Tothill

I work for a local coffee roasting company in their bakery.

One of my jobs is to pack orders going out to stores. They bring in several Gluten Free treats (cannot make them in house due to cross contamination).

I was packing orders on Monday and took a look at the nutritional information on 3 of the Gluten Free items. I was completely amazed at the number of calories in the various items.

GF chocolate chunk cookie about 3 inches across has 450 calories
GF Brownie about 2"x2"x1/2" 350 calories
GF Peanut bar 1.5"x3"x1" 350 calories

I have been mostly GF for 3 years and do not like sweets, but I am floored at the number of calories in simple snacks.

If you are eating GF check the labels and see how many calories you are consuming, it may be much more than you expect.

hopetoquilt

Lots of people want short cuts. Easiest way to eat well is to go "PALEO". Eat meats, fruits, vegetables and nuts. All natural, healthy and perfect. No worries about allergens hidden in processed foods, chemicals, loads of calories, calorie counting, sugar spikes etc. It is a difficult adjustment initially but easy once you are accustomed to it. 22 years after high school and 2 kids later, I weigh about 40 pounds less.... And have been at this weight for at least 7-8 years.

nativetexan

WOW. I stopped eating cereal due to the pain I was getting afterward. Feel so much better and look Ma- no calories!

BellaBoo

Whole grains are not that great for your body to digest so I limit those to a few a week. Gluten free foods are great for those with severe wheat allergy but so many have jumped on the gluten free bandwagon, the products are getting infused with taste enhancers, sugars, and syrups, thus more artificial and processed. Many who have a discomfort from eating whole wheat may have gallbladder problems. The symptoms are usually the same. If you feel better not eating wheat, get your gallbladder checked before thinking giving up wheat is the cure. It's not for a gallbladder problem.

nativetexan

Ha, ha. Already had to have it out! emergency too. Thanks though. My Sister and my son had theirs out too. Son's was really bad. It's a good thing to know for all.

SueSew

Do you completely avoid dairy products? eggs? oils?

Just curious - I am pretty much an omnivore but I eat very few packaged food "products" other than bread, or the occasional granola bar - but it would be painful to give up cheese, butter, milk, and eggs needed for baking.

AndiR

I've been eating grain free for several months not due to celiac, but because I experimented with it and found I felt better. But I've also cut out most sugar. Most GF foods use substitute 'flours' that are high in gylcemic load and low on nutrition, so I no longer eat those. I do NOT watch calories or fat, but choose healthy fats. A couple of great resources are http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/ and http://marianutrition.com/ . I mostly follow their guidelines, and they have lots of good recipes too.

Only downside to eating this way is that I've lost weight, none of my pants fit anymore, and I have a hard time finding new ones as they're all WAY too big in the waist!! LOL

mjhaess

My neighbor is GF but I had no idea of the calorie content of some of the GF foods...

Peckish

I like Grape Nuts for breakfast every now and then. I used to think it was a healthier choice, whole grains and all. Then one day I compared the nutrition info on the label with the nutrition info on a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, the cereal my son likes. Wow, was that an eye-opening experience. There were more calories in 1/2 cup of Grape Nuts than there was in 3/4 cup of Cinnamon Toast Crunch!

chris_quilts

I did the same comparison with Grape Nuts and another cereal. Holy crap, Batman!!! was my response. I usually buy Ralston Bran Flakes for my cold cereal because of their low sugar content.