Early on in the life of the Whole Grains Council we posted a reference page on gluten-free grains, and we never miss an opportunity to remind people that “gluten-free doesn’t mean whole-grain free.” That’s why we were delighted when, a little more than a month ago, Shelly Asplin, Nutrition Program Coordinator for the Celiac Sprue Association, contacted us to explore ways that her organization and the WGC could work together. When she wrote that “We of course are always very excited about gluten-free whole grains!” we picked up the phone to chat.

One of the ideas that came out of our brainstorm was that it would be great if the WGC could help Celiacs more easily find all the great gluten-free recipes on our website. That was such a good idea that we put our crackerjack web programmers right on the task.

Now, when you’re searching for recipes on the WGC site, you can narrow your search to see only gluten-free recipes – or to search for recipes featuring specific grains, like rice or quinoa. Of the 185 recipes on our website, almost a third of them are gluten-free. Here’s a sampling, from each of our categories:

Soups and Starters: Chilled Avocado and Red Quinoa Soup
Salads and Sides: Wild Rice Apple Salad
Main Dishes: Breakfast in a Cup (that’s a brown rice cup – as shown above)
Breads: Sorghum Bread (our only GF bread, in fact)
Desserts: Millet Apple Raisin Cake

More than two million people (about 1 of every 133 people) in the U.S. have celiac disease, although many of these may not yet have been diagnosed. Worldwide, an estimated 24.3 million people may be affected. In our work at the WGC, we’ve had the pleasure of working with several celiac organizations.

A few years ago, for instance, Nancy Baker, then Director of Education for the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, asked me to speak on a panel about gluten-free issues for foodservice, at the National Restaurant Association’s annual conference. On that trip I enjoyed a GF dinner with Nancy and several of her colleagues, and marveled at the uniformly upbeat attitudes of this group of people, despite being faced daily with a minefield of food choices.

One of my dining companions explained: “I was miserable for so many years before I got diagnosed. Now I’m in vibrant health, and all I have to do is avoid wheat, barley and rye. I don’t have to take expensive drugs with dangerous side effects, I don’t have to curtail my activities in any way. What’s not to be cheery about?”

When life hands you a lemon, remember that lemonade – along with a myriad of other delicious foods – is gluten-free.  Here’s to all our Celiac friends who want to focus on all the good things they can eat, rather than the short list of foods they can’t eat. Enjoy the new search-power on the WGC recipes! (Cindy)