Flamous FALAFEL Chips:
-all natural snacks that are a good source of fiber, protein, and antioxidants.
Skinny Pop:
- no artificial anything pop corn with all-natural ingredients
My parents went to the Natural Products Expo West and they picked up some new products for me to sample. I am always excited to try new products, especially because they were all organic snacks. That means that they are foods that are delicious to snack on AND are healthy!!! I am not sure if these products are in stores yet, but you can click on the website link next to the names of the new foods and check out their site. Be sure to check the blog page to see announcements of when these products are officially released!
Flamous FALAFEL Chips: -all natural snacks that are a good source of fiber, protein, and antioxidants. Skinny Pop: - no artificial anything pop corn with all-natural ingredients
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In grade school before I had a soccer practice or game, I would eat a good meal before playing that would provide me with enough energy to play my best. Now that I am in high school, eating before sports is a little trickier.
Most high school sports have practices every day while in season. And most often, the practice or game is at a time where you can go home, but for only a short while. During my first season of high school soccer, I would go home right after school on the bus. Since I was the first stop I could go home, get changed, and eat well before my mom or dad would drive me to practice or to a home game at my school, or even back to school to catch a bus to go to an away game. On days of practices, you had to be at the field at 4:45, and the field was 15 minutes from school. The upper classmen on the team would offer to drive the younger players on the team to practice. This worked out nice, so that the younger players would stay after school and eat, get changed, and hang-out a bit before going to practice. Like I said before, I usually went home right after school, and it worked out nicely for me. However, there were days where my parents couldn't take me to practice without staying after school and going with one of my upperclassmen teammates to practice. I did that time to time, but would have to worry about food. Then, I purchased many individual burritos to eat before soccer at the grocery store, and would bring one with me to school on a day that I stayed after school, so that I would get the proper energy before practicing or playing. Since the school cafeteria had microwaves available for use after school, I would heat the burritos up, and they worked really well for me! Having crackers and snacks in my locker would have also been a great option for days like that. When I drive eventually, I will be able to keep snacks in my car, so that I can eat before going to practice. Also, keeping a few granola bars in my soccer bag, helped me on days that I was hungrier than just a burrito. I played on JV soccer this year, and when there were games, I would eat before I played and then after I played, when Varsity was playing, I would bring snacks to eat after the game, or go to the concession stand and get some snacks that were safe for me. Now at away games, when JV was playing Varsity would eat Subway as there pre-game meal, and JV would get to eat there subway when varsity was playing. My mom actually took on the responsibility of finding a place that would have healthy foods for players to eat before they played. So, Subway was a good candidate. Obviously, Subway has subs, which is made of all wheat breads, thus not safe for me. My mom ordered me a salad with tuna on it and everyone else got subs to eat.This worked out nicely for me, because when I had away games I would always have food to eat, that was safe for me too. At team feeds, or pasta nights the day before games they would have pasta. Normal pasta is not gluten free, so my mom had to do a little bit more research for me. My mom checked to see what company would be provided the pasta, and realized that both restaurants had gluten free pasta. My mom talked with the restaurant, and when they would put together the food for the players on team feed days, she would ask them to put a special plate of my gluten free pasta and salad in too. This also worked out really nicely, because I always had pasta and could eat just like my other teammates. Although time and work had to be invested to get proper foods for me, it all worked out-thanks to my mom (and dad). If you are playing a school sport try these tips out and tell me how they go! When there have been class parties or when people have had birthday treats to share with the class, I had always been prepared. It's hard for non-gluten free people to find/make gluten free goodies for you. So, what I did in grade school was that I made my teachers aware of my diet and asked if I could put gluten free cookies that wouldn't spoil in the classroom closet, so that when there were parties or birthday treats, I could have easy access to cookies and also have a treat. In high school, there are not class parties or birthday treat time during class, but sometimes my friends bring in treats to share at lunch time. To prevent from being left out, you could keep little non-perishable treats in your locker, so that you can access on days people have treats. It is also a good idea to keep some gluten free granola bars in your locker anyways, in case you need to stay after school for some reason, like before a sports practice, musical rehearsal, or club meeting. Whatever the reason, it is good to keep extra snacks in your locker just in case!
More tips to come... Like mentioned in the last post about the importance of friends, you should not eliminate yourself from going to social events because of food restrictions.
