Whether
you’re cooking gluten free vegan brunch recipes at home or dining out, gluten
free is the way to be in 2014 and beyond. It’s a major restaurant and
grocery trend, catering to 90% more non-celiac consumers than those with celiac
disease. This has led to restaurant certification standards, bloggers reviewing
menu and grocery items and dining experiences, and grocery shoppers going to multiple stores then turning to
online resources for products that are locally unavailable.
Restaurant Trends
The
National Restaurant Association (US) predicts in their 2014 Culinary Forecast
that Gluten Free Cuisine will be #5 in the Top 10 Restaurant Trends. Wheat free
noodles, made of quinoa, rice and/or buckwheat, will be #8. Restaurant consultant group Baum +Whiteman LLC places the gluten free mainstreaming trend at #8 in their 2014
forecast, along with other healthier diets like vegan, vegetarian and Paleo.
Restaurant Reviews
Food journalist Frances Spiegel observes, “It's becoming easier and easier to live gluten free.
The main problem comes in restaurants where, on more than one occasion, I've
been told ‘we don't use much sugar!’” Offering suitable menu items goes far
beyond simply using the right ingredients. For instance, blogger Kim Rice notes
that California Pizza Kitchen restaurants use rice flour to work ALL their
pizza dough, so that the airborne particulates do not cross-contaminate when
they settle on the surface of other foods prepared in the kitchen.
Restaurant
Practices and Certification
Other restaurant techniques include: designating
kitchen space, cookware and serving dishes for gluten free items; cooking
French fries in designated fryers with clean oil and baking GF pizzas on top
oven racks. The most noticeable practice is a triple checking system, including
kitchen, wait and management staff. The next time you dine out, look for the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America (GIG) certification on the
menu and elsewhere. Their site also reports product pullbacks, unauthorized use of certification and certification termination. In addition, the group is currently studying the gluten content of ground spices using global samples and multiple testing methods. To find chain restaurants with gluten free menus and
practices, click here.
Grocery Trends
According to the Gluten Free Agency, while 40 million consumers are
buying GF products, only 10% of them actually have celiac disease. Many shoppers buy GF
groceries due to non-celiac gluten sensitivity, wheat allergy, autism, ADHD,
multiple sclerosis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Still others buy gluten
free groceries in an effort to eat healthier.
Brunch Recipes
This menu covers
everything you’ll need from start to finish: drinks, fruit, bread, potatoes, vegetable
“egg” dish and “sausages.” The drinks are all alcohol-free. Visit my Recipe Index for more gluten free vegan brunch recipes.
Wishing you a
healthy, serene and prosperous 2014,
Sparkling Cider Mimosa (DF, GF, SF, K, V, VG) (Sandra Lee/Food Network)
Homemade Ginger Ale (DF, GF, SF, K, V, VG) (Amy/Simply Sugar & Gluten Free)
Healthy Starbucks Frappuccinos (DF, GF, SF, K, V, VG) (Katie/Chocolate Covered Katie)
Quinoa Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Cake (DF, GF, SF, K, V, VG)
(sketch-freeveganeating/VegWeb)
Diner Style Shredded Hash Browns (DF, GF, SF, K, V, VG) (Megan/The Gluten Free Vegan)
Photo credit Maggie
Hoffman
Gluten Free Spicy Italian Sausages (DF, GF, SF, K, V, VG) (Rhea/The V Word)
Comment
Poll:
Why do you
buy gluten free groceries?
GF Health
concern
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loss
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