DB: Wheat Is What?
About two years ago I traded a naturopath some basic health care for a wardrobe makeover. I was suffering from extremely low energy and a tendency to catch to most every sick bug floating around in the air. After much dietary journaling and a few hunches on her part we discovered that I was allergic (or had a sensitivity to) wheat, but (thank God) not gluten, and my bodies attempts to rid itself of this perceived poison was eating both my energy and my immune system. This lead to about a year of experimental eating wherein most days I would end up giving in to a slice of frozen pizza or take a bite of someone’s hoagie etc … which inevitably led to many uncomfortable tummy issues and head/ear aches and general blahs. Pizza dough, pasta, bread, hamburger buns, flour tortillas, cookies, cake, doughnuts, croissants, snack crackers, brownies, top-ramen … sigh. All of these things are poison to the wheat sensitive person, and in cases harsher than mine sometimes diagnosed as “celiacs”, deadly poison unless created “gluten free”.
Having been armed with the information that I was allergic was not enough, for in a small city like Tacoma it is difficult to discover much of anything to eat that does not have wheat in some small capacity. One can order hamburgers with lettuce buns and french fries instead of pizza, but true alternatives are difficult to find.
Trader Joe’s in U.P. has an affordably priced spelt loaf and the Great Harvest next door has an incredible honey spelt loaf (neither of which help you if you are allergic to gluten, sorry) so sandwiches at home were put back on my menu. Marlene’s on 38th has an interesting selection of wheat and gluten free products such as rice breads (gross), corn noodles (eww), pastas and cookie/cake mixes. They are however ridiculously priced knowing that she has a captive audience due to her near monopoly of the health market of the South Sound.
This is where McGregor’s has stepped into the rescue. Located on Pacific Ave near So 84th, they have a whole room full of discount or outlet priced wheat/gluten free products (as well as a whole store full of other natural and healthy foods and toiletries etc). I get all my pasta, crackers, and pancake mixes there and have found them to be decent alternatives to the real thing.
Recently Stadium Thriftway started carrying a rice crust Amy’s Organic frozen pizza thats usually about $7 or $8. Which is awesome because the only other place to get it in town was the Metropolitan Market on Proctor for $10. I love pizza more than most any food so this discovery was celebrated with a night of movies and pizza eating delight. It comes conveniently with cheese only so its not hard to doctor it up into the ultimate supreme or whatever you want.
Outside of that, there is little one can do unless we stick to strictly asian diets, but even then care should be taken. Yakisoba, udon noodles, ramen, soy sauce, and many teriyaki sauces contain wheat in heaps. Sushi is safe but if you can eat that everyday you are probably rich enough to get a stomach transplant and not be allergic to wheat anymore.
Now for the biggest news of all, the Tacoma Garlic Jim’s has started making pizzas with gluten free crusts. They are located on 6th and Union in the blockbuster strip mall building and are probably the only franchise that is offering gluten free alternatives ever in the universe. I tried one on inauguration night (we had to drive to Federal Way because the Tacoma branch was out of them again) and was delighted and surprised at the taste and proximity to real pizza. For $18 and change it was a bit of a sacrifice, but well worth the special treat. Now if only 7-11 would only make wheat free corn dogs everything would be back to normal and I would have my life back.
Filed under: DB
16 comments
J jamie from thriceallamerican January 28, 2009
If you don’t mind a bit of time for assembly, Bob’s Red Mill makes a gluten-free pizza dough mix that goes together relatively quickly (just add water) and is quite tasty.
W Weiman January 28, 2009
Just be glad your not allergic to dairy too then you would be screwed out of pizza all together like me. Damn you cheese!!!
M Madeline January 28, 2009
Woody’s on the Water has gluten free pasta, beer, cake and brownies, in addition to a good chunk of their regular menu being gluten free already.
… I kind of irrationally hate spelt. Wheat free but not gluten free, it’s like it’s taunting me.
M Madeline January 28, 2009
Weiman:
Amy’s has gluten and dairy free pizza, but the only store I’ve seen it in was in Portland. I’ve been ordering GF pizza from Garlic Jim’s without cheese, too. It’s so far removed from real pizza that it barely counts, but it’s better than no pizza at all.
T Thorax O'Tool January 28, 2009
One of my best friends who currently lives in capitol hill, is very allergic to wheat gluten. But good ol’ Drake found a solution long ago: the internet. He’s been buying gluten-free pasts and cookies online for years.
K katie January 28, 2009
Fred Meyer on 19th and Mildred also carries the rice crust pizza with soy cheese. Yum! Fred Meyer has a gluten free section with cereals, breads and baking mixes .
