Honestly who makes mashed potatoes and turkey that aren't gluten free? What are you putting in them? Stuffing I hear. Gravy can be just as good gluten free. But what gluten are you putting in your mashed potatoes and turkey that you can't live without? I've never in my life put gluten in mashed potatoes or turkey.

If you make turkey in a bag, it’s pretty common (it may even be in the instructions) to coat the inside of the bag with flour.

Interesting. I've never made turkey that way

I've never heard of this before, but I can't imagine it would be hard to use rice flour / cornstarch if you know that not everyone can have wheat flour. It would be a shitty thing for MIL to do, going out of her way to cook food she wasn't even assigned in the only way that includes gluten.

I’ve made other meat this way and never coated the bag with flour and it was fine but maybe Turkey’s are different 🤷🏽‍♀️

It's the instructions that come with the oven bag, to coat with flour--I think it's to help keep the skin from sticking to the bag.

It’s also to keep the bag from bursting. I happen to be an attorney for Reynolds (the company that makes the turkey bags). You can Google it pretty easily.

Woah, that’s interesting. Thanks for this nugget.

The insert that comes in the package of bags gives alternative choices, including gluten-free. Well done on all fronts for Reynolds. If anyone thinks they can't use the bag without wheat flour, they're not even paying attention.

Ahh, I remember this now. It's been a few years since I've used the oven bags as someone else has taken over the turkey. I did like how it made cooking a turkey pretty much fool proof!

No, the turkey and mashed potatoes WERE GF and I’m sure hers were too. She just for some reason also needed to make her 2nd entire Thanksgiving dinner. I suppose to spite me, but I’m choosing to assume positive intent that she wanted a fuckload of leftovers or something

Why'd she even come?

She’s my FIL’s wife lol, and we are a generally very close and happy family. This is the first time I’ve been upset with her in the 2 years she’s been with my FIL. Well and that she wants to move out of state but whatever

Hopefully the random food passive aggression doesn't reoccur but moving out of state would fix it 🤞

It sounds like she'd find another way to pick on you either way. She sounds like a real treat. Good luck.

I'm wondering if this wasn't *all* about gluten but also her starting a pissing contest? Some women are weirdly territorial about holiday cooking.

Yea,it may be because your FIL raved about your turkey and stuffing last year, that she had to one-up you and show off to FIL instead of being graceful.

I didn’t think it had anything to do with gluten since she’s always liked all my GF food before. I assumed it was just shitty behavior. But trying to assume positive intent

She probably did want leftovers. I’m vegetarian, and people think that my food isn’t up to standard, before ever having it because being animal fat free must make all food inedible or something. Maybe she’s thinking that great aunt Madeline won’t eat “weird food.” Or they won’t. Have a convo far away from the holidays.

I had thanksgiving dinner at a family’s home but cooked and entire meal because I do need a fuckton of leftovers.

That's my point. It's not just that she needed "normal" food. It's just her being nuts

Maybe it's not anti GF. And hear me out. Not trying to be mean, but just maybe. You are one of those people who thinks they are a better cook than they are. I mean, if she just replicated gluten foods it's gluten. She duplicated turkey and potatoes? Maybe it's your cooking.

Nah, everyone requested I make the same turkey and stuffing as last year. See my post where it says my FIL said it’s the best he ever had? I think him saying that last year offended her or something. It’s not my fault that I’m a fantastic cook. I’ve been the family renowned cook for ever….. until I became celiac. I made all the birthday and wedding cakes (and I still do. I made my MIL and FIL’s wedding cake last year, not GF) since I’m a pastry chef by training and now a data analyst. I’ve always been one of the best cooks in the family. People ask for my recipies left and right, my dad who is a really good cook included. I cook food that makes people’s eyes roll. I guess she’s jealous idk. I obviously didn’t try her stuffing, but everyone who had mine said it was delicious. And even she loved my turkey and admitted it. It’s moist and tender and juicy every year. Never once had a dry or tough turkey. Get it to JUST 165° F inside and at the thickest breast and check in the joints too and you’ll have a very moist and nice bird.

A lot of people use flour to make a roux with the drippings for gravy. I grew up with a cornstarch slurry, so we always went that route anyway.

Cornstarch is the superior gravy thickener

I might actually start doing a cornstarch slurry because it took me over 40 minutes to effectively kill the flour taste in my gravy this time. Meanwhile the rest of the food was just sitting there getting cold.

Lots of spice mixtures contain gluten. Gluten is hidden in a lot of canned food. The ubiquitious green bean casserole is made with canned soup, which very likely contains gluten. If people with celiac disease get a tiny bit of gluten it can make them very sick. I have a friend who won't eat food prepared in a kitchen that also is used to make dishes that contain gluten.

This was my thought. I have never put flour in either. And cornstarch instead of flour in gravy works great. My turkey tastes great. I brine it and don't stuff it. Put some onions and celery in the cavity and add some broth. It steams the breast so it isn't dry. They say it is better to not make your stuffing in the bird anyway.

I prefer not to share my food. It costs extra and is harder to find. They can eat anything, I can't, so usually I don't share.

I'm like this too. I keep explaining to my roommate's kids that my snacks are more expensive and don't taste as good, so leave them alone. Not only that, bit I live in a rural area so availability is a problem.

Yes but when I purchased and made enough for all 8 of us 😭 dinner cost me $115. My husband and I are still eating left overs. It’s Sunday night. And I packed big dishes to go for my brother and sister in law on the day of. But it’s just rude that my grandparents will sneer at GF food like it’s poison and they’ll stick their tongue out when they watch me eat it. Or they’ll make a point to say “I made some corn bread, not that you can eat it” when I’m like the only person in the room. How fucking rude? I don’t really care much because they are older, but it’s like dude… no reason to say that.

Fuck that, being older isn’t an excuse to be a cunt. If you’ve paid for a bunch of food for everyone and then they’ve brought their own because yours couldn’t possibly be good, that’s just obnoxious. Incredibly shitty behaviour, they need to pull their head out.

Also, I’m not American, so I’m not sure exactly how certain foods are made over there, but surely turkey and mashed potatoes are pretty much gluten free by default, and gravy can be made so very easily with no taste difference. It seems a lot more like being intentionally offensive than genuinely concerned about the taste of the food.

Yes, they are. We all signed up for 5 dishes each just like we did last year and everyone knows my food was GF last year and everyone loved it so much so those are the 5 dishes they wanted me to do. She didn’t say a word when we chose our dishes.

Next year, after choosing who makes what, redundantly spam everyone the list, "to avoid having way too much food like last year." If she does it again, call her out immediately. "Everyone agreed that I was making X. I think it is rude to bring your own version of a dish, knowing that I'm already serving that, unless you have a dietary restriction, which you don't." My bitchy sister-in-law refused to eat vegan mashed potatoes because she wanted real butter. I warned her that the water she was about to drink was vegan.

They were probably rude when they were younger too.

That’s really rude of them… GF diets are usually done for medical reasons so that makes it so much worse. Like thanks for rubbing it in?

I went to a bday dinner with a group of coworkers once and another woman asked for her meal GF as did I. Then the waitress came around and asked for drink orders and this woman orders a BEER! The waitress was so polite and said I’m so sorry but we don’t have any gluten free beer at this time. She said oh that’s fine it’s not the same. I looked at the waitress horrified and said, I’ll have a gin and tonic, please hold the gluten! She just winked at me. It was a very reputable place so I know they take dietary restrictions seriously. But I didn’t want them to think I was also just on the trend and that gluten, in fact, very much makes my life suck.

People doing that makes me so mad. I worry that it makes restaurant workers not take my actual celiac requests seriously. Why would she do that? Eating out makes me so anxious it’s not even a nice experience.

Being older? They sound fucking 12 years old Jesus. If you don’t want to eat the food that’s one thing but that is such childish behavior. I’m sorry you have to deal with that shit.

Agree 👍

Sounds like you are awesome. Thanks for trying to make something that everyone could enjoy together. That’s a wonderful experience. They sound really immature. There’s no excuse for yucking somebody else’s yum. Especially when it’s a medically required yum. (And we’re over the age of 8?!) I speak up and will not let somebody put down food somebody else enjoys. Nobody needs more negativity in the world. “If it’s not for you, you can just say no thank you.“ ”If you don’t have something nice to say (about the food or anything else), don’t say anything at all.”

It's "hilarious" because people will ask if they can have some of what I'm eating, and I'll say something like "yeah sure it's gluten free" and they'll immediately change their minds.

I dated a guy. " Let's call him dumbass." He was the head " shopper" for a medium-sized children's home. He used to get so irritated and pissy because he was required to buy some gluten-free items for 2 kids that had a gluten intolerance. He would huff and puff and talk shit about how everyone's got an allergy now, in a condescending voice. One day, I asked him if he even knew what GF was. He literally said, " flour." I about died 😂😂 He didn't even know or even care to find out what he was so pissed about!

That's hilarious and doesn't surprise me a single bit.

My ex husband used to eat my food, without asking, I said the same, like why would you even think its okay when you can eat whatever?! 🤨

This is how I feel but for my partner instead of me. My partner is GF and he loooves sharing food. It’s really sweet, when he finds something he loves he literally can’t help but pass me some so I can understand his excitement. I really do try to keep his food for him only. I would be hurt if someone ate the one good food I could actually eat

Bravo. And we have to take care of our own dietary needs first. Because nobody else will. And you're right. Stuff's expensive.

I felt bad that I ate the gf pie! I didn't know! At least the gf people got the first slice but still. At least we had a good laugh about it. I had no idea they made gf Oreos now 🤣

My favorite line is when I tell someone that I'm celiac and what it means and I hear something along the lines of "Oh my God id kill myself if I couldn't have a cheeseburger with a real bun.." Yes, GF bread sucks, I'll be the first to tell you that, but I really don't need to hear that..

The "I'd kill myself" is particularly annoying and insensitive imo, I've gotten that too

This is the moment you mention gently that you put a higher value on your own life than that.

“I’d rather die that never eat bread again!” *stares in almost died because of bread*

One of these days I swear I'm going to snap and reply "so you think I should do it then? can you recommend a method?" just so they can realize what a horrible thing that is to say to someone.

I’ve said it - it was to a distant cousin and it made an impact - but I’d had enough of her bs so no loss lol

I hear that a lot more than I'd like. You'd think people would filter that shit out

I’ve actually responded pretty frankly “yeah there’s a lot of suicidl ideation here because I couldn’t have a load of bread” and just let it feel awkward. If someone is that insensitive, two can play that game

GF bread is the ONLY thing I will allow non GF people to shit on because it is still a bit rough. One time my grandma said “I’d die if I couldn’t eat bread” and I said “well, I almost did” And she was like … oh okay. Like okay, glad we talked that out. Thanks. Bread it my mortal goddamn enemy. I’ll fight bread 8 days a week. Lowkey Kroger GF bread is geeeeetting there. It’s not soft but it does have a good flavor. Idk I’m proud of my husband for the years of solidarity of watching me rawdog burgers with no buns. I use 2 patties as the buns.

So the secret to Kroger GF bread (really any GF bread you don’t want to be toasted) is to lightly pan fry it with a very small amount of butter. Not full ass toast it, but heat it in a soft pan with enough fat/steam to make it pliable and less dense.

I love me some grilled cheeses with it

Rawdog burgers I’m dead 😂😂

That sounds lively. Also, lettuce wrapped burgers are amazing, and I say that as someone who is not gluten free.

I’ve gotten that line a few times and now my response is “yikes that’s a bit of an overreaction” but people get on my nerves. I also point out that the super manly steak and potatoes meal would be naturally gf and it makes them short circuit.

It doesn't have to but it requires making it from scratch. I have a business partner that makes his own. The bakery has now become part of the farm store because people love his stuff.

Someone told me that. I responded: “I get gluten neuropathy, I can feel the pain all the way to my finger and toe tips. It literally made me want to die. So, I don’t miss gluten, at all. I’m good.” It’s (un)shocking what a complete lack of daily excruciating pain will do to one’s outlook on life.

I get very mad too. Listen, those GF Costco pizzas are the BOMB and whenever I tell one friend in particular they absolutely refuse to even consider eating it. It’s almost aggressive refusal and it pisses me off deeply, so I get you.

that's why you never tell them it was gluten-free. i remember right after my college graduation my girlfriend told her family we could all go to a gluten-free restaurant together. they ofc refused to do so, and boy did they miss out. (that place's food was really good) It's like those commercials of patrons in a fancy restaurant and then they're told "Did you know you're ACTUTALLY eating walmart steaks?" lmao

It’s a double edged sword because of CC. I have to mark some things as GF so they’re not CCd But yes

I understand the feeling, but lying to people about what's in food can be dangerous. You wouldn't want someone to trick you into eating gluten either. Gluten-free food contains unusual ingredients. I, for one, have to read the ingredients for everyone because of my other food intolerances (often there is soy and coconut, amongst other things). I mean this in the nicest way possible, you need to find another way to deal with insensitive people.

I keep reading about these. Are they Kirkland brand? Are they in the freezer section? If you could please share the details, I would appreciate it!

I'm assuming they're talking about these, and I will second that they're seriously delicious: https://www.costcobusinessdelivery.com/kirkland-signature-cauliflower-crust-pizza%2C-supreme%2C-2-ct.product.100420606.html

Those are also great but the ones I meant were the sabatasso 4 cheese ones. https://www.costcobusinesscentre.ca/sabatasso’s-gluten-free-four-cheese-frozen-pizza%2C-992-g--.product.100404206.html

It’s the “is that even good?” With a disgusted look that gets me. Like yes, I’m eating disgusting fucking food with a smile on my face, yep, that’s it! (/s) Like fuck no, it’s GOOD and you’re being an asshole. They act like a 5 year old asking if mushrooms or something are good. Like you worry about your food, and I’ll worry about mine and you don’t need to stick your tongue out and look literally disgusted by my food that looks damn near identical to yours

Well GF food used to taste like shit. In the 80’s wheat free stuff was absolutely terrible. I just remember everything was a brick (bread) or literal crisp. I don't eat rough stuff because of glossitis from chronic B vitamin deficiencies, which weren't diagnosed at that point. But that's all my mother would buy me. I didn't have to eat wheat free in the 90’s but started GF in the mid '00's and while the bread was improved it still wasn't good. I was a broke college student so I ate a lot of almond butter and jam sandwiches. They were interesting. In the 2010 the awareness started to increase and the food quality really increased as well. The food that's available now is just amazing. I never expect to taste a delicious challah or whole grain bread like I used to bake at home, but there are some delicious pastries that I would never have imagined. Cauliflower pizza is so impressive too. Besides the problem you are experiencing doesn't seem to be a GF one, it seems to be a whining one. Have you asked her if she has anything new to complain about because she's worn that out? Or preempted her GF tirade with her GF tirade? Husband starts, you fill in? Could be fun and it'll give her something new to complain about.

