Hi, I’m Brandy, aka Gluten Free Grubz!
I’m a Mexican-American food blogger diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2016 (on my 21st birthday no less.. Still sad about that lol), and I’ve been on a mission to create gluten free recipes that taste great and are wholesomely filling!
Growing up in Southern California I was blessed to eat all the Mexican food I desired (this was pre-Celiac). But once I moved away and was diagnosed with Celiac, my favorite food became difficult for me to eat. Living with Celiac has forced me to figure out how to make these family recipes gluten free.. which was much harder than I thought, but totally worth it!!
But I’m not the only one working hard, my husband, Kent, is Japanese-American so he has had his share of difficulty in adjusting/figuring out how to make his family recipes gluten free too!
At Gluten Free Grubz, you won’t just find cookies and breads, you’ll find GF Mexican and Japanese dishes, wholesome and filling snacks for hiking/running/camping, because eating gluten free isn’t just GF desserts.. It’s finding the perfect ingredient substitute to continue making the dishes that were loved before Celiac!
Starting Gluten Free Grubz
At 21, I had no idea what it meant to be gluten free. I just assumed that if I changed all my normal pastas and breads to gluten free that I’d magically feel better.. But ooooh did I learn Celiac Disease is much more than that.
I was so lost on what to eat, how to eat, and why my gut still hurt (cross contamination, what?). I also didn’t know anyone else with Celiac Disease.. Soo for a while I would pretend I didn’t have Celiac and suffer a gluten exposure just to join friends at bars/restaurants. Once I realized that wasn’t sustainable and told people about my Celiac, I began to hear the following questions over and over again: “Can you eat here?” “Are you sure you can eat that?” “The menu says vegan, that’s the same right?” and my least favorite.. “She can’t eat here so we’re going to have to change where we go.. you can eat salad right?”
As time went on, I realized people that give you a hard time about Celiac, or any food allergy, really aren’t worth your time. Especially if they can’t take into consideration that where you eat, might make you sick.
Honestly, having Celiac Disease has taught me sooo much about the food I’m putting in my body and how to view my disease in social situations.
I created this blog is to show the positive side of living gluten free. By sharing recipes that don’t taste bland and creating a space for those living with Celiac to feel empowered while eating!
A Gluten Free Lifestyle
As mentioned above, living with Celiac is much more than just eating Gluten Free, it’s a lifestyle change.
As a spouse of someone who has no food allergies.. Sometimes I get really jealous.. But I also appreciate him like no other. My husband will purposely make, or order, EVERY meal we eat together gluten free, no questions asked. He’s been doing this since our first restaurant date (he ordered his food GF so I could try it), and for that, my heart flutters soo much more.
Although I appreciate him for all he does to make sure I can eat safely (at home or traveling), I also understand that this is not HIS lifestyle.. And I get that the man still needs gluten in his life.
So how is our kitchen set up? Well I don’t have a gluten free shelf, he HAS a Gluten shelf!! Our kitchen is a safe haven for me to eat wherever and whatever I want (minus that shelf).
By arranging our space like this it never makes me feel like my gluten free lifestyle is a burden on him or our kitchen. Which is a very different experience from living with roommates or family, where I only have a small shelf space and have to worry about utensils and pans.
If there is one thing I could tell myself when I first got diagnosed it would be.. TAKE UP SPACE!! Being gluten free is amazing and makes the body feel great!! No shame in taking up more shelves in the kitchen.. Or taking over the whole kitchen, if you can.
At the end of the day, I hope this blog can help you feel comfortable and confident living a gluten free lifestyle!! Having Celiac isn’t the be-all end-all, so let’s fall in love with food again, together!!
Find me on social media!
On Instagram? Follow me at @glutenfreegrubz
Or keep up to date with posts via Pinterest for all the recipe inspiration!