If you are invited to a party or school function, make sure that you eat a good amount of food before you leave home. Then, a few days before the party, ask the host what will be served. Most times parties have pizza, soda, and chips. So, you can ask what kind of pizza and see if that company can provide gluten free pizza as well. If not, you can make your own pizza before you leave home and bring it with you. You can ask the host, when you get there if you can put your plate of pizza in their frig until the rest of the pizza arrives for the other party-goers. Also, if the party is hosted by someone who understands your diet, to an extent, request if they can get their pizza from a company that also serves gluten free foods like Uno's. That way, you will be safe without getting unnecessary attention. Also, you could bring a party sized bag of chips with you, that you can enjoy while sharing with your friends- no attention there:) When eating out with friends, recommend a place that has gluten free foods, that they are also interested in. Check the GF Restaurants and Menus page to see a list of mainstream restaurants that have gluten free menus. A place that my friends and I like to go to is Chipotle which is like a healthy Mexican fast-food restaurant. I get my burrito bowl, and they get what they want-so we're all happy! By letting your friends know a list of restaurants that you can eat at, they can still chose the restaurant, it will just be at a place that you can eat at. Check out other tips soon! Here's a shout out to my friend Anna! Even though dealing with my gluten free diet is tricky-she is supportive of my ways and always goes to Chipotle with me-more than the normal person would want to eat there. Plus she and I are going to get jobs at Sinfully gluten free one day (a local GF restaurant).....She is also the first person to visit my site other than my parents! I also want to give a shout out to my other friends: Kyly, Mikenzie, Gabby, Emma, Maddie, Hannah, Erin, Lauren, Elizabeth, Alex, and all my other friends from soccer and school! And my forever friend Catharine Kistner!!!! I love you Catharine and miss you lots!
Anyways, Anna is a great example of someone who is supportive of being on a GF diet, which is why it is very important to get a great support system both at school and at home. When I first started on a gluten free diet, I only told one of my friends. This was in 4th grade, and not many 4th graders know what Celiac Disease is. My other friends already knew I had a nut allergy as well, but I just didn't want my other friends to think I was weird, or make be feel bad. I remember, when i was first diagnosed, how it made me feel upset on the inside, when people were eating treats that I couldn't eat and would say things like, "This is sooooo good! This is the best cupcake I ever had!" Although I wouldn't show that I was bothered on the outside, I felt sad on the inside. As time went on I made sure that I never felt bad for myself when people were eating things I couldn't have. I knew that there would people out there that had things WAY worse than me. I mean, if one of the challenges that I have to face is restricting my diet, so be it! Like I said before, eating gluten free is hard, but nothing compared to other issues and medical conditions that people must face. Today, I hardly ever feel sad that I can't eat a treat or food that all my friends are eating, because I am stronger than I used to be, and I have a "safe" gluten free variation of that food available to me at home. Now back to 4th grade... as the year went on, I decided to tell my other friends about my diet. As I expected, they didn't understand what it was, but they were really supportive and interested in the foods that I could eat. They kept my little secret for me for awhile longer, and no one ever really talked about it in front of my other classmates. When events came up like field trips, class parties, and pizza parties, people started to realize that I wasn't eating the same cookies or pizza that they were. At first people were like, "why does she have different foods then us, is it not good enough for her?!?" I told them that I couldn't have the pizza and cookies they were having because I was "allergic" to them. Then what I feared happened: "Oh my gosh, I feel so bad for you, that must be terrible, I couldn't live if I couldn't eat pizza...." and so on... I love getting attention, but not that kind of attention. I didn't want people to constantly say they felt bad for me. I talked to my mom about how when they said that, I felt worse. She told me that they are only trying to be supportive of me and that they are curious. Eventually people stopped saying that because I would respond, "thanks for caring about me, but I would appreciate if you didn't say you felt bad for me all the time, because it actually makes me fel worse, than not being able to eat the birthday cake." AS my grade school years went on, and we had our graduation dinner and 8th grade retreats, instead of people saying "I feel so bad for you," they would say, " Danielle you're so cute eating your own SPECIAL foods!" Basically, because I told my friends not to feel bad for my food issues early on, they changed around what they would say and respond by calling my food and I SPECIAL!!! Today I always say, "yep, its me and my special food." By saying I'm special, it creates a positive vibe for my friends and I, and they all except me and my special diet in a positive way:) I wouldn't recommend telling your whole school you have Celiac Disease, I would just tell my close friends at first. When it comes down to things that really matter, people don't really care about who can eat certain foods. Today, people know more about Celiac Disease and allergies, so by educating your friends,they are learning something that you have to deal with. Chances are, your friends will feel happy that you shared a part of your life with them. And in my case, my friends try to think of me when having snacks at a party or bringing treats to school. So don't be afraid of telling your friends like I was- if they can't accept your food issues-they aren't your true friends. Hopefully you learned a thing or two about how even more important friends are to successful GF living! Danielle:) Check out the GF Restaurants and Menus page to see a list of main stream gluten free restaurants. If you click on the links, it brings you to their gluten free menus. Most of those restaurants are sit-down restaurants, but going to fast food restaurants are fun too! Here are a list of common fast food restaurants, and what I would recommend to eat there.