R Ross Marzolf January 28, 2009
Daniel,
Thanks for mentioning Garlic Jim’s GF pizzas. We’re very excited about the response we’ve received.
If you’re part of a gluten intolerant group or have some friends who want to participate in a tasting of our GF pizzas, please let me know.
Regards,
Ross Marzolf
Director of Public Relations & Marketing
Garlic Jim’s Famous Gourmet Pizza
A AngelaJossy January 28, 2009
Thanks for writing this Daniel. I think this might be why Little Jossy is so frequently ill and tired. I’m going to make an appointment for her to see if its a food allergy.
E emilie January 29, 2009
Stadium Thriftway actually is really stepping up on the gluten-free front these days, as is Top Foods and Fred Meyers. 4 years ago when I too discovered I was “sensitive” to gluten, you couldn’t find a decent alternative baked good to save your life, and I just gave up. But lately? Sooo much more to choose from.
Have you heard Corina’s can do gluten free cakes to order to? I had their orange creamsicle cupcakes for my birthday, and they don’t taste anything like a substitute.
I do love the Garlic Jim’s pizzas but they’re pretty expensive, so I don’t have them except when I’m really craving pizza.
BUT, these 4 products are in constant residence in my kitchen, and can be found easily in T-Town:
1) Tinkyada Pastas — The only good and non-gluelike pasta made with brown rice. (Stadium T-Way, Top Foods)
2) Cherrybrook Farms pancake mix—delish for waffles too. (Stadium T-Way, and overpriced at Top)
3)Bards Beer— gluten free beer! Halleluia. (Stadium T-way and Fred Meyer)
4)Barbara’s Peanut Butter puffins—the only cereal I like/can eat, besides Rice Chex. (TJ’s, Stadium T-Way, Fred Meyers)
B Bflint January 30, 2009
All Fred Meyers stores have a gluten-free section, but the woman who stocks the shelves at the store on 19th and Mildred has a child that is Celiac so she has found extra goodness. They most often have sales in the G-F section. Check out her freezer section. Kinnickinick makes great ‘english muffins’. Good Karma ice cream is gluten-free and vegan and is smooth and creamy.
Garlic Jim’s is doing it right to make sure there is no cross contamination and their staff is trained.
Taco Del Mar is the only fast food place that is G-F, thought eh store on Pacific does something wrong so stay away form there.
Don’t mean to sound like your grandma, but don’t forget that fresh veggies and fruit is wheat and gluten free. Cook at home from whole foods and you can’t go wrong. Farmers Markets and local farms are the best local places to find wheat free food. Oh, and tuck in your shirt young man.
N Nicole January 31, 2009
Another good site if going via the web is azurestandard.com. They have a lot of specialty stuff and if you find something you like you can order mass quantities. Ordering can be tricky at first though.
Angela – not sure how old your daughter is so your experience may be better than ours. Allergy testing a little one is terrible. Trying to hold them still while the nurse pricks their back a dozen or so times. Not exactly the most relaible either, due to the wiggly little one. I didn’t really trust the results since my son continued to suffer. Honestly, the best plan seems to be elimnating the usual suspects one at a time – dairy, wheat etc – for a week or two and checking for improvement. We suspected dairy in my son’s case, cut it out, and things are much better. Wish we’d gone this route in the first place!
S Sandy February 1, 2009
Reports of rampant wheat/gluten allergies/sensitivities has caused me to wonder if today’s wheat has become quite different from grandma’s wheat—thru genetic mutations, maybe a renegade bee,…?…like the first hoofprint of that black apocalyptic horse…
Haven’t done any research tho—anyone have a suggestion of a good book to start with?
I Ingrown Toenail February 2, 2009
Thorax, what are you? Like anti-business or something?
Ain’t no conspiracies. Don’t disrespect the company because they found a way to make money and you didn’t.
T Thorax O'Tool February 2, 2009
@ Toenail
No, I am not anti-business. I just prefer not to patronize companies who make their $$$ at the expense of human lives and well being.
You may consume all the rBST you like. I on the other hand, prefer to not intake artificial hormones and genetically altered food nor have those types of foods forced on me
T Thorax O'Tool February 2, 2009
…almost forgot, Toenail.
You can disrespect a person, a culture or a faith.
You can’t disrespect a for-profit organization of any kind.
I Ingrown Toenail February 3, 2009
I get tired of you liberals trying to push your wacked-out ideas on us all and stifle companies.
We need less regulation, let the free market do it’s job.
Keep your nose out of business, as you obviously don’t know anything about it.