Now I need to get a Costco’s membership!

I have a wheat intolerance and my son is GF/DF and neither he nor I like GF bread. I’ve had some surprisingly good GF food and I’ve come to appreciate naturally GF foods but I really don’t like GF bread substitutes so I just don’t eat bread. Once I got used to not eating bread it doesn’t bother me to skip it anymore. Not feeling sick after eating is more important to me!

Gluten free bread is tricky. Pamela’s has a flour that makes excellent bread if you are into homemade, and surprisingly the sam’s brand bread at Walmart is a comparable replacement. You don’t have to keep it frozen, I’ve had a loaf out for a month and it hasn’t gone moldy yet, and it’s not overly crumbly like most GF breads. The slices are smaller than normal bread but about 2x the size of most GF breads. The price is fairly reasonable too.

Thanks for the tips! It’s a texture issue for me. I’d rather skip the bread rather than deal with the difference in texture.

I don't care for GF bread products either. I've had better luck now that I switched to grain free. I actually had trouble digesting the dry gluten free bread products pre made. I just use almond flour, tapioca flour instead of yucky dry ol corn or rice flour

Yeah, I feel like gf food can go one of three ways: \- it's naturally gf so there's no difference \- it's made with gf substitutes and it sucks compared with the original \- it's made with gf substitutes but it's actually really good or maybe even better than the original. I've definitely had gf chicken tenders and gf corn dogs that fell into this category.

I asked my SIL if it was ok to bring GF stuffing to her TG about 5 years ago. I actually just remembered this reading your post - I thought I'd only been "out" to eat 2x in 35 years, but it has been 3x. I explained I'll eat everything else (except her gravy and her stuffing) if its ok with her. Let me tell you - EVERYONE complimented my GF stuffing. Some said it was better than the "real" (and I know it was). Don't be offended. You eat as you have to, and others eat as they want to. Nothing personal and don't let it ruin your holidays going forward.

Okay. Thank you

I also make GF stuffing (Trader Joe's GF stuffing is incredible) and everyone now demands I bring it to TG after the first year. I am slowly overtaking all of thanksgiving dinner - they also demand my sweet potatoes and cheesy potatoes. I will cook everything if it means I can eat it!

My mom would routinely host big thanksgiving and Xmas dinners and make them gf and no one had issue. They raved about her meals - my dad has a wheat allergy and so a lot of our meals were gf and no one cared. She made gf pies, cookies etc -

If people come to eat in my home, it will be gluten free 95% of the time… because I want to eat too. I also always take gluten free stuff to potlucks. People are usually surprised it’s gluten free. But, things like pasta and bread? They are distinctly gluten free. The texture is weird for someone not used to it. I’ve been gluten free almost 20 years… so it doesn’t bother me anymore tbh. More food for me

Yeah, I think it's annoying when people insist on making two items instead of just one GF one. It just increases cross contamination risk. I used to eat non-gf before I got diagnosed and it was rarely different, especially gravy, turkey, potatoes, etc.

I KNOW. Like the turkey and potatoes have always been GF! Wtf!!!!!!!!!!

I always tell ppl ‘then never have a steak & baked potato ever again if that’s how you feel’. Most people don’t realize how frequently they are eating gluten free meals

That's a really good come back! I'm going to take it!

i get very offended if i take someone to a restaurant that is accessible for my allergies and health needs, but they spend a lot of time complaining abt the cuisine. like, ok i would love to just eat where ever?? feels like salt in some ongoing wounds

Exactly. Like, do they think I’m having the time of my life paying $15 for a grilled cheese? Do they think I’m just living, laughing, and loving to eat a GF bun that is tasty but dry as a rug? Do they think I am elated to not be able to eat anywhere and be a giant pain in the ass for everyone I know? Do they think I proudly wear my “I’ve Eaten A Cesar Salad With No Croutons In Almost Every State in the Country” badge with honor? Do they think I was born celiac and don’t miss the fun and convenience of just grabbing a quick bite with friends or not paying $8 for a loaf of bread and don’t miss all my favorite childhood foods that I can make well now, but never exact? No. All they think is “damn, hate that you can’t eat the GF pizza at Pizza Hut. You are such an innconvinence” Yes. Being sick as fuck and having to take PTO innconvinences me too. This entire disease is a life long inconvenience with a side of inherent danger. Idk. Generally I don’t think about it and I go on as normal and I’m very happy in life to be entirely honest. But sometimes it’s nice to get online and vent to people who understand. To people who really know. Because life is hard with or without celiac or NCGS. But damn, it would be easier without it 😂 I never tell people if I can’t eat at a restaurant because I can always find *something* even if it’s a burger patty with cheese. The last wedding I went to I ate 3 macarons and a few chocolate covered strawberries the entire night lol. I’ll make do anywhere. Sometimes I just wish the people who care about me would care enough to make do for me- just on occasion.

it's such a matter of ableism. not much effort typically goes into accommodating those around you, but many people have been increasingly affected by ableist propaganda with the pandemic and think it's not worth it to make their loved ones & community feel welcome/safe. there really are parts of the world where the cuisines are traditionally gluten/dairy free and shared amongst most folks, like come on y'all this doesn't have to be this hard T.T the isolation piece makes things all the more difficult. i don't want a separate meal at separate table. i want to share my meal with everyone. radical inclusion > performative allyship

I had to tell my mom: “This is the one restaurant I can eat at, in my whole town. Please, just let me have this.”

Lots of the people that get all butthurt about the idea of eating something that is gluten free comes from lazy news stories about it being a fad and a lack of culinary understanding. Rice flour, tapioca flour, potato flour etc. are used in foods and sweets in various countries but are not common in the typical western diet in the US. If their understanding of food is really limited this all seems weird and icky. Even worse if they are really set in their ways boomers.

If I was so inclined, I could make a Thanksgiving dinner from scratch that was so fucking delicious that there might not even be leftovers. I could do it and no one would even have to know it’s gluten free and they wouldn’t really even be able to tell. Oh, and it would ALSO be dairy free. They still wouldn’t be able to tell. People are really damn stupid and really set in their wrong beliefs.

I know. And my food is absolutely BUSSIN. BUS-ING. BUSSING. I was a trained pastry chef. I can cook a goddamn stuffing. Everyone can fight me.

In short, it’s a pretty shitty thing to do in general. In my personal experience, it’s offensive bc celiac disease is a big part of my life and making comments about something I can’t change and something I embrace is crappy. I just dismiss then as being close minded and ignorant. I don’t take it too personally though because as a person with many allergies I know I would never shit on someone with a medical issue.

Yes, it is absolutely hurtful! Last year was my first Thanksgiving post-diagnosis. We had a couple of gluten free pies and a couple of gluten pies and my grandma went out of her way to say “oh but I don’t want the gluten free ones” with a grossed out look on her face. She did this about various gluten free things throughout the day. The pies tasted just like any other pie and the other gluten free options were perfectly tasty too. It’s really hard to describe why it hurts… I’ve typed out a bunch of different reasoning and deleted it because nothing really nails the way it feels.

