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Naturally Gluten-Free Foods

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On it’s most basic level, maintaining a gluten-free diet means cutting out grains like wheat, barley, and rye, and any mixture of these grains. But eating gluten-free doesn’t have to be as difficult or unhealthy as one may think! Here’s a  breakdown of twenty foods that are naturally gluten-free. Share this with someone who recently discovered their gluten intolerance or who’s experimenting with a gluten-free diet.

 

      1. Butter
      2. Eggs
      3. Water
      4. Fresh fruits
      5. Fresh vegetables
      6. Juices made of 100% fruits or vegetables
      7. Lentils
      8. Peanuts
      9. Seeds (such as flax seeds)
      10. Tree nuts (such as almonds)
      11. Corn
      12. Fresh fish
      13. Fresh shellfish
      14. Honey
      15. Milk that isn’t flavored using ingredients like malt, which contains gluten
      16. Soy
      17. Plain rice (glutinous or sticky/sweet, black, polished white, long-grained basmati, or whole-grain brown rices).
      18. Gluten-free flours made from rice, soy, corn, potatoes, or beans
      19. Raw Quinoa
      20. Tapioca

 

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Who’s going to win the big game? Enter to win a football goodie basket.

Are you as excited for next week’s big game as we are? New Planet Beer is teaming up with Glutino to give away gluten-free football goodie baskets! To enter*, comment below with your predictions on whose going to win football’s top honors.

Before you head out to buy your football party shopping list, check out these must have snacks and recipes for gluten-free appetizers that will go great with a bottle of your favorite New Planet Beer – Tread Lightly Ale, 3R Raspberry Ale or Off Grid Pale Ale.

 

Spinach and Artichoke dip

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups shredded gluten-free mozzarella cheese, divided
  • 1/2 cup gluten-free sour cream
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated & divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 roasted garlic cloves
  • One 14 ounce can gluten-free artichoke hearts (in water), drained & chopped
  • 16 ounces gluten-free cream cheese
  • 5 ounces frozen spinach, thawed, drained & chopped
  • One box of Glutino Gluten-Free Original Crackers

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups mozzarella, 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, sour cream, garlic, pepper, artichoke hearts, cream cheese and spinach. Stir until the mixture is thoroughly blended. Spoon mixture into a 1-1/2 quart-sized baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese and mozzarella, then bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown on top. Take out of the oven and let cool, then serve with Glutino Gluten-Free Original Crackers.

Recipe adapted from Glutenfreeda’s Recipe Index.

 

Guacamole dip

Ingredients:

  • 2 avocados, peeled
  • 1/3 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 jalapeno chile pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 medium cut up tomato
  • 1 T lime juice
  • 1 1/4 t sugar
  • garlic salt to taste
  • 1/4 cup sour cream, optional
  • Glutino Gluten-Free Original Bagel Chips

Directions:

Put all of the ingredients in a food processor and process on the pulse setting until blended. If you don’t have a food processor, mix all of the ingredients together with a large fork. Serve dip with Glutino Gluten-Free Original Bagel Chips.

Recipe adapted from Gluten Free Mom.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Recipe
Ingredients:
  • 1 16-oz. (or 14-15-ounce) can chilled chickpeas or garbanzo beans, drained
  • Juice from one fresh lemon
  • 2 tablespoons sesame tahini, sunflower seed or nut butter
  • 4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
  • 1/3 cup roasted red peppers (drain if jarred)
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley or basil, roughly chopped
  • Pinch of sea salt, to taste
  • Glutino Family Bag Pretzel Twists

Directions:

Put all of the ingredients in a food processor and combine until creamy smooth. Try the mixture, and add olive oil and seasoning to your preference. Serve with Glutino’s Family Bag Pretzel Twists.

Recipe adapted from Gluten Free Goddess.
*Two winners will be drawn on 1/31/2012 and will be notified by email. Good luck!
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May is National Celiac Awareness Month

The Celiac Disease Foundation declared May as National Celiac Disease Awareness Month. Learn what it means to have a gluten allergy and the effects that gluten can have on one’s health. New Planet Beer is dedicated to providing guaranteed gluten-free beer with a great taste that everyone can enjoy.

