Editor’s note: Did you know that May is Celiac Awareness Month? According to research, Celiac Disease is one of the most common of all chronic health disorders in western countries. Recent studies show that at least three million Americans, or about 1 in 133 people have celiac disease, but only 1-in-4,700 is ever diagnosed! People with the disease suffer intestinal damage when eating products containing wheat, rye, or barley. The disease presents a broad range of symptoms, from mild weakness and bone pain, to chronic diarrhea, abdominal bloating, and progressive weight loss. In most cases, treatment with a gluten-free diet leads to a full recovery from celiac disease. It is imperative that the disease is quickly diagnosed so it can be treated as soon as possible. For more information on Celiac Disease, visit Celiac.com. And don’t forget to visit Amber on her website to get your gluten-free recipes galore!
Most people’s response to hearing you have Celiac Disease sounds like this: “OH MY GOD YOU CAN’T EAT BREAD?!” I too, would have been guilty of saying those exact words to someone a few years ago. Before my diagnosis, I was a bread fiend. Honey Whole Wheat, Italian Bread, Bagels, Crescent Rolls, English Muffins, you name it, I could easily ingest multiples of it. After all, I thought, what better way to shovel food into my mouth than on top of a puffy piece of wondrous bread? Well, those thoughts are long gone…
NOW, my motto now is “No Bread, No Problem!” Whether the cause for your lack of bread eating is due to our foe gluten, or for other personal reasons, I have found other ways to get crafty with food sans bread! Don’t get me wrong, I love me my Udi’s and am so incredibly thankful for Toufayan Gluten Free Wraps, but my wallet doesn’t love how fast I go through either of these if I eat a sandwich every single day. So below are some options to test out as a bread alternative! I put my “weirdest” options first, for those who have an open mind and mouth!
Breadless Options
– Fried Egg/Egg White Wrap
-Wrap your burger up with this for some extra protein and juicy goodness!
– Cold Cut Roll Up/Wrap
– Stuff your scrambled eggs into chicken breast/turkey cold cut for extra protein
– Use your cold cut AS your bread, filling it with whatever you’d like
– Cucumber Round Slices
– perfect to top with chicken/tuna/egg salad
– Cucumber “Sheets”
– long and thing slices to top with your cold cut of choice
– Bell Peppers
– slice in half and stuff with chicken/tuna/egg salad
– use as ‘slices’ of bread and fill with cold cut!
– Portobello Mushroom Caps
– use as a burger bun alternative, once cooked!
– can use for a sandwich, but you must cook the cap prior,a lot of work for just cold cuts…
– Lettuce ‘Wrap’
– use to wrap your burger
– use as a wrap to stuff with cold cuts or chicken/tuna/egg salad
– Rice Cakes (had to put these here–they lack ANY nutritional value but are another alternative)
– my go to for peanut butter and jelly
– can top with cold cuts, not my favorite option but easy to travel with
See? No bread, no problem! Except for this guy….
Article References:
http://www.celiac.com/articles/1164/1/Celiac-Disease-Statistics/Page1.html
Steph and Erik, those burgers look delish! Save me one, I’m coming for dinner, sans cheese though 🙂 Perfect timing for this post <3 xoxo
Hey that sounds great! Please bring your No-bean Chili 🙂
Great post — as always!
ALRIGHT, LEAVING NOW! We’ll have a proteinerrrific lunch, BURGERS AND CHILI, and let’s eat the chili, ON protabella mushroom caps!
That sounds amazing!
I recently cut out gluten for an elimination diet- I will keep it up for the month of May!!! 🙂
That’s awesome Lynds! I cut out as much as possible since I’m sensitive to it. I am usually really good at avoiding it until I have a “cheat meal.” 😉
Oh yes, those cheat meals… they get me too 😉 Haha.