GLUTEN FREE KITCHEN

The most vital place to start is in the kitchen. These Gluten Free Kitchen Tips will help you isolate food and avoid the risks of cross contamination.

-Completely Clean Out Your Kitchen cabinets, refrigerator and pantry of any products that contain gluten.

Maintaining a Gluten Free Kitchen means eliminating all chances of cross contamination, because even a few bread crumbs can cause intestinal damage.

-Decide if everyone in the family will be eating gluten-free. It's the easiest plan to follow, avoids having to make separate meals at each sitting and helps avoid the risks of cross contamination. (Lar has his own toaster on a ridged cookie sheet to capture crumbs for his gluten bread and other than that our kitchen is Gluten-Free.)

-Read labels carefully as gluten hides in condiments, sauces, soups, packaged foods and many places you'd least expect.

-Store gluten containing foods in a separate area and properly labeled if there are family members that will still be using and eating them. Get rid of them altogether if you want to avoid all risk of cross contamination.

-Have separate cooking utensils that are clearly identified and stored separate from other utensils and marked "Gluten Free Only".

-Always wash anything that will touch your food during preparation: counters, sinks ,cutting boards, pans, colanders, etc.

-Buy separate appliances and label them for gluten free cooking: toaster, mixer, blender, etc.

-Have separate containers of butter, jelly, peanut butter, mayonnaise, etc. and don't cross contaminate.

-Teach you family about what it means to be gluten free and what they can do to follow the rules and not cross contaminate.

-Have a separate dedicated area for Gluten-Free food.

-Get rid of old wooden spoons or wood cutting boards

Help your family to understand the requirements of the GF maintenance plan.

If it's your child it's important that they learn to take charge and be involved too. They will be away from home at school, at parties or sleepovers and they need to be aware of what they can and can't eat. They need to learn to read labels, to speak up, and to know the consequences to their body if they should accidently slip or sneak "just one".

I know it seems overwhelming at first, but before long the initial transition period will be over and it will all become second nature.