing I make at home is ever as good as take-out fried Chinese food from an authentic Chinese restaurant. It’s close, but not the same.
(5) Pasta
While homemade gluten-free pasta can be delicious, it’s not the same without gluten.
Many store-bought gluten-free pasta brands clump together, fall apart, or become mushy.
And don’t get me started on cold gluten-free pasta. A little heat brings pasta back to life, but cold, gluten-free pasta is hard and gritty. No thanks.
(6) Soft-Pretzels
Walking by Auntie Anne’s at the mall is torture when you’re gluten-free. The smells are intoxicating, but you know you’ll never be able to enjoy that salty and doughy pretzel again.
While I’ve recreated gluten-free soft pretzels using Lorraine’s Sweet Dough Mix, they’re good but not quite the same. It’s obvious something (gluten) is missing.
(7) Traveling with Ease
While we should not let our “disability” get in the way of seeing the world, traveling is challenging when you can’t eat wheat.
Traveling requires more planning, patience, and compromise than many gluten-free people would like to acknowledge.
I encourage you to read my 27 Practical Tips for Traveling Gluten-Free to help you travel and stay true to a gluten-free diet.
And while cruises are challenging, a company called Celiac Cruise is making it easier to sail and eat gluten-free. Read my article, 22 Things to Consider Before Going on a Celiac Cruise, to get the full scoop.
(8) Bread
Like pasta, gluten-free bread isn’t the same without gluten. It’s usually harder, denser, and less fluffy and soft than wheat-based stuff.
On top of that, gluten-free bread is smaller and costs much more money than wheat bread. That’s why many gluten-free people give up bread – and sandwiches – when they go gluten-free. Sad but true.
(9) Cold Sandwiches
I used to love bringing a sandwich for lunch. But sadly, those days are long gone since eating cold gluten-free bread feels like you’re eating sand.
The only way to make gluten-free bread taste better is to warm it in a toaster or panini press (I love my panini press!).
Most people don’t have access to a dedicated gluten-free toaster oven during the day when they’d most likely eat a sandwich.
(10) Vending Machines
Most vending machines are filled with gluten-y foods you can’t eat, and even if you could eat an item or two, you won’t be able to see the food label until you buy the item. So much for a quick snack on the go.
(11) Panera Bread Bowls
I was a Panera girl before I went gluten-free 11 years ago. I would always order a sourdough bread bowl, and it was heavenly.
Now, I can barely find a safe soup at Panera, and my trust in the restaurant’s ability to offer a safe gluten-free meal is low.
(12) Sharing Dishes with Friends
Remember when you could go out to eat with friends and share food? Those days are gone unless all your friends agree to eat gluten-free with you.
(13) Ordering at a Restaurant with Ease
I think we can all agree that we hate having to repeatedly explain our diet to servers. And on top of that, it’s hard to place your faith in the hands of these strangers.
I miss the days when I could order food without first having to have a long “conversation” about my disease.
If you struggle with eating out, I encourage you to download my Ultimate Guide to Eating Out Gluten-Free.
(14) Cinnamon Rolls
Have you ever tried making gluten-free cinnamon rolls? Yeah, it doesn’t go well, and they usually taste terrible too.
The only exception was when I made my gluten-free cinnamon rolls using Lorraine’s Sweet Dough Mix, pictured below. They’re pretty darn good.
That said, I miss the ease of popping open a can of cinnamon warms and enjoying them on the spot.
(15) Pillsbury Cresent Rolls
I also loved popping open a can of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, especially during Thanksgiving. Sadly, no gluten-free crescent roll options exist unless you want to try to make your own.
Similarly, holidays aren’t the same when you have to worry about food instead of enjoying the bounty placed before you.
(16) Dunkin Donuts Chocolate-Glazed Donut
Ah, the memories of eating those delicious chocolate-glazed donuts at Dunkin’ Donuts. While I can make a delicious gluten-free chocolate donut, it’s not the same without gluten.
(17) Frosted Mini Wheats
I used to eat Frosted Mini Wheats for breakfast, and well, I’m pretty sure I was poisoning myself for years. But I sheepishly admit to missing those sweet logs of hay.
(18) Ordering In
If I didn’t feel like cooking, I could order food from any restaurant and be happy. Now, there are only a few places I feel safe ordering takeaway food from. Plus, the places I enjoy most are rarely near my house, so it’s easier to cook at home.
(19) Not Having to Know What Xanthan Gum Does
Sometimes, ignorance is bliss. I’m now the proud owner of xanthan gum, psyllium husk, oat flour, brown rice flour, tapioca flour, and a bunch of other flours and starches I would have never dreamed of having in my pantry in my pre-celiac years.
Not only do I own these ingredients, but I also understand how they work in baked goods. Go figure!
(20) Quick Grocery Runs
I miss the simpler days of popping into a grocery store for a few minutes and buying everything I needed in one place.
