Many brands exist on the market who take extra strides to create and certify “O” shaped cereals for those of us who need it. Read through the whole post to see just how some of these companies are going above and beyond. Who knows, they may become your new favorite cereal!

Nature’s Path Whole O’s

Nature’s Path Whole O’s became one of my favorite gluten free alternatives to Cheerios over a decade ago.  It contains no oats, no GMO’s, and is certified through GFCO. This cereal boasts only 5 ingredients. The main ingredients include organic brown rice flour and organic corn flour. See their FAQ section to learn about how they handle allergens. While not frequently available in bigger grocery stores, I find these at local health food stores, as well as on Amazon.

Cascadian Farms Fruitful O’s

Cascadian Farms sells 4 gluten free cereals, with the Fruitful O’s being the only “O Shaped” they make that they label gluten free. (They do have oat based O Cereals). It does not bear a gluten free certification logo. Ingredients are corn meal, cane sugar, purple corn flour, tapioca syrup, sunflower oil, sea salt, calcium carbonate, annatto, natural flavor, and Vitamin E. Find it in stores and on Amazon.

Love Grown Power O’s

Photo courtesy of Amazon

Love Grown Power O’s may contain the most unique blend of ingredients of all the gluten-free “O” shaped cereals. Their create their cereals from “navy, lentil and garbanzo beans.” Their original flavor contains no added sugar 4 g of fiber per serving. In addition to their original flavor, they also produce chocolate and cinnamon flavors.

The Love Grown FAQ section states the following:

Yes, all of our products are made with gluten-free ingredients including our oat-based products, which are made with Certified Gluten Free Oats. The manufacturers that produce Love Grown products are Certified Gluten Free with the Gluten Intolerance Group. Under this certification each ingredient, processing step, and facility are carefully reviewed to ensure no risk of gluten contamination. The manufacturers are not dedicated gluten free, nor are they required to be under the certification, but they have implemented all programs, controls, and training to ensure that all Love Grown products are gluten free. In addition to all of these steps, our finished products are not shipped until they have been tested and shown to be gluten free.

These cereals bear the GFCO gluten-free certification, which requires audits on a yearly basis, sometimes even more frequently depending on the product. If you’re a Prime fan, you can also order them on Amazon. 

Lovebird Cereal

Lovebird Cereal is made from cassava. They contain no grains, no oats, and no artificial sweeteners. Flavors include cacao, strawberry, honey, cinnamon and unsweetened. Their cereal is “certified gluten free and made in a certified gluten free facility.” Order directly from them on their website, or on Amazon. This is one alternative cereal I’ve tried and REALLY like!

Seven Sundays

Seven Sundays “Sunflower” cereals are made from Cassava. This cereal is sweetened with maple syrup or coconut sugar, depending on the flavor. Their about page states they are “100% Real Food- Gluten Free, Non-GMO, Contain No Refined Sugars, Dyes, Artificial Flavors or “Natural” Flavors. In addition they claim they are Glyphosate Free and Allergen Friendly.” You can find their cereals at Target and Whole Foods, among other stores. Use their store locator to find them near you. **Note – they have other Oat Protein cereal in O shapes, but their products are not certified gluten free.

Magic Spoon Cereal

Magic Spoon grain free cereal meets GFCO gluten free certification standards. This high protein cereal contains just 4 net carbs, no cane sugar, corn syrup or sugar alcohols. Magic Spoon is sweetened with allulose and monk fruit.

Their FAQ states the following: “Our cereal and Treats are Certified Gluten-Free, but are made in a shared facility that also processes products that contain gluten. We test product in and product out, and can guarantee that we comply with the Gluten-Free Certification Organization’s requirement to contain no more than 10 parts per million gluten.”

Order their products from their website or their variety pack on Amazon. (affiliate link) 

Three Wishes

Three Wishes grain free cereal is made from chickpeas and contains no grains. It is sweetened with Monk Fruit. The production facility also contains no peanuts. (Their products contain no tree nuts or soy, but they are present in the facility.)  GFCO certifies this product, which requires less than 10 ppm of gluten in a product.

Their website states the following: “All products are gluten free certified and tested under GFCO standards. There is no gluten present in our facility during production.”

Order from their website, or find it at Whole Foods. Also available on Amazon.

