Good and bad things with celiac

[ilzolende]

Things I particularly miss while avoiding gluten include:

• Bread and bagels. I've been too cowardly to try substitutes – if I don't try any bread substitutes then for me they exist in a superposition of being adequate and being inadequate, but if I try them and they're inadequate then I'm certain.
• Refried beans. You would think this would be fine, since they're beans, but I like plain black refried beans with a few spices but no added oil or sugar, and nobody I know of who does gluten free refried beans also makes those. I should arguably try for a batch at home but then it wouldn't be a convenience food.
• Mock chicken nuggets. All the vegan nuggets are coated with wheat bread crumbs. There are dead-chicken nuggets that are gluten free but I have been virtuously not buying them, for which I deserve all the points.
  • Same goes for vegan hot dogs.
• Broth concentrate. Better than Bouillon, I miss you so much. I want something full of yeast extract and garlic and onion, not MSG and sugar.
• Chinese-style soy sauce. Yes, it is different from Kikkoman.
• My preferred instant ramen. Instant rice noodle soups aren't the saaaame.
• Being chill about cross-contamination and sharing dishes.
• Restaurant food. Even when a restaurant claims to be gluten-free it's basically a gamble.
• Buying cheap store-brand foods. I pay like 1.5x the price for canned chickpeas these days.
• Carmex lip balm. My understanding is the company also does products with non-certified-GF oats and I don't know if they do anything about cross-contam.
• Using arbitrary brands of soaps. Stop putting barley in things!

Things which are surprisingly fine include:

• Desserts
  • I can make banana-chocolate muffins at home which are pretty good.
  • Same goes for brownies.
  • The grocery store has premade cakes which are also good. Expensive, but cakes are for special occasions anyway.
  • Chocolate tofu pie is easy to do a gluten free version of, you just need a premade GF crust.
  • Most Breyers ice cream flavors are gluten free.
  • NuGo does a bunch of gluten free protein bars.
• Chips
  • Tostitos plain tortilla chips are generally gluten free.
  • Kettle Brand chips also are.
• Tater Tots
• Hot cereal: I personally seem to tolerate certified gluten free oats, possibly, but for people who don't there's Cream of Rice which can be cooked in the microwave.
• Any old dry beans, as long as I sort and wash 'em first.