Gluten Free Diets are becoming more and more common in the world today, but what is it? A Gluten Free Diet consists of eating only foods that do not contain wheat, barley, or rye. Most gluten free foods are made with rice or potato flour, making them safe for those on Gluten Free Diets to eat. Even though Gluten Free Diets have no actual health benefits other than for people with Celiac Disease or a Gluten Intolerance, many are still switching to the in-fad diet. While some people think it may be difficult to eat gluten free in the Bloomington-Normal area, there are actually many places a person can go that has these gluten free options. However, most gluten-free food is considered to "taste like cardboard," so just be aware of that, but if its all you can eat, its better than getting gluten poisoning. There are also some restaurants that do have very tasteful foods that don't even taste gluten-free at all!
Grocery Shopping & Eating Out
Stores
Many grocery stores in Bloomington-Normal are slowly adding a gluten free section to their products. There are stores that are more on the expensive side while there are also stores with cheaper, generic brand products. Wal-Mart and Cubs are of the cheapest in the area with a decent Gluten Free section. Schnucks is a bit on the pricier side but has one of the biggest Gluten Free sections in town. Fresh Market and Naturally Yours Grocery both have slim selections and are more expensive for a smaller amount of food.
Schnucks has one of the biggest selections in Bloomington.
Fresh Market has a more expensive variety of gluten free foods.
Girl Scouts has also added a new gluten free cookie to their sales options, the Trios. The cookie is made with just three ingredients, hence their name, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and oats, making them safe for gluten free cookie lovers to eat. According to the Pantagraph, the new cookies made their appearance in February 2015, which seemed to be a great hit, although they are a bit more expensive than the regular cookies, and have less in the package.
Trios are a big hit for those that love Girl Scout cookies but are gluten free.
Restaurants
More and more restaurants are adding Gluten Free options to their menus. Biaggi's and Olive Garden both have Gluten Free Italian food. There are also many bakeries specializing in Gluten Free desserts, such as Sugar Mama Bakery, which has two locations in the Bloomington-Normal Area. Most restaurants, although they are not specifically gluten free, those on a gluten free diet can still eat there by ordering a burger without a bun or, for example, ordering a burrito bowl at Chipotle.
Mexican and Chinese restaurants are also common places with gluten free options since most food is made with non-gluten-containing products, such as rice or potato flour. Corn tortillas make eating Mexican food great because you can still enjoy your favorite meals while not eating gluten. Taqueria El Porton on Main Street is a popular Mexican place with authentic food, as well as Fiesta Ranchera on Veterans Parkway. Since rice is a food staple in Chinese culture, it is quite easy to eat at Chinese restaurants. Great Wall on College Avenue is one of the cheaper Chinese restaurants with a wide selection since it is a buffet. Although it is not really Chinese, Flat Top Grill is a great choice as well, specializing in stir-fry. They specifically have rice noodles and cook meals in a special clean environment if you have a food allergy, so as not to cross contaminate and make someone sick. Flat Top Grill even has gluten-free teriyaki sauce, which is extremely rare to find in both restaurants and stores!
Biaggi's has gluten free pizza, along with pasta, bread, and desserts. G
Chipotle's burrito bowl is gluten free because it it a burrito without the flour tortilla.
College Dining Halls
Illinois State University works with students who are on gluten free diets. One mother talks about ISU making gluten free food specifically for her daughter if she gave them a 30 minute warning, as well as sent her a weekly menu of gluten free options. Heartland Community College does the same thing, making gluten free options or working with the students diets.
Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington has a wide selection of on-campus restaurants that are great for people who can't eat gluten. Freshens Smoothie Company is great for a snack, since smoothies usually are gluten free anyway. If you aren't into smoothies, The Dugout has four different culinary options you can choose from, including Passport, SubConnection, Souper Salad, and Cactus Cafe.
- Passport is known for changing its menu weekly, from Asian, Indian, or Mediterranean, all mostly gluten-free naturally. Just be sure to stay away during Italian Week! The restaurant is also known for its Wing Wednesdays.
- However, SubConnection may not be your restaurant of choice since it is a sub shop without gluten free bread. You may want to stop by one of the many Jimmy John's in the area instead, choosing a lettuce wrap sub, completely gluten-free!
- Souper Salad, obviously, specializes in soups and salads. While salads typically are gluten free, unless croutons or certain dressings are added, are a great option for those gluten-free people, soups are a little trickier. You have to make sure they don't have noodles or a gluten-containing broth. One soup that doesn't contain gluten is their Vegetable Beef soup. Baked Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes are also an option, along with a variety of desserts, including fresh fruit and pudding.
- Anyone on a gluten-free diet is sure to know that Mexican food is the way to go, just make sure to order corn tortillas! Thats just what the Cactus Cafe has. It has many options, such as a burrito bowl, tacos, and chips & salsa. You can even build your own meal!
Breweries
The Bloomington-Normal Area also has a few restaurants and breweries with gluten free beer. Destihl is a well-known brewery, also with gluten free food, that specializes in gluten free beer, a Double Pale Ale made with no gluten-containing grains. It has a citrusy-floral taste and is a golden color, made from Hops Vine. The gluten-free food on their menu ranges from pizza to burgers to desserts. The T.G.I. Fridays has gluten free beer and cider as well, along with food. Although its not in the area, there is another gluten free brewery in the nearby city of Peoria called Granite City Food & Brewery.
Destihl is a popular gluten free brewery in the area.
Gluten Free Tools
Thankfully, there are several gluten free apps and websites today that can help find gluten free restaurants in almost any area in, not only the United States, but also worldwide. The Gluten Free Registry is a website that allows you to pick a specific city anywhere in the world, and will give you pages of options as well as all the information for that restaurant and tells you the gluten free options at that restaurant. Find Me Gluten Free is another helpful site which is almost exactly like the Gluten Free Registry. There are also many phone apps available that give you the option to search every product to see if it is gluten free, both in stores and restaurants.
The Gluten Free Registry is a quick and easy way to find gluten free restaurants.
Gluten Free Diets & Society
Many people switch to a gluten free diet because they think its the "new thing," when it really has no health benefits for them. The only people that actually benefit from a gluten free diet are those with Celiac Disease or a gluten intolerance. Mackenzie, a girl who has been on a gluten free diet for almost three years now says that, at the beginning, the switch was a big struggle. She started her gluten free diet before it was widely known, when almost no stores or restaurants had any gluten free products. Although it can be hard, she says it has made her eat healthier. Jamie, the sister of a girl with Celiac Disease, says that it has been a big change for the family. Now, before going out to eat, they have to look online to see if they have gluten free options. Sometimes they even make two dinners at night, one "regular" version and one "gluten free" version, which can make cooking difficult because the two can't mix. However, the gluten free options available in both restaurants and grocery stores throughout the Bloomington-Normal area make it easier for those with Celiac Disease or a gluten intolerance to eat. Its come to a time where most grocery stores in the cities have a gluten-free section, be it big or small, and its only a matter of time before most restaurants start adding gluten-free items to their menus, if they haven't already, to keep their service.
The Bloomington-Normal area also has several support groups if you ever need help. A popular one is this support group, which not only holds meetings, but also keeps you updated on current topics, such as Amy's Kitchen, a gluten-free food brand, having a recall on their products, and what products are coming soon to stores like Hy-Vee.
