Gluten-free foods is one of the biggest fads in the culinary world right now. Unfortunately, for some, ordering off the gluten-free menu at the hot new restaurant is not a passing fancy, but a lifetime sentence. While celiac disease affects about 1 percent of the U.S. population, experts estimate that as many as 10 percent have a related and poorly understood condition known as non-celiac gluten intolerance (NCGI), or gluten sensitivity. http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/04/12/gluten.free.diet.improve/index.html.  This number may rise as more people are diagnosed.

There’s still no bright line in the research out there. I’ve read articles that say you should not cut gluten out of your diet unless you have celiac disease or a known gluten sensitivity. I’ve read other articles that say there’s probably some kind of gluten intolerance in all of us. I’m not here to tell you one way or the other. Only you (and your doctor) know what works for your body.

My goal is to provide yummy gluten-free recipes for those of you who know you can’t have gluten or want to try to limit your gluten intake. I’ve never been tested for gluten sensitivity, but I know from experimenting that if I limit gluten and wheat in my diet then my stomach feels a lot better. Fortunately, being gluten-free is so much easier in today’s world than even five years ago. Restaurants have started putting gluten-free options on their menus or even drafting entire gluten-free menus. Grocery stores are carrying gluten-free products and brown rice pastas (which are not bad!). And there are many delicious foods out there that are naturally gluten-free. Quinoa, anyone??

Because I’m not a doctor, nutritionist or gluten-free expert, I have to put out this disclaimer for all my recipes. **If I mark a recipe gluten-free, it’s because it doesn’t contain gluten to my knowledge. Please double-check the recipe and the ingredients yourself for items that may contain gluten.**  For example, if I make a recipe using soy sauce, please check that your soy sauce doesn’t contain gluten.

Check out my Gluten-Free Goodies for yummy ideas!