In Conclusion

So there you have it. Many gluten-free “O” shaped cereal options, most who have been independently audited to be certified gluten-free. So when the many voices out there want you to pick a side in the gluten free Cheerios argument, politely choose “other.” Let’s celebrate the diversity of flavors and uniqueness of ingredients. Aren’t we blessed that we have so many options?

Which of these cereals are you most interested in trying? Do you frequently buy one of these for your household? Share your thoughts on these brands below! 

**I was not paid by any of these companies to mention these products. This post is meant to be informative only. In addition, these images were not taken by myself, but found through other websites. However, this page does include Amazon affiliate links. Amazon will credit a small portion of the sale to me, but it does not change the price you pay. **

Originally Published January 2018

The post Gluten Free Alternatives to Cheerios appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.

For the sake of this post about gluten free oats, I’m breaking down oats into four categories. These include standard oats, mechanically sorted oats, purity protocol gluten free oats, and certified gluten free oats.

Standard Oats

BUT I THOUGHT OATS WERE GLUTEN FREE? 

How would you define standard oats? (Sometimes people also call standard oats “commodity oats.”) These oats undergo no special treatment. Farmers grow them in fields that may be in proximity to wheat, rye and barley. They likely use the same trucks and processing equipment for multiple grains. Because of this, I would never deem these to be “gluten free oats.”

Research supports my opinion. In her Special Report On The Use of Oats in Gluten Free Foods, Gluten Free Watchdog highlighted the ppm results of various standard oats. She reported that one batch of standard Quaker oats tested as high as 1,861 PPM. That’s 93 TIMES HIGHER than the gluten free definition of 20 ppm. Researchers published in the Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology similar results. Of 133 oat samples, only 9 samples were found to contain under 20 ppm. The other 124 samples had gluten ranges of 21 – 3,800 ppm.

Mechanically Processed Oats

Can you identify this grain? I used this (and other free) pictures from Pexels for this post. Pexels marked this as “Wheat Grains Closeup Photography.” How does this tie in with “Mechanically Sorted Oats?” Machines use optic abilities to sort oats from wheat, barley and rye. Some batches test under 20 ppm. Some do not. As Gluten Free Watchdog mentioned in her report on gluten contamination levels of oat products, 5 products using mechanically sorted oats tested at above 20 ppm. These definitely don’t qualify as gluten free oats.

Cheerios continues to be the biggest user of mechanically sorted oats. Did you know Cheerios does not test individual batches of cereal? Gluten Free Watchdog explains their process in her post “Gluten Free Cheerios Take Two.”

How General Mills Tests for Gluten in Cheerios

“General Mills pulls 12 to 18 boxes during a 24 hour production cycle, grinds the contents of each box, takes a sample from the contents of each box, mixes all the samples together and regrinds, tests 12 sub-samples, and averages the results to provide a lot mean.” (via Gluten Free Watchdog)

Therefore, they blend multiple lots together, and then take a sample. So in a sense, they are taking an average of multiple lots. In the same Gluten Free Watchdog post, Tricia stated one of the lots tested above 90 parts per million. But since the other lot tested so low, the mean test result was therefore under 20 ppm. And put on shelves.

Not a fan of Cheerios? Check out my list of similarly shaped, gluten free cereals.

Purity Protocol Gluten Free Oats

Unfamiliar with the term “purity protocol?” Gluten free oats grown under these  standards abide by a general set of guidelines. Only recently did oat growers develop a Definition of the Purity Protocol for Producing Gluten-Free Oats. These farmers grow their oats in dedicated fields and use strict standards for processing. Celiac Disease advocates (such as myself) suggest using only purity protocol oats.

This method of farming is still gaining traction. More and more gluten free food producers understand the importance of starting with a pure oat product. Manufacturers using purity protocol oats include Enjoy Life Foods, The GFB, and many more. I suggest bookmarking Gluten Free Watchdog’s Listing of oats produced under a gluten free purity protocol as a handy reference. If you know a brand using purity protocol oats, please use that link to get them on it!

Certified Gluten Free Oats

“Therefore, certified gluten free oats are purity protocol oats, right?”

