Soooo, what IS gluten?

So, I've gotten the question a lot recently of - "What IS gluten?" ..... A protein? A sugar? What is it found in? How can I avoid it?

To tell you the truth, I had to do a lot of research myself. I'll share with you what I know, all put in layman's terms.

"Gluten" is...
1. a protein composite
2. found in products such as wheat, barley, rye
3. not a "grain" when it stands alone 
4. not found in potatoes, rice, or soy (when they stand alone)

.... there's a lot of information about gluten not being soluble in water, and its structure is blah blah blah... but, that's not the information that I needed to know, so I'm not going to bore you with it either!

Living in 2011 is WONDERFUL if you have allergies, diet restrictions, etc. Grocery stores now carry a plethora of gluten free (GF) products! It's amazing! Cookies, pastas, desserts, etc can even be found with NO GLUTEN, NO EGGS, NO DAIRY, NO PEANUTS, and NO SOY! One definite way to avoid gluten, is making sure to buy products that are labeled "gluten free".

Fresh fruits, veggies, and rice are naturally gluten free. These are the foods to stick to. You can buy tofu that is GF. Be careful with canned beans, make sure they are labeled "gluten free" or that you  read the ingredient list.

When it doubt, just google "Is ______ gluten free?". Many times, when I google something of that nature, all I have to type is "Is ______ gl ...." and it will pop up as an option.

Have any questions about gluten? Ask away!

Thanks for your time!
Michelle xo