How Gluten Friendly Is Your State?

[Mama Melissa]

Hey Guys,

I am quite aware that all of us are from different states and i was curious to know how gluten friendly is your state(area)???I live in New Jersey and while i have only been diagnosed 3 1/2 months this state seems to be very gluten friendly with lots of gluten free places to dine,even gluten-free pizza places and everytime i go to the supermarket i do see a new gluten-free item:)We also have places like whole foods that specialize in foods for people with food sensitives like us,overall i would give the garden state a solid 8 if 10 was the best Cant wait to see your responses xoxo

[GFreeMO]

We moved to Missouri from Colorado last year. Colorado was SUPER gluten free friendly. So many restaurants and places to shop. The Vitamin Cottage was the best. I find Missouri very ungluten friendly. With the exception of the Hyvee Grocery store chain, and one or 2 restaurants far from me, there is not much in my area.

We have whole foods here but it's an hour away so I don't get there often at all.

[Gemini]

Hey Guys,

I am quite aware that all of us are from different states and i was curious to know how gluten friendly is your state(area)???I live in New Jersey and while i have only been diagnosed 3 1/2 months this state seems to be very gluten friendly with lots of gluten free places to dine,even gluten-free pizza places and everytime i go to the supermarket i do see a new gluten-free item:)We also have places like whole foods that specialize in foods for people with food sensitives like us,overall i would give the garden state a solid 8 if 10 was the best Cant wait to see your responses xoxo

Most of New England is extremely gluten free friendly with restaurants, stores, specialty stores and bakeries coming out of the wood work. I am constantly amazed at how much they cater to Celiacs, in general. Boston, in particular, is a gluten-free gold mine! After living here, I doubt I could go to anyplace that wasn't as accommodating as here.

[jerseyangel]

As you know, I'm up in your neck of the woods, MM--and I agree that it's pretty gluten friendly here

[Mama Melissa]

Yes patti we are not to shabby here although i must say we need a good bakeryyy!!!!I want gluten-free canoliss lolz Also do you know anywhere that makes gluten-free raviolis?? an dif so how are they??

[Lunabell]

I am in a Twin Cities burb in MN. So far, it has been very gluten friendly. I suspect that is because we are in a metro area. I wonder how it will be next summer when we are at the cabin. It is way "up north" and not close to any big cities. I suspect the internet will be my best friend for keeping stocked up on some items.

[sa1937]

I suspect it has a lot to do with the size of the city...small town, USA just doesn't have the options of a large city like Denver (yeah, I'm jealous that my daughter lives there and has so many options ). lol

ETA: And she can buy Udi's bread FRESH, not frozen!!!

[mushroom]

Nevada, on the other hand, is the gluten capital state of the United States, bar none. They take great pride in their gluten, although they don't really know what it is - something that makes sugar sweet??? There are some of the chain restaurants in Reno that offer a so-called gluten free menu, but the staff don't know much about it (and don't seem to care too much). So there are some specialty health food stores which carry quite a good range of product - a good one in Carson City. And our local Raley's is about as good as it gets for markets (no Udi's, only Ener-G ). Whole Foods does not have a gluten free bakery, does carry Udi's, but the gluten free products are buried throughout the store and you have to make a map for yourself of where to find things. No gluten-free menus or pizza in Incline We eat in

[celiac-mommy]

Portland Oregon/Vancouver WA are a gluten-free dream! So lucky to live here!

[FooGirlsMom]

Hey Mushroom,

I feel your pain. We are about 7 hours north of you in Utah. It must be that here on the western side of things it's taking a bit longer to "get with it." The Salt Lake City area isn't *too* bad. There are some specialty food stores for gluten free but the prices are prohibitive. I am finding myself ordering online with free shipping for some staples. Thankfully we have Winco's here so we can get Udi's bread (Whole Foods doesn't carry it) for around $5 a loaf. They have gluten-free Betty Crocker cake mixes for $3.17 a box vs. $3.79 at Walmart and $4.79 at some other stores.

