Hot Gluten-Free Gab: Trends, Subway, Marjorie Johnson, New Products
January 14, 2011 by Amy Leger | G+ Amy LegerWelcome to 2011 where gluten-free products are busting out all over! Here’s what people are talking about in the gluten-free world:
Gluten Free Trend
The Huffington Post reports gluten-free is still “trending up” for 2011. But they caution just going gluten free for just anyone may not be as healthy as you think.
“As EatingWell nutrition editor Brierley Wright points out, ‘When you go gluten-free, you tend to cut out a lot of processed foods that are often also high in calories, fat, sugar and/or salt, so you might initially feel better.’ The problem: there are now more and more gluten-free processed foods that are no healthier than their counterparts.”
Subway Attempts Gluten-Free
*Update: See Subway GF Test Market update from 1.5.12
Facebook, Twitter, Google are all abuzz about this next foray into the gluten-free world: Subway is taking a stab at the gluten-free market according to — well — all kinds of media outlets. This source I’ll use is CNN.
“Being able to have the option to go into quick service restaurants such as ours gives more people options. It gives them that feeling that they’re not so limited,” Subway Spokesman Les Winograd told CNN.
Considering what our alternatives are currently at Subway, this would be a welcome option. However, there still is a big issue with potential cross contamination. They are using one-time use disposable knives to help reduce the chance of cross-contamination. My bet is highly-sensitive celiacs might have trouble eating here if the gluten-free option goes nationwide. However Winograd also told CNN there are no plans to go nationwide with this experiment anytime soon.
Fellow Celiac Elisabeth Hasselbeck now making snack bars
They’re called Nogii Bars. Celiac-disease.com reports there are two available now that are very high in protein and are gluten-free, plus an up-and-coming kids’ bar that will be nut-free. You can find them on Amazon for approximately $40 for 12 bars.
Washington DC gets top Gluten-Free Honors
Glutenfreetravelsite.com named Washington DC the “World’s Most Celiac-Friendly Destination”. I know we enjoyed it last summer and I did several blog posts about it, including this one with a map of the restaurants we went to. This was well deserved!
Marjorie Johnson to Speak at Twin Cities ROCK Meeting
If you think you don’t know who Blue Ribbon Baker Marjorie Johnson is, you actually probably do. She’s a tiny spitfire of a gal who often goes on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. But she’s from Minnesota and is a fabulous baker– and wins Blue Ribbons at our Minnesota State Fair every year. Last summer she won the blue ribbon for a gluten-free cracker (the State Fair officials added a gluten-free baking category a few years ago). This was her first endeavor into gluten-free baking. On Tuesday, January 25th she will be speaking about that at the Twin Cities Raising our Celiac Kids (ROCK) Annual Meeting. You can find out much more about it on the Twin Cities ROCK website.
Tags: dining, gluten-free, Marjorie Johnson, restaurant, snacks, Subway, trend, Twin Cities ROCK, Washington DC
January 21st, 2011 at 10:49 am
I can only see gluten-free at Subway as a nightmare! All the touching and stuff. Yikes–but bless them for trying.