convenient gluten free

Convenience is defined as the state of being able to proceed with something with little effort or difficulty. Not a word that most people would associate with following a gluten-free diet. 

Times have changed a great deal, and today you can probably find gf pizza available for delivery in your neighbourhood, along with a selection of restaurants that identify menu selections that are safe for you. We're all very happy to see them. However, there aren't many fast food options available when you're in a dash.

In my youth I ate a lot of fries at fast-food places, convinced that they were a good choice for me (oh, did I mention that I also smoked and thought that a chocolate bar was an excellent meal replacement?). Alas, almost all of the big burger places fry things that we shouldn't eat in the same fryer. I'd avoid, or at the very least seriously limit indulging in those fries today. I've gone into more detail on fries HERE. If you're curious about what is available at the large fast food chains - check out THIS site, which has loads of helpful links.

It comes down to being prepared. We can pack gf energy bars, but also a good old apple or a banana.  My long time favourite has been two rice cakes slathered with almond butter with their faces stuck together so that they can travel in a sandwich bag. You can read more on rice cake sustenance HERE.   

When I've got nothing on me, I'll find yogurt in a convenience store (no spoons? Grab one in the coffee shop next door!). Better than a bag of chips for lunch.You'll find more ideas in a past post on the topic HERE.

I've been thinking about how our cultures idea of "convenience" is unbelievably limited and almost entirely attached to making everybody unhealthy. This is hardly a new thought. Ironically, when we're older we may find that we're healthiest people in the retirement complex simply because we've eaten a lot less mass produced commercial foods full of chemicals and fillers.  


Perhaps fact that I don't leave the house for the day without trail mix in my bag is another gluten-free gift, and frankly, it's pretty darned convenient.

www.claudinecrangle.com  

chip truck: safest gluten-free fries (but always ask!)

French fries. The ultimate gluten-free fast food... providing they are not cooked in the same vat of grease as onion rings, wontons, chicken nuggets etc. You want potatoes cooked with nothing but potatoes. Hard to always be sure in restaurants where the menu may switch up from night to night (but the fat in which the myriad of items is fried, remains the same). 

I love the chip truck. You can quickly peruse the limited menu beside the window to know whether or not there is anything else bubbling away in the greasy metal basket besides hand cut potatoes. 

You get to look the guy who makes your fries in the eye and ask the questions. He's only one guy, and he owns the truck and likely peeled your potatoes. Ironically, while most will see this as a junk food experience, I think that the chip truck is one of the safest places for a gluten-free gal to get a fix.