We have a local restuaurant - Madeline's - that is catering to gluten-free. Haven't eaten there with DH being unemployed for the past six months, but at least someone is trying. We now have a gluten-free bakery south of Salt Lake. So, slowly it's getting there.

I'm just looking forward to the time when it's easier to come by these products and the prices go down.

FooGirlsMom

[srall]

I'm in the Twin Cities (MN) and I think it's pretty easy to get gluten free...except most of the gluten free I'm doing is trying to eat what is naturally gluten free to begin with. I was raised in Colorado and whenever I'm there I find it very very easy to navigate. I'm dreading road trips though...I'll just have to pack a cooler ahead of time.

[jerseyangel]

Yes patti we are not to shabby here although i must say we need a good bakeryyy!!!!I want gluten-free canoliss lolz Also do you know anywhere that makes gluten-free raviolis?? an dif so how are they??

The only gluten-free ravioli I've seen is Conte's--at Whole Foods. I've never had it because it uses tapioca and I'm intolerant to it. I've heard good things about it, though

I'd love a canolli

[Mama Melissa]

to tell you the truth patti im trying to feel out what im intolerant to right now it seems like i am intolerant to EVERYTHING its getting very frusterating at this point and i called my celiac specilaist and he told me food allergy testing is worthless and i tried a food journal but it seems to eliminate everything,do you or anyone else have any tips??

[celiac-mommy]

I'd love a canolli

I'll see if I can figure it out for you

[mushroom]

It must be that here on the western side of things it's taking a bit longer to "get with it."

I think it's what I call this whole intermontane basin between the Sierra and the Rockies, the high plateau country, cowboy country still. You almost expect to see the chuckwagon roll in and the cook pull out his sourdough starter and bake some bread. The big events in Reno over the summer are Rodeo, Hot August Nights (hotrods), and the big chili cook-off. It doesn't even sound vaguely gluten free

[TooManyHats]

There's a bakery in Ford's NJ called Fallon's Gluten Free Bake Shop that makes Cannolis (order 1 day in advance). There's a place in Pt Pleasant called Mileto that makes Polish and Italian food. I'm not sure where in NJ you are. I have a place in Milltown and in Marlboro where I can get pizza, and the one in Marlboro has other Italian food, too.

Overall, I'd say NJ is pretty Gluten-free friendly.

[rosetapper23]

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area (East Bay), and the restaurants and stores have only recently begun offering enough gluten-free fare to satisfy me. Only four years ago when I was finishing my senior project for college (which dealt with training restaurants in preparing and serving gluten-free meals), I was aghast at how unknowledgeable and unaccommodating most restaurants were. However, since that time, many restaurants have added gluten-free menus, and we have many pizza parlors that offer gluten-free pizza (and several of them were ones that had assured me four years ago that they would NEVER consider offering a gluten-free version). The supermarkets have added a lot of great gluten-free products, and I can even find Udi's bread in the frozen food section of Raley's. Trader Joe's, on the other, appears to offer fewer and fewer gluten-free products, and I'm very disappointed in the direction they've taken.

When I've attended conferences through the Gluten Intolerance Group, I've easily found gluten-friendly restaurants in Seattle, Minneapolis, Dallas/Fortworth, and to a lesser extent Salt Lake City. Little by little, things are becoming easier for celiacs throughout the U.S., but I agree that the smaller towns have a long way to go.

[Mama Melissa]

too many hats thank you i will travel to fords nj for a cannoli:)I am in fairfield,nj prob about an hour away but i will make a trip out of it,do you know how much they charge???

[mushroom]

I, too, have noticed that Trader Joe's seems to be retreating from the gluten free market. In Nevada I'm told that all marketing decisions come out of California.

