Overall, I consider myself pretty easy to please — I’m not the type to complain about something unless it’s really bad, and I lead a fairly simple life. It’s the small things in life that truly make me happy — sight, sounds, smells — all of which for me are synonymous with good food, and in my case gluten-free food. These are just a few things for me that will put a smile on my face and a spring in my step.

  1. Properly labeled gluten-free packaged food (and it’s really gluten-free)
    It’ so nice to walk into a store and find something labeled gluten-free and it actually is gluten-free. So many gluten-free products include too much fine print with lines like, made on shared equipment with…, made in a facility…, made with non-gluten ingredients…, etc. There are a few brands that have this fine print that I trust and do well with, but all in all, I’d much rather not have to deal with it. These days, every company wants to jump in on the gluten-free bandwagon — that’s all well and good as long as they are willing to do more then just say they are gluten-free. It’s a matter of people’s lives and health, and it should be treated that way.
  2. Nutritious gluten-free packaged food
    I’ll be the first to admit that I love my gluten-free snack food and desserts — there are so many amazing gluten-free products available. But after a while, especially when it comes to sugar, enough is enough. While I love seeing recipes from the likes of Elana’s Pantry who really focus on using healthy ingredients (but still come up with some great recipes that can be considered treats), I still find myself needing the occasional packaged gluten-free food to get me through a meeting at work or even just as a quick and lazy snack. So when I find something that focuses on nutrition and isn’t loaded with sugar and unnecessary calories, I get excited.
  3. Dedicated gluten-free menus with real choices
    With the gluten-free menu being such a hot trend, so many restaurants are offering them. When I walk into a restaurant and I get a dedicated gluten-free menu that is more than a piece of paper with a plain salad, a plain chicken breast, or plain veggies, I get discouraged. Yes, it’s nice that they are pointing these items out, but how wonderful to walk into a restaurant like Risotteria in NYC, Picazzo’s in Portland, OR and Arizona or even Hugo’s in L.A, who have well thought out detailed gluten-free menus with more choices than anyone could know what to do with. Talk to any of these restaurants about how many people ask for gluten-free menus and everyone of them will surely let you know that it has made good business sense for them to offer these menus — I really don’t understand why more restaurants don’t do it.
  4. A grocery with more than a few shelves dedicated to gluten-free food
    My local grocery has about a 5’ section of an aisle with a handful of gluten-free products on three shelves — it’s simply not enough. When you walk into a Whole Foods, Wegmans, or New Seasons (and many others), you know that you are going to have choices. Some of them have entire aisles dedicated to gluten-free products and some even have it scattered throughout the store in every section and every aisle. I am like a kid in a candy store when I come across a store like this.
  5. A family doctor who doesn’t discount celiac disease as a non-issue
    Too many times I’ve been to the doctor and just had them glaze over when I mention that I have celiac disease. I’ve even had doctors who didn’t know enough about it to understand that it involves much more than just cutting out wheat — they’ve been surprised when I tell them the long list of ingredients that I do have to avoid — and to think they are doctors :(   You would think that something like celiac disease that effects up to 1 in 100 people, would be known by every doctor on the face of the planet and welcomed as it is relatively easy to successfully treat.
  6. Gluten-free school lunches
    My daughter is also on a gluten-free diet and it has been so hard getting the various schools that she’s attended to get on board with getting her a gluten-free meal that consisted of more than a salad and a carton of milk. We’ve almost always had to resort to her bringing her lunch (which at the end of the day is a healthier option). There are days when time runs out and having the option for the school lunch would be nice. People like Amy Leger of The Savvy Celiac blog have done a lot of work in this area — I just hope that gluten-free lunches will spread and be more available to us all. One really entertaining thing that I do see is how many kids want my daughter’s gluten-free cookies that she sometimes packs in her lunch box.
  7. Media coverage that doesn’t refer to the gluten-free diet as the latest fad
    Too many times now, I’ve seen reports on mainstream news outlets about the latest fad, the gluten-free diet. I’d much rather it be reported as a public health crisis that effects 1 in 100 people and how it is so commonly misdiagnosed for so many different illnesses. Having the gluten-free diet in the spotlight is probably a good thing, but having it associated with every other fad diet runs the risk of decreased public awareness or worse yet, public apathy when people hear about a gluten-free diet.  I much prefer to hear about the dire side of celiac disease and how it almost killed somebody or it was misdiagnosed as something else — and then wrapping it up with the fact that a relatively simple change in their diet (not drugs) has changed their life in a positive way. This is the sort of coverage that will open people’s eyes to what the gluten-free diet is all about — improved health*. *It doesn’t mean you can go out and eat every gluten-free pastry, cookie or cereal loaded with sugar and expect to achieve good health because you’re following a gluten-free diet. A naturally gluten-free diet will improve your health. A gluten-free diet based in sugar, fat and processed food will still lead to poor health.
  8. Boutique, artisan bakeries creating exceptional gluten-free baked goods
    There are some great store-bought gluten-free baked goods out there (this is where I’ll get the flood of comments on Udi’s — yes, I agree they are great), but I am so in awe of the artistry of the many small, dedicated gluten-free bakeries across the country and around the world. Thanks to these, I’ve been able to enjoy gluten-free baguettes, croissants and some of the best birthday cake I’ve ever had (better than most traditionally baked cakes). Because of these wonderful bakeries, gluten-free isn’t as hard as I originally thought it would be. They may be more expensive, but you really are getting a unique, hand-crafted work of art by a person who cares about what they are selling.
  9. Gluten-free events
    Whether it be a tasting event at a local grocery, a meetup event at a restaurant or even a happy hour, gluten-free events are a great way to meet like-minded people, enjoy great food, and learn more about the food you are eating. Gluten-free events spread awareness, help local businesses and as with every other small business — help the economy.
  10. The awesome gluten-free community
    The sheer volume of information coming from the gluten-free / celiac community is overwhelming. RSS feeds, email alerts, Facebook notifications and every other imaginable message fill my inbox day after day informing me of all the latest happenings. Bloggers, chefs, dietitians and even home chefs all contribute so much and keep me amazed at how lucky we are to have this much support. Thank you to every last one of you.