kpearson's Journal

GLUTEN FREE HAS GONE MAINSTREAM
Jun 14 2009 15:44

I've been so excited about all of the new gluten-free products springing up in stores all around the country by LARGE commercial companies such as: General Mills, Betty Crocker and many many more. To people who have Celiac's or any type of a food allergy (even though CD isn't an allergy) you understand how hard and how EXPENSIVE it can be to enjoy a few simple pleasures in your everyday. Such as cereals. You would think that cereal would be a safe bet, just find a rice cereal. WRONG. A lot of cereals, including rice and corn based, add "Barley Malt" to give the cereal a little extra sweetness. Well CHEX has taken a bold leap in makin their, RICE CHECK and CORN CHEX gluten free! I wish you could have seen my face when I walked down the cereal isle in Hannaford to see "GLUTEN FREE" in large bold print letters on a their cereal boxes. I took a large "GASP" in and squeezed Luke's hand super tightly. I was so excited I could have screamed. (i let out a tiny one actually hehe).

But CHEX is not the ONLY company meeting the needs of the ever growing celiacs disease population. BETTY CROCKER has introduced this summer their line of gluten free baking MIXES.

Now these things may not seem like a big deal if you don't typically shop in health food stores, or buy gluten free items but the cost and more importantly the AMOUNT of food you can get for your buck is MUCH less. I can make food go for a pretty long time. I'm only 5'4 and about 120 pounds. But Luke (My practically perfect, allergy free, garbage disposal) pretty much gets DOUBLE the amount of food for the same price that I pay.

But the part that makes me the most excited is that I can clip coupons for my food. I can get the mainstream bargains on the products I love and save more money to splurge on small items every once in awhile, like Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream, not an everyday necessity I would say.

It's just good news!

I hope one day Gluten Free is just accessible and easy as being a vegetarian is these days.

Kudos to Chex and Betty Crocker, you'll be receiving my money shortly.