A Mommy Story

Disclosure: I participated in this program on behalf of Udi’s and The Motherhood. All opinions are my own.

It was about a year and a half ago that Aaron went gluten-free. At the time, I had first learned about Udi’s Gluten Free foods, and they suggested we try a two week gluten-free challenge. Aaron and I both tried it, completely eliminating gluten from our diets for two weeks. At the end of it, we felt pretty good, but the true test was to see how we felt eating gluten again. I had no trouble going back to gluten. Aaron, on the other hand, discovered just how badly his body handles gluten, and after a few days of extreme pain, realized that maybe gluten-free would have to be a necessary lifestyle change.

This isn’t an uncommon path for many with gluten intolerance, I’ve found. Udi’s reports that only 10% of those who go gluten free are medically diagnosed, while 37% are self-diagnosed and discover through elimination diets. Although in our case, Aaron went to his doctor after this and was told to remain gluten free due to gluten sensitivity. It’s possible he’s had this sensitivity all of his life, although it’s also possible to develop it later in life after a major change to the body or traumatic event.

We’re really lucky that the world of gluten free living isn’t quite what it was even ten years ago. Gluten free substitutes were often hard to find, requiring trips to specialty grocery stores or just an acceptance of living without any breads or gluten-containing foods. Had Aaron been diagnosed at that time, he likely would not have complied with the doctor’s orders, since he loves baked goods.

Udi’s first sold its products in the local Denver area back in 2009. They started with the goal of creating a superior product to the many gluten free breads already on the market that didn’t come close to the experience of wheat bread. They wanted to turn all of those “can’ts” into “cans” so that those who couldn’t eat gluten wouldn’t feel as limited in their food choices. By 2010, they were selling their products far and wide and had started an online community to help those living gluten free connect and share stories, recipes and resources. It was this online community that helped many with celiac and gluten intolerance feel less alone with their condition, and they continue to be actively involved in the gluten free community.

Udi’s was our first experience with gluten free foods, and it’s continued to be our favorite. We can find Udi’s at most grocery stores in our area, meaning we don’t need to make special trips for gluten free foods. We’ve tried other brands, but Udi’s has far and away been the one brand that lets Aaron feel like he’s not missing out on anything with his gluten free baked goods. They’ve developed a lot of new products in the last year and a half to expand their offerings, too. What started with breads and muffins has now evolved into a huge variety of gluten free foods: breads, buns, muffins, bagels, cookies, granola bars, granola, rolls/baguettes, ancient grain crisps, muffin tops, tortillas, and even pizzas.

gluten-free happiness in a box

Aaron’s favorites are the dark chocolate brownie bites and the granola. The granola and granola bars are his go-to snacks. I really love their snickerdoodle cookies, and I have no problem with using Udi’s whole grain bread in place of my wheat bread. (Other than making sure I don’t use it all up if Aaron needs it!) The chocolate and vanilla muffins are sweet enough to be turned into cupcakes with a generous dose of frosting on top.

There are even a few restaurants where Aaron can get his burger on an Udi’s gluten free bun in place of a regular bun. With gluten free options available to him in most places, he’s able to keep this lifestyle change without feeling like he has to give up an entire category of foods.

Udi’s told me that they have more products coming soon, including their first single-serve frozen meals. (An item I’ve been hoping for!) Perfect for taking to the office for lunch, the frozen meals will include mac and cheese and lasagna, and should be starting to show up in the grocery frozen foods section.

If you suspect you may have trouble digesting gluten, a trial period without gluten might give a clue as to your ability to tolerate it. Should you decide to try it, I’d recommend spending some time at Udi’s website learning more from their enormous community. They’re also happy to share tips and tricks on their Facebook and Twitter pages, too.

It’s great to know that being gluten free doesn’t mean giving up your favorite baked goods, breads and pastas, and it’s even better to know that gluten free foods can taste just as good as their gluten-filled counterparts. Going gluten free has been a huge benefit for Aaron and Udi’s has been there to help us all along the way.

If you had to go gluten free, what do you think would be the food you’d miss the most? Aaron misses biscuits, since everything else he can find gluten-free. I’d probably miss my favorite bakery’s cakes the most.