Gluten's Secret Hideouts
"I'd like the chicken cacciatore – could I have that over rice instead of taglialini?"
"No, wait, don't pour soy sauce in my little dish, STOP! I brought tamari!"
"Can you make an Italian hero...on a salad?"
If any of these sound familiar, you probably have gluten intolerance and can provide many more examples of how to stay healthy in a world filled with delicious bread and other verboten items. You've given up all your favorite things from pasta to beer to stay healthy and you're mindful of reading labels and asking for substitutions when dining out. Why, then, do you come home and collapse on the couch in a foggy state of "gluten-itis?"
Wheat hides out in foods you might consider safe, which is why it's important to scan the ingredients on packages (malt and barley powders are common culprits of accidental gluten ingestion) and when eating at a restaurant, ask how your food is prepared. Research some of your favorite foods to make sure the recipes don't call for wheat, and you might be surprised to find flour in the form of a roux or dredging where you least expect it. Depending on your level of sensitivity, it may just save your day. Be on the lookout for gluten's secret hiding places (and enjoy your Italian hero salad).