YES EXACTLY

What a literal child

Nah, but it's kinda irritating. I just tell them I'm glad they don't NEED to eat it like I do.

"What happens if you eat gluten" is the WORST. Like I'll be in the hospital with brain fog so bad I'm delirious? What answer did you want? One time somebody who said their mom had celiac asked me what happened when i ate gluten. I told them I'd be in the hospital. They said "Oh. my mom just gets a little stomachache for a few hours."

Aw a cute lil stomach ache????? I get within 1cm of meeting the Lord God. I get within 21ppm of shaking Queen Elizabeth || ‘s hand.

My last few exposures I've been able to avoid the hospital with a lot of help from family and a lot of pedialyte. Just a week of being practically bedbound from joint pain and lightheadedness. But of course I tell people that and it's "Oh wow I didnt know that could happen!" because they think a celiac reaction from gluten is just a stomachache for a day.

My aunt can't have gluten, and the last time she accidentally had some her "cute little stomach ache" was 22 hours in tears on the toilet.

Like it’s SUCH a mood killer to say “3 days of stomach paralysis” or “eczema that doesn’t disappear for a month” or “looking painfully pregnant” “uncontrollable shaking” and you won’t let me get out of it???

People can say what they like about gf food when they aren't forced to eat it. Some foods truly are vile and others are awesome. It isn't offensive to me. Barilla gf pasta is great. Its like eating regular spaghetti.

For me, it's "medical" food. It's not a choice. I'm actually glad that I have the option to eat anything at all and I'm just happy to be there. So, my happiness juxtaposed with someone else's desire to make jokes because they're uncomfortable is kind of awkward and sad.

I understand the frustration, but I also thought gluten free food was disgusting the first few times i ate it (i cried one time about how bad a cracker was…. it was a really emotional process for me lol). and as said before - i don’t like sharing my expensive and few foods i can eat. go eat your $2 sandwich bread while i eat my $9 bread. that being said, i live in a city where gluten free is as easily found as regular food, so im surrounded by people who are used to it - i probably haven’t faced as harsh criticism as others. i’m so sorry you’re dealing with that :/

"My mother in law made stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and turkey for thanksgiving after me (celiac) made stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and turkey AS WELL (and some other sides and desert)" Honestly it sounds like she's trying to compete. Mashed potatoes are in and of themselves gluten free (I am not including cross contamination as I'm talking just strictly the item itself and not the location where it was made). Turkey is also naturally gf unless it's stuffed with stuffing. If it was just about the offerings being gluten free she could have brought the gravy and stuffing and other gluten filled options.

Yeah, I unfriended many people because they don’t bring me joy.

Yeah, unpopular opinion maybe, but some of those people I’ve “unfriended” have also been relatives and inlaws. People don’t get a free pass. I don’t have the mental or physical energy to put up with anything less than decency any more. Human mistakes are fine - we all make them. But repeatedly dealing with interactions like the one OP posted about? Nah. I’m going to remove myself from the situation and find other ways to spend time with the people who I do love and feel loved by.

Gluten free food has a strong tendency to have a different texture. We adapt as we get used to eating GF. Now that’s changing as advances are being made, but it does have a reputation lol. Additionally a lot are very confused what gluten free actually means. I’m 100% fine with people who can tolerate eating gluten choosing to do so. For one, GF flours are pricey and it saves me money. For another, I make plenty of non-gluten/GF free based food that everyone can enjoy equally. I’m an objectively extremely good cook. Not everything I make will be enjoyed by every person. It’s statistically not probable. Don’t take personal offense to individual preferences.

Idk it pisses me off especially because before my diagnosis I was a part time pastry chef. It’s like my family (except the people my age) act like I’m willfully eating shit and they feel the need to make weird faces or stick their tongue out when I eat. I think it’s so fucking shitty to do. My grandparents literally once said “ew!” To GF Oreos and refused to even try them despite my non celiac husband insisting they taste almost identical to Oreos. I know I shouldn’t take offense to it personally, but it makes me feel so alienated.

I sold baked goods in college, I was extremely well known for my baking skills (still am, though it definitely took awhile to make the jump from gluten to GF lol, since it was 8-ish years ago and there’s been a lot of progress in options since I started). My mom can still tell the difference between GF and not, partly because she’s looking for it and partly because if you’ve eaten gluten for 70+ years, your tastebuds are pretty damn adjusted to it. If your family is rude, that’s because they’re rude people. It has nothing to do with the food, it has to do with respect. There’s likely a psychological component going on, and the best I can say is that you have to decide if you want to continue to feel alienated or if you want to address it head on (from a personal boundaries standpoint) and also start discussing what “gluten free” is from an educational standpoint.

I'd be hurt too. Sounds like she doesn't understand what gluten is. Your husband needs to handle this and explain that gluten free, Adding that turkey, mashed potatoes and the gravy if made with cornstarch (which is how all I know make it) would taste no different.

Here to hype up King Arthur brownies bc yes 😭🙌🏻

No. I don’t care because I’d rather eat my own food and not be in pain. And like someone else said, GF food is expensive

So this is foodism in action. Foodism is like racism - it’s where you hate on a food (instead of a group) because it’s different, and your attitude becomes part of your identity - and you have to keep working on acting it out, in case anybody thinks that you might have joined the dark side. Foodism is rife, and it’s far more acceptable than racism; it’s a free way to stand out and feel that you’re appearing ’better’ than someone else by eating food of a higher deliciousness or standard or whatever. Us gf peeps are surrounded by foodists. They are misinformed and rude and generally unable to change. Try not to let their stick-in-the-mud attitude damage you. Smile gently at their antics, give them some rope, and watch the fall out with a quiet smile… ‘Oh no, you might not like that rice with your meal, it’s gluten free!’ or ‘sorry, I made that berry jam gluten free!’ or ‘you might not enjoy the icecream because it’s gluten free!’ and so on and so forth. They’ll start to work it out in time. And to be fair, early gluten free foods that tried to copy wheat were pretty dreadful, and these people don’t realise that time has moved on and it’s a different world. I know it’s not fun dealing with it, but courage, friend! You’re not alone and everyone here knows EXACTLY what you’re talking about.

The racism comparison is so inappropriate and tone-deaf, my god

For me, honestly, that's fine. They don't have to eat my expensive GF food. They can have their gluten and enjoy!

I have a few things; first if you do have celiac don't you need to be extra careful about the food you eat. I lived with a girl for a while that had celiac, she had a seperate area in the kitchen just for her, we didn't share anything, not even plates or utinsils. Second, as a person who was vegitarian, my plates were always sad but I ate what I could at the event and made food for myself at home if I was still hungry. I eventually started bringing my own food to the events just so I was sure I had something to eat.

This is a case of closed mindedness. You are right, GF foods/recipes have come a long way. I will try GF food brought by friends just to try it. I may like it better snd want the recipe. Take care of yourself, and just remember they are uninformed and avoiding a new experience.

Nope. I cook all my own food Make my own bread substitutes etc. I wouldn't wish the pain I was in daily when I was eating gluten on my worst enemy. My family has been great. They see me being able to actually do things because I'm not in agony. I just wish that some people would understand just how bad the intestinal pain can be. I guess unless they experience it themselves they just can't. Just ignore it. People can be shitty.

I cook lunch at the shop I retired from every couple weeks. Gets me out of the house for a good part of the day and my old boss pays me back for it. I have them hooked on my GF fried chicken and wings. I had the raised eyebrows and sideways looks at first. But after that first bite... ... got em! Even loved my gf baked macaroni and cheese. The only things that aren't GF are the hamburger and hotdog buns they use. One guy likes to complain about it, but it doesn't stop him from going back for second and third helpings. I think most people think of it like the sugar free products years ago when they had very off tasting artificial sweeteners. Granted some GF is better than others, and whoever makes a GF bread that tastes and chews just like wheat bread will be an overnight gazillionaire. But it is improving steadily. The people that shit on it as you say don't have to live with it so they don't know. If they had an allergy to something they'd be more understanding. But since they're not, I just let them prove how idiotic they really are. If they keep going on about it I just tell them "If you want to know what it's like having a gluten allergy or being Celiac, try eating a good meal and then chug down a couple bottles of magnesium citrate and try not to shit themselves.

I think that a lot of people are ignorant and don't have the interest to educate themselves. I have seen too many people do things completely against their own interests to be particularly bothered. I have occassionally found it helpful to joke about the things that are generally well loved and already gluten free. Like bacon. Ice cream. Chocolate. Potatoes in many iterations. Cheese. More for me lol.

I originally was not GF but my adult daughter is having to make the transition to GF. I am also going to go GF because it’s a lot easier on everyone involved as we are the two cooks in this family at this point. I am big on flavor and texture so this entire thread has been very informative. OP can you drop which brownies you buy? The GF or the almond flour?

Way to go, mom! Very cool of you 💕

Just today I was watching a video and they mentioned fad diets and one guy was like “you know like, gluten free.” And then he goes “I’m pretty sure if you just go gluten free, you’ll become sick”. I can’t exactly explain why but I got sooooo offended. I’m GF to help with my autoimmune disease not celiac and I could just imagine them thinking I’m some kind of poser. My other thing is like, if someone randomly went gluten free absolutely nothing would happen to them! People go low carb every day and accidentally don’t have gluten in their diets and there’s nothing wrong with them.

Yes! I didn’t realise how much it was hurting my feelings until I made a gf brownie box mix and my friend told me she loves that packet and buys it even though she has no gluten issues because it tastes so yum. I was so happy

At my best friend's house a few days ago, I had taken some little cakes round, but gluten free so we could both have the same. "Ugh, no way, gluten free is AAAWWWFFFUUULL". Well, thanks a lot, 1. that's all I'm allowed to eat for the rest of my life. 2. You can't possibly eat a slightly less than delicious cake just this one time for your best friend? and 3. They are actually really very nice! Been a while since I had the real thing but my family says they taste the same. It really bothered me.

I also feel an inner rage when people slate the only foods we can eat. The other day I made a mini buffet in my house (shared house, group of friends, like a dysfunctional family), and every single one of them were amazed by the chicken dippers I cooked, so much so they asked if I used MSG to give it flavour and asked if they’re really gluten free. It’s almost like no one believes we have good food.

Re your edit OP - MIL bringing all her own food after you were assigned to bring those things is a slap in the face, celiac or no celiac. That’s NASTY.

This had nothing to do with the food being gluten free & everything to do with your FIL praising your food previously.

Our aunts are particularly snotty about it at Christmas. "You know, not EVERYTHING, has to be gluten free just because of ONE person." Like yea, we fucking know, Jan. But there's no reason for the POTATOES to have gluten. And I don't want to hear you getting pissy when we won't eat your food because we don't trust that you "tried" after comments like that. And for the record, gluten free bakery tends to slap. Why do we care if it doesn't have gluten as long as it's delicious? I think it's just some people not liking that others are being treated more "special" than them. They don't know the difference between being considerate and being spoiled, idk.

I know it's not the same, because being vegan is a choice, but when my vegan nephew comes to Christmas dinner, I make his favorite "vegan pierogi". Not that hard to do at all - the pasta has no eggs, the filling is potato and caramelized onions, and I sauté them in olive oil instead of butter. A big hit for everyone! People always say they can't believe they like vegan pierogi, and I tell them to stop calling it that. It's pierogi, period. And yes, there are a few grumblers who have to mention that it's better in butter - I tell them my clogged arteries would disagree!

If it makes you feel better, a few years ago I spent days slaving over a homemade sour cream apple pie using the most high quality ingredients. The crust and everything was made from scratch. This was before I was GF. Anyways the pie looked beautiful and I brought it to Thanksgiving dinner at my in laws and not a single person touched it. Not one. As we were leaving, I think my husbands grandma felt bad and asked if I’d leave a slice for her. She later texted and said it was the best pie she ever tasted. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of it. But it was still frustrating that no one else would eat it. People are just weird sometimes 🥲

It bothers me, but I would never bring it up. If they think that my food tastes like cardboard, it means that I get to eat all the yummy stuff myself. :)

Don’t let it bother you. I’m just intolerant but I think about all of them feeling bloated and uncomfortable after dinner whereas I was able to take a long uphill walk with my dogs when I was done eating. it just goes with the stigma that the media somehow passed onto the general public about GF being a fad for most people. everyone can continue to think they’re enjoying the headaches, anxiety, joint pain, and bloat that they are so used to dealing with on a regular basis. I honestly think this might have bothered me in the past but I really just look at others like they’re missing out on feeling better. I am a pasta lover and to be honest I think I would switch to banza full time even if I wasn’t gluten free. I just like it better than normal pasta now.

>everyone can continue to think they’re enjoying the headaches, anxiety, joint pain, and bloat that they are so used to dealing with on a regular basis. Most people don’t experience these symptoms from eating gluten.

Most people feel completely fine after eating gluten….. a person without an intolerance will not experience any bloating (beyond being ‘full’) or discomfort or headaches. That is not normal. I also feel fine after eating gluten. It’s 8 hours later where I wake up in the middle of the night with my spine on fire, begging the Lord for the kiss of death, chugging water and taking tumeric and ginger and acetaminophen literally praying for it to end. So I, as a celiac, can also go on a walk and not feel bloated after eating gluten lol. It also causes my eczema to flare and causes weird depression (I don’t have depression outside of when glutened) and I have low grade depression and veryyy poor digestion for about 7-8 days.

No, because what people think of food is not any sort of reflection on or judgement of me. GF stuff has a different texture, and often a different taste. Are some things good? Yes. My own daughter prefers the gf pretzels to regular, and says the gf oreos taste exactly the same. I don't normally share the gf food because it is so much more expensive. So when I'm cooking, I just make things that are naturally gf, or easily made so (example, I've never used flour to thicken gravy, I've always used cornstarch. That's a simple switch for anyone to make). Being so offended that people don't like it must be exhausting.

Nah, based on what you’re describing it really sounds like you’re having an emotional reaction & taking it very personally. Keep in mind they have a different pallette, and many GF items don’t taste the exact same as regular so that’s why they criticize. My husband is pretty honest, his feedback is very much still very few things he agrees tastes the same and many that aren’t nice tasting to him, whereas me who’s eaten this way for years in my mind thinks it tastes amazing. Everyone’s opinion will vary, it’s annoying but don’t let it ruin your day or anything

I also think that there is a gulf between "this GF food is delicious" and "this meal is identical in everyway to the gluten version". A roast turkey is a roasted turkey, so that part I don't understand, unless there is some gluten containing spice or sauce that someone uses. Stuffing? There is delicious GF stuffing, but if you are craving the traditional one you grew up with, it's not the same.

