Dave, Gluten Free Advocate

If you have been looking for a great tasting and healthy gluten free snack, then your wait is over. Head over to our produce department and check out all of our chef prepared salsas, guacamole, and fresh cut fruit. The best part about buying from our produce department is that it is all cut, prepared, and packaged right here in our store so there is no risk of cross contamination like there is with warehouse prepared product from the national brands. Not only is there no risk of cross contamination, but our produce department also takes all necessary steps to ensure the highest quality produce available is used to prepare all of their fresh cut produce. They also use an anti microbial victory wash on all produce that is used in production to eliminate anything that may be harmful to you, the consumer. Please go check it out, I highly recommend the guacamole, but have liked all varieties that I have tried.

Dave, Gluten Free Advocate

One thing I have struggled with since I started eating gluten free is that everything you prepare for dinner is very time consuming since you are basically making everything from scratch. I don’t know about you, but for my family that gets even more difficult in the summer time. It seems that there is so much more going on like baseball games, yard work, and just simply enjoying the weather. For most people the solution is simple, stop by your favorite fast food place and pick up a burger or a bucket of chicken, but for someone with celiac disease it’s not that simple. First of all, if there is something on their menu that is gluten free there is a very high probability of cross contamination and a general lack of knowledge that often leads to unintentional mistakes. I was recently eating at a chain restaurant that does have a gluten free menu. When I placed my order I was filled with confidence thinking that since they have this gluten free menu they must be educated about what gluten is, but sadly when my order came out of the kitchen there was a big piece of texas toast right on top of my steak. I wasn’t angry, mistakes happen, but if it can happen at a place with a special gluten free menu I figure it can happen anywhere. So, the alternative is to make it at home and take it with you. I like to take our Harmons rotisserie chicken and remove the bones, cut it in to bite sized pieces, and toss it in a nice green leaf salad with onions and bell peppers – it only takes five minutes to prepare and the end result is delicious and satisfying.

So you can make healthy quick gluten free meals it just takes a little creativity, and some thinking out side of the box.

Dave, Gluten Free Advocate

For those of you who have been waiting all these long cold months for grilling season to get here, the wait is finally over. Lucky for you, shopping at Harmons means that you get the finest freshest product available to throw on that grill of yours, and you may be surprised to find out that you can cook things other than meat on your grill.

Two of my favorite items to grill are pineapple and corn on the cob. Grilling these two items adds a distinctive depth to their flavor that is to die for. But if you want to stick with the classics, our meat department does carry the absolute best beef, pork, chicken, and lamb available. We have a full line of gourmet burgers, kabobs and prime grade all natural aged Angus beef steaks available in our full service meat counters ready for you to take home tonight. Most of the items in our full service meat case are gluten free, but for piece of mind here is a list that may help: Continue Reading »

Dave, Gluten Free Advocate

I had the opportunity to try Bakery on Main’s granola a few days ago, and I am very excited to tell you that if you are a granola fan that we now sell a great tasting gluten free granola. We currently carry five different varieties; Apple Raisin Walnut, Nutty Cranberry Maple, Extreme Fruit and Nut, Cinnamon Raisin, and Triple Berry. My personal favorite was the Apple Raisin Walnut, but they all have a very distinct flavor and were all very tasty. The best part is that they won’t break the bank costing only $5.99 each, which I don’t have to tell you is very reasonable for a high quality granola, let alone a gluten free one. You can find Bakery on Main, and many other great gluten free products, in our gluten free section which is located on the cereal isle in most of our store locations.

Bakery On Main - Gluten Free Granola

Dave, Gluten Free Advocate

I have recently had several customers ask me the same question, “Are your fresh meats gluten free?” So I did a little research and found out as long as they are not breaded or seasoned in any way it is a safe to assume that they are gluten free.

Many poultry producers do use a wheat based feed for their chickens, but studies have shown that the gluten in their feed does not get into the meat. So, regardless of what the animal is fed, its meat will be gluten free.  As well as having concerns about the animals’ feed, you may also be concerned about possible cross contamination of the meat. As far as our full service meat cases go this is a very real possibility since non breaded, non seasoned product shares space with products that are breaded and/or seasoned. If you would like to purchase some of our gluten free ready to cook products just explain your situation to one of our friendly knowledgeable meat associates, and they will be happy to make you a new one that will not have a possibility of having been cross contaminated. We also have a very large variety of products in our self service or grab and go cases that is produced completely separate from where the gluten containing products are made so there is very little to no risk of the products being cross contaminated. If you are still concerned just ask one of our meat associates how and where the product you would like to purchase was produced. We want you to feel confident in your purchase from Harmons, as we are always concerned about the health and safety of our customers.