Not so fast, Jack. Some certifying organizations allow manufacturers to use mechanically sorted oats in their gluten free items. Certified gluten free oats MUST still test below 20 ppm, and meet other stipulations of the certifying organization’s guidelines. For example, some companies use a blend of purity protocol oats and mechanically sorted oats. The Gluten Free Certification Organization will still certify these products, requiring their oats and their finished products to test under 10 ppm.

An additional interesting fact. Technically, the FDA claims using the words “gluten free, certified, or purity protocol” before the word “oats” in the ingredient list is against the rules. The FDA encourages brands to use those words elsewhere on the package, but not in the ingredient panel. Therefore, just because you DON’T see “certified” or “purity protocol” before the word “oats” doesn’t mean they’re not. (Some brands still put it in the ingredient list. The FDA says they aren’t as strict on this rule.)

Gluten Free Oats – Where To Go From Here

We go back to asking every brand their oat sourcing. (Or use Tricia’s aforementioned list.) Just make sure you know what you’re eating. Maybe you’re fine with mechanically sorted, certified gluten free oats. That’s okay. In the end, I just want all of us to be educated about what we’re eating. Safety first.

Originally Published January 2019

The post Gluten Free Oats: Differences Defined appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.

The Celiac Disease Stages of Grief

After being diagnosed with Celiac Disease, there is definitely a period of grief we go through. It’s a huge adjustment to change our diet. Some people in denial refuse to ever change their diet. And we all know that eating out gets more challenging.

However, we also need to embrace, as Shirley Braden puts it, the new health they can have. Or as Curtis Zimmerman puts it, the unexpected lessons that our Celiac Disease diagnosis can teach us. And while it may not be fair, others are watching how we handle our diagnosis. Are we constantly stuck in a stage of depression? Or are we willing to accept where we are the thrive despite our autoimmune disease?

I had a stage of my life where I didn’t always follow the diet. I lacked support. I share about that time in my life in this blog post. It wrote it after I realized I forgot how hard those first few years were, and how it reminded me that compassion goes further in creating community than condemnation.

The Downide of Social Media Community

Many of us used to go to Celiac Disease support group meetings. That’s where we’d talk about our frustrations. In community. Face to face with actual people with whom we would interact.

Now we belong to online Facebook groups, where we have distance through a computer screen. Where we attack others for eating foods that have high-fructose corn syrup or slam them for eating foods with genetically modified organisms.

Somehow that lack of face-to-face interaction has made us forget we’re talking to ACTUAL PEOPLE. Making untrue or hurtful statements are so much easier through a keyboard. Worse, online communities can force us out because they don’t want to hear an alternate side. Because there’s no relationship built, no depth of trust. It’s sad.

Who’s Our Real Enemy?

There’s a quote I love from Donald Miller. It’s a theological quote, but I find the last sentence appropriate in this situation. “This battle we are in is a battle against the principalities of darkness, not against people who are different from us. In war you shoot the enemy, not the hostage. (Pg 191, Searching for God Knows What, Donald Miller)”

Sometimes I wonder if the Celiac Disease community has become its own worst enemy. Some days, we’ve become this angry mob, ready to attack. Eager to publicly highlight those with whom we have disagreements. We fight over beer and cereal and make snarky remarks on Twitter. For God’s sake people, we’re better than that.

Instead, of fighting each other, we should be focusing our bigger issues. Generating attention on better education of doctors and patients. Making sure companies follow FDA rules to keep our food safe. Bringing to light the issues of food insecurity and the lack of gluten free options. There’s so much more we can do together, than divided.

Shaming Others Doesn’t Lead To Real Change

Some times I’ll hear my husband typing frantically on the computer. When I ask who he’s writing to, he responds, “Someone is wrong, on the internet.”

What should our Celiac attitude be towards untruth?  I know that there are those out there that share posts that have misinformation. What should be our reaction? I feel our first response should be to educate, not humiliate.

Attacking and mocking and arguing will not get us to our goal. After all, it may be someday that we are the one in the wrong. We may be the one that needs to listen to a gentle word to redirect our path.

Are Diagnosis Rates Impacted By Our Poor Attitude?

One more thing about having a negative attitude towards Celiac Disease. Have you ever considered it could be hurting diagnosis rates?

If we complain all the time about how hard life is or how bad something tastes, might that impact how others approach getting help? If all we share are the bad things, why would anyone want to live that kind of life?

