A Gluten-Free Diet Doesn't Mean a Pizza Free Diet

Gluten is a protein composite that is found mostly in foods processed from wheat. Gluten-free diets are starting to become more well-known and utilized by people who believe they have a gluten allergy or gluten intolerance caused by their body's failure to process food correctly, leading to a variety of medical disorders including celiac disease. There are over 250 different symptoms related to gluten intolerance including abdominal pain, anemia, ADD, depression and anxiety and even hair loss and infertility. For many people eliminating gluten out of their diet, is the first step to see if gluten intolerance is the root cause of their medical problems.

As gluten-free diets become increasingly popular, you are probably noticing more products labeled gluten-free on the grocery store shelves including boxed dessert items such as brownies and cake mixes, but gluten-free products have also found popularity in other main course dishes such as pizza. Being on a gluten-free diet no longer means struggling to find recipes that are gluten-free and then searching to find obscure and hard to find gluten-free flour products in specialty health stores. As more and more people are embracing a gluten-free diet for the health benefits, they are realizing the concept of gluten-free food has found its way into pizzerias that are now offering gluten-free pizza alongside regular pizza.

Most people cannot tell the difference between a gluten-free crust and one that is made with traditional wheat based flour because the only thing that is missing is a protein that many people cannot process correctly in the first place. As a result of the healthy benefits and the growing demand for the product, more and more restaurant chains and individually owned pizzeria parlors are offering gluten-free options or the first time to patrons who are demanding healthier choices when they eat out.
Be careful though, gluten can be found in more than just wheat-based flour, it can also be found in other products that you may not consider when you are opting for a gluten-free diet, including the sauce on your gluten-free crust.

Gluten is such a big part of most people's diet unit they don't even realize they are consuming it because gluten is added to food products that you wouldn't associate with being a source of gluten. For example while gluten can be found in a variety of products containing oats, rye, barley and spelt it can also be added in things you wouldn't expect such as sauces, custards, gum, hot dogs and even ice cream and salad dressing.

So if you're considering a gluten-free diet, make sure you fully understand where gluten products are found in your daily diet, including all aspects of your gluten-free pizza which may or may not include sauce that had gluten added. If you're not sure if the whole product is gluten-free, be sure to ask before you order that gluten-free pizza from the pizzeria to ensure you're getting what you expect and what you're paying for.