SAFE and UNSAFE Gluten-Free Candies for Halloween 2014 and other sweet times

I found a great list last week of both SAFE and UNSAFE candy for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance.  (Remember, people with celiac disease must eliminate all foods that contain wheat, barley, rye, and products made from these grains. If they do not strictly avoid gluten-containing foods, long-term malnutrition could result due to damaged villi in the intestines).

But first, there is one rule of thumb to use if you are new to this gluten-free thing: You can’t tell if a food has gluten just by looking. And that means looking at the ingredient list, too. My illustration above of Brach’s candy corn, one of my once-a-year treats for fall, is to show that even though the ingredient list does not list a gluten-containing food, the statement below the ingredient list tells the real story (“This product was manufactured in a facility where milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soy are used in the production of other products”).

Here are a few candies that caught my eye (there were way more listed):

SAFE Candy for Celiac and Gluten-Free: 

• 3 Musketeers fun size
• Almond Joy fun size
• Baby Ruth
• Bit-O-Honey
• Butterfinger original
• Haribo Gold-Bears
• Jelly Belly beans
• Jolly Rancher hard candy
• Laffy Taffy
• Lemonheads
• M&Ms original
• Peanut M&Ms
• Snickers
• Swedish Fish
• York Peppermint Patties 

UNSAFE Candy for Celiac and Gluten-Free

• Anything from Brach’s (candies are manufactured in a facility where wheat-containing candies are made, which means the candy could be cross-contaminated with wheat).
• Red Vines
• Trolli Gummi Bears
• Ferrero Rocher Chocolates
• Kit Kat
• Whoppers
• Twizzlers
• Milky Way (contains barley malt)
• Butterfinger Crisp or Stixx (contains wheat flour)

Click Here for the complete list of Yes and No candies for people following a gluten-free diet, compiled by Jefferson Adams at Celiac.com.  While you’re at it, you can sign up for their newsletter to find out the latest on gluten-free foods and research.

And spoiler alert (sorry, I have to say this): Even if a candy is gluten-free, it’s still candy! Don’t go wild with it or the calories will come back to haunt you!

Q & A: Gluten-Free Pretzels not Better for Weight Loss; Gluten-free cookie recipe

Q.            I was wondering if I should buy gluten-free pretzels to help me lose weight? I have been hearing people comment about using gluten-free foods for that purpose. B.M. Grandville

A.            There is no need to choose gluten-free pretzels over regular pretzels unless you need to avoid gluten, such as with celiac disease. Take a look, but I have noticed that the gluten-free foods seem to have the same or even more calories than traditional foods.

            Even though there are a lot of products proclaiming that they are gluten free, just what does gluten-free mean? It means that the product does not have the grains that contain gluten, such as wheat, rye and barley. Oats are iffy, as they may be contaminated with gluten if they are processed in a facility that packages gluten-containing grains. Oats must be certified gluten free to be OK.

            Gluten is the protein part of a grain that makes bread springy and helps the yeast make the bread rise. Gluten-free breads are often heavier and denser because of this.

            A gluten-free eating plan for celiac disease is one of the most difficult ones to follow, as it means limited restaurant foods. There is no regular breads for sandwiches, no regular pizza, no regular pasta, and no breaded foods, unless these items are made specially gluten-free.

            Celiac disease is an auto-immune disease that can lead to malnutrition because the intestine becomes damaged from the gluten and unable to absorb nutrients. It is very important to follow the gluten-free diet as strictly as possible, because the gluten triggers an immune response that can affect other parts of the body, too.

            If someone is newly diagnosed with celiac disease, they may be referred to a registered dietitian for guidance. I see a number of people with celiac, and I always recommend getting connected with others with celiac (just Google your city for celiac support group to find the nearest one).  There are a number of good resources online for gluten-free ideas, recipes and information such as celiac.com.

            And I always tell people that if it were me, I would start with simple changes first, such as using potatoes and rice as the starchy side dish rather than bread or noodles. Then later you can hunt around for acceptable gluten-free breads and pastas (you may need to try a few before you find one you like).

            I am always scouting recipes for ones that can be used for people with celiac as well as for the rest of us.  You may have seen this peanut butter cookie recipe around, but it turns out great with absolutely no flour. You’ll have to try it to believe it.

Peanut Butter Cookies (Gluten-free)
 from Mennonite Girls Can Cook blog

1 cup peanut butter (they prefer Jif)

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

Beat all ingredients in a bowl. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press each cookie with a fork.

Bake 350 F oven for 10-11 minutes. Yields 16 cookies (I usually double the recipe).

Nutritional information per cookie:  147 calories, 4 grams protein, 8 grams fat, 15 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber.