Gluten Alternatives
Whether it's a fad or not, the sheer number of these gluten substitutes is staggering
I wanted to get a quick post out commenting on rice and grain alternatives. I could go crazy focusing on how many are out there and how many seem to wiggle their way into popularity overnight. White bread is now a pariah and carries the penalty of death by gluten if used in your kid's peanut butter and jelly sandwich... but don't use peanut butter, because some people may be allergic. Try almond butter, or better yet Hemp seed spread. If I was speaking this last sentence, my voice would be dripping with contempt because I think this has all gone too far. You may ask,
"But Adam, you handsome devil, people can't help if they or their kids have allergies or celiac disease."
Yes, I understand allergies are a huge issue and shouldn't be joked about. I work with a woman who had an episode because someone made noddles with peanut oil as an ingredient--it's serious stuff. I actually think food labels should more clearly state which food allergens they contain for ease of the consumer. I constantly have to check my snacks for peanut material now, and sometimes they sneak up on me in the oddest products. But enough about peanuts, let's get to celiac disease. I'm sure I wont be making any friends when I say gluten-free dieters are the new vegans. Celiac disease itself, while i'm sure is not fun, is not life threatening. A wheat allergy, on the other hand, is. There's a huge difference; a wheat allergy will cause all the normal allergic reactions from hives to anaphylaxis, while celiac disease will cause gas, bloating, and diarrhea... In other words, a normal night after cheap Mexican food. Celiac sufferers just can't process gluten the way that other people can, and I feel for them when I bite into my fresh-baked baguette and sip my malty beer.
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