Gluten Free in Orlando Facebook Group

At the end of March, I created a Facebook Group called Gluten Free in Orlando, invited my GFF (gluten free friend) Shelley to join, then kind of forgot about it for weeks.  So, you might be wondering why I created this group.  After all, I have my blog, my Gluten Free in Orlando Facebook page, and my Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Google + accounts.  Yep, that's a lot of social media.

Well, I created the group Gluten Free in Orlando as a place that everyone can share their favorite gluten free finds in Orlando, like your favorite restaurants, and gluten free products and places to buy them.  For example, I found my favorite gluten free jerky at Super Target today for a great price, so I shared it in the group.

Did you have an amazing meal at Kona Cafe at Disney's Polynesian Resort?  Well, let everyone know by sharing a picture and a short review like my friend Shelley did.

Do you have a question about where to find a restaurant with good gluten free options around the Mall at Millenia, or at Disney or Universal?  Well then, head over to the group and ask away!

If you live in the Orlando area or travel to the Theme Park Capital of the World, please feel free to join the group Gluten Free in Orlando here and invite others to join.  I have always loved it when my blog readers share their gluten free finds on my Facebook page, so I am really looking forward to seeing all that you share in this new group.  Please join me in creating a community where we can help each other find great gluten free food in the Orlando area.  

YoDish App

I recently wrote a review of the Find Me Gluten Free App, a free app that I use frequently when I travel, or even when we are driving around Orlando.  Well, there is a new free app on the scene that you need to check out.  My friend Sarah from Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW has teamed up with Justin Cunningham, the founder of YoDish, an app for people with dietary restrictions.  You can read more about Sarah's involvement with YoDish here.

YoDish is a great way to quickly access restaurant reviews on your iPhone while you are at Disney.  I have also downloaded the app on my iPad.  It is currently not available for Android.  

Sarah has over 200 reviews available on YoDish.  Each review is brief, but contains a link to the full review on her website, Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW.  I currently have 65 reviews on YoDish, also with links to full reviews on my blog.  I am still in the process of adding all my Disney and Orlando dining reviews, but I hope to have everything complete in the next week or two. 

I had to take a screenshot that included one of my favorite gluten free options at Disney -- gluten free beignets!  

If you eat an allergy friendly meal at Disney, definitely consider submitted a review.  Right now, only Sarah and I have reviews for Disney on YoDish, but it would be great to see more people submitting reviews in the future.  

When you click on a review, you will see a picture of the dish, the address of the restaurant, the dietary restrictions of the diner, a rating of loved it, ate it, or hated it, and a short review.  

When you set your dietary profile, the app shows you meals closest to your location that fit your diet.

In addition to a large number of Disney reviews, I added some dining reviews from local restaurants in Orlando.  

There are so many great gluten free dining options in Winter Park.  After eating dinner there, I always have to head to Le Macaron for dessert!  

I have also added some gluten free reviews of California Pizza Kitchen, my new favorite chain for gluten free dining.

Please consider posting reviews of your dining experiences at Disney or in the Orlando area.  It's a great way to "pay it forward" and help people with similar dietary restrictions.  YoDish is a relatively new resource, so depending on your geographic location and dietary profile, you may or may not see many dishes in your area.  The more reviews you add where you live and travel, the faster the community will grow.

YoDish was created for people with gluten intolerance and food allergies, as well as vegetarians and vegans.  Users can post their reviews in the YoDish app, as well as to Facebook, Twitter, and FourSquare.  YoDish uses FourSquare's global locations database to provide its users with an instant list of the restaurants near their current location.  You can learn more about YoDish and find a link to download the app on their website http://yodish.com/.  

Gluten Free Barbeque Sauces

I just spent 10 minutes trying to decide whether I should title this post Gluten Free Barbeque Sauces or Gluten Free BBQ Sauces.  I grew up with this spelling - barbeque.  My spell check is always trying to change it to barbecue.  It drives me crazy!  Barbecue just doesn't look right to me, and my way of spelling it (barbeque) is acceptable too.  Well, enough of that.  Let's talk about gluten free BBQ sauces.

When I was diagnosed with celiac, I was sad to see that my favorite barbeque sauce from Target had gluten in it, so the search was on to find a new sauce we would all like.  5 1/2 years ago, it was a hard to find a sauce that was labeled gluten free.  

Today, when I shop at Publix or The Fresh Market, I am amazed at how many gluten free sauces there are to choose from.  Publix carries a variety of gluten free sauces from Sticky Fingers, Stubb's, Sweet Baby Ray's, and Weber BBQ.  For a while, we used Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce.  It's sweet and not too spicy, but the first ingredient is high fructose corn syrup, which I try to avoid.  Last night, I posed this question on my Gluten Free in Orlando Facebook page - What are your favorite barbeque sauces?  Sweet Baby Ray's was mentioned more than any other sauce.  