Dave, Gluten Free Advocate

There are so many different types of gluten free flours out there that it can be hard to make sense of them all, or know what you are supposed to use with which recipe. Most gluten free cooks agree that most gluten free flours work better in a mix, and there are many that you can buy like Grandpas Kitchen that are pre mixed, or if you like to experiment and try new things you can make your own flour blends that are suited to your own tastes.

The one thing that you must remember before making your own mix is that these flours do not contain gluten, and as I mentioned in a previous post, gluten is literally the glue that holds wheat bread or wheat baked goods together. So, you will have to add something that will mimic gluten’s properties in your recipe. There are several ways you can do this. The easiest way is to add eggs to your recipe, but remember that eggs will make your recipe heavier. You can also use either guar gum or xantham gum to accomplish this. (I generally use guar gum because it is about a quarter the cost of xantham gum and accomplishes the task just as well.) So here is a list of GF flours and their uses: Continue Reading »

Dave, Gluten Free Advocate

Sometime ago I was surprised to find out that it is not only food that you must worry about being gluten free. The truth is that gluten is used in all sorts of daily use items that you would never have fathomed contain gluten. My wife and I bought Flintstones vitamins for our kids not even thinking that they might contain gluten, and as it turns out they do. So, that got us thinking, if something like a kids multi-vitamin could contain gluten what other non-food items could pose a possible risk to our health.

The list might surprise you!!! So here is a list of items to watch out for; toothpaste, mouthwash, shampoo, bar soap, hand soap, lip balm, lip stick, make up, hair gel, play dough, and vitamins.

It’s hard not to get disheartened, but just like most food products, there are gluten free alternatives to all of the above mentioned items. Just be careful and do your research, and if you are unsure about a product contact the manufacturer directly. Since celiac disease has become more prevalent, affecting an estimated 1 out of every 133 people, manufacturers are aware and usually have a statement prepared as to whether an item contains gluten or not.

Dave, Gluten Free Advocate

Kraft foods has taken a stance on labeling that the entire industry should copy. They have stated that all ingredients which contain gluten will be listed in parentheses after the gluten containing grain. This kind of full disclosure of ingredients makes life that much easier for someone who is trying to cut gluten out of their diet. The best part about Kraft going in this direction with their labeling standard is that they control 150 different brands.

Follow this link for a list of Kraft’s largest brands
http://www.kraftfoodscompany.com/Brands/largest-brands/index.aspx

How to read Kraft’s labels
Kraft products made with an ingredient that contains a source of gluten will list that grain source in parentheses after the ingredient in the ingredient line if that is the only source of gluten in the product. This method is used, as necessary, to identify sources of gluten in flavors, modified food starch and other ingredients.

Dave, Gluten Free Advocate

When I first went on the gluten free diet I wondered what gluten is. I had honestly never heard the word gluten until I was told that I had to avoid eating it. So for those of you wondering what exactly you are trying to avoid, gluten comes from the Latin root gluten, which means glue, and that is exactly what it does in bread. It is literally the glue that holds the dough together and allows it to rise.

Gluten is the composition of prolamin and glutelin, which exist conjoined with starch in the endosperm of various types of grass related grains. In wheat, barley, and rye, the prolamins are called gladins, and the glutelin is called glutenin. When the gladins and glutenins are mixed together with water, the sticky protein gluten forms. One thing that may be confusing for someone new to the gluten free diet is that the protein found in corn and rice is also called gluten, but it lacks gladin so it is not harmful to someone who has celiac disease, gluten intolerance, etc.

Dave, Gluten Free Advocate

When you are shopping for gluten free products, it is important that you understand some of the ingredients in the products that you are contemplating buying may contain hidden gluten. There are many words that are used to mask what these ingredients are derived from, and in many cases the only way to be absolutely sure is to contact the manufacturer of the product you are looking to purchase. I have found that contacting them by e-mail generally gets you the fastest response. Also, with the new Federal gluten free labeling guidelines looming, many companies have already adopted the proposed law by stating on their ingredient label weather or not it does contain gluten or any of the prohibited grains that contain gluten. However, for those companies that have not adopted the proposed law, here is a list of ingredients to look out for:

o      Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HPV), unless made from soy or corn.

o      Flour, unless it is made from pure rice, corn, potato, or soy flour.

o      Vegetable Protein, unless made from soy or corn.

o      Malt or Malt Flavoring, unless it is derived from corn, or sorghum.

o      Modified starch or Modified food starch, unless it is made from corn, potato, tapioca, waxy maize, maize, or arrowroot.

o      Vegetable Gum, unless it is made from cellulose, guar gum, Arabic gum, acacia gum, tragacanth, xantham gum, carob bean, or locust bean.

Some other words that are often used in foods containing gluten are as follows: Stabilizer, Starch, Flavorings, Emulsifier, Hydrolyzed, and Plant protein.

So, in other words if your diet is limited by gluten, be careful and do your research. Most companies are very forthcoming with their ingredients when someone’s health is at risk.