If you have recently been diagnosed with celiac disease it can be a challenge to find resources. I know, because I’ve been there myself! Below, I have a list of resources and links that I have found helpful over the years. As you search and find more resources, please share them in the comments section at the bottom of the page. It takes a village to live gluten free!
Celiac Disease Resources
Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University provides extensive research, treatment, events, support, info for parents of kids with celiac and much more.
Celiac.org has a wealth of information about diagnosis and treatment. They offer nutrition info with meal plans for kids and seniors. There are personal stories, FDA guidelines and a section from their dietician. These are just a few of the resources available on their site. You could spend all day on this site alone!
Celiaccorner.com offers a lot of great info. I specifically like their link to support groups by state http://celiaccorner.com/support/
Allergy Friendly Apps
Allergyeats.com is a great website and app for finding allergy friendly restaurants. You can search based on the allergens you need to avoid. Then you can rate your experiences at the restaurants you visit. This helps build the data and resources for all users.
Spokin.com is a great website and app for managing food allergies. Whether you are newly diagnosed, traveling, looking for recipes, eating out or caring for someone with allergies, they have you covered. When you register inside the app, it provides many options for what kind of information you would like to receive. Your settings can be based on the food allergens that matter most to you, reducing the chance of getting info that isn’t relevant to your needs. Their news feed always seems to have great content for those of us dealing with food allergies. You can make your own avatar within the app too- which is always fun:-)
Gluten Free Organizations
It has been said that celiac disease is a “rich man’s disease” because of how expensive it is to eat gluten free. Most food pantries aren’t set up to help with food allergies. However, I am finding a few cities and organizations that are attacking the problem. Here are some links for more info:
- http://www.safefoodpantry.org/
- https://nationalceliac.org/the-gluten-free-food-bank/
- http://www.honservice.org/ (They don’t mention it on their site, but call for more info)
Here’s a link to more info on Allergy Friendly food pantries and how you can help get one started in your community: https://www.glutenfreeandmore.com/issues/4_16/special_diet_food_banks-2630-1.html
Gluten Free Watchdog tests products that are labelled "gluten free" and share their results. Since contamination can occur at many different stages of processing food, they are checking to see if products contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten. Which is the current standard for celiac safe gluten free labeling. They can also be a good source for gluten free product recalls.
Gluten Free and Food Allergy Expos
Gluten Free and Food Allergy Expos are hosted by several companies and offer one-stop shopping, so-to-speak. At these expos, you can check out products, watch demonstrations and hear from experts. If you don’t find your city in one of the links below, try a google search with your city name and “Gluten free expo.” That will likely provide info about one nearby.
Gluten Free Meal Delivery Services
Although I have never used them (I love to cook after all), several meal plan delivery services offer gluten free options:
- Greenchef.com
- Hellofresh.com
- Bestmealkitdelivery.com
- Here is a link to a list of 13 Allergy-Friendly Meal Delivery Services compiled by Spokin