I’m 31 years old, and I love carbs. I grew up in a very Italian neighborhood and went to the Italian Catholic school; I used to joke I was Italian by osmosis. So when I went to the allergist to have allergy testing done and I discovered I was allergic to the molds in gluten, I thought it was an awful joke.
For me, this wasn’t just an allergy but a lifestyle change. It’s been 3 months since the diagnosis and here’s what I’ve learned. When I am good about not cheating and I actually make an effort to be Gluten Free, I feel significantly better. My bones and joints don’t ache, I sleep better and my allergies aren’t nearly as bad. I also have more energy in the day, after eating a sandwich I always felt tired and lethargic.
So when my girlfriend tagged me on Instagram about the Gluten-Free Expo I knew I needed to go. I won 2 tickets, and off I went! My husband loves Gluten and Wheat – so we used this as an opportunity for me to learn more, try some free samples, and for him to try some samples to make it easier. It was a great experience and I’m so excited to share some safe brands of foods. I was ecstatic to find safe ravioli that actually tasted like my best friend’s grandmothers growing up (remember I’m Italian by osmosis!).
The hardest part about being Gluten-Free was breakfast- I’m a bagel and egg sandwich kind of girl; it fills me up and it’s easy on the go. So while we were at the Expo I focused on the on-the-go goodies. The other thing I was excited to try was the Gluten-Free Beer; I’ve missed beer and resigned myself to the fact I wouldn’t be able to drink it again. Well, now I can! The beer tasted just as good as any beer with Gluten; finding a beer that tasted as good as the craft beers I’d been missing made this day complete.
Down below are some safe brands of Gluten-Free goodies; some of these can be found on Amazon and others are located out of state. But don’t panic, you can get just about everything delivered right to your house.
Something Sweet Without Wheat – has incredible muffins and bagels – they ship and they’re out of Woburn, MA in case you’re looking to make a road trip.
GoMacro had two delicious sample morning bars, they’re moist and taste great. I loved the Maple Sea Salt. They also ship.
Super Seedz – fun fact! I don’t like pumpkin or anything having to do pumpkin. Until I tried these Pumpkin Seedz, I bought 5 bags and got a free tote – they had 10 or so different flavors and each one was better than the next. My favorite was the “Somewhat Spicy”.
Packed by Sarah – I can not wait to order more of these. They had 2 flavors; Original or Jalapeno. I went with Original. Each bag has dry fruit, a protein stick, savory snack, and mint & fruit candy. These packs are great for on the go parents who can’t enjoy eating McDonalds chicken nuggets with the kids before soccer.
Glutenberg was the beer Itried. I had the Blonde and West Coast IPA. I preferred the Blonde but the West Coast was great too. Glutenberg is available at Wines ‘n More in Cranston.
There were so many different vendors and options, everything was amazing. A & J from Cranston was there as was Sans Gluten located in Johnston. For anyone who can’t have Gluten, I highly encourage you to attend the expo next time around; you’ll learn more about what you can and can’t have and find a replacement for literally anything.
