Gluten-Free Grab Bag: Summer 2024 Edition
Find out what's new in the celiac world this season.
I hope everyone is having a great summer! I can’t believe August is almost here—where has the time gone? For this week’s newsletter, I have my summer 2024 gluten-free grab bag. Below, I’m sharing an excellent new podcast episode about celiac disease, upcoming gluten-free events, my new favorite gluten-free products, and more.
New This Podcast Will Kill You episode on celiac disease
Thanks to my friend for letting me know the latest episode of This Podcast Will Kill You is all about celiac disease! The podcast is hosted by two epidemiologists, Erin Welsh, PhD, and Erin Allmann Updyke, MD, PhD.
In this episode, the hosts delve into all the basics you need to know, including the causes and symptoms of celiac disease, why gluten makes some people sick, the differences between celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and wheat allergy, the history of the disorder, and how gluten-free became a fad diet.
It’s definitely worth a listen—especially if you’re recently diagnosed! (Note: There is talk of eating disorders and diet culture in the episode.) Listen to the episode here.
Upcoming gluten-free events
Mark your calendars for these upcoming gluten-free and celiac-themed events across the country.
New York City Restaurant Week: A couple of my favorite gluten-free restaurants are participating in Restaurant Week, which runs through August 18. If you’re in New York City, check out Tigerlily Kitchen and Nami Nori Williamsburg.
Wicked Gluten-Free Expo Philadelphia: Wicked Gluten-Free is hosting its next expo outside of Philadelphia on Saturday, September 7—and tickets are selling fast! Explore gluten-free eats from over 100 vendors and find your new favorites.
Gluten Intolerance Groups’s 50th Anniversary Celebration: GIG is celebrating its 50th anniversary in Charlotte North Carolina, on Saturday, September 7, and Sunday, September 8. Hear from gluten-free experts and connect with others in the gluten-free community during this jam-packed weekend.
My Gluten-Free World Expo: Head to Sandy, Utah, on Friday, September 27, and Saturday, September 28, for this massive expo featuring over 100 vendors. Fun fact: This is the largest gluten-free expo in the US!
Celiac Disease Foundation Congressional District Days: From August 5 through September 6, you can join the Celiac Disease Foundation’s advocacy efforts for celiac disease research. Complete the organization’s iAdvocate training program, then sign up for District Days so you can meet with your local representatives while they’re in their home districts to let your voice be heard.
Gluten-free products I’m loving right now
You can always count on me for gluten-free product recommendations. Here are a few new-to-me options I’ve tried and enjoyed lately.
Nowhere Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
I saw Nowhere Bakery on a recent episode of Shark Tank and immediately placed an order for the brand’s bestsellers, including the chocolate chip cookies. I was really impressed at the texture and taste of the cookies (I dislike most packaged gluten-free cookies)—they’re chewy, moist, and not overly sweet.
Plus, the cookies are made with ingredients you can actually recognize, like almond butter, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and Maldon sea salt. Stay tuned because I’m working on a roundup of my favorite gluten-free eats from Shark Tank in the coming weeks! Buy here.
Giadzy Gluten-Free Pasta
When I saw Giada de Laurentiis’s post on Instagram about her new gluten-free pasta collection, I knew I had to try it. I order six boxes of gluten-free pasta from Giada’s food and lifestyle brand, Giadzy, to share with a gluten-free family member. I purchased the mezz rigatoni, ziti corti rigati, and caserecce.
All of the pastas are made with a combination of corn flour, rice flour, and water and produced in a gluten-free facility so they’re celiac-safe. I made the ziti corti rigati this weekend and it cooked perfectly in the time listed on the box and held up well as leftovers the next day. Buy here.
Primal Kitchen Avocado Lime Dipping Sauce
I recently went to a holiday preview hosted by a PR agency that works with a variety of brands offering gluten-free items, including Primal Kitchen. By far, one of the best products I got to sample at the event was the Primal Kitchen Avocado Lime Dipping Sauce.
It has a bright, fresh flavor that paired perfectly with the raw veggies I was snacking on, and I think it would taste delicious over grilled meat and rice too. I promptly put a bottle in my cart for my next Thrive Market order. Buy here.
Hop WTR Variety Pack
Since going gluten-free and quitting drinking, my favorite non-alcoholic beverage has become hop water—sparkling water flavored with hops. This naturally gluten-free drink is a refreshing alternative to beer. (Side note: Can someone create a celiac-safe gluten-free non-alcoholic beer?!)
I was recently introduced to the brand Hop WTR, who generously sent me samples. My favorite flavors are mango and peach. I hope to do a roundup of the best gluten-free hop waters later this summer (I’m currently in testing mode)! Buy here.
Gluten-free recipes from around Substack
Here are some of the gluten-free recipes I’ve bookmarked recently from around Substack.
My latest freelance work about celiac disease
I published an essay on the Sober App Substack (edited by the lovely ) about how my experiences navigating celiac disease made it easier for me to stop drinking. You can read the full post here:
My top-performing newsletter content
If you’d like to catch up on any of my previous work, here are my five most popular newsletters since I launched:
Drop a comment below and let me know what topics you’d like me to cover next!
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Photos courtesy of This Podcast Will Kill You; Nowhere Bakery; Giadzy; Primal Kitchen; Hop WTR
I’m still so obsessed with that Giada packaging!
Such a great roundup Christina!! Thanks for including me- so many amazing resources here!!