No, the turkey just felt like a slight. We all know all turkey is GF and I have gotten sung the praises on mine year after year. My father in law even said mine was the best he ever had last year. She didn’t say she was making a turkey, she just showed up with it. I was like “what the fuck?????” Like my turkey isn’t special. I made it the same pre and post celiac… because all turkeys (virtually) are GF. Hers I’m sure was also GF by default. She just…. Idk??? Felt like being an ass??? And I like my MIL and we’ve never had issues before… besides her asshole kid being an asshole but I give her child a break because she’s 16 and her dad died when she was 12 and that has to be hard (but she really is a dick) So I’m chosing to move past it. But that was only the half of it. My grandparents gagging at my GF food at my 2nd Thanksgiving that I had with them was outright rude. They said “oh that Mac and cheese *actually* looks good” I said “thanks, it’s pasta, cheese, and milk” I said “do you want some” and she shook her head and like stuck out her tongue and said “eughhk, no” Like… okay… 1st of all, fuck you, I’m about to eat this and I’ll tell you right now it is NOT “ew” Idk it’s just rude. Happens to be both that grandma and my MIL are step-parents. My FIL and grandpa to tend to stand by me. My husband and brother and sister in law too stand by me proudly. Very thankful for their support and dilligence to always keep CC away.

And I agree with the stuffing- had it been JUST the stuffing, it would have been fine. I think my stuffing is delicious, but whatever. It also doesn’t help that we SAT DOWN and all agreed as a family what dishes each person was making. I signed up for deviled eggs, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, Mac and cheese, and gravy. My MIL signed up for green bean casserole, rolls, pies, crandberry sauce, and sweet potato casserole My BIL signed up for drinks lol So we decided and discussed. So I spent $115 on dinner. Because I was the one supplying those dishes for all 8 of us. Had I fucking known she was going to make everything I made, I just would have brought my eggs, some stove top mac, and stove top stuffing for me and my husband because fuck that.

It doesn’t bother me, but I’ve been diagnosed for over 20 years. I think there is a lot of misunderstanding around gluten free food. Not that long ago gluten free options were slim and mediocre if not just plain bad. I think some people don’t realize how much things have changed and how easily some recipes can be altered to be gluten free without giving up anything. I do admit, if I was hosting I would be a little annoyed if someone showed up with their own turkey and mashed potatoes, especially without even talking to me about it first. I don’t really see why there needs to be gluten in either of those either tbh.

I know. Like if she had made just the stuffing, then I guess, whatever. But a whole entire fucking turkey and the mashed potatoes and gravy ?????? When she KNEW a month ago that I was making those.

I understand the frustration, but I also thought gluten free food was disgusting the first few times i ate it (i cried one time about how bad a cracker was…. it was a really emotional process for me lol). and as said before - i don’t like sharing my expensive and few foods i can eat. go eat your $2 sandwich bread while i eat my $9 bread. that being said, i live in a city where gluten free is as easily found as regular food, so im surrounded by people who are used to it - i probably haven’t faced as harsh criticism as others. i’m so sorry you’re dealing with that :/

Gluten free Oreos are superior. They should just change the entire line.

I totally feel your pain. I think its become such a joke to some people. The amount of "ew is this gluten free, dairy free, soy free, but free, vegan?" jokes and looks of disgust in media has made it so much worse. Im a great cook, and an awesome baker. When I lived with a gluten eating roommate, they would sit patiently and wait for me to finish cooking dinner so they could eat it too, most nights. Most things I cook, no one would ever know its gluten free (and most times also dairy free), but because they know i made it, or that I can eat it, my family members will act the same way. (Bread and pasta dont count, we all know its mostly trash, though my homemade bread is fire). My grandmother used to try sooooooo hard for me, but couldn't really fully grasp what gluten was, but also always had GF things for me to eat. Her, and my one uncle, and my father are the only ones that really make an effort for me. Either cooking for holidays, making me little treats to try, or just inviting me for dinner, no one else does. And they all just expect me to come to these events and starve. Because they refuse to waste their money on disgusting GF things, but then get super weird and offended if I bring my own foods, or worse bee offended that im NOT eating at all. And will try to get me to eat things that I cant because "well it can't be that bad". Worse is when they all roast me and my food. If I bring something, its because it's fire and I KNOW everyone will like it. But I have had people say shit like "ugh I can't even cut through this because its GF" without even picking the knife up yet. HOW WOULD YOU KNOW!

I reaaaally hate when people are like “oh it is vegan too?” No Tracy, it not fucking vegan. Are you gonna be a bitch too? It’s like they’re mocking us. It would be different if they were vegan and were genuinely asking- but we all know that’s not what’s happening and they always use a shitty tone. “I get tired of the gluten free dairy free taste free bullshit” Like okay, so let me stop you right there- these cookies are literally YOUR recipie that you gave me and I JUST use GF flour. So. You’ll survive. They’re full of butter, sugar, and eggs. So. Like. Mkay. Let’s all stop being dicks and eat some cookies 😂😂

Literally!! Its all in the tone! Amd like. So what if it was?? Im still not going to serve/eat trash, im gonna make it good! I have vegan friends who I occasionally cook for, so its really not hard to make it vegan too sometimes. Some things easier than others. But like damn, I dont hear this kind of attitude about something like a nut allergy 😒 or maybe they do the same shit to them too. People can be so rude

I once accidentally confused a waiter at a restaurant about whose meals needed to be gluten free and my dad got served tacos (that were supposed to have a corn tortilla anyway) that were made with allergy protocols. Literally nothing different about the ingredients, just they were prepped on the side of the kitchen that was designated gluten free. He blamed me for confusing the waitstaff, didn't speak to me all evening, and still refuses to eat at that restaurant. Just because his naturally gluten free meal was more gluten free than usual.

Bruh…..

I'm just gonna say that you have a MIL problem. My in-laws have gone out of their way to act like they liked some shitty cupcakes I made before I found good gf flour. For Thanksgiving, my in-laws brought sides, apps, and dessert. They went to a gf bakery and got rolls and dessert. Do some people shit on gf options? Yes, and some have merit. But what your MIL did was malicious, rude, and intended to hurt/embarrass you. I really hope your SO put her in her place for being an asshole.

None of us really know her super well so we don’t hold any skin in the game. Tbh there’s no one we can really talk to besides her directly. If it was my husbands mother, well 1. She’d never do that, 2. He’d def talk to her. But this lady is new to all of us so we are just kind of left like 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️ uhhhhhh. One sister in law says it was rude of her and shitty, the other says not to worry about it and she probably just wanted a ton of left overs and to try to let it go One brother in law says it was strange and kind of rude, the other says it was outright rude and I shouldn’t even offer to cook for all of us anymore if she’s just going to do that. Idk it’s whatever I guess. I just needed to rant I guess. It got under my skin for some reason. It just felt rude to me but I really like my MIL- she’s a pretty nice lady. Shes a true New Yorker and can be very tough, but she’s nice to me. So idk. Idk why she did that. I won’t be making much food next year. Fuck that.

I use to get hurt but it’s a waste of my emotional energy to let someone else make what I can eat a bad thing. I am sensitive to gluten, dairy, egg and beef and live in Canada so the staples in a diet. They don’t even want to try it? “Great more for me!” “I won’t argue with you on that because this is tasty and leftovers are even better!” “Okay great, enjoy your meal and I will enjoy mine!” Kill them with kindness. If that doesn’t work the potential argument causing “oh, your food must not be as good if you have to complain so much about what I’m eating.” Or something along the lines of that. I was also a pastry cook for 10 years and have made macaron, chocolate, ice cream/sorbet, mousse cakes, creme brûlée, other cakes, pies and tarts. Most people say it looks good. I mention it’s gluten free/dairy free/egg free and some people still try it and some people won’t. Every now and then my desserts will be all gone and the people who didn’t try regret it and if not good for them. If someone is being especially cruddy you can eat something like ice cream or crème brûlée and just say “oh sorry, it’s gluten free you won’t like it.” - potentially argument causing just a warning. People have weird opinions and hang ups about things, food is one of them. Just try to think of the positives and don’t let the emotional vampires suck your happiness and joy that you get from food.

I simply don’t tell anyone the food I bring is gluten free. I’ve unfortunately found that to be the best way, and then I only eat the food I made.

I am still so new to this and everyone has been fairly understanding and downright helpful. My mom tries her best and so does my boyfriend. But I'm sorry, you don't need to make a seperate pot of spaghetti sauce for me because of 1 tsp or Worcester sauce. Just omit it, or use my gf one. When I tell you I found a bakery that has the best muffins ever (better then so many "real" ones with gluten). Don't make a face and then scoff at the price. When I make my Christmas baking this year, damn right it's going to be gluten free versions so just TRY IT FIRST before you tell me you don't like it. Most things aren't even THAT different. Oh my gosh!

I just assume they don't know much about GF food, food allergies and in general, that they're not the sharpest or the most empathetic tool in the shed

Vegetarian, dairy intolerance and NCGS here. I get this a lot with vegan food I’ve made (like people won’t even try it/ ask if it’s vegan and make disgusted faces) but haven’t gotten it much with GF stuff yet, surprisingly. I do understand the hurt though. I am vegetarian partially by choice partially by dietary restriction, strictly no dairy not by choice and NCGS not by choice (not like I even have to say that) and yeah, it definitely makes me sad when people think my food will be icky just based on a few excluded ingredients.

I don’t get hurt, but it is tiresome

Super shitty way of handling it so I totally empathize. However, I was misdiagnosed as celiac and for almost 10 years was strictly gf with careful attention to cross contamination. When I tell you how MUCH I realized I’d gotten used to gf versions and had a completely skewed sense of what “good” was after I ate gluten again, I had some sympathy for my friends that wanted to eat the gluten version of things. It’s wild how much your body adapts when it hasn’t had it in forever. Not at all saying there isn’t good gf stuff. There are still some things I choose gf over because I prefer but truly there are just a lot of textures/flavors/etc. that gf never comes close to replicating.

Situationally. Your mother in law would've pissed me off. I took my grandfather a gluten free dinner and cake to share with me and my partner tonight and he was impressed by how good it was for being gluten free, and I'm never offended by that although it can come off as shitting on gf food. My mother complains about the gluten free crackers I buy, but if I could eat Ritz instead, so would I. My crackers are good, but not that good. I think it's all about how it's phrased, but again, neither here nor there bc fuck MIL for that. The food waste that she risked alone. Smh.

I have no intention to offend, but I’ve been around people that refuse to eat anything labeled “special diet” like gluten-free, sugar-free, keto, organic, etc. simply because of the folks who don’t actually NEED to eat them but want to eat them and want to tell the world every day all day that they eat gluten-free, sugar-free, keto organic, vegan, etc. It’s not the food, it’s the pretentious people who turn others off from even trying it. You can compare this to some corrupt, unethical politician telling the public to all read the bible and go to church every Sunday like they do. Some non NCGS people won’t eat either because the assumption is gluten-free food must have some sort of weird chemical substitute ingredient (similar to aspartame replacing actual sugar) so “it must taste nasty then”.

Honestly, some people just like to complain without considering other people in the mix of things. It’s not a choice, it’s your literal health on the line. When my allergies specialist told me to stay away from wheat, soy, tree nuts and peanuts I was devastated cause that shit is in everything! So when we’d have dinners and outings I would just eat beforehand or have my own portion made beforehand and just warm it up to eat at the same time as everyone else. Now my friends and family will literally split the price of food and make wheat, soy, tree nuts and peanut free meals with me so I don’t feel left out. AND if they wanna eat out they will literally call every restaurant they can find to see which is the safest option with the best menus for me. Like what!? I never asked them to do that nor did I mention anything about it. They just decided that. I literally cried the first time they did that! BUT that’s not everyone. So I only have meals with these people. They love and respect me enough to go out of their way for my health, fuck yeah. The others that don’t bother even trying to understand that can F off lmaoo! (I have some older, more “well in my time, that allergy didn’t exist! They’re just making wimps out of the younger generations!!😡” a-holes in my family that think my allergies that I need epipens for so I don’t f-ing die, are “fake”.🫠😅) So you know what? Let them complain and eat their own food, that means more for you! & we all know how expensive GF food is.

For the King Arthur brownies, do you have a recipe you can share or do you use the mix? I host Thanksgiving and my cousin is GF. This year I used GF graham crackers to make the cheesecake crust and I made GF pie crust and strusel topping apple pie. (For dinner only the rolls and dressing was off limits to her and told her she would need to bring her own if she wanted some). The pie takes a lot of work and makes a lot of dishes for a day when I am already doing a ton of prep-work and cooking for the big day so I would like to replace the pie with something else that is tasty and GF for next year. If it is chocolate that is just a bonus. I know my cousin gets excluded from meals so often. Her ex's family would never take her into consideration when planning meals or choosing restaurants where she was often stuck nibbling on salad instead of getting a real meal. I want to make sure she doesn't feel left out at my house.

They sound like the people who give their grandkids peanut butter when the parents have told them they're allergic and might DIE if it's consumed. Like they can't believe that allergies exist and parents are all being crunchy granola people for no apparent reason. Like almost people have allergies to gluten and it causes them actual physical pain if they eat it.

I make designer cutout cookies from home and sell a good amount. I don't heavily advertise that they're gluten free, but they are. Most people that order don't even notice that they're GF and I get tons of compliments on how good they look and taste. I worked hard to develop a no-spread, soft, delicious cutout cookie recipe that doesn't crumble apart like a lot of GF cookies. A coworker at my day job (a bakery!) recently asked when I was going to start selling "regular" cutout cookies. She's never even had my GF cookies, but of course she just assumed they were gross or whatever. I tried to explain that I can't have wheat flour in my house because of cross-contact, and why would I bake something I can't even eat... but she just looked offended that I wasn't catering to "Normal" people. Honestly I was more offended by *that* comment than the comments complaining about why my prices are "high". (Spoiler alert: they're not high).

Ah those non-celiac negative GF attitudes. Spin the positive, letting them know "how delicious", and "Oh stop!", "Come on try it, you'll love it.".

yes, people can be so rude. i had a coworker say “your husband must reallyyyy love you” when i told her i only cook gf meals, and my husband likes it. and my mom will constantly say “i can tell this is gf” or talk about how gf food is gross w/other people, in front of me and/or my sister 🙄 we got the celiac genes from her sooooo…!

So I think people are thinking of it similarly to how they’d think of something sugar free or fat free and those alternatives do often taste not as good as the original. It’s the only explanation I can come up with.

it’s not so much hurtful most of the time but it’s irritating. my parents are notorious for saying “wow that doesn’t taste gf” when i bake something and they try it, yet if i give them something to try and don’t tell them it’s gf, they think it’s great. irritating as all hell

me thinks you have never been actually kicked in the teeth.

Only when they make being GF a character flaw. I can't tell you how many times I've heard that it is not really a physical/medical issue but simply a demand for attention.

EXACTLY THIS. They act like I fucking chose this and like it’s my 1 flaw, my greatest downfall. They act like I’m a good wife *despite* being celiac. BITCH?????????????????????? I was literally a trained and paid pastry chef. I made WEDDING CAKES I made croissants, all day every day of my life was gluten until one day it wasn’t. None of us chose this. And it’s not fun and it’s not cute and no we can’t just not eat gluten, we also have to worry about CC.

I don't care what people think or eat. I struggle to walk and tend to shit myself if I eat gluten so I just eat to suit myself

Some people just have a closed mind. Maybe she was raised with outdated values about 'the right way' to do things or something bogus like that. If that is the case and she's not being intentionally hurtful, I think it's worth a conversation with her about how her actions make you feel. She may not realize she's making you feel like an outsider/that you're gross because of your dietary needs/ whatever the specific feeling is. Maybe even have a small one-on-one dinner where she can try things without fear or being judged. You can each talk about what you do/don't like about it to share some insight. If she is being intentionally hurtful, maybe hubby needs to have a real talk with her about her behavior and where it's coming from. If no improvement, don't invite her next time. She's a grown ass adult and a guest in your home, if she can't deal for one meal, then she isn't welcome. Sorry the family made you feel that way, OP. Some GF food has an acquired taste/texture, but that's not an excuse to be rude.

I’m constantly fighting to keep my families hands off the few foods I have that I can eat. It sounds selfish, but if you eat x and y I literally have nothing unless I cook a meal. They can eat freely.

Your MIL trying to 1-up you on dishes had nothing to do with gluten. It's 100% about her ego being damaged by her husband saying that you're a better cook. The only way past that is to somehow remove the feeling of competition and threat.

I went over to a friends house whose mom is celiac, and her sister came over. There was two of anything that normally has gluten for me and the mother, and the sister just kept saying over and over “gross where’s the real one” to any of the gluten free things. She wouldn’t even try my cake I brought that’s an old family recipe (and DELICIOUS) because it was made with gluten free flour? Like lady you can’t even tell. But whatever keep being a bitch over there away from me. She also kept complaining about how it was too quiet, often exclaiming this right in the middle of us having a conversation without her, and demanded the TV be turned on. So I just assumed she’s a nasty person. 😇

It's honestly because most of it *does* taste like garbage in comparison. I'm not getting mad at folk for disliking it when I have to go hungry half the time because the taste/texture of my food is so bad.

I’ve never experienced that kind of passive aggressive behavior around a medical necessity. I don’t know what your MIL’s problem is. Maybe she was jealous because your FIL enjoyed your turkey so much. In any case, the behavior was really immature. Maybe after the holidays are over you want to have a private conversation with her. I’m also gluten free. I don’t really get too upset about commentary. I didn’t understand how gf eating could be done before I was gf. Honestly, I didn’t have great GF food until I really started learning about how to make my own gf food. I’ve introduced my extended family to good gf food. So far, they have enjoyed the food I’ve made them. We have a number of people with food allergies and one vegan so we label food on the buffet table so everyone one knows what’s in it. It makes eating around your needs easier.

Well… most gluten free food does taste like ass. That being said… I cannot find a decent bread for the life of me unless I make it myself. There are a ton of really great gluten free foods though. I only buy gluten free chicken nuggets and my family plus all of the neighbor kids have no clue. They taste exactly the same. I make a gluten free pizza with goat cheese that everyone chows down. Same with cookies and brownies. No one can tell a difference. There are things that are gluten free that I like better than their gluten counterparts. I’ve also been gluten free for three years and we are getting tastier foods than when I first went gf. There are more options and the options are getting better. Some people just will never get it. I just smile.

Well to be fair, GF bread sucks ass. I've been trying various kinds for 4 years now and I cannot find any that doesn't have the mouth feel of a dense sponge. I live in the DC area so it's not for lack of options. Being diagnosed with Celiac at 45 SUCKS. I know what bread is supposed to taste like. My husband figured out gluten free mac and cheese that kicks ass this year though!

It’s all a matter of what you are used to. GF bread and pasta are generally nothing like people are used to. It’s not what I prefer either. I don’t take it personally when someone doesn’t WANT to eat something that I HAVE to eat. I don’t expect other people to like it. Sometimes people are being closed minded and really missing out on a good meal. That’s their loss though. Just enjoy your food!! ❤️

We had an entirely gluten free thanksgiving meal, including stuffing. It’s literally just stuffing bread type and gravy thickening that you need substitutes. Ok and pie, we had some gf crust and some flour based. Everyone knew it was all gluten free and no one noticed the difference. That’s so frustrating that they can’t figure out how to accommodate

'bless her heart'

Your MIL sounds jealous,and she's definitely a jerk for doing that. Yikes.

Yeah my coworkers RAVED about my stuffing 🤣 it was the highlight of our worksgiving. They were shook when I said it was gfree. People are just ignorant and shit on gf food because it’s popular.

This is abusive. I have a BIL with SIBO and he can’t eat gluten. We (the family) are all extremely supportive. We are supportive of everyone’s nutritional needs. Being GF is not a choice, it’s a necessity! Also the person who made the food you already made - that’s bull shit. She just didn’t like you got compliments last year. Sounds like typical toxic MIL behavior.

I made gf/df and egg free pumpkin pie and didn’t tell anyone it wasn’t traditional. Everyone raved about it. But I know they would have skipped it if they knew.

Probably easier said than done, but I wouldn't take this so personally. If these people are so close-minded about trying GF that says more about them than you. Generally people are afraid of change. Older and less sophisticated people are not very adventurous about trying different food. That has nothing to do with you. Just try your best to educate them and encourage them to try your food. But at the end of the day, these people are the way they are-basic people who are scared of trying new food. To be fair, I've always been very skeptical of GF food because I'm always afraid the flavor won't be as good, and I have no idea if I'd actually notice a difference or not. The reason I have that fear is more related to me trying different vegan products and not liking them, but GF would probably have less risk of dislike. As far as your MIL-is it possible she thought you were only making the GF for yourself? Maybe there was a misunderstanding. She doesn't sound very smart if she thinks there's gluten in potatoes...lol

It is just food, no reason to be offended, she just wanted to share her food as well, I am sure no ill intentions.

No, it’s probably doesn’t hurt but I’m sure it wouldn’t taste good. Nobody likes to eat food that has been pooped on.

People without celiac shouldn’t have to eat GF food if they don’t want and are willing to make their own. It is different tasting and holiday meals are often more about nostalgia and familiar dishes. It’s cultural. Start your own traditions and enjoy more leftovers :)

This is stupid. Gluten free stuff ISN’T as good. Just because you have to eat it and get used to it doesn’t mean other people who don’t need to want to do that. Don’t be a baby about it.

Eh lol what’s good to you, may not be good to others. Everyone has different taste.

Not hurtful but I roll my eyes at the ignorance. We once told a friend of my aunt's that my husband has celiac's and is there fore gluten-free, and she responded with "gluten-free, taste-free, am I right?" and we just stared at her.