Stubb's was also mentioned twice.  All Stubb's Bar-B-Q sauces, marinades, and rubs are gluten free.  I recently tried Stubb's when I was making Oven Baked Barbeque Chicken, because I was running low on my favorite sauce.  I chose the Sweet Heat variety, because I like a sweet sauce with a little bit of heat, and the ingredients list looked good.  It was too spicy for my daughters, and not sweet enough for my liking. 

Bone Suckin' also makes a variety of gluten free products that you can view here.  Bone Suckin' Sauce is non GMO, certified kosher, and has no preservatives.  You can view the ingredient list here.  I have seen this sauce at The Fresh Market, and the product search I did said it was available at Whole Foods.  Another gluten free option mentioned on my Facebook page was Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, which you can check out here.  

Hands down, no contest, our family favorite is Guy Fieri's Bourbon Brown Sugar Barbeque Sauce.  The back of the bottle describes it perfectly.

"Chef Guy's sweet, sticky Bourbon Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce rocks on just about anything.  Smokey bourbon, sweet brown sugar and a hint of spicy black pepper create off-the-hook flavor that's a perfect compliment to everything from beef to chicken, pork and seafood."

Ingredients:  tomato puree, brown sugar, sugar, vinegar, robust molasses, modified cornstarch, salt, bourbon, pepper, pineapple juice, natural hickory smoke, orange juice, ground chipotle chili powder, granulated garlic, granulated onion, and xanthan gum.  Allergens: none.

It is also labeled gluten free.  The only downside of this sauce is that it is hard to find locally.  I have seen it in grocery stores while on vacation, but never here in Orlando, so I buy it from Walmart.com in bulk.  I have given it to neighbors as Christmas gifts and gotten them hooked on it too.  It is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy for me, and it tastes like a homemade sauce.  We use it to make ribs, brisket, chicken, pork chops, pork tenderloin, BBQ chicken pizza, Barbeque Chicken & Pork Wraps, and Mini Turkey Meatloaves.  You can read more about Guy Fieri's gluten free BBQ sauces here.

September 2015 Update - I finally found my favorite barbeque sauce in a local store!  Bulk Nation in Colonial Plaza on Colonial Drive carries it, and it is only $4.09 per bottle.  

When we are grilling meats that we will be be adding barbeque sauce to, we always season them with a rub first.   

Our rub of choice is 4 Rivers Smokehouse Brisket Rub.  My husband puts the rub on brisket, ribs, and pork butt before he smokes them on his Big Green Egg.  The rub contains salt, pepper, and other spices.  4 Rivers Brisket Rub is labeled gluten & lactose free.  We purchase it at the various 4 Rivers Smokehouse locations in Orlando.

My favorite meal to make in my slow cooker is barbeque beef short ribs.  I buy a 3 to 4 pound pack of boneless beef chuck short ribs from Costco, and season them with 4 Rivers brisket rub.  I pour enough Guy Fieri sauce in my Crock-Pot to just cover the bottom, then add the short ribs.  I pour the rest of the jar of barbeque sauce over the meat, then fill the bottle about 1/4 full with water, put the lid on the bottle, swish it around, then pour the liquid on the meat.  I usually cook my short ribs for 5 to 6 hours, using the 6 hour setting on my Crock-Pot, and they turn out perfectly every time. 

When the short ribs are done cooking, I cut them into bite-size pieces, and cover them with the sauce from the slow cooker.

What are your favorite gluten free barbeque sauces?

Find Me Gluten Free App

I am a huge fan of the Find Me Gluten Free App.   It's a free app for iPhone and Android.  You can also search for restaurants with gluten free options on their website here.

I even added it to my iPad this morning.  When I searched to see what's around me, the first restaurant on the list is the Five Guys in my neighborhood.  Five Guys is the restaurant we eat at most often in Baldwin Park, though we seldom go anymore, now that I am not teaching.  They do not offer a gluten free bun, but their hamburgers are very good, and their fries are great.  There are no worries about cross contamination of the fries, because they are cooked in a dedicated fryer.  Whenever I ask for a burger without the bun, I am asked if it is because of a food allergy, and offered lettuce to wrap my burger in.  Gloves are changed and every precaution is taken to keep their customers safe.  The buns and the malt vinegar are the only ingredients at Five Guys that do contain gluten.  

Last summer, I discovered Toasted on the Find Me Gluten Free App on my phone.   

Imagine my excitement to learn that I could get a gluten free gourmet cheese sandwich just two miles from my house!  You can read my review of Toasted here.  

Last summer, on our annual trip to Hilton Head, I used the Find Me Gluten Free App to find some great dining options on the island.  I would never have known about the gluten free options at WiseGuys, A Lowcountry Backyard, or One Hot Mama's American Grille if I didn't have the app.

