A Gluten-Friendly Thanksgiving

A few weeks ago, my mom posed a puzzle to me: what do we cook for Thanksgiving for my brothers who eat (nearly) everything, me who avoids land-dwelling meats, and a guest who is both vegan and gf?  She concluded the email, "Could you help me with the dinner menu?  We'll need need variety!"

That got me thinking - Thanksgiving is a surprisingly gluten-friendly holiday.  And, three iterations of our own menu later, I realized it is surprisingly vegan and pescitarian friendly too.  

The big thing to keep in mind if you're making your Thanksgiving gluten-friendly is cross-contamination.  It turns out that gluten is a sneaky little allergen.  A perfectly fine gf food can become a recipe for illness if you prepare it on a contaminated surface, use condiments that have been contaminated, or use a glutened utensil or toaster.  Make sure you have a clean start, you're aware of what items you're keeping gf, and everyone knows to use the right serving utensil for all items.

Okay let's talk food!  The menu we ended up with sounds so delicious that I'm already looking forward to left-overs.

• Salmon
• Cornmeal encrusted tempeh (vegan, gf)
• Roasted asparagus, corn, zucchini, and sweet potatoes (vegan, gf)
• Garlicky mashed potatoes (vegan, gf): the trick is to use a combination of canned veggie broth and soy creamer instead of butter and milk
• Gravy of choice: we'll have both chicken and gf/vegan
• Corn pudding casserole
• Salad with cider reduction dressing (vegan, gf)
• Dark chocolate dipped strawberries with citrus sugar (vegan, gf): most higher quality dark chocolates are conveniently vegan and gf

Many people with Celiac are also lactose intolerant, so a vegan menu is actually a good starting point.  But if you're looking for things that are just gf, you may be surprised that you don't have to look far.  Double-checking your recipe and preparation methods: it's likely that you already have a gf turkey, sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, and cranberry sauce.  Throw in a few substitutions and viola - you can have gf cornbread, stuffing, and pie too!

What do you have planned to make your holiday gluten friendly?

PFOGF Manifesto

Ladies and gentleman, it's arrived!  The Parents & Friends of Glutens-Free (PFOGF) have finalized the organization's manifesto, and posted it below in all its glory.  You may also view it on the PFOGF page, by clicking the tab on the sidebar.  Think something should be added or changed?  Let us know in the comments!

PFOGF Manifesto

Our Vision. We, the parents, families and friends of glutens free, celebrate diversity and envision a society that embraces everyone, including those of diverse dietary restrictions and identities. Only with respect, dignity and equality for all will we reach our full potential as human beings, individually and collectively. PFOGF welcomes the participation and support of all who share in, and hope to realize this vision.

Our Mission. PFOGF promotes the health and well-being of gluten free persons, their families and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights. Parents, Families and Friends of Glutens Free provides opportunity for dialogue about dietary restrictions, and acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity.

Our Strategic Goals

  One. Build the capacity of our organization at every level so that we may have all the resources, in the form of information, people and funding, necessary to move forward in our work with the greatest possible effect.

  Two. Create a world in which our young people may grow up and be educated with freedom from fear of violence, bullying and other forms of discrimination, regardless of their real or perceived dietary restriction or orientation or that of their families.

  Three. Make our vision and our message accessible to the broadest range of ethnic and cultural communities, ending the isolation of families with gluten free family members within those communities.

  Four. Work toward full inclusion of glutens free within their chosen communities of faith.

  Five. Create a society in which all gluten free persons may openly and safely pursue the career path of their choice, and may be valued and encouraged to grow to their full potential in the workplace.

  Six. Create a society in which all gluten free persons may enjoy, in every aspect of their lives, full civil and legal equality and may participate fully in all the rights, privileges and obligations of full citizenship in this country.

We welcome the participation and support of all who share in our Vision and Mission and who hope to realize our goals.


(Special thanks to PFLAG for rhetorical inspiration)