Know the Gluten-Free Facts

  1. Gluten is the common name for the proteins in specific grains that are harmful to some persons experiencing celiac disease and gluten sensitivities.
  2. These proteins are found in ALL forms of wheat (including durum, semolina, spelt, kamut, einkorn and faro) and related grains rye, barley and triticale and MUST be eliminated.
  3. The incidence of celiac disease is rising sharply with 1 in 133 Americans being diagnosed. Experts think as many as 1 in 20 Americans may have gluten sensitivity.
  4. A few common symptoms caused by celiac disease or gluten sensitivities are: abdominal cramping, bloating, fatigue, migraine headaches, depression and hair loss. There are many possible symptoms, so check with your doctor.
  5. A gluten-free diet is the recommended treatment for celiac disease or gluten sensitivities.

New Planet Beer’s Six Guarantees

  1. New Planet Beer is made from 100% gluten-free ingredients: Sorghum, Corn, Hops and Yeast. With one beer made with brown rice instead of corn for those who also have corn allergies.
  2. Every batch is tested in a lab to guarantee 100% gluten-free beer.
  3. Our brewing facility takes extra cleaning measures to eliminate cross contamination.
  4. New Planet Beer delivers a great taste without sacrificing natural ingredients and alcohol content.
  5. New Planet Beer gives a portion of proceeds to environmental programs that support sustainable living.
  6. New Planet Beer makes a gluten-free beer for every style of beer drinker: Enjoy a light flavor, fruity flavor or a beer with a little extra hop.

 

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Guest Blog from Erin Smith of Gluten-Free Fun

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How to find informative gluten-free information online

The buzz words “gluten-free” seem to be everywhere these days; but nowhere is gluten-free more prevalent than on the Internet. When I was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease in the 1980s, there was no Internet. The research my family did was mostly with  doctors, by word-of-mouth, or from the rare book we found in bookstores and libraries. Today, you can type “gluten-free” into any search engine and literally get millions of results for your search. This explosion of information about gluten-free diets, Celiac Disease, and more is amazing but you should explore these online resources wisely.

A newbie to gluten-free living might be a overwhelmed with all of the gluten-free information coming at them through the Internet so there are a few key places you could focus your search.

National Organizations. Organizations such as the Gluten Intolerance Group, Celiac Disease Foundation, Celiac Sprue Association, and National Foundation of Celiac Awareness all have websites with a wide variety of information. These websites include information about Celiac Disease, the gluten-free diet, local chapters, and how to join their support groups. This is a good starting place for those brand new to Celiac Disease.

Support Groups. Many people with gluten-free needs often look to others for support. Try typing in your city name and “gluten-free support” or “celiac support” into your favorite search engine. Another amazing resource for finding groups near you is Meetup.com. As of today, there are 50 worldwide groups of people who all have interests in gluten-free living and Celiac Disease. All of these Meetup groups usually meet on a regular basis in person, as well as having very active online message boards.

Online Social Networks. The most popular of online social networks is obviously Facebook. Users can “like” groups that focus on gluten-free products, national organizations, and even find new friends that also list Celiac Disease as one of their interests. Two other online social networks that focuses on connecting people include Gluten-Free Faces, Gluten-Free Friends, and Gling.

Blogs. Gluten-free and Celiac Disease blogs are great sources of personal experience and information. Many of these blogs were started by people such as yourself looking for information about gluten-free living. The variety of blogs are endless. There are blogs written by gluten-free parents, athletes, foodies, newbies, health care professionals, and so on.  Even now, you are on the gluten-free blog written by New Planet Beer! Blogs are really great first-hand accounts of living with Celiac Disease and being on a gluten-free diet. You can also find tons of recipes on gluten-free blogs. With the number of blogs out there, I recommend subscribing to blogs using an RSS reader which will consolidate your favorite blogs into one comprehensive list.

Twitter. Twitter seems to be an endless source of gluten-free mentions. If you search #glutenfree, #gf, or #celiac, you will come up with hundreds of tweets each day. The tweets will usually have a URL that will bring you to a blog or articles online about the tagged information. You can get lost clicking from link to link and person to person in Twitter but you can also find tons of great information you might otherwise not find.

The above list is really just a starting place for anyone looking to explore more about Celiac Disease and gluten-free living online. Search engines alone can lead you down a long path of gluten-free reading topics.

Please remember to use caution when following any advice you find online. Always check with your doctor before introducing new foods into your diet. In addition, although the internet can be a great resource for those who suspect they might have Celiac Disease it is ALWAYS important for you to discuss your questions with a medical professional before declaring yourself gluten-free.