*first of all, at all of these places make sure to tell the person making your food that you have an allergy, and if they could change their gloves. Even though Celiac Disease is not an allergy, as you all know, most people understand what an allergy is-and understand it better than Celiac Disease.* McDonald's: side salad, ice cream in cup without cone, make sure cone does not touch ice cream, apple slices, drinks, milkshakes, fruit smoothe drinks, and hamburger without the bun. Wendy's: side of chili, side salad, baked potato, drinks, frosties, orange slices, fruit Chipotle: chips, bowl with any sides except for spicy hot sauce, drinks. Enjoy! Danielle:) Face it. Not everything in your home is gluten free. As you know cross-contamination is a huge issue that we all must deal with as Celiacs. So the Philadelphia cream cheese in your refrig that your brother used to toast his whole wheat bread, is no longer safe for you to use! So, you need to get your own special cream cheese to keep in the frig (because we are special, of course:) What I do to label my separate cream cheese, butter, jelly, etc... is labeling on the lid in permanent marker-GF or Danielle's only! By labeling as so, your family members will avoid your spread, keeping you safe- plus leaving more for you! Make sure that you let your family members know about your labeling system, so that you have confidence that they do not accidentally use your spreads! Use this same labeling approach when you make your Annie's mac & cheese and when putting it into a leftover container- put a sticky note that says GF on it, so that, again, everyone will know who's mac it is!
Like this tip? Be sure to check the GF Teen Blog page often to get the best tips and tricks to survive the challenges of GF life! Best, Danielle:) As you know, this website is made for you, by a fellow Gf friend. As a teen, I know how hard it can be to deal with everyday issues-plus, having to deal with Celiac Disease or being on a gluten free diet! That's quite a lot to juggle! I pledge to give tips, ideas, and help to better take on the challenges of GF life! As well as just myself sharing tips, feel free to email me any of your approaches to taking on a gluten free diet to gfmania.danielle@aol.com or email me comments, questions, or share your recipes or favorite products! Also, if you want to comment with your "story" of how you got on a gf diet. We're all in the same boat, so we can provide a big support system for each other! Talk to me soon, cause I can't wait to hear from you! Tips & Tricks are on the way....
Love always, Danielle:) Welcome to my site! I created this website for GF people just like you! I know how tough it can living strictly GF, so with this site's help, I hope to help you to find new tips and tricks to live GF. Whether on vacation to Mexico or going to sleep-away camp, I know the drill and have an answer just for your problems. Make sure to check out all of this site's features and to check often for new GF food deals and steals, and new product announcements. Make sure to leave comments and let me know what else I could do to improve this site, as well as ask any questions that your heart desires!
Your friend, Danielle:) |
AuthorMy name is Danielle, and I am a freshman in high school. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease when I was in 4th grade- so I know quite a lot about Life on a GF diet. I found out I had Celiac Disease because I did not grow at all in a whole year! After many tests, the doctors realized I had Celiac Disease and have been on a gluten free diet ever since. I started this website to help others struggling on a GF diet like those just diagnosed, and to help other GF people with many tips, tricks, and recipes to help my fellow GF friends out! One of my favorite parts of this site is the GF Product Locator. this feature helps to find your favorite GF products and restaurants, and where to find them based on living location. Make sure to check it out! Enjoy the site and make sure to friend us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter:) ArchivesCategories |