Gluten-free living can be a challenging art that takes time and practice to master. Not only do people on the gluten-free diet need to reinvent their home cooking, but they must make changes in their daily lifestyle, especially when it comes to eating out, identifying truly gluten-free products, and learn how to travel gluten-free.
Luckily, many individuals, businesses, and groups have stepped up to the plate to dedicate themselves to making the gluten-free lifestyle easier to manage. One such group is GlutenFree Passport, a collaboration launched by celiac Kim Koeller and her culinary expert friend, Robert La France, which provides helpful information to gluten-free community and to the businesses and companies who serve it.
GlutenFree Passport is all about educating celiac and gluten-sensitive individuals as well as restaurants, travel providers, and food companies, through a series of award-winning books, called Let’s Eat Out!, an informative website (GlutenFreePassport.com), two apps for the iPhone, iTouch, and iPad, and working directly with the companies that serve the gluten-free public.
Members of the gluten-free community can gain a wealth of information from GlutenFree Passport’s website alone, which offers helpful tidbits on dining out and traveling gluten-free. Their book, Let’s Eat Out!, has won 9 different awards and offers information on ingredients, food preparation, and hidden sources of the ten most common food allergens—gluten, wheat, corn, dairy, eggs, fish, peanuts, shellfish, soy, and tree nuts. It’s not uncommon to find that people have food sensitivities or intolerances to multiple allergens. Let’s Eat Out! stands out for addressing not only gluten but these nine other allergens.
With the widespread use of convenient technological devices of the iPhone, iTouch, and iPad, gluten-free applications have become increasingly popular in the gluten-free community. GlutenFree Passport offers two helpful apps, iEatOut Gluten & Allergen Free and iCanEat OnTheGo Gluten & Allergen Free, which have been favorably reviewed by Allergic Living Magazine for making eating out “much easier” for those with celiac disease and food allergies.
GlutenFree Passport has participated in hundreds of conferences and events internationally since 2005 in their dedication to increasing awareness about gluten-free living. Such events include the Allergy and Gluten Free Shows in the UK, the American Dietitians Association Conferences, Autism Speaks Support Groups, and the Celiac Sprue Association Annual Conferences.
Not only does GlutenFree Passport assist the gluten-free community by educating and empowering individuals with literature and apps, but their teams influences gluten-free service and products on behalf of gluten-free individuals around the world. This is accomplished through training various organizations and professionals about gluten-free eating, such as tourism groups, food and product manufacturers, culinary institutions and service providers, and medical professionals and groups.
Just as we need the support and resources from stellar gluten-free advocacy groups in raising awareness for celiac disease and gluten-free living, they need our support, too. I highly recommend GlutenFree Passport’s book and applications, which can be used by people with all sorts of food allergies to enlighten themselves on eating out and traveling gluten- and allergy-free. Withthe help of GlutenFree Passport, gluten-free living can surely be less of a challenge.
Tina Turbin
www.GlutenFreeHelp.info
r.n.
Resource: GlutenFree Passport http://www.glutenfreepassport.com
From our home to yours, Tina Turbin
If you have any questions or suggestions just email me at info (at) GlutenFreeHelp.info.
Boy, things have changed immensely since I was diagnosed with celiac disease 10 years ago. We’re so lucky to have technological resources such as GlutenFree Passport and their app at our fingertips. Of all the resource websites out there for traveling and eating out, this particular one stands out for meeting the needs of those who have other food allergies and sensitivities, which is great because I’m also allergic to peanuts and sensitive to wheat.
I was fortunate to catch GlutenFree Passport at a show when I was in the UK. GlutenFree Passport isn’t just a website, I realized, but an international force truly dedicated to raising awareness and getting companies to meet our needs. I am so impressed with them and their website rocks!
Oh what a great book they have! It’s so helpful for my family because we have a lot of food allergies and it fulfills all our needs. I’ve definitely noticed that food allergies and sensitivities can come in pairs or groups, as is the case with my fam. Gluten Free Passport seems to really understand this really valuable point about us gluten-sensitive guys, and I really appreciate that.
Let’s Eat Out! is really a good book. I wasn’t really aware that there was a whole website out there with more information. What I like about the book is that you realize how many choices you do have even when you do have a lot of allergies. There are still so many restaurants, dishes, drinks, etc. that you can have. You just have to get used to your restrictions and then a whole new world opens up and everything becomes very simple and routine.
You know, I’ve been gluten-free for 3 years now but I make everything at home so I haven’t really used these sites before, but I just got some exciting news that I’m spending the summer in NYC so I’m really excited now to use GlutenFree Passport and other websites and guides. I really hope I get the hang of gluten-free eating out and I have a feeling this website will help too!
You know, GlutenFree Passport had a lot to do with my discovering that I had additional food sensitivities beside gluten. I was on the gluten free diet but still extremely fatigued and having headaches and stomach aches and once I was reading about all these establishments with allergen-free options, I was like, “Hmmm…maybe I have additional sensitivities.” Turns out I’m also lactose intolerant and sensitive to corn. Moral of the story? Make sure you don’t have additional food issues if you’re not thriving and read Let’s Eat Out!