The Find Me Gluten Free App provides its users with the following information about the restaurants listed -- reviews, links to websites and gluten free menus if available,  distance from your location, directions, addresses and phone numbers, and hours of operation.

Where to Shop for Gluten Free Products in Orlando

I am frequently asked by people who will be traveling to the Theme Park Capital of the World about the best places to buy gluten free products and dine out in Orlando.  I have written many blog posts about my dining experiences at Disney and around Orlando, but I haven't written a blog post about where to buy gluten free products until now.

I recently stopped at Chamberlin's in Winter Park to pick up some Schar Vanilla Sandwich Cremes for my daughter Emma.  While I was there, I wrote down a list of some of the gluten free brands they carry.  I shop more frequently at Whole Foods and The Fresh Market because they are closer to my house, but Chamberlin's in Winter Park has the best selection of gluten free products in Orlando.  You can view Chamberlin's other locations in the Orlando area here.  

I was happy to see that they are now carrying Bakery on Main Blueberry Scone Instant Oatmeal.  You can read more about Bakery on Main's instant oatmeals here.  

Those of you who regularly follow my Facebook page and read my blog know that I love making gluten free pizza with Chebe.  Chamberlin's has a great selection of Chebe products.  You can read more about my pizza experiments with Chebe here.  

While at Chamberlin's, I picked up a box of one of my favorite gluten free cookies.  Andean Dream Cocoa-Orange Quinoa Cookies are non-GMO, vegan, and free of gluten, dairy, soy, and nuts.  Each cookie is individually packaged, which makes them great on the go treats.  

I also purchased two different certified gluten free Frontier Soups at Chamberlin's.  I am looking forward to trying them.  Chamberlin's also stocks gluten free products from the following brands -- Pamela's, Kinnikinnick, Authentic Foods, XO Baking Company, Ener G, Cherrybrooke Kitchen, Glutino, Namaste Foods, Better Batter, Wholesome Cravings, Bella Gluten-Free, Mina's Purely Divine Gluten-Free, Mrs. Glee's, Enjoy Life, Kind, King Arthur, Udi's, Purely Elizabeth, Van's, Lucy's Cookies, Mary's Gone Crackers, Schar, Mi-Del, Wellaby's, Orgran, Blue Diamond, Crunchmaster, Bionaturae, Tinkyada, Mrs. Leeper's, Explore Asian Bean Pastas, Nature's Path, Erewhon, Arrowhead Mills, Glutenfreeda, Late July, Way Better Snacks, Conte's, Rudi's, Katz, Jovial, Bob's Red Mill, etc.  I put in a request for them to carry BiAglut, my favorite pasta, and I need to request they stock Grandma's House Biscuits.  They are so ridiculously good!  

A new favorite store of mine is The Fresh Market on North Mills Avenue.  It's less than a ten minute drive from my house, and carries my favorite DeLallo Gluten Free Gnocchi.  When I need a quick and easy dinner, I cook two boxes of gnocchi, heat up a container Scarpetta Tuscan Vodka Sauce, and microwave a bag of frozen peas.  In less than ten minutes, we have an awesome dinner on the table.  You can read more about DeLallo gluten free gnocchi here.   The Fresh Market clearly labels all of their gluten free products and even has their own line of gluten free mixes.  I love TFM brand chicken stock and gluten free breadcrumbs.  

I also buy Cup 4 Cup Gluten Free Flour at The Fresh Market.  It's a couple of dollars cheaper than buying it at Williams-Sonoma.  If you live south of Orlando or are staying at the theme parks, there is a The Fresh Market location on Dr. Phillips Boulevard.  If you live north of the city, there is a store in Altamonte Springs on North State Road 434.  The Fresh Market is now my preferred location for buying meat.  Tomorrow, I will be heading there to take advantage of their $2.99 Tuesday specials on chicken breasts and ground chuck.  You can check out all their weekly specials here.  The Fresh Market will be opening a new store in Winter Springs on February 12th in the Red Willow Plaza shopping center on Red Bug Lake.  They have also signed a lease to open a new store in Lake Mary.  

Since moving to Orlando, I have regularly visited the Whole Foods Market on Aloma Avenue in Winter Park.  If you are staying near the theme parks, there is a much bigger store on Turkey Lake Road.  I have also heard that Whole Foods will be opening a new store in Altamonte soon, and a larger store in Winter Park is planned at the intersection of Lee Road and U.S. 17-92.  I just made the short trip to my local Whole Foods the other day to stock up on NuGo Dark, Pure Organic, and Kind Bars.  Both Whole Foods in Orlando have a great selection of gluten free products.  

