Celiac Disease & Gluten Intolerance: Everyday Ideas for Thriving Gluten-Free

Getting a celiac disease or gluten intolerance diagnosis can be life-altering. It changes what grocery shopping, eating out, and even eating at home look like. Having the right information and resources on hand makes the transition easier. It can even encourage you to try new foods that you have never eaten before. Let’s dive into what gluten is, its impact on celiac disease and gluten intolerance, and ideas to manage living gluten-free. At the end of this blog post, I’ve added many helpful resources, including cookbooks, recipe links, social media accounts to follow, and some useful apps. Don’t forget to check them out! ​

What is Gluten? 

Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat, barley, rye, triticale, and brewer’s yeast. Gluten is also present in derivatives of these grains, such as wheatberries, durum, emmer, semolina, farro, farina, spelt, garam, kamut, einkorn wheat, and malt. Common foods that contain gluten include: bread, pasta, pastries, baked goods, cereal, granola, sauces, gravies, and some alcohols. Gluten can also be found in medications, oral care, dental products, and cosmetics.

What is Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks the cells of the small intestine when gluten is ingested. This can damage the small intestine lining, affecting nutrient absorption. Celiac disease can develop at any age, and those who have a family member who has it or have the genes associated with celiac disease are at increased risk of developing the disease. While there are over 300 symptoms of celiac disease, some people experience no symptoms at all. Managing celiac disease involves completely eliminating gluten from the diet.

What is Gluten Intolerance? 
Gluten intolerance, also known as non-celiac gluten sensitivity, is different from celiac disease. When gluten is ingested, there is no damage to the small intestine lining. People with gluten intolerance typically experience digestive symptoms like gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation when eating gluten. These symptoms usually improve when gluten is eliminated from the diet. Some people may be able to tolerate small amounts of gluten.

Naturally Gluten-Free Foods
There are a variety of foods that are naturally gluten-free: fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, meat, dairy products, spices, herbs, and gluten-free grains (amaranth, quinoa, corn, buckwheat, millet, rice, teff, sorghum, and gluten-free oats). Since oats have a high risk of cross-contact with wheat, people with celiac disease are advised to use certified gluten-free oats. 

Avoiding Cross-Contact When Living Gluten Free:

Cross-contact occurs when a gluten-free food is exposed to a gluten-containing food, making it unsafe for people with celiac disease and potentially unsafe for those with gluten intolerance. Cross-contact can occur during preparation (in a restaurant or at home), during growing and manufacturing, or even during grocery shopping. Here are some ways you can avoid cross-contact in different situations:

Grocery Shopping:

• Check labels and ingredient lists for gluten-containing ingredients, and look up any you are not sure about. If a product has a gluten-free label, it is safe. You can also check the allergens listing/contains statement as a quick way to rule out a food if it says “contains wheat”. 
• Avoid bulk bins, as they are at high risk of cross-contact. 
• Use caution or avoid prepared foods from hot bars, delis, and salad bars since there is a high risk of cross-contact. 
• Be cautious with free samples.

At Home: 

• Discuss with family members the importance of keeping gluten-containing foods and gluten-free foods separate.
• Use separate sponges and dishrags to clean gluten-containing dishes. It is okay to use the same dishwasher.
• Use a separate toaster or use toaster bags.
• Cover gluten-free foods when cooking with a convection oven (gluten particles can be blown onto food).
• Use separate cutting boards. 
• Use separate utensils, or wash them well between uses. 
• Use separate equipment or wash well between uses/replace if scraps are present: cast-iron skillets, nonstick pans, rolling pins, waffle iron, food storage containers, cake pans, muffin tins. 
• Separate gluten-free foods from gluten-containing foods in the fridge or pantry. 
• Use separate condiments or make sure not to double-dip when using butter, peanut butter, jams, etc.

 At Restaurants:

• Do your research: choose a restaurant that has gluten-free options
• Inform the wait staff - some people do not know what celiac disease is, you can say you have a gluten allergy instead.
• You can ask to speak to the manager or chef if needed, since they usually have more training around allergens. 
• Ask questions about the ingredients and the preparation process.    
• For fried food, ask if they have a dedicated gluten-free fryer.
• Have your favorite snacks on hand in case they don’t have seemingly safe options. 
• You can purchase or create wallet cards listing your allergies to avoid and tips for managing cross-contact to give to wait staff. You can often find these cards online in a variety of different languages as well, which can come in handy for travelling. See the example below:

Social Gatherings and Holidays:

• Inform the host about your celiac disease/gluten intolerance.
  
• Come prepared with a dish or two that you are sure you can eat.
  