[TooManyHats]

I have no idea how much Fallon's charges, but here's the website:

Open Original Shared Link

Their stuff looks amazing. There's a place in Totawa too. Here's their website:

Open Original Shared Link

I'm not sure how far that is from you.

[wheeleezdryver]

I live in Boise, idaho. It's not too bad. Of course, part of what makes me say that it's not too bad, is that I don't live very far from Jake's Gluten-free store! Yes, it's expensive, but...sometimes, ya gotta do what ya gotta do (I do try to get items that are available cheaper other places at said other places). The gluten-free sections at both Walmart & Fred Meyer are good for 'the 'basics'... and have improved a good bit over the last couple of years. I hear that the Boise Co-op near downtown Boise has a good selection of gluten-free stuff, but I don't go to that part of often, and when i do I don't have time for grocery shopping-- plus the way the store is run confuses me.

One of these days we're 'supposed' to get a Whole Foods...

Now, if i could just figure out where they hide some of the gluten-free stuff in Winco (i have found the mixes. and the larabars, and gluten-free nature valley granola bars)...

I don't really eat out much, so can say anything about that. But we do have a Pf Chang's downtown (never been there), and Winger's has a gluten-free menu (thank you God!!)

Hey Mushroom,

I feel your pain. We are about 7 hours north of you in Utah. It must be that here on the western side of things it's taking a bit longer to "get with it." The Salt Lake City area isn't *too* bad. There are some specialty food stores for gluten free but the prices are prohibitive. I am finding myself ordering online with free shipping for some staples. Thankfully we have Winco's here so we can get Udi's bread (Whole Foods doesn't carry it) for around $5 a loaf. They have gluten-free Betty Crocker cake mixes for $3.17 a box vs. $3.79 at Walmart and $4.79 at some other stores.

We have a local restaurant - Madeline's - that is catering to gluten-free. Haven't eaten there with DH being unemployed for the past six months, but at least someone is trying. We now have a gluten-free bakery south of Salt Lake. So, slowly it's getting there.

I'm just looking forward to the time when it's easier to come by these products and the prices go down.

FooGirlsMom

and I'm about 7 hours north of you, and I totally hear ya, too!

what section of Winco do you find the Udi's bread?

I've looked at the Winco i go to here...in the freezer sec, bread isle & baking isle (where they hide i mean have the gluten-free mixes), but couldn't find it. I'll have to try looking again... the Udi's website says they sell it there...if they don't I'll have to ask for it.

I'm jealous you guys have a gluten-free bakery there now... If I ever get down there to visit family (I grew up in West Valley), i'll definately have to check it out!!

I think it's what I call this whole intermontane basin between the Sierra and the Rockies, the high plateau country, cowboy country still. You almost expect to see the chuckwagon roll in and the cook pull out his sourdough starter and bake some bread. The big events in Reno over the summer are Rodeo, Hot August Nights (hotrods), and the big chili cook-off. It doesn't even sound vaguely gluten free

They've been *advertising* something like that here (a ride on a sleigh, then go up to the cabin where they've cooked dinner. With me having food senstivities, and with my husband having disabilities, and being VERY sensitive to cold, much as it sounds nice, to me it almost sounds like a nightmare!)...

Portland Oregon/Vancouver WA are a gluten-free dream! So lucky to live here!

I'm sooo jealous... maybe I need to move a couple hours further west than where I'm at... but then again, i don't like rain THAT much...lol...

[T.H.]

...it seems like i am intolerant to EVERYTHING its getting very frusterating at this point and i called my celiac specilaist and he told me food allergy testing is worthless and i tried a food journal but it seems to eliminate everything,do you or anyone else have any tips??

I might have some ideas, anyway!

When I started out, I was in the same boat. I kept a food journal, but while there was a pattern, it was pretty much: everything you eat is making you sick. I ended up eating less than 10 foods for nearly a year, because we couldn't find anything I could eat that didn't make me sick.