I’ve heard people state their family members who refused to get tested because they refuse to give up certain foods.

We should be showing others how life can be so much BETTER. Not by highlighting how crappy it can be. I love this article from Amy Burkhart R.D. about the Ten Positive Aspects of a Celiac Disease Diagnosis.

Maybe We All Need a Pep Talk

Celiac Disease can be frustrating. However, let’s try to use that frustration to bring about real change. Not just for us, but for everyone. Think of those who are undiagnosed that need us to stand up for better testing. For more funding for research. For the simple rights to be treated with dignity in public. Did you know Celiac Disease is afforded legal protection under the ADA?

Living with Celiac Disease can be hard. Dining out can be frustrating. Finding safe food can be frustrating. Mistreatment from others can be frustrating.

So let’s try to find the silver linings in our diagnosis. Whether it’s been companies we’ve come to love, or people we wouldn’t have met otherwise, let’s try to show the world living with Celiac Disease isn’t the end of life. It’s just the beginnning.

How has your attitude towards your Celiac Disease diagnosis changed over the years? How has it changed who you are as a person? (I love Casey the College Celiac’s article on how it’s helped make her a better person.) Please feel free to share your thoughts below. 

Originally Published August 2017

The post How is Your Attitude Impacting Celiac Advocacy? appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.

The Only Celiac Disease Treatment

The first thing you need to know is that there is no oil, no pill, no medical intervention for Celiac Disease OTHER than the gluten-free diet. You can’t grow out of this disease. You can’t “cheat” on it either. Think of the gluten-free diet as your new BFF. (Best Friend Forever)

What do you know about gluten? Hopefully, your doctor referred you to a dietitian after your celiac disease diagnosis. Maybe you only received a piece of paper of do’s and sent on your way. Either way, you are not defined by your gluten free diagnosis. You simply need to follow a certain diet to live a better life.

Which Foods are NOT Gluten Free?

So what do you absolutely need to stop eating? Wheat, rye, barley and all of their offspring. Sometimes oats. Wheat has many different names, such as spelt, graham, couscous, seitan and many more. You also need to stay away from malt, because it’s derived from barley.

In addition, the U.S. bans “gluten-free barley.” (Investors recently engineered gluten free barley in another country.) Of course, this also means that regular beer is out. This also goes for “gluten removed” beer. Research has shown it to be unsafe for those with Celiac Disease.

Where Gluten Hides

Gluten is stealthy. It hides in all sorts of places that you wouldn’t even imagine. Soy sauce. Twizzlers. Potato Chips. Taco Seasoning. It’s also in things that you may not think of, because you don’t know how they’re prepared. Crab cakes. Meatloaf. Cheeses made from bread mold.

You need to check your medications as well, both prescription and over-the-counter. Even though gluten cannot penetrate the skin, we should still check lotions or anything that could come into contact with our mouths. It’s important to make sure your lipstick is gluten-free too.

Are Oats Gluten Free?

A word about oats. Most doctors will tell those who are newly diagnosed to stay away from oats for at least a year after diagnosis. Oats in and of themselves, by definition, do not contain gluten. BUT, they are often grown in fields and harvested with wheat. It’s practically impossible to separate wheat grains from oat grains, not to mention the dust and particulate matter.

Many experts and advocates will strongly encourage anyone with Celiac Disease to only eat purity protocol oats. (Oats grown in dedicated gluten free fields.) Recently manufacturers have started to do mechanical, optical sorting of oats to pick out any wheat, barley or rye grains. Manufacturers using this method include General Mills, who make Cheerios and Lucky Charms. Read my post explaining that not all “gluten free oats” are the same.

Which Foods are Gluten Free?

So now that we’ve talked about what you can’t have, let’s focus on what you CAN have. Fresh fruits, vegetables, meats (preferably lean), dairy, and lots of other things. Remember, gluten is only found in grains. Therefore, any natural grain free food is fair game. This is your opportunity to get creative in the kitchen!

I think one of the biggest challenges in this medically necessary diet is to make the mental switch of focusing on all the food you can eat, and not on what you can’t. It’s about learning to substitute the no-no’s with the “sure, go ahead!” We can have grains like rice, corn, quinoa, amaranth, millet and teff. We can also eat buckwheat, which is actually a relative of rhubarb and has no connection to “wheat” at all.