The final store I buy gluten free products at in Orlando is my local Publix.  I purchase my favorite gluten free wraps, Boar's Head meats and cheeses, Bob's Red Mill gluten free flours, and many other gluten free products at Publix.  The Publix in Baldwin Park has a small gluten free section in addition to the gluten free products that can found all throughout the store.  Gluten free items are clearly marked to aid in your shopping experience.  On a final note, I love shopping at Publix because the people who work there are so incredibly friendly.  Everyone says hello, everyone is helpful, and everyone has a smile on their face.  My Publix even tops Disney in customer service.

Publix even has a list of gluten free Publix brand products.  You can view it here.

May 26, 2014 Update - Target

I have recently started shopping at the Sodo SuperTarget on West Grant Street, but there are several Super Targets in the city.  Products I buy at SuperTarget include EVOL gluten free frozen meals, GoPicnic ready-to-eat gluten free meals, Krave Jerky, and Barilla gluten free penne.  Other stores in Orlando have EVOL products, but SuperTarget has the best selection.  SuperTarget does not have gluten free labels on their shelves, so you have to do a bit of searching for gluten free products.  There is a SuperTarget near Disney World in Kissimmee. 

July 7, 2014 Update -- Target is now carrying four varieties of Bakery on Main oatmeal, including my two favorite flavors, the blueberry scone and the maple multigrain muffin.  

June 28, 2014 Update - Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's opened it's first store in Orlando yesterday.  It's located in Winter Park on N. Orlando Avenue, near the intersection with Morse Boulevard.  April 2015 Update - a second store has opened in the Dr. Phillips area on Sand Lake Road, which is close to the theme parks.  



Trader Joe's sells some really great gluten free cookies for a reasonable price.  You can read my review here. 

Last night, I purchased Trader's Joe's Gluten Free Mac & Cheese, Gin Gins Original Ginger Chews, and some cereal for my husband.  

Update - We liked the Mac & Cheese, but had to cook it longer than suggested on the package to soften the noodles.  

We had a hard time parking, and the store was so crowded, I didn't want to stay for long.  I will be heading back in a week or two after the crowds die down a bit.  Some of my blog readers have recommended Trader Joe's gluten free pasta, cupcakes, and pizza, in addition to their cookies.

You can pick up a "No Gluten Ingredients Used" list at the counter next to the cash registers.  The list can also be viewed online here.

August 28, 2014 Update - Walmart Neighborhood Market, Aldi, and Costco

A Walmart Neighborhood Market just opened on Semoran right outside of Baldwin Park.  They have a huge gluten free section, in addition to the gluten free products scattered throughout the store.  

In the past, I have purchased Let's Do...Gluten Free Ice Cream Cones from Whole Foods or The Fresh Market, but Walmart sells Goldbaum's gluten free cones for just $2.28/box.  They are free of soy, gluten, dairy, and nuts.  

Just this week, I found Chobani Indulgent Banana & Dark Chocolate Greek Yogurt at Walmart.  I am so in love with this blended banana yogurt with little pieces of dark chocolate.  Usually, I eat yogurt for breakfast or lunch, but I might start eating this one for dessert.  

Thanks to my Walmart Neighborhood Market, I tried Schar Hazelnut Wafers, which are now my favorite store-bought gluten free cookies.  You can't eat just one!  :-)

Many of my local grocery stores carry Barilla gluten free pasta, but my Walmart Neighborhood Market is the only one that carries the rotini, penne, spaghetti, and elbows.  

At Aldi, back in May, I started purchasing some of their new liveGfree products, which will soon be in stores every day, according to their Facebook page.  Just this week, I found the pepperoni pizza and the southwest veggie stuffed sandwiches back in stock after a couple months absence.  I purchased 4 boxes of the stuffed sandwiches for less than $11.  My kids love the pepperoni pizza, and I love the southwest veggie.  I also saw gluten free pretzels for $2.49, and sea salt multiseed snack crackers for $1.49, when I stopped in at the Aldi on Aloma in Winter Park. 

We also purchase gluten free products at the Costco in Winter Park.  They carry a wide variety of gluten free products, including Udi's whole grain bread, chicken nuggets, Crunchmaster crackers, Larabar & Kind bars, Tasty Bite Channa Masala and Madras Lentils, Pirate's Booty, Boom Chicka Pop, Chex, Pop Chips, Late July chips, chicken stock, Earthly Choice quinoa pasta, kale & mozzarella chicken burgers, baked spinach quinoa cakes, Kirkland shampoo & conditioner, etc.   

We love the Kirkland Seasoned Rotisserie Chicken, which is marked gluten free, and contains no preservatives or MSG. Costco's rotisserie chickens are inexpensive, huge, and are never dry or overcooked.  We also buy fresh and frozen fruit, vegetables, Bamboo Lane Crunchy Rice Rollers (our international student Nina loves them), Sahale Snacks nut and fruit blends, Tasty Bite packs for our daughters, vitamins, and a variety of other products.

Where do you shop for gluten free products in Orlando?