The Food and Gut Journal: Gluten free salad dressing packets great for restaurants

Trying to maintain a strict gluten-free diet can be frustrating. Hidden sources of gluten lurk everywhere. Salad dressings commonly contain wheat or gluten. It is nearly impossible to determine if restaurant salad dressing is safe. It is one of the many challenges of eating out for those of us on a gluten free diet. Gluten-free salad dressing packets however are an excellent option. Unfortunately many people on a gluten-free diet are unaware they are available.

Skipping croutons that are put on most salads is just the first challenge. If your experience is like my patients and mine, it is common to have salads brought out with croutons despite specifically instructing the restaurant staff to leave them off. After pointing out the mistake some restaurant staff simply pick them off the salad before bringing it back to you. You then discover dreaded gluten breadcrumbs after you have eaten part of the salad realize you have been “glutened”. For many like my wife and several of my patients who are severely gluten sensitive, such a accidental gluten exposure sets off a cascade of diarrhea, painful abdominal bloating, fatigue, bone and joint pains, and headaches over the next several days

Because of the fear of hidden gluten, many give up a healthy and generally safe gluten free meal option because of uncertainty of the salad dressing. However, if you can avoid the crouton fiasco, you can maintain a gluten-free diet while eating salad at restaurants or other gluten uncertain situations, by bringing your own salad dressing. If you are like my wife, who has Celiac disease, carrying a very large purse to accommodate small children and our family's gluten free lifestyle, it is nothing to carry a collection of emergency gluten-free snacks. Carrying a bottle of salad dressing is a bit more of challenge. For gluten-free salad dressing there is another option to the giant handbag. Carrying packets of Annie’s Naturals gluten-free salad dressing is an excellent option. The Cowgirl Ranch Dressing by Annie’s Naturals taste great and comes in a generous 1.5 ounce single packet that doesn’t require refrigeration. The packets are not cheap at 79 cents each but they are great to have for salads at restaurants. They are great for dipping gluten free chicken nuggets strips and fresh vegetables.

I highly recommend you try the gluten-free Annie’s Natural Cowgirl Ranch Dressing. Order some of their easy to carry and use packets. They also offer gluten-free Caesar and Balsamic Dressing packets. They have several other gluten-free dressings but not all their salad dressing are gluten-free so check their products at www.anniesnaturals.com and as always, read labels closely. My website www.thefooddoc.com has launched. We are still working the web development team to clear up some needed adjustments including the final forms of the site guide and symptom assessment tool. I appreciate your patience if you have been to check it out and noted some kinks. They will be fixed within the next week and we will be rolling much more very soon. So, stay tuned to the Food Doc and our journey to a healthy gut, healthy life.