Snacks pt. 1

The hardest thing to handle since my diagnosis has been snacks. Meals aren't too difficult. Most breakfast foods are naturally gluten free, and my dinners haven't changed much- portion of meat, portion of veggies, some sort if carb- but snack time is pretty difficult.

I've compiled a list of my favorite gluten free snacks- complete with some disclaimers for things that you would assume are gluten free, but actually have gluten lurking within the yummy goodness. I'd like to add that I also have cost efficiency in mind. As a broke young adult, cost efficiency is ALWAYS on my mind.

Gluten Free Friendly Snacks:

1. Nuts-
Nuts are by far my favorite snack. They're high in good fats, and a good source of protein and calories. I tend to keep a jar of peanuts at work. Cashews, almonds, and pistachios are great, but you have to watch for cross contamination issues. Always check labels. For example, I bought a bag of honey roasted peanuts on a road trip a few weeks ago- like I said, nuts are my favorite snack!- and half an hour after finishing the bag, I had the worst stomach ache I'd felt in months. After a few more miles, and a worsening headache, I started thinking about what I had eaten. I checked the labels on my car snacks, and found the peanuts to contain wheat. I've become a chronic label checker now, even on things like peanuts.
2. Dark Chocolate Bar-
Even when on a healthy diet, chocolate is good for you. I often get cravings for sweets like cookies, pies and cakes. Since I rarely have time to bake a gluten free cake, I often opt for a dark chocolate bar. They're full of antioxidants, good for your heart, and keep your blood sugar in check.
3. Frozen Grapes-
Don't knock 'em till you try 'em. A few years back, I read an article written by a woman on the weight watchers diet. It was about frozen grapes, and how she and most of the women in her group felt they were better than ice cream. Of course I have it a shot. I had mixed results, but I have since figure out the perfect strategy. And, ill be damned if they aren't as good as ice cream. What you'll need is some freezer space, a cookie sheet, and grapes. Rinse the grapes and pat them dry with a paper towel. Lay the grapes on a cookie sheet they can be touching, but if they're not completely dry, you run the risk of sticking. Stick them in the freezer, and leave them. I find that somewhere between 5 and 8 hours is best. Remove them from the freezer, and test one. If they're too hard, let stand until slightly softer and try again. When done perfectly, the inside is creamy and delicious. Just trust me.
4. Hard Boiled Eggs-
Perfect little afternoon boost. Full of protein, and tasty. About once a week I will hard boil a dozen eggs, and stick them in a bowl or a zip lock bag and stick them in the fridge. It takes only a second to crack and eat, and I can even take them to work with me.
5. Popcorn-
I'm a big fan of popcorn. I once dated a guy who had a hot air popper and it was heaven. But even microwave bags are good. I keep a large box of popcorn at work for a snack and there are so many options out there, something's gotta work for you.

My snacks are often one of the five things listed above, but there are other gluten free snacks out there. As a general rule, I try to avoid prepackaged foods for cross contamination issues as well as cost. While KIND bars are delicious, they can get expensive.
The gluten free diet isn't necessarily convenient, but I'm finding its most definitely easier than I thought.

It has come to my attention..

That another blogger goes by the same name. Well, crap. Here I thought I was being clever and what not. I will probably migrate to a different domain name in the near future, but for the time being, I will remain the Savvy Celiac. Lots of ideas, lots of posts to come. Bear with me and let's see how this goes.

In the Beginning...

I was mad. I wanted to cry. I didn't know what I was going to do, and I didn't know how to handle it well.

In August of 2012, after nearly two years of upset stomachs, all sorts of bowel problems, and an overall feeling of fatigue, I was diagnosed with Celiacs Disease (CD). CD is a digestive and autoimmune disorder and basically an allergen to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. No breads, flour, pasta. Most pre made foods contain wheat when they shouldn't. Wheat hides in the silliest of places- some cheese sauces, on some brands of honey roasted peanuts, some frozen dinners.. The list goes on.

When a person with this intolerance consumes gluten, symptoms can vary, but what occurring on the inside is the same. The body's immune system set out to attack the gluten, and in doing so damages the lining of the small intestine, killing off villi (small hair like structures on the lining of the small intestines). Villi are extremely important- nutrients are usually absorbed into the body by villi- and if they are damaged, the person cannot absorb nutrients properly, and that can cause all other sorts of problems.

All right. Enough medical talk. I'm not here to educate you on my disease. Though, it's bound to come up from time to time, and it is the only reason I am on this diet. I'm here to show you that gluten free is not a death sentence, it's a better diet, and it does not have to be super expensive. When my doctors informed me I was a lifer on the gluten free diet, I instantly thought of money troubles. I was already broke as it was. In the last few months, I've started to figure it out, and now I'm here to share.