• Keep gluten-free food separate to avoid cross-contact. 
  
• Be on the lookout for foods that might contain gluten, such as gravies, sauces, spices, and drinks. 
  
• Find alternative recipes for your holiday favorites if they contain gluten.  
  
• Buy pre-made gluten-free food from companies like BFree, Schar, Udi’s, Canyon Bakehouse, Katz Gluten-Free, Enjoy Life, and Feel Good Foods. ​
  

Avoiding Gluten in Non-Food Items: 

​Gluten can show up in other places other than food: 

• In medications: When being prescribed or picking up medications, inform your doctor or pharmacist that you cannot have gluten so they can check the medication's ingredient list. Check over-the-counter medications as well.
• In skincare products: Products like lip balms, lip gloss, and lipstick might contain gluten, and since there is a higher likelihood of swallowing these products, it’s best to choose a gluten-free product. 
• At your dentist’s office: some toothpastes and dental products contain gluten. 
• If you have a child who has celiac disease, some playdoughs contain gluten. It is best to check the product label or make your own playdough at home. 

Here are some amazing resources to check out to help make gluten-free living easier: 

• Celiac Disease Foundation
• Beyond Celiac
• Gluten Intolerance Group 

Cookbooks:

• Cannelle et Vanille Bakes Simple by Aran Goyoaga
• The Art of Gluten-Free Bread by Aran Goyoaga 
• How Can It Be Gluten-Free by America’s Test Kitchen
• The Very Hungry Celiac by Melanie Persson
• Gluten-Free Cookbook for Beginners by Jessica Kirk
• Everyday Gluten-Free by Bob’s Red Mill 
• The Elements of Baking by Katarina Cermelj

Gluten Free Recipes:

• Mama Knows Gluten Free
• My Gluten-Free Kitchen
• Meaningful Eats
• The Savory Celiac
• Gluten Free on a Shoestring
• The Loopy Whisk
• Pinch of Yum Gluten Free Recipes
• Cook for Your Life Gluten-Free Recipes
• Beyond Celiac Recipes
• Eating Well Gluten Free Recipes
• Celiac Disease Foundation Recipes

Gluten Free Social Media Accounts:

• Erin | Gluten-Free Dietitian @the_celiac_space
• Janae Cox @cleanmondaymeals
• Lorin | Celiac Disease + T1D @goodglutenfreegrub
• Lauren Murawski @eat.glutenfreewithme
• Casey Cromwell @collegeceliackc
• No gluten gabby @noglutengabby
• Tayler Silfverduk @celiacdietitian
• Katarina Cermelj @theloopywhisk
• Gluten Intolerance Group @glutendotorg
• Celiac Disease Foundation @celiacdiseasefoundation
• Beyond Celiac @beyondceliac

Useful Apps:

• Find Me Gluten Free- an app used to find restaurants/bakeries that have gluten-free options based on location.
• The Celiac App - product database, gluten-free menus and guides for common restaurants, practice scripts for dining out, FAQs about celiac disease, has an in-app assistant.
• FIG: Food scanner - scan barcodes to check ingredients, learn about ingredients
• Gluten Dude: GF restaurants - finds restaurants based on location, and can leave reviews.
• Atly - Can filter for gluten-free restaurants.

We live in a world that revolves around gluten. Transitioning to living gluten-free is no small task; luckily, the world is becoming more allergy-friendly. Food companies are introducing new products every day, and most restaurants around the world now offer gluten-free options. Being an advocate for yourself and others helps bring awareness and make room at the table for those who need to avoid gluten. 

Want to explore these topics further? Check out our full presentation, in collaboration with Stilly Valley Health Connections.
Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance: Nutrition Swaps 

Anca Soloschi MS, RDN 

References: 
 What is celiac disease? Celiac Disease Foundation. Accessed October 22, 2025. https://celiac.org/about-celiac-disease/what-is-celiac-disease/. 
 Sources of gluten. Celiac Disease Foundation. Accessed October 22, 2025. https://celiac.org/gluten-free-living/what-is-gluten/sources-of-gluten/. 
 Cross-contact. Beyond Celiac. August 19, 2025. Accessed October 22, 2025. https://www.beyondceliac.org/gluten-free-diet/cross-contact/. 
 Nicholc. 7 tips for avoiding gluten cross-contact at home. GIG® Gluten Intolerance Group®. March 25, 2021. Accessed October 22, 2025. https://gluten.org/2021/01/08/cross-contact/. 
 Dining and social eating. Celiac Disease Foundation. Accessed October 22, 2025. https://celiac.org/gluten-free-living/dining-and-social-eating/.