What is Cross Contact?

A quick word about cross-contact. This means gluten-free items come in contact with gluten containing grains. This doesn’t just happen in the manufacturing process. If you’re the only gluten-free eater in a gluten full home, it can happen in your house too. Most experts recommend celiac disease patients purchase a new dedicated toaster and a new dedicated colander.

Cross-contact comes into play when using condiments as well. Gluten-containing crumbs can find their way back into butter dishes, jam jars, peanut butter containers, and much more. Those who are the only GF eaters in the house often find it easier to have their own condiment containers.

A reminder that “cross contact” and “cross contamination” are two VERY different things. Cross contamination involves bacteria, such as listeria in chicken, touching other food items. Bacteria can be killed. Gluten cannot. Therefore, please use correct terminology, especially when speaking to restaurants. 

FDA Defines the Term “Gluten Free”

It’s one thing to know what grains contain gluten. It’s another thing to claim that something is gluten-free. In 2014, the FDA officially defined gluten free as containing less than 20 PPM of gluten in a given product. (However, they often fail at enforcing that rule.)

Prior to this ruling, manufacturers could label an item as gluten free without having to adhere to a safe standard. How did they come up with 20 PPM? It was based on research done by Dr. Alessio Fasano and other leading Celiac Disease doctors. This definition only applies to manufactured products, and not eating establishments or bakeries.

Gluten Free Certification Organizations

Unfortunately, producers don’t have to verify with the FDA that their product actually tests below 20 PPM before they print that on packaging. This is where third-party certifying organizations step in, trying to protect the Celiac Disease population. The National Celiac Association, the Gluten Intolerance Group, Beyond Celiac and NSF all have certification seals.

•  The National Celiac Association transferred ownership of their seal program in 2019 and endorsed the newly formed GF Certified program through GFFP USA. Products bearing their seal must test, independently, under 5 ppm. They also audit all manufacturing facilities.
• The GFCO is a certification program through the Gluten Intolerance Group. Every product they certify independently tests to under less than 10 PPM. Certified products are submitted to regular testing.
• NSF International certifies packaged foods and supplements that meet the FDA requirement of less than 20 PPM. They certify the gluten free Girl Scout cookies, as well as other products.
• Beyond Celiac endorses the GFCP certification program, managed by the Allergen Control Group. Their auditors insure that facilities operate with best practices and meet the 20 PPM requirement.

The Celiac Disease Foundation Does NOT Certify Gluten Free Food

You may see this Celiac Disease Foundation logo on certain products in the store. It’s most often found on General Mills products such as Cheerios. This logo highlights that the brand donates money to the CDF. In no way do products bearing this logo undergo third party product testing. The product may still be gluten free. Just know that the CDF does not perform product testing.

“May Contain Wheat” Labels are Not Helpful

These certifications especially help when products made in shared facilities come in to question. The FDA does not regulate nor require “May contain” statements. In addition, consumers find them incredibly confusing. To learn more about the issue of “may contain” statements, watch Tricia Thompson’s informational videos on her site, Gluten Free Watchdog.

Certified products that bear a “may contain” wheat or a “manufactured in a facility where wheat is present” still undergo strict testing and manufacturing process scrutiny. Products made in the “same facility” may still be produced in a dedicated gluten free atmosphere.

Final Thoughts

This is a lot of information to digest, and it’s probably overwhelming. I received my diagnosed almost 2 decades and I learn new things all the time. It will get easier. In the meantime, fall in love with your kitchen again, take a deep breath, and enjoy the bounty of naturally gluten-free foods you can eat in abundance!

This article is part of a series on Celiac Disease and gluten-free living basics. Others include:

Why Celiac Disease Makes Food Your Enemy (A primer on Celiac Disease)
Proper Physical and Emotional Care, post diagnosis
Eating Outside of the Home and Other Resources

The post Gluten Free Defined: What and By Whom? appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.

**This is an interview with the owner. Please scroll to bottom of page for bakery address, phone number, website, email, and social media links.**

A Bakery Within A Bakery

When starting my gluten-free baker search, someone wrote in about Hall Street Bakery in Grand Rapids. I know that they also make regular baked goods, so I definitely felt the need to discuss their bakery operations with them. Preventing cross-contact is of utmost concern.