Today, I have to scrutinize food labels (even for products I buy often because labels can change on a whim) and end up spending hours at the store. On top of it all, I usually need to visit 3-4 grocery stores each week to find everything I need.
(21) Not Feeling Like a Burden
I hate explaining my diet to everyone who wants to get together or hang out. I always feel like such a burden.
Isn’t it fun asking set-in-her-way Grandma to leave the stuffing out of the turkey, even though she loves stuffing the turkey?
Isn’t it fun eating at a friend’s house but secretly fretting about what she will serve you and if it’s safe?
Isn’t it fun going out to eat and explaining to your friend why you need to veto a restaurant she wants?
Yeah, this gluten-free stuff isn’t for the faint of heart.
Thanks for the Memories, Gluten
There you have it … 21 foods and freedoms gluten-free people miss the most when they go on a gluten-free diet.
Remember, gluten-free is NOT A CHOICE for the millions of people with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. We have real emotional attachments to food; it’s not just about missing food. It’s about missing certain freedoms., too.
And while I had a good 35-year run with gluten by my side, today I am better, healthier, and [mostly] happier without the sticky protein in my life. Relieving my painful symptoms and prioritizing my health is worth giving up everything on this list.
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Thank you for your newsletters, great information and support! I miss being invited over to dinner. Fast food. I miss not having to think about food and what to eat. I do not like to cook, so I really miss the ease of fast food.
Thank you for making me feel not so alone.
I am very happy to not be sick all the time, so I am totally happy to avoid gluten. But still hard.
I strongly agree with most of your list, especially the reduced freedoms for traveling and eating out. I loved making bread, and I used to make the best cinnamon rolls! I’d like to add that I miss a good sour rye bread, and homemade and artisanal breads in general.
A previous commenter mentioned missing saltines, which I also have missed occasionally, especially with chili, or when I’ve needed bland food. If anyone lives in the Midwest near a HyVee store, they have been introducing their own line of gluten free products branded Good Graces, and one of the products is Good Graces Salted Crackers. The crackers are supposed to be a GF version of saltines, and though not perfect, they are a pretty decent substitute for saltines.
Traveling and having to find something I can eat. I also have to avoid nightshades. Craft beers and Guinness. I’ve decided that once it’s been determined that my life is ending, I’m eating what I want!
I miss jelly donuts 😔
It’s good to commiserate from time-to-time. Like others mentioned, I mostly miss the freedoms: traveling without worry, eating ANYWHERE, potlucks, work functions, all of it. And being a burden, especially at work because so many people just don’t get it!
I was diagnosed with celiac five years ago, and then (because I’m a “silent celiac” without the typical GI symptoms) had to give up a bunch of other things, in addition to gluten, a year later as I wasn’t healing as well/quickly as I should have been. I felt really sad and deprived for a bit, but because that’s no way to live, I decided to embrace ALL the things I CAN eat. I really got into all the different squashes (so many I had never had before) and various new-to-me “grains” that I could eat. I’ve spent way more time scouring for recipes than I should admit, but I have really come to like cooking and get excited about meal planning and trying new recipes. And the more I read and learn about processed foods, including refined grains, and all the negative effects they have on our metabolic health, the less I miss them (and the less I want to eat the gluten-free replacements). Because there’s a lot of junk in gluten-free dupes.
This gluten-free + celiac life is a neverending journey, for sure. And I’ll admit: I’m still what I think most would consider “food insecure” (just look at my well-stocked pantry). But time helps. Facebook groups and blogs and the wise folks who have battled this longer than I have and are willing to share their insights (and Nima test results!). It all helps. 🙂
What a great list – as a mom of a 10 year old celiac, so many of these apply – soft pretzels for sure, ordering pizza at home, donuts, etc – you are spot on.
I am rather recently diagnosed in the past yr, at age of 61, so this is all still new and an adventure – an adventure because it is new and I now feel healthy. And I never liked bread, or pasta, and stuff like that (I wonder why)
What I have missed is food associated with events. Every year for decades, on my birthday, I have a frosted blueberry pop tart. Don’t know why, I always felt awful afterwards (I don’t have a sweet tooth and the gluten, it turns out) but it was
just something I oddly look forward to for my birthday. This year I couldn’t have the pop tart and I felt so sad for myself.
Going to parties with friends and not being able to eat anything cause they have a grazing platter and everything is touching and nothing has its packaging so I can read.
My supermarket no longer selling the only chocolate that did not carry the may contain warning, now I have to eat products that may contain when I want chocolate.
Knowing that you can pull in for coffee and lunch anywhere while traveling.
Staff birthday cakes and home made edible thank you gifts from parents where I work that I have to watch others eat.
Ice cream in a waffle cone.
I miss baked goods that I could pick up in a bakery. I miss beer a lot. I used to love red wine, but can’t drink it because I was told there is glue holding the barrels together and it no longer agrees with me. I still can drink white wine though which is enjoyable and only rarely.
