First time to America

B'elanna Torres · Joined: 07 Apr 2007 Posts: 12 Location: Netherlands

Hi everyone,

This year we are going to make a trip to the States. We arrive in Orlando (visit some themeparks) and then drive to New Orleans. For the first 2 or 3 days I can bring some of my own food, but then...

My questions are:
What safe brands are there in America who produce glutenfree food?
Where can I find these products or recognize them in supermarkets?
Is it easy to find glutenfree foods?

(here in the Netherlands the bigger supermarkets have limited amount of products, in Health Stores there is a larger - the most I get via internet).
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http://atelierbrigitte.blogspot.com

mrsppmrxky · Joined: 09 Oct 2004 Posts: 1499 Location: GF Kitchen

Here you will find a few items that are gluten free in larger grocery stores. (These are FEW)

You will find GF foods at Health Food Stores and Whole Foods

You will Find Gultino Products in most all of those stores.

If you have specific items that you are interested in, let us know and maybe we can help locate the item for you.

I hope you enjoy your trip!
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aklap · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 8783 Location: WI, USA

Hi B'elanna,

Wow - how exciting!!

Are you planning on stopping at Disney World? If you are, they are very accommodating to special diets [particularly GF].

Walmart [there's almost one on every street corner Wink

] has their own branded food. Great Value is their brand. They have many products labeled gluten free - you just have to read the labels. Not every store labels like this. Walmart started this practice a year or 2 ago.

You can find mainstream GF food, but you must know how to read the labels. Certain food manufactures are better at labeling gluten than others. By law wheat must be disclosed on the label, but not barley, rye or oats.

Here are some companies that have really good labeling practices. There's also a link in there on how to read the labels.

Kraft Family Product List - A list of all the products Kraft has.
Unilever Family Product List - A list of all the products Unilever has.
ConAgra Foods Family Product List - A list of all the products ConAgra Foods has.
Hormel Family Product List - A list of all the products Hormel Foods has.

Like MrsP said, the easiest places to find GF food are at Health Food Stores or places like Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Trader Joes. However, those stores can be hard to find, or not exist in the city you are in.

If you tell us some of your favorite types of food, we can tell you certain products to look for.

Hope you have fun in America!!
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Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

Kathie · Joined: 27 Jan 2006 Posts: 772 Location: Florida

In Florida Publix supermarkets carry some gluten free food, ours is in with their organic items. Outback Steakhouse has a gluten free menu if you are looking to eat out. I believe Albertsons supermarket used to have a list of their items that were gluten free, but I don't shop there so I'm not sure about that one. For bread and baked goods you will probably have to find a health food store. If you can find Kinnikinnick products they are very good. Ener-g are pretty bad. Gluten Free Pantry is good, Glutino and Glutano also. Lets see there is all Enjoy Life. Amy's makes good microwave meals, you will find some in the frozen food section of Publix and Walmart and probably a better selection at a health food store. Read the label as they also do Organic items. They will label either gluten free or contains no gluten ingredients. For chips STAX chips are labeled naturally gluten free. They come in a canister not a bag. KIND snack bars are very good if you can have nuts, Walmart and health food stores carry them.

If an item is labeled gluten free you should be able to feel pretty safe using it. Most companies in the US tend to try to protect themselves from law suits so won't put gluten free on the label unless they are sure it is. If you avoid oats you should check for them on the label. There are a few companies that will list an item as gluten free that contains oats. Personally I avoid them.

If you are going to be here in the near future please keep in mind it is VERY hot here this time of year and it rains almost every afternoon. Have a great time! Cool

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B'elanna Torres · Joined: 07 Apr 2007 Posts: 12 Location: Netherlands

We won't go to Disney, but to Universal Studio's and/or Sea World. We are not sure yet.

We know it will be hot that time of year, but it is the only time in the year we can take some holiday together.

Thank you for all your answers, I will write them down and take them with me. Then I will be fine I think, and if I am not sure, I will ask in the shop.
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http://atelierbrigitte.blogspot.com