I ended up finding out a lot of stuff, mostly things that didn't help me, LOL, but it might help you, anyway!

1. If you are doing a food journal, some things that might help are to eat the exact same small set of foods for 2-3 days in a row, then switch to a completely different set of foods for the next 2-3 days. Do not have ANY overlap in foods, not with the food itself, not with the oil you use, the spices, the salt - nothin'. I wouldn't even overlap companies, if you can avoid it. Avoiding overlap in food families might be helpful, too.

Why do this?

First, it helps you narrow down what you are reacting to if you continue it for a few days, so you can catch the delayed reactions more easily.

Second, if you make sure there is no food overlap, you can make sure you are not reacting to something that you think is 'safe.' A good example for me was my oil and my salt! My oil, it turns out, was run on a production line that also processed wheat germ oil, and it was glutening me every time I used it. My salt was iodized and so had corn in it (all iodized salt does, to stabilize the iodine), and the corn was getting me (I thought).

Third, if you make sure you don't overlap food companies, or farms, you can help avoid confusing a reaction to a contaminant as a reaction to the food itself. Farms will be using the same pesticides, sprays, etc... that you could be reacting to. Companies run things on the same lines, near the same other foods, that could contaminate their foods. Like that oil of mine? ALL my oil was from the same company, run on the same line, and it was ALL getting me the same way. So I'd switch from an oil in case it was 'bad,' and still get sick off the new oil, and decide that wasn't the problem...and I'd be wrong, ya know?

Fourth, if you avoid overlapping food 'families,' you can get a better handle on possible allergies. Like nightshades, grass family grains, melons and gourds, legumes, etc...

2. If you feel like everything is getting you, you are probably right, to an extent. I really believe that when we're in this position, feeling bad and trying to find answers, we are usually paying VERY close attention. We're not hypochondriacs, I guess is what I'm saying.

Although what I'd guess is that you are reacting with every meal, or nearly, which probably means that you are having an issue with something that is a common contaminant, or you have an issue with something that affects a broad range of foods. Some issues I've come across are fructose malabsorption, sulfite sensitivity, and histamine sensitivity. These affect a large number of foods, across many food groups, so you can easily get something that would make you 'ill' with every meal.

For the contaminants? That can be harder to track down, but also hard to avoid, and so easy to get with every meal. Something in a common pesticide, for example, might be in nearly every meal. A sensitivity to a preservative would be something you have to work to avoid, as well.

For me? In the end, I've discovered that I react to the very, very small amounts of gluten contamination that was in nearly everything I ate. probably between 1-4ppm of gluten, best guess. And that stuff is in everything!

-All grains did, unless chosen from very special farms that don't deal with gluten grains as well.

-Processed foods did, unless they were processed in completely gluten free facilities, from completely gluten free food sources, that used completely gluten free soaps or cleaners for their machines....let's just say that I've found a salt and an olive oil, and nothing else.

-fruits and veggies did, unless the pesticides, mulch, coatings, fertilizer, sprays, and washes used on them were all completely free of gluten. Sometimes I can wash it off with gluten-free soap, or wash and then peel it, but otherwise, it's a problem. I now call the farms for every bit of produce I purchase, or I tend to get sick.

- beans, nuts, and seeds - often CC'd during processing, and I have to find some I can wash clean enough for me to eat safely.

- spices, oil, salt - often processed along with other spice mixtures, gluten containing foods, and get CC'd.

I've ended up gardening like crazy, just to get foods I can eat safely. It's a real pain, and the number of places gluten can be made it really hard to figure out why I seemed to react to everything! I have spoken to people with severe food allergies to common additives in foods/cleaners and they have the same trouble. You have to really search to find safe food.

One way to help figure out if a contaminant of some kind is your issue is to find food that is as clean as you can get it. Try different companies that use different chemicals, or better yet, none at all. Try to grow the food yourself and try it and see if you can tolerate THAT.