Missing saltine crackers and real biscuits!
Potluck dinners can be so hazardous! So, when our church has one, I bring three dishes – a meat, a vegetable and a dessert, that are all gluten free, just so I can eat.
I miss Hardee’s biscuits and gravy, Golden Corral yeast rolls, (really the whole buffet entirely), and Cafeteria rolls and cinnamon rolls from my elementary school. The cinnamon rolls were so good they sold them by the dozen several times a year. Golden Corral always made me sick and now I know why.
Being spontaneous. Plus the price of gluten free spices!
Your list pretty much nailed it. It makes you think about the before and now. So 😞but you make it better with all the information you give us. Thank you
I agree with the Auntie Ann’s pretzels, but I most miss Krispie Kreme donut, Special K Strawberry cereal, biscuits and gravy and a good Chess Pie. My dad was a retail baker for nearly 50 years so we developed a taste for the sweet things. And I’d die for a whopper from Burger King!! All these things are out forever, I’m afraid!😢😢
Cinnamon Rolls are #1.
Fresh Hot rolls.
Crescent rolls
Pizza, I use to buy gluten free, but got to wear I no longer like pizza, but it would be nice to have one on real pizza dough.
Real pie crust.
Not being a burden when I eat with others.
I hate that our food cost so much more.
Wish it was easier to travel and not be concerned about finding a place where
I can eat.
Oh I miss Twix both the candy bar and the ice cream bar, probably more than the cinnamon rolls.
I was just on a vacation with my family and I missed out on so much (birthday cake, ordering food out, etc.).
But 1 of the main thing I miss is Twizzlers. The Gluten-Free ones are just not as good.
Dunkin’ Donuts honey dipped donuts, my Mom’s double chocolate cake she made every year for my birthday, Mon’s home made bread hot out of the oven with melted butter.
I miss a lot of those things but I really miss triscuits, I ate them daily. Thanks for all the work you do, I hate having celiac and glad I closed my small restaurant in alaska before I knew I had celiac.
Totally agree with the travel and eating out stresses. My friends and family are great about considering me and my daughter but it doesn’t feel good to always be that person. I miss my mom’s Swedish bullar (cinnamon buns), Italian pizza, croissants/bread, pastries , Asian foods and just the simplicity of not having to think about it. That being said, I’m able to be healthy by giving up these foods so it is worth it. Some days though …
Thanks for all your work for our community Jenny!
Id have to add Krispy Kreme to your already great list. I always had Frosted Mini Wheats on hand for snacking.
The list is so true – I miss being able to go out to breakfast at our local diner.
YESSS to all of this!!
I’ll add drinking beer, going to breweries, going out for an impromptu meal with family/friends, etc, and Krispy Kreme glazed donuts (when the ‘Hot’ sign is on).
Traveling really has become stressful due to all the pre-planning and uncertainty of where/what you can eat. International travel is even worse lol!
Great list Jenny! The stress of traveling and ordering at restaurants are my biggest regrets. I would add grilled cheese sandwiches and homemade mac and cheese. These are at the top of my food craving list and, sadly, the GF versions are not worth it. Thanks for helping us navigate this GF road.
I miss the ease of ordering food. Eating out is a challenge.
I concur with all of this! Great article! I miss beef barley soup, a mom & pop donut shop donut (maple triangle or creamstick), and hush puppies.
I miss donuts the most! Like, a good fried yeast donut from Krispy Kreme. I’ve yet to try a gf donut that truly satisfies that craving.
Cinnabons!
Wheat Yeast rolls
A really good pie-especially pecan
.
Olive Garden zeppolis
Going out for a meal with my husband or family where they want to go.
Family dinners and people who don’t respect my disease, thinking that a little gluten won’t hurt me or are unaware the product they are using contains gluten.
So agree on the traveling and vacation issues. I feel like I always have to pre plan all my meals, just in case.
I agree with your list! I’ve never had Costco pizza, so I’m lucky that I’m not missing that. I miss being “normal.” I’m always the odd one out when having a carry in at work or going out to eat. I feel like such a burden and a pain to eat with. I also miss all the sugary cereals! 😂
I feel this list so much! Adding all the dairy, corn, oats and other things I am unable to enjoy would make my list too long for a blog.
Not sure about anyone else, but I can vividly recall the taste of those photos.
Finally, the inability to eat at restaurants due to the myraid of ingredients I’m unable to eat, has actually impacted my job. My boss and his boss are having team dinners following an offsite and I’m going to attend for a bit and leave before entrees arrive. It’s simply too precarious for me to take chances and, due to cross contamination.
You hit the nail on the head. Just came back from a trip with my girls. Absolutely everything you mentioned was experienced.
Yes such a great list and so agree! I also miss the occasional Twizzler! Was so bummed to find out those had wheat flour in them when I was diagnosed 22 years ago