Even though they make regular baked goods, they have a completely separate kitchen for their gluten-free baked goods. Think of it as a kitchen within a kitchen. I had a chance to sit down briefly with owner Jim McClurg, and hear his reasons on why providing gluten-free options were so important. Read more in his own words.

1. What inspired you to become a baker? Why the focus on gluten-free?

Great bakers run in our family and most, if not all, of our bakery team have grown up baking with their families.  Creating our gluten-free products has been a long time coming.  Customers have been asking for these products for many years, but we knew that we would have to have a completely separate facility to make a product that would be safe.

Our family has firsthand experience with severe food allergies including peanuts, dairy and eggs.  Because of this our bakeries have always been peanut free (even our tree nuts are certified peanut free) and our vegan items are largely produced to fill this need. In addition to baked goods, we offer gluten free-options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, including gluten-free pizza.

2. Are there other highlights of your products?  Dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free etc?

The best kept secret is that our bakery is peanut free.. We have a number of items in our gluten-free product line that are also dairy free and egg-free.  In addition, we’ve also eliminated soy from most products and we are working to eliminate corn as well. We even make our own corn free baking powder! Knowing our customers deal with many additional food restrictions, we attempto to meet their needs as much as possible. We offer gluten free options that can be made dairy free, egg free, soy free, corn free, tree nut free, vegan or vegetarian. Note- Many items do include oats.

Our first priority is to create gluten-free products that look and taste as good as our traditional baked goods.  We use fresh ingredients to make every product from scratch.  Nothing is made from a mix. Even our flours are our own blends.  We hand crack real eggs, and use fresh milk, butter and other wholesome ingredients to create products that are noticeably better than what you’ll find on any store shelf.

3. What steps do you take to insure that your products are truly gluten-free?

We source our products from certified gluten-free sources.  We maintain separate gluten-free production and storage facilities from our traditional products – packaging included.  In addition, we audit all of our ingredients to ensure that they’re gluten free.  For products that we have labeled as free of other allergens, we’re also auditing for those allergens and their derivatives.

4.  Can you share a story of a customer who’s been greatly impacted by your business?

We hear many stories of families that have found peace of mind when they found our store. Many restaurants are able to accommodate gluten-free needs more and more, but baked goods are so  much harder because of the ingredients, techniques, and cross contact issues.  Probably the most touching and frequent encounters we have with our gluten free customers is with our cinnamon rolls. Customers literally cry when they have the first really good cinnamon roll that they’ve had in years.

5. What would you like consumers to know about your products and your business?

We are a family-owned business and our people and customers are like family.  This is why we care so deeply about the quality products we make.  They have to be beautiful, delicious, and above all, safe.  We’re also huge advocates for the neighborhoods in our city and have intentionally created our stores in areas that needed a local gathering place and would benefit from economic investment.

Other Places to Find Hall Street Bakery Products

Hall Street Bakery makes all of the gluten-free items for Wealthy Street Bakery, Jim McClurg’s first business location. Their gluten free products are sold (pre-packaged) at Wealthy Street Bakery and Hall Street Bakery retail locations.  Their products are also sold wholesale to retailers, through Gordon Food Service. Customers can also have product shipped to their home by calling either of their stores or through either website store, Hall Street Bakery or Wealthy Street Bakery.

Local delivery available via UberEats, GrubHub, DoorDash and Postmates. Use the Toast app to order for pickup.

Locations, Hours and Contact Information

Hall Street Bakery
1200 Hall St SE
Grand Rapids MI  49506
(616) 214- 7604
Open Monday thru Saturday 6:30 am – 9 pm, closed Sunday
Website / Facebook / Instagram / Email

Wealthy Street Bakery
610 Wealthy St SE
Grand Rapids MI 49503
(616) 301-2950
Open Monday thru Saturday 6:30 am – 9 pm, closed Sunday
Website / Facebook / Instagram / Email

Hall Street Bakery is one of many gluten-free bakers across the state of Michigan. Click this link to view a comprehensive list of all the bakers, complete with interactive map!

**All Images Provided by Hall Street Bakery

The post Hall Street Bakery: Gluten Free Discoveries appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.