Organic doesn't necessarily help, by the way, if you are trying to avoid things like gluten or corn - organic folk tend to use these additives more, because they are more 'natural' and accepted under organic rules, sigh.

I don't know if that helps, but hopefully it might give you some ideas of where to look. ;-)

[Cypressmyst]

Mama Melissa:

I am in the same boat, I am allergic to everything I eat right now. My Doc says that once I heal my leaky gut and support/fix my poor adrenals all of my food issues with the exception of gluten and casein, will go away.

So far he has been dead on with everything he has told me or had me do and so I trust him in this.

My recommendation would be to find a functional medicine practitioner and have them do a stool and spit test for you. Find out if you have infections or parasites keeping things out of wack (Your gut can't heal until they are gone) and I am betting your adrenals could use more than a little TLC.

I will definitely be updating this board as to my progress on this issue.

As for the original question:

Wisconsin varies depending on how close you are to a major city. Green Bay has a dedicated gluten-free restaurant, Milwaukee has at least one gluten-free store. Scattered throughout throughout the State there are health stores that carry a lot of stuff and Woodman's/Festival Foods have a decent selection.

We have some restaurant chains with gluten-free menus, not that I would trust to eat there though. I'm not that brave. Simply learning to cook for myself...organic food tastes better anyway.

I do very much miss California in this regard though. Man was it gluten-free paradise out there.

[cyberprof]

Yes patti we are not to shabby here although i must say we need a good bakeryyy!!!!I want gluten-free canoliss lolz Also do you know anywhere that makes gluten-free raviolis?? an dif so how are they??

Not the same as store-bought...but

Gluten Free Girl has an article about gluten-free cannoli this month. Open Original Shared Link I'm going to try them!

[Juliebove]

The health food store around the corner from here is owned by a celiac so they are a good place to shop for some things. Sadly they stopped carrying the Ian's chicken nuggets in favor of Applegate Farms. We do not like those at all. There is also Granola's near Central Market. Odd because Central Market itself has a large selection of gluten-free stuff. Granola's has some and has some things that Central Market does not have. Also near there is Smart Eats, a store for the gluten-free diet and also for low carbers. An odd combination I think. They have a very good selection of things, but... No parking lot for that store. Because I am disabled, it can be difficult for me to get there. They are also not open on Mondays and not open very late. So far I have been there only three times.

Fred Meyer has a health food section that carries some gluten-free things. QFC, Albertsons and Top Foods all have some gluten-free foods but in some cases they can be hard to find. Oddly some of these stores do have an actual gluten-free section but some of the gluten-free things are not located in that section.

In Mountlake Terrace, there is Manna Mills. It's a huge health food store. They carry a lot of gluten-free foods.

Also PCC Natural Market in Edmonds. They too have some gluten-free things.

But even with all those places, I still find myself having to mail order some things. Like the 2 packs of Enjoy Life cookies. Yes, Manna Mills carries them but I buy those things by the case! I also get some gluten-free apple bars from minimus.biz because I have yet to see them in any store. And I recently replaced all of my baking ingredients from this site right here.

I find with the shopping, I have to go to many different stores to get what I need. Currently there are only two places near here that carry the Ian's chicken nuggets. Manna Mills does have them but they are far enough away that I don't go there often.

As for the restaurants, there seems to be more and more places that offer a gluten-free menu. Near here is a Mexican place that mentions food allergies on the menu. We eat there about once a week. There is another Mexican place closer to my parent's house that also mentions food allergies. We are friendly with the owner and he is good to make special meals for us.

We have Outback Steakhouse, Olive Garden, The Old Spaghetti Factory, Bucca De Beppo (sp?), Boston's, Garlic Jim's, Alfy's, PF Changs and some other places that do gluten-free pizza. I can't eat at some of these places due to my other food allergies. There is also Emery's. We never ate there. Looked like a fancy place. Sadly they burned down but they are rebuilding it.