Welcome to Diet and Fitness Podcast, a free audio podcast sponsored by Diet.com. This is your fit, fun, and fabulous host, Lady Diet, reporting live from sunny Hollywood, CA. Today’s topic is about finding gluten-free food in a world full of pizza, cereal, and cookies.

In America, the breadbasket is a symbol of pride and plenty, of the past and of American agricultural might. Wheat, for example, is the third largest crop grown in the United States. The US government recommends 6-11 servings of grain a day for a balanced diet. The American population notoriously consumes a lot of wheat, barley, oats, and rye- understandably so, these grains are pretty much unavoidable. But imagine being allergic to bread in the heart of the breadbasket. For one in 150 Americans (up to 1 in 7 according to some reputable studies) living with a gluten intolerance, this is a reality. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and oats. If someone is sensitive or allergic to gluten, consuming it can damage the lining of the small intestine and limit absorption of nutrients, which can lead to a host of health problems, most significantly, malnutrition. In addition to the health problems associated with gluten intolerance, there is the issue of sheer inconvenience: gluten is everywhere. It’s in breads, cookies, pizza, cakes, cereals, pasta, couscous, salad dressings, soy sauce, beer, thousands of processed foods, and the list goes on.

Doesn’t sound fun to have a gluten intolerance, does it? Recently, however, many food companies have begun to produce more gluten-free products, making it a bit easier to live in the heart of the world’s breadbasket. If you have a gluten intolerance, or know someone who does, consider the following options:

• Shopping for gluten-free items is inconvenient and expensive, yes, but not impossible. Most major supermarkets carry a range of gluten-free cookies, pastas, and bread. Whole Foods Market lists more than 800 gluten-free items.
• Instead of using wheat flour, try rice, corn, potato, or arrowroot flours for baking and cooking.
• In place of wheat pasta, have potatoes, buckwheat, brown rice, wild rice, or beans.
• A few popular restaurant chains have started carrying gluten-free dishes, including Outback Steakhouse and P.F. Chang’s. Boston-based Legal Sea Foods carries a gluten-free menu.
• Some gluten-free items don’t taste so hot, I must admit. As someone diagnosed with a gluten sensitivity, I’ve experimented with a lot of products. I have a few suggestions. Rice pasta tastes similar to regular wheat pasta, only a little bit chewier. BumbleBars are fantastic! Barbara’s Bakery products are also really tasty. Good Health Veggie Cracklebread with some hummus is a delicious snack. Pamela’s chocolate chip cookies will satisfy a sweet tooth.