Erin Smith, Gluten-Free Blogger

Gluten-Free Fun blog: http://glutenfreefun.blogspot.com/

Gluten-Free Fun on Twitter: http://twitter.com/gfreefun

Gluten-Free Fun on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GlutenFreeFun

NYC Celiac Disease Meetup Group: http://www.meetup.com/celiac/


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“A Whole New Planet”

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See how David Roche, a competitive triathlete, discovered his intolerance to gluten, maintained his competitive edge and celebrated with New Planet Beer.

It was Christmas. Or, if not the 25th, it was around that time in late December when walking into a department store would lead to post-traumatic stress disorder if anyone ever had a bad experience with silver bells. There was a 10km race that morning–I don’t remember the details anymore. Anyway, I was fortunate enough to win–but what happened next is why that day changed my life. Stomach pains became progressively worse until, incapacitated by pain, a friend took me to the hospital.

Three months later, I was getting weaker every day. After the Christmas Celiac diagnosis, my weight was dropping rapidly—and not in a good, yellow polka-dot bikini type of way. No, it was getting to the point that the slightest gust of wind had me doing impressions of the cow in Twister. At the first race back, I had nothing–no strength, no motivation, no energy. So I DNF’d. I always say life is amazing, but those three months made me question that. I was withering away, physically and mentally.

That was the spring of my junior year at college in New York City. The education was worth a bit of suffering, but I hated Manhattan. It was so impersonal. Why did no one ever smile!? With the big-city resentment fresh on my mind, and still struggling after learning I needed to be gluten-free, I traveled out to Boulder for research that summer. Stepping foot in Colorado for the first time, it was as if a light bulb suddenly illuminated. Everything changed. The people were uniquely awesome; the environment was a priority; and gluten-free was a healthy lifestyle choice embraced by the community.

Over the next few months, I learned how to be a gluten-free athlete. On my first long training run, two top-level triathletes told me the secrets–then, in an awesome tradition that epitomizes Boulder, we continued the conversation over rounds of New Planet Beer. Below is an attempt to paraphrase their wisdom:

1. Nuts and fruit provide great energy that you can munch on all day.

Speaking of nuts, I bet this beer would go great with some almonds. New Planet Beer is crisp, with a subtle sweetness that sets it apart from anything I had before going gluten-free

2. Don’t shy away from healthy carbs. Before workouts, cereal like Nature’s Path Peanut Butter Panda Puffs or Mesa Sunrise provide delicious energy. Multiple Ironman winners have a pre-race meal of gluten-free cereal. At the same time, reward yourself with potato chips, or chocolate.

What about beer? That’s a good reward, right? Because New Planet Beer is probably the most awesome drink I’ve ever had. They are an environmentally friendly company too, so I can justify a few more as part of my duty as an environmental scientist.

3. Protein and good fats should be the staples of your diet. Salmon, tuna, and free-range chicken are great; if you are a vegetarian, eggs are a great option, along with a whey protein supplement. Don’t shy away from olive oil, and cook for yourself! Make sweet-potato fries by tossing them with oil/spices. Make a delicious stir-fry with tons of veggies, rice, and eggs–add some flax for a nutty flavor.

Most of all, experiment.

Moving on to law school this year, back on the east coast, it is clear how important the last 2 summers in Boulder were to me as a person. I learned how to be a successful gluten-free athlete, sure, but meeting amazing friends over a few New Planet Beers was even more meaningful. Now, I know that I want to use my education to make a positive difference in the future of the natural world. Hopefully I can go back to Boulder for good at some point, but either way, I owe everything to my time on the trails, in the lab, and yes, in the bars, of Colorado.

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Rocky Mountain Brewfest 2010

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New Planet Beer was thrilled to be at Estes Park Brewery last Saturday for the Rocky Mountain Brewfest! Despite the chilly and wet weather, the event had a great turnout. The Rocky Mountain Brewfest featured beers from several Colorado breweries, live music, and great food. We were grateful for the opportunity to dispense samples of Tread Lightly Ale to festival attendees, which made many new fans of New Planet Beer.

Both gluten-free beer drinkers and regular beer drinkers alike showed up to sample New Planet Beer. Many people said that they were pleasantly surprised with the way that Tread Lightly Ale tastes so much like regular beer, despite the use of sorghum and corn instead of wheat. We are glad that our efforts to provide a delicious gluten-free beer are bringing enjoyment to beer drinkers in Colorado.

If you’re sad you missed us at the Rocky Mountain Brewfest, never fear. We will be at the Colorado Brewer’s Festival in Fort Collins on the 26th and 27th of June, sampling our Tread Lightly Ale and debuting our 3R Raspberry Ale. Please come and find us, say hello, and enjoy a cold one, compliments of New Planet Beer!

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